What is happening today

Looking at my inventory I decided I definitely need to weave more dish towels. Lots more. So I got busy winding a warp. My usual thing to do is to have a natural colored cotton warp and use a natural colored cotton weft. For a bit of color I weave a one inch stripe at either end. Not very exciting but here is the thing. My customers like it. I have tried to do things differently and people will come to me at shows looking for dish towels and see the new ones and say they like what I had before. Do what works, right?

Cold weather is moving in. 37 degrees for a high today with 16 degrees for tonight. Tomorrow we are supposed to have 28 degrees for a high with night time temperature of 13! Winter finally made it to the south. I don't mind the cold but some snow to go with it sure would be nice. I can always hope, right?

Until next time,

Linda
www.pineridgehandwovens.com/

Getting closer to Christmas

With Christmas being just a few days away, no weaving is being done at the studio. The presents are wrapped and under the tree and some baking has been done. The studio and house are clean so now we can relax. The weaving will start again after the first of the year. Now we wait for family to gather. Some snow would be nice, too, but not likely. Wouldn't it be nice to spend Christmas at a quaint little town where it always snows on Christmas just like in the movies?

Merry Christmas everyone and a prosperous new year!

Until next time,

Linda
www.pineridgehandwovens.com/

Time to clean

Weaving is messy. Really messy. Wether it be fuzzies from the weaving process or scraps of yarn from trimming fringes. Over time, when I am in production mode, it gets pretty messy at the studio. Today was cleaning day. The studio looks so much better! I should have taken before and after pictures. Hmmm, then again maybe not. I really wouldn't want anyone to see the mess. It sure feels good to have it all cleaned up. Now I am ready to start weaving again sometime after Christmas. I am looking forward to it.

My faithful farm dog is seven years old. I don't really want to think of a time when he won't be with me anymore. I love him. It's that simple. He is the best livestock guardian dog ever! Truth is, he will probably only live to be ten years old. Big dogs just don't live that long.

 I had been thinking, off and on, about getting a puppy for Max to train. Mostly off because I don't like thinking about not having him anymore. Then in October I met someone whose Great Pyrenees was going to have puppies. Puppies? Hmmm. Then a couple of weeks ago I got a message that the puppies had been born and did I want one. Now I HAD to think about what to do. I decided yes. Want to see what he looks like?

Meet Beau. Isn't he adorable and big? My Max was the runt of the litter and he weighs 130 pounds. I thought He was big! This pup could be even larger. With Max as his trainer he, too, will be a wonderful farm dog. I can't wait to meet him. It will probably be another six weeks before I can bring him home. I hope Max likes him!

Until next time,

Linda
www.pineridgehandwovens.com/

Candle light tours

One of the things I really like to do is participate in living history, This month I participated in the candle light tours at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tn. I demonstrated tape loom weaving for the public. Another woman was in the cabin I was in was demonstrating spinning. We did it for two nights. Many people were interested in what we were doing and what we had to say about it. Others not so much. They were more interested in having their pictures taken in front of the Christmas tree or fireplace. There was so much happening at the museum. A living nativity, petting zoo, sassafrass tea tasting, lots of music and blacksmithing. There were more things going on but I didn't get to see much of it since I was stationed in a cabin.

Another candle light tour I was involved in was at Wilderness Road State Park in Ewing, Va. There is a reconstructed fort there representing 1775. It was pretty cold and windy. We were all standing around a firepit singing songs that would have been sung in the 18th century when it started to snow! It was so beautiful. It was so nice to be with friends one last time this year. It will be spring before we will see each other again. Such a magical night!

Until next time,

Linda
www.pineridgehandwovens.com/

December

This is my third attempt at writing something for the blog. The other two simply vanished! So, let's try this again. Here goes!

December is such a busy month. Parties, concerts, baking. You get the idea and I am sure it is the same for you. So why did I choose this time to start a website? I have wanted to do it for a couple of years now but what I wanted to do just wasn't available to me until now. I wanted to be able to use the square reader to take payments. Until recently square wasn't available for websites. Now it is. They have made it so easy to take payments. Yay! So with my personal web genius, aka our son, we created something we like. 

The other thing I am working on this month is clearing things out of the studio. Really, do I need all this stuff? Some went to family, some was donated to the Appalachian Arts Craft Center and some to other weavers. I am even giving some of my things to a new re enactor and to a historic site's clothes closet. It sure feels good to get rid of the clutter and I love seeing more space at the studio. When I get done giving away and cleaning I will get back to production mode. I have several ideas of what projects I want to weave in the coming year. Besides that there is the new to me Berga/Savonia loom that is waiting for a warp. 

These are two examples of the rugs I have on the website. These are thick and plush. I with you could feel these under your feet! They are so soft.

Well, that is all I have for today. If you have the time please take a look at our website.

www.pineridgehandwovens.com/

Linda