Brief Break

After a show like last weekend, I like to take a bit of time to relax a bit, get the paperwork done and clear up a bit in the studio before tackling more projects. I didn't get much done I will admit this past week.
A warp was finally found but it's still on the warping board!! This will be the last regular warp I'm doing this year. Once this warp is off I hope to weave some rugs and placemats before jumping back into production in January.
The warp is a dark blue grey, light grey and white in the middle. I'm going to weave with black. Hopefully by next week I'll have a picture of it!!!


 Saturday we tackled the greenhouse. It's been getting cold here in the evenings and plants needed to be brought in before the big freeze. We're getting close to that freeze....

 Before we moved more plants in we needed to do some things like cut back the dead branches from the bougainvilleas. We hadn't done that in years and I figure with this cut and maybe fertilizing the plants we should have some nice blooms in February. I had to laugh at the picture I took of DH. He's up on a stool clipping. I didn't realize that his head was right behind the pot hanging from the ceiling there.

 The pine on the right was given to us several years ago as a small, maybe 12" plant. It's grown a bunch and was in a pot that was just too small. Walmart had some big pots on Friday when  I was out that way. It was pouring down rain and the pots were out in the open area but I got one and replanted it. It should be happy now.

Part of what I did was also take some branches that broke off and see if they'll root. When we were bringing in a big pot a long section of my hindu rope broke off. I'm hoping that it will root. Breaking it into about 5 parts and snapping off a few leaves that hopefully will be where the roots come from, it's an experiment I haven't tried before.
We got one half of the greenhouse done. The other half will have to happen this weekend. We've collected some memorabilia from our family homes and they need to be hung someplace so those boxes are sitting among some plants that need a bit of help. I'll post more when that side is ready to show.
For now the poinsettias from last year are hiding in a corner that will be dark in the evening and should bloom by January if not December. Some plants were just brought into the studio downstairs from outside that door and a few ferns are in the sun room waiting for us to finish clearing the other side of that little greenhouse. Then we'll  move everything in there for the winter.
Here's to a more productive week!
Carol

Caution: Wide Load

POCKETS!!!

I needed pockets!

Not just any kind, oh no!

I needed  w i d e   l o a d  pockets!

(Yes, just like my jeans....but I'm still wearing mine!)

  I sent up my prayers to St. Jude (lost causes) and St. Anthony (lost items) to please send me jeans that needed to be recycled.  I even had a little talk with St. Anne (seamstresses and old clothes dealers.)

   I wanted larger pockets to put inside my tote bags...you've always got those little things that you're toting around, but if you're not careful, they get lost in the bottom of your bag.  The smaller totes (purses) have two pockets...one inside and one on the outside.  But, they can use the smaller size pockets from the jeans.  I needed BIGGER pockets for the large totes!!!!

    My prayers were answered.

  I was tagging items at the Center on Tuesday, and I spied a bag with jeans that had been donated!

  Hallelujah!

Thank you Jude, Anthony and Anne!!!!

  And, while I was cutting pockets, I went ahead and got the jeans ready to be cut into strips for rugs at the Center.  This tub holds the seams that were cut out of the jeans.....surely they, too, can be recycled????

  So, I'm back in production mode, sewing on pockets and finishing seams!  And, I'm sending out the call for old jeans..........

.............send me your tired, worn out jeans.  I will make them live again!!!!

Happy Weaving!

LouAnn

A Wee Tiny 2hr Sweater!

For several years now, my California family has held a drawing to simplify the giving of gifts.  They have also settled on only swapping ornaments.  A couple of days ago I got the list of who gives to who, and I started to think about what I could make.  Last year I wove mug rugs and put a loop on it for a hanger.

 This year, I was wondering what else I could do.  I went to Ravelry, an online Knit and Crochet community, and I looked up patterns for knitted ornaments.  There were several patterns for what I would call conventional ornaments, and then I ran across several unusual ones.  There were little tiny hats and mittens, and several patterns for miniature sweaters.

