Lenticulars and Snow

Day 79: The Mountain is once again clad in white, the rugged, stony spines of ridges and outcrops now hidden from view. For the last several years, each summer has exposed more of the bare bones as glaciers not only recede but become thinner. It does my heart good to see snow covering naked rock now, although I know that even a record snowfall would not build the glaciers back to their former status. Glacier-building is a long process, not something which can occur to any great extent in a single season. Lenticular clouds such as these approaching the Mountain from the south often presage a change in the weather, although in this case, it was not immediately to come. The photo was taken yesterday. This morning, the sky is clear, save for a few barely discernible wisps of high-altitude cloud.

Autumn Oranges, Quilting Done!

Day 78: This is a "for the record" post. I finished the quilting of "Autumn Oranges" this morning despite multiple interruptions. I began this phase of its journey on November 7 as close as I can tell, meaning that I completed the hand-stitching in just under 8 weeks. There's a reason ladies used to get together for quilting bees, half a dozen women working side-by-side on a single quilt. Nobody in their right mind would try to stitch a whole quilt by themselves. This year alone, I've made two fully hand-stitched quilts, plus a hand-stitched (EPP) quilt top (not yet backed and batted), as well as finishing up this one. I still have to apply the binding, machine-stitching it to the front, but hand-sewing it on the back. That should take 7-10 days. For now, the quilting frame has gone back into the closet until such time as I can make a run to Ben Franklin after something to back it with. Meanwhile, I'll be working on "Memory Wreath," another EPP quilt (i.e., fully hand-sewn, but smaller).

Two Shuttle Adventure

Day 77: A couple of days ago, I told Ed, "It feels like I've known Daisy all my life, and we've just got back together again." I think this is due in part to the fact that she's smaller...a "me-sized" loom...not just in width but in height. And although she seems dainty in ways, she's strong and reliable when it comes down to it. I am comfortable with her in the manner shared by old friends, and I found myself weaving on her without a thought of this being our introduction to one another. I finished up the first towel yesterday, 30 inches of a fairly simple twill pattern, and as I put in the last throws and finished the hemstitching, it seemed to me that we...or rather, I was ready for a new challenge. To that end, I decided to work with two boat shuttles to get the hang of changing colours before leaping into an overshot project. This means carrying the idle colour up the selvedge, a process which has always required much arm-waving and shoulder stress when working with stick shuttles. I wasn't sure how much of a learning curve there might be when using boat shuttles instead, but as it worked out, it's a lot easier, as well as being kinder to a rebuilt shoulder. Overshot should be the proverbial "piece of cake."

First Memory Wreath Block

Day 76: And in other news, I completed the first block of a Memory Wreath quilt on Christmas Day. Memory Wreath was the pattern I used in the first quilt I ever made, some fifty-plus years ago. I dived in with both feet, totally unaware that it was not a "beginner level" project, but in the end, I have to say that it turned out quite nicely even if some of the meets were less than perfect. I sewed it by machine, as opposed to by hand using English paper piecing as I am doing here, and I have always regretted allowing my husband to talk me out of it when we separated. It was themed around birds. This version will use the same dark green fabric in every block, with the centers and inner triangles in a different colour. Next up, I'll be using aqua prints where I've used red here, picking up a hint of aqua from the center. The quilt will be lap-sized, only 12 blocks, and should come together fairly quickly even though I'm still polishing off old projects as my primary goal.

Boat-Shuttle Capable

Day 75: While it is theoretically possible to use a boat shuttle on a loom without a race on the front of the beater bar, my experience with trying it did not end on a positive note. I've owned five (?) large looms in my life, and Daisy is the first one to have that "ledge." The threads in the lower portion of the shed should rest on it so that the shuttle can glide smoothly over them when thrown along the race. It takes a bit of practice, and as I learned quickly, Daisy is a very sensitive lady. If I rest a foot on the next treadle to be used as I have gotten in the habit of doing over the years, it may bring threads from a different shed into play. I'm developing a technique of sliding my inactive foot back as the active foot depresses the desired treadle, but sometimes my timing gets a little off and I throw the shuttle before the shed is "clean." Picking out an erroneous throw is not as easy with a boat shuttle as it is with a stick shuttle, believe me! That said, a boat shuttle is faster. I already have a foot woven on the first towel in this trial run. Like people, every loom has its own character which may be why so many of us name them. I'm learning Daisy's peculiarities and personality quickly, and I expect to spend many happy years with her.

Merry, Merry Christmas!

Day 74: He gave me a hug, arms around my neck and face pressed to mine (for the first time of his own accord). That was for Christmas Eve. This morning, he laid on my chest before we got out of bed, content and purring like a donkey engine to wish me a merry Merry Christmas. This, my friends, is what Christmas is about: love in its many forms. It cannot exist without being shared, so get out there. Stimulate some oxytocin in your family and friends! And don't forget the little people: the companions in our lives, and the ones outside our doors. As it is sung in "The Muppet Christmas Carol," "It is the season of the heart / a special time of caring / the ways of love made clear. / And it is the season of the spirit / the lesson if we hear it / is make it last all year."

Dressing Daisy for Christmas

Day 73: Daisy is almost dressed for Christmas! For this first trial run, I'll be weaving a Finnish twill (p. 37, Handweaver's Pattern Book, green version), and will only be making two towels roughly 30" in length before shrinking. Because I have to leave the raddle in place to compensate for a bow in the back beam (it will be replaced soon), I had to allow a little extra yardage as loom waste, so I measured the warp at 12'. That should give me plenty of space to weave a sample or perhaps even a placemat, and any thrums will be used either on a rigid heddle loom if they're long enough, or to make bands. Daisy was an absolute dream to warp, but for one small "operator error." I've become so used to winding warp on Max's overhead beam that I got the stick on the wrong side of the back beam, and when I started to wind on, it took me a minute to realize why it wouldn't work. D'uh! The warp goes OVER the back beam, not under it! See? Fifty-plus years of weaving and I can still make beginner mistakes with the best of 'em. In any event, threading is next, and I'll be weaving on Christmas unless the storm carries me away.