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

How long is long enough?

Part of today was spent cleaning up the store room. I had let it get to be such a mess that no one could walk in there. It was pretty bad. Recently I had been to the Little Debbie Snack Cake store in Collegedale, Tn. While I was there I saw that they were selling some card board barrels. I thought it would be the perfect thing to hold rug weft. I don't know how much it holds but it comes up to my waist. It can hold a lot. I put a most of my stash in there and it will be nice to have it all in one place.

The rest of my time was spent weaving at the Newcomb Studio loom. I am weaving a runner but I can't decide how long is long enough. Any ideas? Right now it is 91 inches long. Maybe I will measure my hall and then decide. I really like how this rug looks and I just might keep it for myself rather than putting it up for sale.

Linda

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe how quickly summer passed by. We have been pretty busy but now that school has started  my time is more my own. The fall shows will be here before I am ready! I really need to get busy and weave up more things!

Here is what is on two of my looms this week. I put ten yards of 8/2 natural cotton on the Schacht standard loom. I like to use a cotton novelty yarn for weft. I have made lots of these and they sell very well. What you can't see are stripes of colors done in twill at both ends.

I am also working on a wool rug on the Newcomb Studio loom. It doesn't show up very well but the wool is a pale green with dark green flecks in it. Here is a close up.

I haven't decided how long this rug will be yet but I am leaning towards making a runner.

I still have warps waiting to be wound on two looms. It sure would be nice to go to the studio and find that someone has warped the looms for me! So much to do but so little time!

Linda

Now for where I made those hats!

This past week my family and I went to the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention. To learn more about it go here
 http://www.chetsociety.com/index.html  This is a wonderful place to be if you play the guitar or if you just enjoy listening to guitar music. This was our second time attending.

There are two main stages with performers playing every 45 minutes. There are also smaller rooms with workshops going on and special times where you can get to hear the performers in a close up session. There are vendors there, too. There is music going on all the time. Some of those who attend bring their own guitars and have impromptu jam sessions here and there. At one point during our time at the convention I decided to go to the lobby to do some things on my computer. There, not to far from me, were several guitarists enjoying playing together. They were playing quietly and it was so enjoyable just to sit there and listen.


Mr. Gretch was there. It was hard to get a picture of him. He seemed to be on the move all the time. I managed to get this picture while he was setting up his display table.

One of our favorite performers is Tommy Emmanuel. If you ever get the chance to seem him perform you will not be       disappointed. You will be amazed  at what he can do on the guitar and he has a wonderful sense of  humor.  One               suggestion, if you get the chance to hear him play. Don't take your eyes off of his hands. He does some pretty incredible things that you won't want to miss!                                                                                                                                                      

  

                                                                                                                      

Another performer I really enjoy hearing is Edgar Cruze. Unfortunately I never got to hear him. I was hoping I would get to hear him the last night at the big concert but he didn't perform. I was very disappointed. I guess I will just have to go back next year!

For a more detailed account of this event go to the Loomy Tunes blog. http://tuesdayweavers.blogspot.com/ Carol wrote a whole lot more than I had time to do and she gets to see if from a different perspective.


Linda

Hat picture

I thought you might like to see the finished products from this weekend. I didn't have any yarn left with me that I wanted to make a third hat out of so I went to Hobby Lobby and found some thick verigated yarn. I like the results! I am thinking that I will use my handspun yarn next.

Linda

Busy work

There are times, when I travel, when I want something to do that will keep my hands busy. A weaving loom sure would be nice but not very practical. Even my smallest table loom is kind of big. Here is the next best thing. It isn't very big, is light and will fit in a small tote bag. I call it knitting for dummies. I hope I don't offend anyone by calling it that. I call it that because I am the dummy! I can't knit. I have been taught but I just can't do it. This I can do! Here is a picture of a hat in progress. I finished it this afternoon. I haven't taken a picture of the finished product yet.

Here is the backside.

My friend Karen got me started on these a couple of weeks ago and now I carry one around with me everywhere! It is very relaxing to do and I don't have to think about what I am doing.

I bought a couple of these hoops several years ago but they now come in plastic versions.

Well, that is all I have for today. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Linda