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Crazy as a Loom

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Studio time


January and February are usually a great time to get really productive in the studio.
It's too cold and nasty usually to do much, and I'm a hermit at heart, so it 
works out.

These are a few of the garments I've finished lately.









I love dyeing my warps, and I love how the finished product turns out.



I am also trying to downsize my stash of chenille.......even though I love the end result, it's not my favorite thing to weave.


This is one of the last pieces that Lois wove.  It had issues on one side, she 
was kind of oblivious at the end about threads breaking.  But I cut that part off, and used 
what was good. 
I think it turned out well.

Lois is now in memory care nearby.  While on one hand it is heartbreaking, on the
other is it a relief, not to worry about her at home alone, AND driving her car.

She's not sad, and she's not upset about being there, it is too late for that.
She seems mostly relieved.
She is safe, and as her Alzheimers get worse, she is exactly where she 
needs to be.
She is close enough to visit, and she can go out on little day trips.
Her sisters are nearby, and several friends, too.  So she has a lot of company.

d
I am still trying to hang on to the Lois I have known and worked with all these years, 
because that person is gone.   But that's how I want to remember her.


Waiting for one more ortho appt this week, but I guess everything is pointing 
to a "new " hip in my future.

It's been a tough couple of years.    I'm ready for a wee break.  
But apparently, I'm not getting one in the very near future.

Thank God for the ability to AMUSE myself.




Fun dyeing and weaving, then some sewing.



A few weeks ago, I had a friend and her two daughters, and a grand daughter  here for the weekend, 
and we had a bit of a weaving workshop.
It was a lot of fun, and I've decided to start doing some day workshops, and maybe even a 
couple of weaving weekends.
I may have to work them around hip surgery, but I guess I will do what I have to do.
Isn't that always the way???


Monday, January 22, 2024

Almost February.

The hot pink and white towels are off the loom.....22 of them.  I am sure sick of pink, which
is not my favorite color anyway.





I have two Louet David looms, one is 45", and I call that one Big Lou, and the other is 27" and I call that one Little Lou, just to keep it straight.

So her comes the Megado, and I am resisting the urge to call her "Meg"......suggestions are welcome.

Looms need a name in my world.

Finally the hand dyed Turkish cotton/ramie warp is on the loom, and I've started threading.





I don't do it all at once.  I can't sit that long on that low stool.  Whatever is making my 
outer hip and leg hurt does not like it at all.
So I break it up...half today, the other half tomorrow......and hopefully I will be ready to weave.


It takes time to acclimate oneself to a new loom........they are all so different, even from the same company.
It will take a little time to decide if it is true love, or not.




On the advice of a friend, I purchased a walking foot for my Bernina 770.

It was pricey, as everything to do with Bernina is, but I must say, my towel hems are 
more perfect than they have ever been, so I am pleased with it.
It will earn its place.


Lately, I have been thinking about things that I don't need
in my life anymore, and things that I just do not have time for.

It's pretty freeing, I must say, when you get to a certain age, and you can 
happily dispense with things that you once thought that you couldn't live without.

I am having a glass of wine as I type, the dogs have been fed, it's getting dark out there,
the doors are locked for the night, and soon I will make myself a typical English dinner/breakfast......eggs, beans, toast.  I forego the meat, of course.

Thankfully, the horrible cold has broken, I am so relieved.   January is almost over....there are 
property taxes to be paid, income tax forms to be submitted, and on to February.

I have 103 towels on the shelves so far....and I am determined to hit 250 for the year.......with 
enough to sell a few here and there, and at least 200 to take to the guild show in November.

My other plan for this year is to buy my Subaru in June when the lease is up.
I know the dealer will try to lease me another, but I am determined.  I'm keeping my car.  
It only has 24, 000 miles on it...it's a 2021....and I'm not learning all new gadgetry on a new one.   I've just about tackled the stuff on this one.



So this is where you'll find me until spring, in the studio; weaving sewing, dyeing.......and 
enjoying the solitude and peace of winter days.








Saturday, January 13, 2024

After the holidays


Mr. Froggy even got a sweater to wear on Christmas Eve.

My granddaughter's response was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen, and made all the 
work that went into this more than worth it.

I tried to upload a video, but it said it was too long.......at only 1 minute!! 
But she was totally surprised, and was speechless, it was precious.  Then she tackled me 
which I was totally ready for.





