Just Under the Wire

 My apologies to Carol, who will probably post early Monday, for posting so close to her time, but I laid down to take just a small nap at 4:00 Sunday, and just woke up!  I guess this week took a little more out of me than I'd originally thought.
  But I didn't want to sleep through Sunday without posting again, as I did last week.  It's been a busy week at the bakery, helping folks get ready for Christmas.  We've been making cookies for baskets for gift giving, lots and lots and lots of rolls for dinners, and keeping the restaurants supplied with bread and cupcakes. 
  These guys to the left will be delivered this morning to the restaurants.  They're ginger-stout cake, filled with butterscotch cream and topped with eggnog frosting.  I had a lot of scraps left over from the giant gingerbread people I made Saturday, so I cut tiny gingerbread men out of them, with these cupcakes in mind.  Sometimes I make stuff that just makes me giggle, and this was one of those times!


 I finished the table runners last weekend, or at least, cut them off the loom.  They still need to be hemmed and washed, as well as 6 dinner napkins I wove at the end of the warp.  I got three table runners, which will all get gift wrapped by Tuesday to go off to their final destination.  Who will get the napkins?  By the way, I wove those napkins so fast, I had to time one:  8 minutes, 33 seconds.  Not bad, eh?  I was surprised.  Have you ever thought about how fast--or slow--you can make something?  For a knitter and former quilter, weaving always surprises with its relative speed of accomplishment.  Sure, planning, winding and warping eat up a big chunk of time, but actual making, that seems to go quite quickly for me.
  So, with the runner warp gone, Tootsie got dressed in black bamboo, in another three-shaft Huck lace pattern, this time in a grid pattern that I drafted on Weave Design program.  The weft is lace-weight merino that I originally bought to knit a lace shawl for Mom, until she informed me that the only lace shawls she likes are white.  She got a white shawl, and I had grey merino to use elsewhere. 
  I think it looks wonderful, and feels even better.  It's weaving up soft and lofty.  I want it to be manly looking, as I'm weaving 3 for male recipients.  No pink or purple this time!
  I haven't used wool with bamboo before, and have no idea how it will turn out, once off the loom, but I'm plunging ahead and hoping for the best.  After all, it's only yarn!  They'll make more!
  Monday and Tuesday, my weekend, will be full of finishing, packing and visiting with friends.  Not too much resting, but I can always sleep after the holidays! 
   I hope you're feeling festive and enjoying this time of the year.  Happy Weaving!
Maggie