It took me about 2 hrs from start to finish on this tiny cabled wonder.  I still have to work in the ends, but I thought it was rather cute, and it hardly took any yarn at all!

This morning Dear one asked me what I had for the day.  I told him about the usual, outside chores, laundry, weaving, and then I thought knit another sweater.

I used a finer yarn this time, and this time I got to see how the colors in this variegated yarn work.  (This poor yarn has been thru several projects, trying to find out what works best!)   I really think this one is just as cute as the other.  I think next I will try a solid color with a bold stripe across the "chest". 

I can easily do one a day, between my other things.  I was able to put a soup in the crockpot(veg/beef), and do 2 loads of laundry (I even put it away!) while I was working on this one.

Now I get to go upstairs and work on the looms,
Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

From Juggling to Weaving

Several years ago I worked on a quiet retreat with my friend RaRa Schlitt. RaRa is a gifted spiritual director and artist. As we prepared for our work together, we spent time away at a hermitage in Western North Carolina. We brainstormed what we thought people, especially women, were hungry for.

Out of our conversation, RaRa painted this image, our “mascot.” I lovingly call “the juggler.” The juggler is me – I am guessing many of you might see yourself in the juggler, too.

                             (c) RaRa Schlitt

At first blush – I see her action - her constant motion - keeping all of the balls in the air. I see all of the “things” I do - planning meals, balancing check books, helping my daughter apply for college, getting my daughter ready to travel abroad this winter (airline tickets, visa, shots, etc), writing meditations, writing blogs, weaving for the upcoming Foothills show, volunteering at school, teaching leadership skills, having coffee with a friend who needs to talk, planning retreats, taking meals to a new mother or a sick friend. My list goes on and on – I imagine yours does, too. No matter what stage of life you are in, living with small bundles of energy or with sore legs and aging parents/aging siblings/aging spouses/aging friends – I am guessing that this resonates with you.

In that image of constant motion I see exhaustion – I feel exhaustion deep in my bones. It takes so much energy to keep all of those actions in the air. I know that sometimes I wish that someone would just come along and say “Can I take that ball for you?” – even if it is just for a while. People count on me, people I care about count on me, so I keep trying, I keep doing – I keep juggling to keep all the balls in the air. Being a responsible, capable, competent woman can be physically and emotionally exhausting.

In that image of constant motion I also see energy and excitement. I see life. I see connection with others. I see caring. I see creativity. I see possibilities. So many of the balls in the air are about living a life of service – whether that service be to support the development of your own healthy child/grandchild or to support your spouse’s career or to equip others for ministry or to encourage employees to do their best or……. Those who juggle – those who are adept at juggling many balls - are often looking for new and exciting ways to do something new - rarely putting anything down while adding a new ball to the routine. I don’t know all of you who tune into this blog but I do know some of you – and those I know live this kind of life of service. I am guessing that many of you are juggling lots of things that are in the service of others. I also guess that many of you are looking for that next ball to pick up - that next exciting way to be in the world. Being a responsible, capable, competent woman can be exciting and energizing.

So beyond activities what else is this beautiful lady juggling? I see her juggling roles. I know I juggle many roles – mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, trainer, caregiver, board member, mentor, spiritual companion, household communications coordinator, weaver,  and on and on. For me there are times when the roles compliment one another and there are times when the roles definitely conflict. There are some roles that I will have for a lifetime and others that I will move in and out of – some more gracefully than others. Sometimes it seems that the roles define who I am.

So why am I going on about all of this a Loomy Tunes? This morning I started a new "to do" list. My brain shifted from one project to the next and soon I had a list that was broken into six different categories. Oooh six different balls or is that 36 different balls - as each has lots of sub tasks to be accomplished (even as I type that - another item pops in my head an goes on the list). So the "to do" list reminded me of the image of the juggler and that lead me to part of the meditation I shared at that retreat two years ago (modified text above).

So how do I make the shift from juggling to weaving? When I do rugs I begin with individual strips of fabric - kind of like those balls in the air or all of my roles. But when I weave they become integrated - they are no longer distinct or independent. They become solid and useful and beautiful. That is what I want to do - that is what I want to be.

me with fabric strips for another rug

individual strips woven into one integrated piece

Now it is time to get back to that "to-do" list.

