Inspirations and Doubleweave

My Granddaughter was here last year visiting us with the rest of the family. It was a very fun time for us even though we were totally squished into this little house. Our house was built in 1912
the rooms are small. The saving grace is that the ceilings are 12 foot. So one gets the feeling of space. Even if its over your head as long as its not in your head. Sorry I digress!! Kiera has to draw and write everyday its part of who she is. So one afternoon she sat amongst 3 and 4 year old trying to show them how you work with a box of paints. They mostly loved dipping the paint brush into the glass of water. In the process she painted this. The colour in this little picture, I thought quite remarkable. Of course I am very bias all my little ducklings are swans and geniuses to boot.

Up on the fridge it went and I felt inspired to try and weave something that would incorporate those colours.. Because of weaving being so structured I thought a double weave would maybe work somewhat. I like what is happening here in the weave and I have had many ideas just weaving how to produce another piece with some of the flower colours too . If I was Alice Schline I could copy it exactly. But I'm not, and I'm happy doing what I'm doing. I have this real love affair with weaving double weave. Its so slow . I had better get back to it while I have a bit of time. Also Kiera really is a lovely child to look at, with a huge sense of humor. Yippy they are all coming again in May. We will grumble about packing everything up to put up beds. But cry when they leave to go home.

Well I have finished my bag, it ended up taking quite a bit of sewing and quite a big of my weaving. (More than I thought actually. But that's OK) I really liked the end results. The bag is a Simplicity pattern with some adjustments from me to accommodate the hand weaving.It's soft and padded enough for me to carry around my hand spindles. I have to fess up and tell that I bought yet another hand spindle. Its lovely a Kundert Spindle and I love it as much as my Spindolyn. I consider myself a rank beginner at spinning and especially working with a hand spindle. But I'm hooked the whole basic creative process of turning fluffy wool into thread is addictive.

My friend gave me a book as a Christmas gift called "Respect the Spindle" by Abby Franquemont. "Damselflys delights" gives a book review on her blog. Two thumbs up its a great book.

OK I have a 24 shaft table loom. Its a Wool House loom and I wove the bag fabric on it. I have decided to sell this loom. If anyone is interested at all. It comes with the table and 4 reeds shuttles and a few other bits and bobs thrown in. The grand sum of $800.00. Its a very good buy for anyone who wants to play with multi shafts. I have decided I have done my thing and need the space. I'm beginning to feel very squished in my little room. If anyone should happen by and is the least bit interested leave a note and I will be in touch. OK we need more pictures. I still a bit challenged when it comes to this blogging.

Now Tap those Ruby Slippers together and say there is no place like home

Well its been a while since I blogged.

New Years Eve is very quiet for my husband and I. However this is the strangest New years eve ever for us. We were woken up at 1-30 in the morning with the bell ringing plus a loud rapping on the door.We both literally tumbled out of bed. Arthur went to the door in his PJ's to find a very large RCMP officer standing there. He said he would like us to evacuate. As they had a situation . Art said could we please get dressed first. "Yes sir and pack an over night bag." So in a daze we got dressed and threw some stuff into a bag and the door was being rapped on again. Are you ready "yes" Me" can we just drive away in our vehicle". "No Mam we will drive you to the detachment". "OK run across the lawn and get into the van". "Heads down".As I stepped out of our front door, a large policemen was laying on our porch toting a Rambo looking rifle.I haven't really run anywhere in years, but somehow I managed to do what they wanted. Then trying to scramble into the van was difficult since it had nothing to hang onto. Art helped to drag me in trying not to laugh at my antics. I realized I was in what everyone calls a Paddy wagon.

We actually live 2 blocks from the police station but the area was completely locked down and we drove all around getting the scenic view of our neighbourhood. Finally we got to the police station to be greeted by our Italian neighbours and a huge contingent of there family. They too had been evacuated.

We found out from the neighbours that were trickling in, it was John a chap that lives 1 house away from us. He had got drunk and was shooting a gun. He is a very troubled man, but lets not go into that. We ended up spending the night in a Motel kitty corner from our house. The whole thing was a very unpleasant experience for us. There is more to this story but enough already

I really commend the RCMP, just recently they have been getting some very bad press. But those men put there lives in jeopardy of protect the Innocent. Who knows were a stray bullet could end up. And they were very polite and caring to us.

Having recovered from that experience. I have got my butt in gear. I cleaned out my linen closet and rearranged its contents. Cleaned out our apartment size freezer. My new year Intentions, not you notice Resolutions, are to make a weekly menu plan for our meals. We have an awful lot of good food frozen. I don't know how I got so off track in that regard. and to finish what I have started. Also to try to use only what is in my stash. Crikey! that will be hardest to do, and eat more healthy so I can easily hop into paddy wagons. My Grandchildren need to make a visit soon so I can palm off the last of the chocolates. This is a picture of my sewing bench I have some hand woven fabric I would like to make bags out of. Ok then lets get out the cutting board. I need a bag for my hand spindles.

