Which way did they go? They went that way!
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I think they’re happy they missed Thanksgiving.
Vows
We spent a whirlwind week downstate, which culminated in my first born’s wedding. Fun and games.
Some traditions faltered. Since we would feast on Black Friday, we deferred Thanksgiving dinner. We had takeout Indian food on Thanksgiving. I found a new favorite drink, vodka and fresh grapefruit juice with a splash of cointreau, while I helped an old friend prepare arancini, which we ate for Thanksgiving lunch.
I can clean up from beard wearing knitter to proud mother of the groom pretty well.
I wore my handknit mohair cardigan in the church but it wasn’t long enough to cover me when the dress’ zipper, which ran from below my butt to my neck, separated!! I managed to get it back together but then it failed again right when I was getting up for the traditional mother-son dance. So over the course of the day I could be seen wearing various people’s jackets and sweaters. Ah the memories!
The wedding caused Tim to look up our vows. I couldn’t have said it better.
” Do you, Tim, take Lynne to be no other than herself? Loving what you know of her, trusting what you don’t yet know, with respect for her integrity, and faith in her abiding love for you, through all your years, and in all that life may bring you, do you accept her as your wife?
[I do.]
Inasmuch as Lynne and Tim have grown in knowledge and love of one another, because they have agreed in their desire to continue in life together, seeking an ever richer, deepening relationship, and because they have pledged themselves to meet sorrow and joy together, we rejoice to recognize them as husband and wife.”
Ahh, true love.
Can’t resist a contest
It’s true. I occasionally buy lottery scratch off cards and have won as much as a new card…and so on. I received a contest offer in my inbox today, I couldn’t resist. Halcyon Yarn is offering the chance to win your “wishlist”.
I think I need an inkle loom, my home grown dyes didn’t work, and, since I have been a Seguin Island caretaker for 5 years! I “need” to weave the placemats they designed for the catalog they shot on the Island when I wasn’t there!!!
So, here ‘s my wishlist I share with you.
I encourage you to enter too, even though that puts you in direct competition with me. What the heck, someone ought to win.
Until then, I’ve been knitting, weaving and even spinning and oh yes, my son got married and had a gala event!
These two hats headed off to my daughter yesterday for two friends who requested an orange bearded hat and a black hat with electric. I think I met the requirements.
For some reason, I had fur yarn and knit the Rather Fun Bearded Hat with a crocheted hat, Chunky Men’s Hat, both of which were free, fun patterns. The other is a variation of Wurm.
I still have yards of warp on my table loom and have been playing with a Swedish weave structure called Krokbragd. I was unimpressed initially until I realized my pattern was actually on the reverse side.
Busy, busy
When the cat’s away, the mouse will play!
Tim’s off hiking in the Grand Canyon and I’ve been tackling mounds of projects. My woven cloak is finished and shipped. I kept dark fur for the collar. I wove straps, with the hope of including a wolf and falcon, but the pattern didn’t turn out as expected. Ah well.
But they are still pretty. I sewed 2 D-rings for the closure and they snug up well.
Several baby gifts left the premises. I made another back zip sweater and a couple of hats for the older siblings.
These blankets went off to swaddle a new set of twins.
I marbleized the wall behind the wood stove because it was all marked up. It was a fun process and I felt very creative.
I’m pretty happy with it. I’ll see what the man of the house thinks.
Best of all, I know my hiking spouse is safe because he is traveling with a SPOT, which is like a personal EPIRB. I received a message Saturday night that he was fine and linked to a map which showed me where he was.
Better tidy up before he gets home.
Memory warp
It’s been a while since I have used cards for weaving. I want to weave the cloak’s straps with a personal message, and add wolves and falcons. So far two bands done and no finished product. It takes time to get the routine back.
The first strap hit the trash due to too many twisted threads. The second is OK but a little short so I am going to make it into a belt instead.
Third time is a charm – I hope. There was little tangling at the beginning but I am remembering the technique. Let the games begin. My first wolf sigil is elongated so I’ve decided to incorporate several as an evolution (mostly in me figuring out how the picture translates to tablet weaving). There will be wolves, falcons and words. We’ll see…
The cloak has some design issues but what else is new. I love using my woven product as fabric. I’ve touched every thread multiple times. After I took it off the loom, I tried my best at waulking, to mildly felt it.
I stabilized where I wanted to cut with a zig zag stitch.
Then hand stitched the selvedges together. It ‘s long enough but not quite wide enough.
I used my freecycle serger to cut and stabilize the edges and it worked like a charm. I felted the larger pieces and already made a new needle holder. The rest will get tucked in my winter boots for an added layer of warmth.
I am not sure about my choice of fur for the neck but I found some lambswool that may look better. The dark may look too fake but the lambs wool is really a cover for my acupuncture table. I would miss it. Either one will provide a nice soft cover over the wool at the neck.
Two wrongs make a right?
Just maybe. I am weaving material to make a cloak for a couple who plan a medieval style wedding. How medieval? They were dismayed when they learned falcons and wolves couldn’t partake in the ceremony. But a broad sword, made by the groom for his bride, will be featured.
So a cloak. I figure it can continue its life as a throw to keep them warm in their castle. I sampled a few patterns on my new-to-me table loom.
What a dream. No loom waste, a little finicky to thread, as I try to get used to Texsolv heddles, but so fast to test several patterns and treadling. I chose a broken twill pattern woven in wool I had acquired from a local weaver’s destash.
I calculated my yardage for the long warp based upon the sett (spacing) I used on the table loom. My plan was to use a warp five yards long and have it 32″ wide in the loom. Well, despite weighing my yarn on a postal scale and estimating I had enough for my planned warp, I didn’t, and only had enough for a 20″ wide fabric because 1) I miscalculated; and 2) used different spacing on my floor loom – oops. But… I think I also measured a longer warp than planned so may have more than five yards, which should all work out in the end.
I’ve finished weaving three yards and hopefully more than two to go.
Fiber ghosts
My view as I ran an errand yesterday.
I have bought most of my weaving looms and sewing machines used, often directly from the previous fiber addict. It saddens me that I only met these women as they phase fiber arts out of their lives and sometimes moved away from this area.
I think of them as I use their tools. My wool carders have another woman’s name on them. My floor loom has stains where someone tried warp painting. A friend’s husband made my warping board – he’s passed away, I never met him but think of them both as I wind a warp.
Just yesterday I bought an 8 shaft Leclerc table loom from a weaver extraordinaire. Sadly her truck’s packed and she’s heading south after a few years here and our paths never crossed until now.
I am thinking of placing a personal ad.
I found true love in the garden
Garden’s bounty
My garden was moderately bountiful but it didn’t produce anything as large as this Hubbard squash.
This is a new food to me but is known by most people in the North Country. It’s a winter squash and reportedly very sweet. I’ll find out once I am able to wrestle it into the oven. My friend cut her’s with a band saw. I’m left with merely a bread knife.
My garden did grow a bunch of carrots and I harvested them and the lettuce and mustard greens. I left the last arugula crop in place because it looked so happy where it was.
My lichens fermented for over a month and I tried to dye a wool/alpaca blend with them. For naught. I got slightly beige.
But my pandas are playful and a success.
Island and North Country Life 