Be well,

Ann

Moving Ahead

 Another long, difficult week at the farm, and so, I was a no-call, no-show at Tuesday Weaving!  I did hire two new people, but neither can start until mid to late November.  I know it will be here before I know it, but my feet tell me it can't be here soon enough!
  I walked by the back prep sink this week and saw this pan of pigs' ears.  Fighting back the urge to squeal like a little girl, I made a beeline for my quiet, serene chocolate room, where I made this:
  Ah, lovely chocolate combined with hazelnuts, in a luscious combination of textures and flavor.
  Maybe the savory cooks feel the same way about their gnarly pigs' ears.  Maybe they think:  Mmmmmm, gelatinous cartilage and bristly skin, boiled and deep fried to a lovely combination of textures and flavors.  Maybe.  I don't know.  I'll eat just about anything, but sometimes I glimpse it in its raw form and think, maybe I won't try  that one!

  Fall is in full force here in east Tennessee, and sitting outside today on Market Square in Knoxville made me glad I live here.  The temperature was perfect, with a light breeze making the falling leaves dance.  Pumpkins are everywhere, and here is what I did with them:  Frozen pumpkin souffle with cashew crust, smoked ginger cream and smoked vanilla anglaise.  I got into the autumnal spirit this week by playing with the smoker while someone smoked a bunch of briskets, and the ginger and vanilla soaked up just a tinge of the smokiness, just enough to make you wonder what that extra element was in the flavor.
  Since I didn't go to Norris to weave yesterday, I had the day to clean house and rearrange furniture.  Growing up, we moved quite a lot.  I went to two elementaries, two middle schools and three high schools.  As an adult, I've tried to hold still as much as possible.  But I tend to move furniture every so often.  It's easier than moving, a lot cheaper and can be fun!  Now there's a bookcase in the dining room full of cookbooks, shelves in the kitchen full of baking pans and mixing bowls where once there were cookbooks, and the desk I'm sitting at now moved from the living room back to the back bedroom where it started.

 
Lately, Weftie gets more use from the looms than I do.  But I'm hoping for some down time soon, when I'll be able to just sit at one loom or another, surrounded by my furry entourage, just weaving.  Hope you're weaving happily now!

Maggie

Business as Usual

  Now....you'd think with the show looming ahead (haha) that we'd all be in a tizzy about getting things ready....but Lanny and Andy just keep on weaving at their looms.

  And, Ms. Ila is winding a new warp for a loom.

  Bonnie was cutting more strips for that warp on Ann's loom.

  Ann has a lot of strips to join together....do you think that's enough????

Allan worked on the Annex....the floor is almost laid, and soon we'll all be outside helping with the "raising" of the walls.

Carol gave a few pointers to Beatrice.  We really can't call her the new weaver any longer....she's catching on quickly!

In fact, she's catching on so quickly, her grandson, Chris, has started weaving, too!  (We believe in starting them young!!!!)

There's even time for catching up with friends.  Linda had a little "run in" with the steps at her house.

And, yes, we have started making inventory list, and tagging and pricing our items for the show. 

So, here's to you, Pat!

We were all thinking about you today, and we did try so hard to stay on task!!!!

You know, sometimes we have a hard time with that!!!!

Happy Weaving to ALL....

LouAnn

Humbling

Last Wednesday my car was packed and ready to go. The drive over the mountain to Asheville is so pretty in fall. We left in pouring rain here in Knoxville, but by the time we got to the other side it was clearing up and the mountains were pretty with the changing leaves.

So drove to my booth and unloaded as quickly as possible, driving out so someone else could drive in and move their things to their booth.

In unpacking I realized we'd forgotten the stepladder and 2 of the bars we use to mount the lights above the booth. Oops!!  Thankfully craftspeople will lend us things like ladders and the civic center had extra bars so I was glad to use them for the lights.  I hate when things like that happen, when I forget something. I've amended my list for packing, again, so that maybe next time I won't bring 3 of the upright posts instead of 1 upright and 2 of the bars for the lights........

