My Hopes for 2011

More Love, Creativity, Adventure, Quality

Less struggle please.

All the best to all of you in 2011!!!

Things that Make You Go Hmmmm: Part I

It might be a bad sign when I wake up thinking, "What do I want to blog about today?".

Nothing immediately sprung to mind (although I have unblogged-about projects and trips and adventures that I still want to share).

Then, I did the tiniest of babysteps toward getting my weaving inertia to be weaving in motion (rather than the weaving at a standstill that has been the story of November and December at my house.)

Thanks Theresa for the great idea of cutting samples in half!

I cut off a sample to wet finish it. (I know this sample looks a little crazy. I'm trying out different wefts and different treadlings to decide which four are my favorite for a run of towels.)

The results of the wet finishing were so surprising to me, that I have to share them with you!! I'm just not sure what to make of it, although my ever-supportive DH says he thinks the changes to the fabric enhance rather than detract.

I'm still saying Hmmmmmm.......

Unwashed version

Washed version
Look at all those vertical lines!

I really wasn't expecting vertical lines to appear like that. They are at consistent points across the entire sample.

I'm not sure that I like them. Mr. LifeLoomsLarge says he thinks they make the fabric make more sense....containing it and making it seem less "all over the place".

The only vertical lines I know about are reed marks....and I thought those are something that can disappear with washing, rather than something that appears.

So what do you think? Are these lines an intended part of the fabric? Are they a feature (or a bug)? Is there something I can do to prevent them?

They are even more noticeable and textural in person.

Related posts:
Folding the warp in half
Ordering more yarn for warp
Getting started

Organized Mittens

Sometimes in winter it doesn't take much to make me smile.


I love walking past our newly organized mittens and gloves.

Last year, our gloves were stored in two bins. I had to rummage around forever when I wanted a particular pair.



After some googling around, I found the Chain Gang Toy Organizer ($13 or so on Amazon). We got the primary colored hooks, but they sell all white or pastel too.


Immediately after hanging ours up, we started wondering what else we could organize this way.

Do you have any ideas?? The chain can hang vertically too. I keep thinking there's some genius way to use this in my studio.....

At Our Bird Feeder

A sharp-shinned hawk chasing the flock of nuthatches, chickadees and titmice.

Today he didn't catch any of our little seed eaters....at least not while we were watching.

Tomorrow, who knows?

Merry Christmas

Wishing all of our friends and family a very Merry Christmas!!! (Yes, that definitely includes all of you blog friends!!!)



XXOO,
Sue, Jim & Bailey