My new van

About eight weeks ago my good ole truck of a minivan broke down. We knew this was coming but when it happened I was still shocked. It was supposed to last longer. I really liked that van! I used it to haul hay ( I could get 15 square bales in there!, kids, goats, one very large dog, looms, camping gear and assorted stuff. But it was eleven years old and had multiple problems so it was decided it was time to stop driving it. Now the search was on for the next van. We looked and looked but we weren't finding what I wanted at what I could afford. I wanted a grand van. I love the extra space. I wanted stow and go seats, low mileage for a great price. I know. I was asking for a miracle. Then last Friday it happened! My husband saw an ad at work for my van! We test drove it and bought it the next day. I had secretly wanted a red van but I didn't mention that to my husband. It would have been too much to ask for, right? I love it! I especially like the stow and go seats! I am getting a bit too old to be lugging the seats in and out all the time. Here it is! What is really funny is....right smack in the middle of the steering wheel is the Dodge ram head. Now, I ask you, how perfect is that for someone who raises goats? I have already gotten it dirty. It needs a bath!

Here is what is on the looms this week. A scarf warp on the Lervad.

Place mats on the Glimakra.

Table runners on the Gilmore.

Another runner on the Gilmore.

Well, that is all the news for this week. Have a great weekend!

Linda

Want to meet my husband?

Wow, two blog entries in one day! That sure isn't something I usually do.

Recently my husband was having a problem with his car. A big problem. It wouldn't start. He ordered a part on line and installed it. It works! Both the car and the part. Here is a picture of him installing it.

Isn't this a funny picture? This is what it took to get the part installed under the dash board!

My husband is quite a guy. He can fix anything! He is really handy to have around. I think I will keep him!

Linda

The latest shaggy rug on the loom

I finished the burgundy, forest green and cream chenille shaggy rug. I really like how it turned out. I love that color combination.

When I was at Great Northern Weaving a few months ago I had bought two bags of chenille selvages. The other bag is tan chenille. I had some of the selvages left from the first rug. At first I couldn't decide whether to use it all in in the first rug or not but then I decided to save some to use as an accent color in the second rug to keep it from looking too bland. I think it is looking pretty good. I wish you could run your hand over this. It is so soft! I am weaving five inches of the tan and then two shots of the accent color.

Hubby has been busy for a week working on building a tape loom. I think he did a fine job! These are for those who want to weave narrow bands. Perfect for reenactors. There are only 27 slots and holes so the weaving is pretty narrow. Once I challenged myself to see how narrow I could weave. I used only seven threads and wove a pink and white band perfect for my stays! This loom is a gift for someone. I can't tell you who in case they read my blog!

I have been walking around my studio thinking about what I really need and don't need. I have come up with a short list for a few things to sell. This is a very short list because it is hard for me to part with anything! So far one item has been sold. Two to go. I have decided to part with the Union weaving loom. It is a work horse of a loom and I have woven many rugs, table runners and place mats on it. I am thinking if this one sells then I can move a loom out of the living room and into that spot. The whole idea of having a house for a studio was to not be crowded like I was when I only had one 14" x 15' room. The living room is looking a bit crowded.

The other item for sale is a Strauch Petite drum carder. It has hardly been used and has been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years. It needs to go where it can be used and appreciated, don't you think?

Well, that is the news for today. It is a beautiful day here. It is so nice to see the sun after so many days of clouds and rain!

Linda

Took a better picture, I hope

Here is a better picture of the scarf I finished yesterday. In this picture you can kind of see the dark green, tan and brown.  It is a little better than the picture I showed yesterday but still not as good as I was hoping it would be.                

I wound a warp for another scarf. I have had this yarn lying around for a while wondering what to make with it. I am  thinking about using a raspberry boucle yarn as weft. Sometimes I have a plan of how things will work in my head but then in person it doesn't look as nice as I thought it would. So we will see.

Other than putting tags on the dish towels, tying knots in fringes on two mug rugs and doing small things around the studio that is all I have for today.

Linda

What I was doing today

We have had so much rain in the last two days. I heard on the news that my area received five plus inches and the rain isn't done yet! Living on a hill is a good thing.

Today I finished weaving a scarf I started last week. I miscalculated how much I would need for the weft and had to order another skein from R&M Yarns. Phyllis mailed it out and it arrived in two days. Per my usual photographic skills the colors aren't quite true. This is eyelash yarn. The colors are dark brown, tan and green.
I don't think it is very pretty but who knows. Maybe there is someone out there who will love it! To me it looks like camouflage colors. You might think that too if you could see it in person.

I also started a rug on the Studio loom. I am using some chenile selvedges I bought at Great Northern Weaving when I was there a few months ago. I really like the colors! They are burgundy, green and tan. I like how this is turning out.

Also today I put the finishing touching on three hats and twisted and tied fringes on the scarf and washed it. I didn't accomplish as much as I usually do but at least I accomplished something!

Linda

What is happening this week

Here are the latest dish towels off the loom. Don't they look nice sitting there on the shelves? They are all hemmed and washed. All I need to do is put tags on them.

Today I did something I have meant to do for sometime now. I wanted to drill holes in the looms for double headed  nails. These nails will go into holes that I drilled in the legs of the beater bars and the looms. Now the beaters will stay in an upright position while I am threading the reed. Now, altering looms is something I almost never do. I usually like to keep them as original as possible but I had seen this done on a loom, a Schacht, I think, and I thought it was very practical. Here is what the nails look like.

Here it is on one of the looms. I attached a bit of yarn to it so I can hang it on the loom when I don't need it.

I also was able to get a warp on the Gilmore loom today that has been lying on the top for a while now. It is blue and white cotton yarn. I have about one more inch to go in threading the reed and after tying on I will be ready to go. I didn't think to get a picture of it.

Another thing I didn't get a picture of is the wool rug I just finished. For a while I couldn't decide how long I wanted it to be. Then I decided to just weave it until all the green wool was used up. The rug is 166 inches long.

Today was our youngest's 17th birthday! I just can't imagine how the time has flown by. He is a senior in high school and is taller than I am. Hmmm, I don't know how that happened either! We will be having two celebrations this week. One for his friends and the other with family.

Well, that is what has been going on around here this week and the week isn't over yet. No telling what else could happen!

Linda