It's so much nicer to set up in fall. It's not so hot and easier to get the things hung up and ready for Thursday.

 I brought my camera Thursday morning and took this picture after I had my booth set up the way I wanted it to be. In looking at it now, there are several pieces shown that have since found new homes.
I also took a picture down the aisle of the booths I would be looking at for 4 days. This was all before the show opened yet.

 Last fall I had the chair booth in my vision the whole time. I enjoy chatting with the couple that cane the old chairs and sell them. Thank goodness this year I couldn't see them as well.  They were nearby but my chair faced away from them.  Last year a chair and a little table with a couple of caned shelves on it "had" to come to my place. It's really bad when you keep being drawn to something in someone else's booth until, ok, it's Saturday afternoon and no one else bought it, so it must have my name on it.....

I did have a good show. It's 4 very long days tho and I am tired this morning. I will do my bookkeeping and stuff to conclude the paperwork for the show but I hope to be able to just sit down for a bit and maybe read a book or watch a tv show I taped and finish a vest that didn't get done for Asheville but needs to be done in time for the Foothills Craft Show we'll be doing as a group in November...

I see alot of people during the show. I try to remember those that buy something from me but you can't realistically do that. Some people you're not even sure of their names or where they're from but every year as they come by you chat and get to know more about them. You look forward to seeing them even if they've never bought something from you. That's one of the nice things about the show especially since I've been doing it so long. Or someone comes up and talks about a piece of clothing that they thought you made but you know it was someone else's and you send them down to their booth. Then they come back to show you what they got. It sure looked good on her too!! The nice thing is that others do that as well and we all benefit from it.
Yesterday I had a couple of customers that I thought I'd mention. The first lady I didn't remember. She's from Florida. She came by the booth a couple of times. That's really normal. Everyone looks at everything before they buy something. I do the same thing. So the last time she came by she tried on a vest and loved it. She then said she already had 3 of my pieces. This was her 4th.
Late in the day a repeat customer came by. I know her because she came a year ago and bought some tops. She was so impressed that I remembered her. How could I not? I even wove her some tops specially last summer. I asked her how many of my things she had. She had 11 of them. Then she bought 2 more vests.
Saturday a lady I call my "fairy godmother" came by. When she left she had several pieces that would make her collection close to 30 pieces.
So, my reason for saying this: it's humbling to know that people have the confidence in what you make to buy more pieces. Thankfully my pieces hold up nicely and wash well. Having someone wear something I wove is exciting even after all the years I've done it.
They push me to try new color combinations. They'll come into the booth looking for a color they don't have. What colors can I put together that are unusual and yet have the finished garment look good? I've got a short list started for new colors and old ones. Another crafter was wearing a top I wove several years ago and the colors were ones I had only put together in that one warp. I think it's time to repeat that combination.
I was thinking if the show didn't go well, I could ease up and take a break to do other things before thinking about weaving more fabric. Nope, can't do that. Tomorrow afternoon I'll look at my yarns and see what I need to order...again!! I'd rather be busy working in the studio than just about anything else.
Til next week.
Carol

Spiders In The Hall

  They changed the weather forecast after the six o'clock news the other night....freeze and frost warnings were issued for our area!  And, just like many other folks around here, I did a mad dash for the plants that were still outside...I had hoped that they would have a few more days to languish in the warm October sun.

  The spider plants were put in the shower for the night, but moved to the hall the next morning.  They will actually spend the cold months in the garage in a sunny window.  But, I had a good chuckle at the sight of the plants taking up the hall....spiders do have a habit of coming in when the weather turns cool!

  This picture is for Ann, and her chain challenge!



  Since I had an empty loom (the one I thought I'd put a poncho on, no less) I wound a long warp for a neutral set of place mats.  Tina just finished a run of place mats at the Center using a white warp with neutral  colored threads as the weft.  At the Center, we use a threading known as "Ellen's Pattern."  It is basically a crammed and spaced threading.

