Public Statement!

I do solemnly swear that I will clean my loom room as soon as I have this warp beamed, and BEFORE I weave a single throw! It's getting to me. Something has to break. Last night I searched through 4 containers looking for my crank handle and finally found it in plain sight on a table. In rummaging through the 4 containers (baskets, buckets of shuttles, etc.) I realized how much crap I have in those things that is completely irrelevant (now). So, cleaning next on agenda.

I am beaming a tea towel warp in 20/2 cotton. It's unusually slow because I wound some 10/2 cotton in for some of the stripes, but really, really hated how it was feeling in my hands as I roughsleyed the reed. I should have come to that conclusion BEFORE I wound it on the board, but... So, I wound some 20/2 in another color to replace the 10/2, and am cutting the 10/2 out of the warp bouts as I wind on. Fun, fun.

I haven't decided yet on a modified twill or straight twill or plain weave for the threading. That will be after I get the studio cleaned! ;-) It should be a pretty piece at any rate. I'm going to have to figure out how to post photos and get one up of this warp. Last night, while it was taxing my patience, I thought, heck with tea towels, I'm making a shirt out of this. Too much work for tea towels! and I may weave some of it into yardage for a shirt if the sample is light weight enough.

Sunday I sewed worms for the Hammett warp and that's ready to roll - as soon as the studio is cleaned. Lots to do when I get back from Galena this weekend.

Currently reading: The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

Start it all again...

So, I got home from California at night, went to work the next day, took off at noon to go home and turn my water back on and see if I had any frozen/burst pipes from the -14 weather we had while I was gone. Did I say "if?" Ha. After looking under the house I quickly decided my little 5 ft of plastic pipe, a handful of connectors and glue I picked up at Lowe's were going to be of little effect. A call to a plumber, (who couldn't come for 2 days) then a call to my mechanic who found a local guy for me, and I was in business with water that night. Yeah small town networks!

A week later, and I have the Hammett warped and mostly woven off in small rugs. Ready to wind another warp for that one. My goal is a 12 yd warp woven off every week for a while. Also wound 20/2 cotton for tea towels. I'm waiting for my new 15 dent reed to come in before I stick that on on the Newcomb, but that's okay. I have plenty to keep me busy until then.

Plus, it's been colder than the dickens and we have about 10 inches of snow on the ground. I'm on my second big pot of soup since I got back, lots of weaving to keep me busy.

Reading: Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler for a book club.