Happy New Year everyone

The Strange Compulsions to ease the Mind !!

For an entire week I have been trying to knit a shawl.Actually I started this cobweb shawl last year. Because of my state of mind I thought this is a much needed project . The shawl that was, is a designer shawl. I paid quite a bit for the pattern and every row is different. Well leaving a thing like that for an entire year and then thinking you can pick up where you left off, is how shall I put this, Nuts. OK Let's start from scratch . Hopeless my mind is going a mile a minute instead of being a soothing absorbing project its turning into another nightmare. But now due to my nature I have to crack the lace code. I decided to start on a totally different project. A giant of a shawl this is not looking how I wanted it too look. Pshaw! my husband who totally understands some of my eccentricities examines my work and said it" looks good to me my love". However this is not satisfying my senses. I wanted vines and leaves. OK plan A is on hold. Plan B is on hold .Plan C was started this morning Yes! this is it.Vines and leaves in a pale pink mohair. Its a lovely 18 row repeat that you eventually commit to memory. When I have enough dangling from the needle I will post a picture. Who needs a cobweb shawl ??? certainly I don't, however at my age I don't need an excuse to knitting what ever turns me on.I need to relieve stress. The fibre is extremely gorgeous, the colour is perfect. I heard that they paint mental wards pale pink because of the soothing factor. It actually works.
Yesterday my friend had her sale. She holds the sale in her house and sets up displays where ever. I'm always impressed with how it looks. Her sale is talked about because of talented artists who display there art. I took pictures but decided to only post this one. The rug in the background wasn't for sale. She bought that home from Israel. It totally looks like a Navajo rug I'm fascinated how designs seem to span time, age and the globe really. The rug is woven out of camel hair. The tree had the most lovely hand carved Christmas ornament. One of them went home with me.I will find out later today if the sale was a success. I noticed my hats seem to have sold. Well back to my knitting

On Healing the heart and the body

Yesterday my husband and I decided to go and get the h1N1 flu shot. They had it advertised in the local paper. Any one could go and get the shot.The location was the Activity Hall on the University Campus. I have only been to the University once before I was interested to see the place.

They certainly had plenty of volunteers directing you where to go. However I thought for old people it was quite the hike to actually get in to the building. I'm almost 70 and my husband is 74 we are both still able to climb stairs. I must confess though I felt a bit breathless by the time I actually got to the activity hall.

The line ups were short and in no time at all we had the shots and were told to wait the required 15 minutes. I met a friend from the guild so we sat and and had coffee and chatted away the 15 minutes away.

Today both of us feel horrible. I actually feel like some one took a few punches at my body. What must the actual flu bug be like oh mercy!!! When I'm feeling like that and just want to actually sit all day. Out comes the spinning. I do have a very nice little spinning wheel. However even that seems like too much. So my tools of choice are hand spindles. My toys. One of them is called a Spindolyn the other is a acrylic top whorl. I must confess since I've only been spinning for a year I'm not too good at it. But as GK Chesterton once said. Anything worth doing is worth doing badly. I'm always in agreement with GKC

Guild Meeting and On Finding Courage

Well I went to the guild meeting on Wednesday. And I decided to be the designated driver. Which sounds very mundane, so what.

Well I haven't driven on a freeway in over 10 years. When I was younger I would drive anyplace any time. Then when I was in my fifties my thyroid stopped working, it took about a year for the Doctor to figure out what was wrong with me I actually thought I was going mental. I think my family thought the same. The chemical imbalance was quite severe and I started to have panic attacks, mostly it seemed to happen when I was driving. My Mother was terminally ill at that time. And it was a nightmare progression of events. Finally I was put on the correct medication ,my Mom died (of course I didn't want my Mom to die she had the most sound common sense of any one I know ) and the stress level abated to a normal cycle. However I slowly stopped going places except around town. and I only drove routes I knew. No more heading out to places unknown.

Since I have started to make changes in my life I decided to get going and find my courage. Your never to old that's what I tell myself. So with a full car load of lovely ladies I headed out on the freeway. We didn't have to take food as our hostess put on the soup pot and baked lots of goodies. Insane as this sounds I was so proud of myself we got there safe and sound and I had a great time. I took my Alice Schline runner. Network drafting twill. I was really happy with the way this turned out. My first computerized draft and the first time to use Cotlin? I may have spelt that wrong.I'm still fiddling around with up loading pictures and I'm learning about digital cameras. But as one of my fun friends said the other day it is what it is.

Mango and black bean salad

I was thinking about going to the Spinners and Weavers Guild meeting. This is a dish I made to take the last time. It was delicious if your into beans like I am. Also just playing around moving photos from different places on my computer. My daughter sent me a lovely photo this morning of my Grandson. OK that's it I plan to sley my double weave runner this morning . Got to go.