  So, I changed up the threading just a bit, and I'm using a natural warp with white fabric weft.  The bumpy area is achieved by threading 4-4, 3-3, 2-2, 1-1.  I like how it adds just a little bit of texture.

  This roll of fabric selvedge is the reason I'm keeping it neutral!!!
  It just needed to be used up...don't you think???

  The laundry hamper works really well to pull off the fabric, and loading the shuttle is accomplished very quickly without the twisting that can happen if it's lying flat.

  This weekend I'll be working on the place mats and sewing totes.  Carol gave me the go-ahead on my finishing, so it's now full steam ahead.  And, if I get bored, I can always weave some more totes.  There's still lots of warp left on those looms.
  And, if I still feel like doing something different, there's always leaves to be raked...........
Have a lovely Fall weekend!
LouAnn

I had planned....

After the flurry of activity of the last few weeks, I told myself that I was going to take Wednesday off and get a couple of things done outside for a change.  Well, Tuesday night it began to rain, and get colder too.  I can take cold very well, and rain doesn't really bother me, I have been known to dig a ditch or two in the rain, but the 2 together really did a number on me!  I managed to get a little firewood inside, cover the wood pile with a tarp, and secure the chainlink fencing around the new dog kennel I was given on Sunday.  Then I made a dash for the house, showered and put on dry clothes, and drank a hot drink.  The fences will just have to wait!

I turned my attention to the blankets that I had finished in time for Tuesdays mock up.  I had just run them thru the dryer to set the color a little bit more and to shrink them a bit.  I pulled them out and ran them thru 2 wash cycles (with color catchers).  I am pleased to say that they washed beautifully!

I ran them thru the dryer til just damp, then I gently stretched them both ways, and hung them to finish drying.

I folded them yesterday, and they are waiting on the table for there tags.

It is a beautiful day outside today, I may get some fencing done this week after all.

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

Note to self - remember to be a beginner

TCDE 1992

Years ago, I took modern dance from a wonderful woman named Dr. Dorothy Floyd. She founded the Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble. Dr Floyd died more than 10 years ago but her memory lives on in the wonderful troupe that still performs and in the stories of many students like me. I was part of what we lovingly called "Dr. Floyd's Class of Amazing Women."

Class would begin at 9pm after all the little dancers had headed home to homework and bed. A group of adults - tall and short, thin and not so thin, young and old, those who had danced all their lives and those who were taking their first class would gather. We would begin with a choreographed warm up routine on the floor. Then, with Dr. Floyd's direction, we would begin to move across the floor. We would dance for 90 minutes. She created magic - that motley crew would dance together in unison - and in that moment we felt graceful and beautiful. No  - we were graceful and beautiful.

Just as magical as our dancing, was the time we spent talking together after class. We would sit on the floor and Dr. Floyd would prompt us with some statement or question. We would spend the next 30 minutes sharing our lives and our perspectives. One of the most memorable conversations was about confidence. She talked about how if you ask a group of 1st graders to "raise your hand if you can dance" - every hand would go up. Raise your hand if you can sing - all hands up. Draw? All hands again. But what about us? How many hands would go up for dancing? singing? drawing? What happened as we grew that gave us the idea that we "can't do?"

I have a friend whose wife teaches fourth grade. By fourth grade, kids have begun to compare themselves academically with their peers (probably starts well before then) and their confidence in doing different things; math, writing, singing, dancing, drawing takes a nose dive. My friend tells the story about a child who came to his wife and said, "I am bad at math." "Why do you say that?" she asked. "I can't do multiplication," he said. So the conversation went on ---- Can you add? yes. Can you subtract? yes. How long have you been doing those? since second grade. How long have you been doing multiplication? since last week. Could you call yourself a beginner multiplier? beginners don't have to know how to do something perfectly or to know everything. Could you be a beginner? "Yeah - I could be a beginner."

My new rug warp - baby pastels

SO - I am ready to raise my hand if someone asks if I can weave. I would raise my hand joyfully - maybe even wave it around like a little 1st grader. BUT - I also know that I will probably always feel like a beginner weaver - I don't do it perfectly and I certainly don't know everything. But, I find pleasure in trying new things and using new materials. It is fun being a beginner.