After a 5 year break from knitting........which I still don't really understand, as I have knitted my whole life, I started again.

It feels like I never stopped, to be honest, and I am pleased to have found it again.

This photo makes the socks look like they are different lengths, and I had to go back and check them.  They are the same, it's the photo, thank goodness.




I think I will. be gifting everyone hand knitted socks for Christmas next year.


I did get back to some dyeing, and all this color is appreciated since most of this winter
has been gray and gloomy.  I long for those few and far between sunny days.




This will be a towel warp, coming up.



On the towel front, I just took 21 blue ones off the loom.




And I'm doing pink and white right now, and since these are really NOT my colors, I'll be super glad when they are done.




We are having high winds tonight, after a rainy, rainy day.  I am hoping that we don't lose
power, although it is very likely.

This was a very busy week, and a tough one in some ways.

But I've decided that I don't have a lonely life at all.   I do have a solitary one, much of the time, but it suits me, actually quite well.

We are headed towards spring, and it's a lovely thought, isn't it?








Monday, December 18, 2023

A crime scene and a frog.

We are having a monster rain storm.
If it were snow, we would be buried, but it's 50 degrees outside,  so it's rain.

I don't really mind, this is where I'm spending my afternoon.


I haven't been doing much dyeing, but another weaver asked me to 
dye this for her.
My daughter said it looks like a crime scene.




It dries overnight in front of my Toyotomi heater....which also keeps the studio toasty, 
for not a lot of money.


Willie is overseeing my work.




Here it is, dry and chained.  She approved, and it is on its way to Illinois.



These towels just came off the loom, 

I seem to be into plaids lately, not sure why, but they were fun to weave.




My youngest daughter bought me this tree, and it's about as festive as I get......




Except for this little light, $1.50 at Big Lots.

It does occasionally bubble like it's supposed to, and brings back memories of being enchanted and somewhat envious of the Christmas tree that my aunt and uncle put up every year.



Ok, let me tell you about the rabbit hole that I have just fallen in.

My youngest daughter is Dale's mother, and the other day she told me
about an Instagram that she lets Dale watch, about a frog.   The Instagram
site is IndiaRoseCrawford, if you are interested. She has 1.6 million followers,
and she makes frog videos.
Dale is obsessed....addicted, to this little green frog.
When questioned, the maker of the frog, says that she does not make them to sell, oh no, 
she is far too busy making videos.  If you visit her on Instagram, you will
understand.
But she did direct me to a lady in France, owner of the pattern to make the frog.  I ordered 

it and downloaded it to my computer

My daughter says she did not ask me to make the frog.
And to be fair, she did not. 
She did, however, know perfectly well that I would take the bait.
And take the bait I did.



This little frog doesn't have a name, although I admit to calling him a few.



I admit to having great admiration for the creator of this pattern, even while I cursed it, and her.

So, here's the upshot.

Yarn in correct weight and color:  $32
Armature wire for his arms and legs:  $6
Plastic safety eyes that almost caused me to 
have a nervous breakdown putting the backs on them: $7
Polyester stuffing, smallest bag I could find:  $7.99
Knitting needles size 0,  the only needles I didn't have,
because who wants to knit on 
needles that small:  $11
Glue stick, pack of 2: $3.99

Labor:  6 hours more or less.



All I can say is that I hope her surprise, and the look on her face
when she sees him is:  Priceless.

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

First snow.


This was pretty much the first snow fall, not enough to plow, but that's coming, for sure.
If I'm not paying to mow the lawn, I'm paying to plow the snow,  that's the way of it.

It is pretty.
I actually don't mind winter, as long as the sun shines.  
When it's terminally gray, like it has been lately, that gets kind of old.

The sun really makes all the difference.

We walk every morning, and this morning was pretty cold.







During the day I'm in the studio, but in the evening, you will find me and the dogs cozied
up right here  in the living room.



These pictures are actually deceiving, they look so neat......not shown is the sofa, where we ALL sit together.......and the ottoman which is covered with my books and whatever
else I am doing at the moment.

 So not all that photograph friendly.




After FIVE years of not knitting, I have started again.

My English mother taught me how to knit when I was 4, and I have knitted all my life.  For
some reason 5 years ago, I stopped.   And I couldn't get going again, even though I tried.

