Funny Farm: January 2007

Today's Revelation

I always thought I was a laid back, spontaneous person. I realize now that I'm not. The realization came when I was having conversation with a friend.

friend: I need your help but I don't know what time I'll need your help

me : I'm happy to help but I need to know if you'll need me in the morning or in the afternoon.

friend: But I don't know exactly when I will need you here.

me: Could we narrow it down a bit?

friend: If I tell you a time I'll feel stressed out. I don't need more stress in my life. Why do you need a time?

me: Because I need my ducks in a row. If I can't schedule my time I feel stress.

Ha! There I am....a laid back, spontaneous, scheduled person. But a tight-ass I'm not. Maybe I am. I could not say, "but a tight-ass I ain't". I give up.

Ta Da!

The Blanket, He is Done

The final piece measures 33" x 58": in the reed 39.25, off the loom prior to washing 36". The length measured 64" under tension and 60" before washing. It only shrunk 1" after a few very hot washes and a trip to the dryer.

The warp was set at 8epi but I could have, and probably should have set it at 10. I beat it moderately but now realize I could have wacked it more firmly. The blanket has a soft hand and I am very pleased with it (sorta, kinda). I don't think it will hold up for many babies. Maybe just a few.

I took pictures of this blanket all day. I tried different locations throughout the house. I tried different lighting, with and without flash. For the life of me I cannot get true color though I got some interesting color ideas.

I learn something new with each project . I learned to always go with my gut. It's not the first time I learned this. I just need to trust my instincts.

Good Mama Award goes to:

Aussie with her twin ram lambs

Today's Through the Window Photo

Three Brown Sheep

HayLee, GooDee and Soot

Winter is here

...so I knit a hat

Pattern and yarn from
Claudia at
Countrywool

stranding is darned good too! The hat isn't blocked but it "self blocks" on my head. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Making of a blanket II

Oops, Part I is dated January 4, so go and see the dye process that I remembered to photograph.

Today is design on the fly. The colors look nothing like this, but what the hell, this is how
they'll go down in my wee pictorial weaving and dyeing history.

A few bouts hanging over the castle nice and neat.

Designing ...yikes!

Looks tidy in the front of the loom

A closer view at some point

I'm a little over half done on this 40" of questionable color placement debacle. I don't think I'll get very far tomorrow due to other commitments.

Straight from India!

A young friend of mine just returned from India after working there for 3 months. She brought back this beautiful shawl/sari for me. Mim said that as she'd walk down the road she would see women sitting on the ground winding string round and round small segments on a
larger piece of fabric.

You can see that this light weight cotton piece was folded in half, then tied and dyed. The background is a khaki color and the circles are gold, white and rose. The dyes are vegetable dyes so won't be wash fast.

Meanwhile, here at the farm...we had one black (goat) kid born last month and 2 nice size (read: hefty) white corrie ram lambs, born this evening.

In other news, I've been a dyeing fool and trying to remember to take photos every step. Unsuccessful in the memory area, but the dyeing got done. I've woven about 18 yards of jacket fabric and hope to get it off the loom tomorrow. Then I can finally put the newly dyed warp on the loom.