A Threaded Loom Such a Feeling of Accomplishment!

As a beginner what have I learned (re-learned) this week -

• No matter how careful I think I am being with the daisy-chained warp it seems like it is a tangled mess - I think I am just going to have to cut off those last 4 yards - and then with patience and gentle finger combing - I am at the end.
• Threading and winding on a warp always takes three times longer than I think it will.
• Some one else's priority always gets in the way of my warping plans. I need to get over it.
• If I have spent all evening threading heddles - I need to take two ibuprophen before going to bed.
• Nasty, old, threadbare chenille bedspreads make wonderful rugs.
• When weaving strips of white chenille bedspreads into a rug - do not wear black yoga pants!

Old Chenille Bedspread = Beautiful Nubby Rug

To other "beginner weavers" be gentle with yourself and enjoy!

Ann

P.S. After doing a preview I just lost this whole post - did you hear my hysterical laughter? Thankfully, I was saved by the undo button. Yes, I am a beginner blogger too. 

Do What You Love

As my weaving buddies ready for their first-ever booth, I watch from the sidelines, their cheerleader and supporter.  I love to weave as much as they do, but I have already followed my bliss.  I have gone down the road some of them have just embarked on, finding out what one loves to do, and trying to make a living at it.
  I've always loved to bake, and it was natural that I should try to make a buck at it.  But this past summer has been long and difficult for me, trying to keep the love alive.  Sometimes, my love has waned, and I've taken to daydreaming about what else might make me money while keeping the mortgage paid.
  When my fellow weavers started talking about having a website and a blog, going into the business of weaving for a living, I shook my head firmly no.  I know how hard it is to jump into a new career, how difficult it can be to put a price on one's creativity and passion, and I'm still waiting for that money to catch up to me.  If it's following, it had better hurry up!
  But my love for pastry was given a little boost yesterday when I interviewed two women who are at the beginning of their careers, full of the power of loving what they do, ready to take the world by a storm with a little chocolate, flour, eggs and sugar.  Very different from each other, they both wanted the same result:  to spend their lives doing what they love.  I will make them both offers by the end of the week, and hope they join our team.  Maybe one day, one of them will take my place, when I finally find that next career.
  Good luck to my fellow Center weavers!  Keep following your passion!  Here's hoping the money will follow you!
Happy Weaving!
Maggie

Mock-Up and Potluck!

I'll just be right up front about this:  I did not get even ONE picture of the yummy lunch the Tuesday Weavers had today!!!!  I guess I was just too busy eating!  But, I can assure you, we ate well and there was plenty!!!!  We need to do this more often................
  Nor did I get a picture of Carl, who spent the morning with us.  While we were busy putting together what we hope to be the best booth ever, he sat back at his loom doing his wrist exercises.  But, everyone was happy to have him back with us today.
  Ann started the morning by taping off our booth size on the floor, then we starting moving the display pieces in place.

  Carol is loaning us grid panels, which we are using for the corners of our booth.

  Those went in first.

The left side of the booth has a table and shelf and a baker's rack.

This will the area for scarves, totes, shawls and our weaving demonstration.

Another baker's rack and a rug rack on the right, plus our desk.

Once you get the baby blankets and towels on the rack, it starts to look even better.  Put those rugs on the large racks, and it really looks like a booth!

The supervisors were busy......
  .......Ann worked on our "to-bring" list.

  And, we even got to say hello to Ms. Bonnie!  She was on her way to a doctor's appointment and stopped by the Center.