Fast forward, and just recently, I was motivated to try once more.  This time it worked.





I'm glad, it's very Zen, and thus very soothing, especially on long winter evenings.




I did just finish 22 towels, and hopefully will soon have the cupboard full again.

I usually have a color scheme and pattern picked out in my head for my next warp, long 
before the one I am working on is done.  
It's an addiction, clearly.









Sometimes on a gray day, I turn on all the lights in the studio, just to brighten things up.


That loom is where Lois weaves, she likes her spot by the window.  I try not to change anything in her little world over there.







This is where I'm weaving  at present, but a new loom is coming, and things are going to have to shift a bit.


On the left is my  computer/sewing  corner.   




So there was a gas fireplace here, that replaced the old wood burning one, that was falling apart, and not very efficient.   Over the last 18 years, I have used the fireplace about 5 times, and then not for long.   L and I really don't like to be quite that toasty in here.  We are working.  If I get cold, I put on a sweater....novel idea, right????   and L is NEVER cold.  Then I found a bat in the studio, because the gas insert did not fit perfectly and there was a space of about 1/2".   The bat was escorted out, with no contact, and he flew away, not happy about the whole daylight thing.
And I had the gas insert removed.   Yay.
So now it is sealed, and insulated and just waiting for "something".   I have not yet come up with something inspiring.  
I have thought of a mural, a painting, wall paper, paint......what?
 I would attempt to draw a village on it, but the idea of getting down there to do that, with my knees, is not something I really think is doable.  Guess I should have done it on the wood BEFORE it was installed.
  I need some ideas......
and you know I don't want "blah".  
I want something unique......but what????   
I know one of you will hit the nail on the head.......!!!




Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Still

I wonder sometimes if you are all sick of seeing what I'm weaving.....

My life does seem to revolve around it, so there's that.


It really makes me happy, but you probably already know that.




I've also been busy doing things to my house, because my house also makes me very happy.
It's home......and that's powerful.
New stair runner.


I also have spent a great deal of time getting ready for the Hudson Mohawk Weavers' guild show that I do 
every year.

It was last weekend, and I am happy to say that I did VERY well.  Over for another year, big sale on what's left, starting Friday after Thanksgiving, on my FB page, Crazy as a Loom Weaving.   Then I can start weaving for next year.  
Oh, the planning!





I am not sure what these are called.  We see them on our morning walks with the dogs.  Something to do with spiders???



My spoiled dogs get walked every single morning.  It's not a LONG walk, but apparently it 
is mandatory, and they seem happy with it.  I don't always want to do it, even though I usually
enjoy it, and I know it's good for me.



I know I've shown you my new bathroom, but the sun was coming through the 
window just right, and I wanted to show you the "window treatment" I chose.
No curtains, no shade, just a frosted coating with birds.



I've also done a little dyeing, but I plan on ramping that up after Christmas.
I have so much yarn to dye.



This one of the jackets I took to the show, it sold pretty quickly.

The warp and the weft were hand dyed.
It might be one of my favorites.



And yes, it has pockets!



This is an evening photo of my favorite upgrade.  There was a dishwasher
on the left, and a gas stove on the right.  I hated the dishwasher, and never used it.
The stove always smelled like propane to me, little whiffs of it here and there.  I 
had the gas company come, and they basically said it was me, not the stove.

So I got rid of both of them.  
Damn, did that feel good.

On the left......one cupboard with pullout shelves for my pots and pans, and to the right
of it, my trash can and recycle bin!!!

The stove is my new Induction Range, and I cannot say enough good things
about it.
AND.........no more whiffs of propane.

I love this new space.



For those of you who have followed my blog for years, I tell you this.

L, who has been with me since 2010, my apprentice, my friend, my accomplice, has Alzheimers.   It's ok to put it here, because she can't find my blog anymore.
It's a loss I cannot comprehend.
I make sure that she has lots of easy things to weave, because while she cannot thread or count treadles, her muscle memory is spot on, and she can weave plain weave and do a great job.
So I make sure that the loom is ready for her always....it gives her purpose every day, until it doesn't.

Lots of changes in my life, Bill, Sydney, now Lois.  
I have come to understand on a deep level, that finding joy and serenity in this day, is all 
that really matters.
So I continue.
Thanks,  for being out there, still, after all these years.







Welcome to my world.

Because every thread counts

Because every thread counts