I've Been Tagged.
Sharon recently tagged me for a meme and asked me to play, so here goes.

The rules: Posted here at the beginning. The player answers all questions. The player then chooses six people you want to know more about and tags those people by listing their names at the end of the post and going to their blog and leaving a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Also, you let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Pretty much what I'm doing now, except slower. Waz dat, you ask? Weave, sweep the floors, spin, sweep the floors, knit occasionally, sweep the floors, raise farm animals, sweep the floors, muck, sweep the floors.

2. What were five things on my to-do list today (not in any particular order)?
Continue planting in the garden.
Bake schnickerdoodles for Jobe and Shane
Pack up Jobe and Shane's birthday presents and get them into the mail tomorrow. I'm only five days late. The cookies are a mea culpa
Wash my hair
Rinse out the dyed yarn
Continue spinning the white roving for an upcoming project

3. What snacks do I enjoy?
Doritos
Yellow sucky things..............I can't recall the real name.....crunchy/salty goodness
Anything that involves a dip
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4. Where are some places I've lived?
I was born in Seattle. Shortly thereafter my Father went back into the Army. I moved to Japan when I was 2 or 3 years old. I guess I was 5 when he was stationed at Ft Belvoir, VA. Dad then got orders for Atlanta General Depot. I lived there for perhaps 2 years. Then off to Heidelberg, Germany for 3 years, Orleans France for 2 years and spent one year outside of Harrisburg, PA. We returned to Heidelberg for another 3 years where I graduated from High School. I wanted to stay in Germany and go to the Univ. of MD in Munich, but Dad (wisely?) said no. Back we came to the USA to Ft Monroe, VA. I spent one year in WA State for college, then transferred to NJ. Went to college, got married, raised four children then moved to Elizabeth City, NC for maybe 8 years. Got a divorce. Moved to MD and eventually married Bob, who I had gone to high school with in Germany. I lived in Frederick, MD for maybe 8 years. I now live in south eastern PA in Sterling.

5. What things would I do if I were a billionaire?
Get my loom out of lay-away! Obviously I'd do the build my dream house thing. Nothing ostentatious, but large, bright and airy rooms. A new chicken house would be built as well. I'd pay off my children's bills and give them each a generous sum of money and set up trust funds for the grandchildren. I'd help out friends and family and put the rest in the bank for further consideration. Oh, I'd buy new underwear!

That's why this is called a Meme - it's me, me, me, me....But 'nuff about me. I'd like to hear from: Charleen, Sara, Sylvia, Dalis, Carol and Marcy!

Loom For Sale

1982 Harrisville floor loom made of maple. 40" weaving width, four shafts/6 treadles. The warp beam can be converted to a sectional beam. Located in north eastern PA. Pick up only unless you have a shipping company in mind and make the arrangements. Email me if you have questions and are interested. Please be interested!
ell eye ell em see see oh why @ gmail.com

Just a thought or ten

I have no idea what preceded a thought I had yesterday. What drew me to an astounding conclusion. I have never seen anyone but me weave. Everything that I know about weaving is from books, not many, but actually from weaving lists and blogs. And trial and error. Probably a lot of "error".

Then my mind wandered, as it is wont to do, and thought about all the things I have learned on my own. Years ago I taught myself to knit by buying two cheap books from MJ Designs and then discovered the Internet. I asked questions on the "original" knit list. It was still .edu in those halcyon days. I did have one quick spinning lesson, then spent the weekend gnashing my teeth until I had that instant light bulb moment. There have been many things that I have tackled on my own, just because.

I found the loom of my dreams and will pick it up in August. Poor thing is on lay-away. I don't want to jinx this wonderful find, so I'll dish out the details when I finally get it, or if you call me and ask. I have no self control.

Can You Say "Cheese"?

Bob has been milking the cows down the road and has been bringing his work home with him. We're lucky the goats aren't freshened. If they were, I'd be forced to leave home. My house smells like cheese. The cellar smells liked aged cheese, because well, there is aged cheese down there. Stinky! The Gouda is aging for 3 weeks before coating it in wax. The Mantasio dries for a week then Himself smokes it on an open fire. I've found that if you crumble up the dud cheese, and there have been a few, pop it in the microwave for one minute. Instant cheese puffs! Crunchy, cheesy goodness.

More Rug Weaving-redux

An emerging pattern

more rug weaving

More about seams

After washing, drying and ironing, I don't like the seam. I think it would be less noticeable if the seams were solid in color and not painted. I put it on the bed and I think it's really too narrow for my taste. Bob and I are both blanket thieves, so the only one comfortably warm would be the dog who sleeps in the middle. Our Little Birth Control Pill. I will probably use it as a table cloth, but I know every time I sit at the table my eyes will zero in on the seams and I'll hate it. Anyone who walks into the dining room will be regaled with stories of how hard I tried to do a better job and how many different techniques I experimented with. These people will have me committed. I'll be happier "away" because I won't have to see the damned seams.
This yardage of 8/2 cotton has been waiting to become a table cloth for a few years. It was cut into 4 panels and basted. I overlapped the red stripe over the yellow selvage by 3/8" and basted.
I flipped the piece over and basted the other side, the yellow to the red. I have basted two sets of two together and will machine sew fake top stitched french seams (or side seams to jeans). I'm debating about reversing colors in the bobbin to hide the stitching even more. I do have red thread but I'm out of yellow. Or perhaps I'll hand stitch with red. A daunting thought!

I should have done the same on the green piece. To late! Taking out those stitches is more than this Moron could handle.

Seams on Woven Panels

I still prefer seaming woolen items that I've woven, but I have two projects of 6/2 cotton that must be sewn together. This piece I dyed last fall. It's 3 twill panels, each 84" long. The technique I've used on wool just didn't look good with the cotton. I tucked this way for a long, long time. Today I decided I'm going to find something that works, looks good, or close enough, just to finish up this summer blanket and the table cloth. I used the Ball Stitch from Finishing Touches For The Handweaver, by Virginia M. West.

I'm sewing from the wrong side.

This is the right side.

The thrum balls are all tied and trimmed. Now I have to measure the lengths of each color so I can decide how far I can travel on this "reclaimed" cotton.

Son#2 and his wife are still in the Will.
Happy Mothers Day!

Just One of Those Daze

What is wrong with this picture? You know how you plan out your warp? How about incorrectly? Here is how you do it if you'd failed to fail. You decide to warp for a log cabin rug at 12 epi, 28" wide. You have a LOT of fabric in shades of blue. Okay, not a problem....I have lots of blue and white 8/4 cotton warp. Oh no! I have lots of white and only 6 spools of blue. The Union is sectional and I've mastered that technique at least, usually. The warp will be only 10 yards long, so I'll just run off 10 yards on 6 shuttle bobbins. So I did. And I wound off one two inch section. Ooops! 10yds x 28 sections is a wee bit more than 10 yds per bobbin. I pulled out the trusty cardboard spools and wound off what I thought were correct amounts, and would have been if the counter would count. Well I got it done, except I somehow wound on only 26" onto the warp beam. That error I can live with. Yes, I do like the photo upside down.

Pile of blue


One of our good Catholic/Mormon ducks hatched 17 ducklings who are now happily swimming around in both ponds. No death count due to preditors yet.