  Now....it's back to work getting the finishing touches on all of our woven items, getting them tagged, and maybe even weaving a few more items!!!!  We still have lots to do before November, but I think we all have a good idea about how our booth will look.  Way to go, Tuesday Weavers!!!!
Happy Weaving......
LouAnn

Last tasks

The last week before going to a show is always full of last minute details. I've finished all the weaving and washing. Now assembling is done. I'm at the stage of finishing things. Each item I sell has to have the seams inside tacked down. I do this by hand.  It doesn't really take long at all and gives the items longer life. Then there's the crocheting. I crochet most of the raw edges: necklines, sleeves and hems. And there's the jackets. I had to figure out how to make button holes without using my buttonholer on the Bernina. I like the idea of crocheted buttonholes, so that's what they all get. I'm surrounded by almost finished pieces. As I get a stack done, I inventory them and put them into the rubbermaids, ready for Wednesday when we drive over to Asheville. I'll take pictures of the booth again to see what it looks like.

You know, back in April we had some horrendous storms. I know that I posted that the huge oak tree that fell in our yard actually landed in the only place it couldn't do any damage. Wrong. Yes, it missed the house, the propane tank and the power line. But, we've gradually realized, a branch crushed the main line going out of our septic tank. We've had guys out several times and they are supposed to repair that line.

They were supposed to come again today..........third try. Nope, no  one is here and no one called. So we're still washing big loads of laundry as seldom as we can. The water appears to be flowing ok but we don't want it in the basement and DH has to keep checking the hole to see that it is going right.

This weekend he was out again cutting branches since this is where they will be fixing it, if they ever come!!
I'm about over this waiting. Do I turn on the dishwasher? Can I do an extra load of laundry today???

On the fun side, while I'm doing all that handwork I'm getting some TV watching in. I love our On Demand feature and the things I've recorded over the past few months as well are being watched and then deleted from the system so I can record more things down the road.
I think I've mentioned before that I only weave about 4 hours a day because we have to protect our backs. I know of several weavers that have had to quit because of back strain. I don't want to stop. But, I also use alot of muscles in my hands with the handsewing and crocheting. I like to space that out as well. But, this is  not the week to do that. The hands are getting a workout. The good thing about watching stuff I taped is that I can stop to flex my hand muscles as I fast forward through commercials. I think that's a win win!!
Tomorrow evening we pack my van up and Wednesday bright and early I'll head over the mountain to Asheville. The weather's supposed to be cool and nice (after rain tomorrow) so should be a delightful view this weekend as the fall colors are peaking up there!!
Til next week
Carol

Have You Noticed????

 Have you noticed..........

  .....the beautiful colors starting to peek out amongst the green?

   Some of the trees are already in their glory, while others are just taking their own sweet time!!!

   .....the heat kicking on in the mornings?

  ......the squirrels sprinting through the yard with walnuts in their mouths? 

  .....the chipmunks under the bird feeder with big ole chunky cheeks?

Have you noticed.....

.......that every talk show and print ad shows someone in a poncho?

  As a weaver, I'm chomping at the bit to try my hand at weaving one (or two or three!)  By the way, can you say Quetzquemetyl???
  I pulled out my copy of Betty Beard's Fashions From the Loom to get some measurements for the cloth.  I'd really like to weave one.....

Have you noticed.....

  .....that weaving looks like a big ole tangled mess when it comes off the loom?

  I cut seven small totes off of Mz. Emily last night.  There is also two panels of "cloth" that I can use for inside pockets.  Those totes need to get surged and washed before I can finish them.

  Then I need to select just the right button.........oh my, lots to get done this weekend!!!!

Have you noticed.....

  ...that weaving overshot just makes you happy?

  I love to play with this structure.  I'm sure that if you could watch me weave, I'd just be grinning like a big ole 'possum. 
  I played with the Dogwood pattern until I got it to work for mug rugs, and they are a joy to weave.  I think I'll just keep doing them in the dusty rose and not change colors....and maybe one pod pocket from this pattern.

  In the middle of all the production for the November show, I need to weave something fun....something that just makes me smile.  Sometimes it's the fabric combination for the totes, and sometimes it's just watching the pattern pop up with the overshot.  Maybe I'll get a warp on for that poncho.....

  In the meantime, have you noticed that the time is just ticking away?   And, I have to get to the post office before it gets too crazy....plus, I have all that work to do on the totes.
Have a fabulous Fall weekend!!!!
LouAnn