This ‘n That!

The silk is off the loom!  I gave up trying to struggle with it.  The remaining silk I will eventually dye and use for embroidery threads. My poor old table loom has gone to the scrap heap.  I am going to buy Texsolv cord to tie up my treadles on my floor loom; the small chain I am using is not really working. I have my new Louet Jane table loom out on my table all ready to go. I am now trying to decide whether to continue to use my 60/2 silk in a new warp or try for a 20 or 30/2 silk? At this fineness I have only used 20/2 or 60/2, I have had no trouble with the 20/2 but all the trouble in the world with the 60/2. Is it me or the looms I have used? The 20/2 has only been on my Noble table loom, which I bought brand new, the 60/2 I had on my Mecchia which I was having problems with, and then on this old table loom. Maybe I will try the 60/2 again on my brand new Jane.

Unfortunately I have not had the chance to get back to my "Artists Studio Journal” workshop. I just don’t know where the time has gone! After our Agricultural Show in October things should have started to slow down!

I have just gotten to the lace section of my shawlette and I need to sit down quietly to start that. I hope to do that latter today. But the ironing calls first!

I am still waiting for my exchange partner to let me know her postal address and the bag is already to fly.

I spent a small fortune at the Book Depository last week, the first of the books have arrived, the RSN’s Essential Stit Guide to Crewelwork. I have their Blackwork and White Work books, and their Stumpwork book is yet to arrive. I have ordered other embroidery books, weaving books, several novels and a book on dyeing and one on textile design. I do wish they would all come together. I Can’t wait for them all to arrive, will have some good reading over the holidays.

Fountain Pens are another favourite subject of mine.  I discovered a very interesting website from The Netherlands, which for their centenary two years ago reproduced an old ink bottle design.  It is a 150ml faceted bottle characterized by a long neck in which is located a glass marble. You tilt the closed bottle and the chamber in the neck fills with ink, you straighten it up and the marble prevents the ink flowing back, this creates a reservoir from which to fill your pen. What a cleaver idea. I have ordered 3 bottles, one each of green, emerald green and turquoise. One of the greens is for a friend at Christmas. It was a little bit of a challenge as the site was all in Dutch, but with a little help from Google translate I hope I have managed to order what I wanted.

So what’s on for this week????  Monday I am at my second last Purple Pixies’ quilting group for the year, Tuesday is my third last Spinners’ Guild and that is going to be a very busy day. We are clearing out the shed (garage size) and putting up new shelving. Derek went to Melbourne last Thursday to pick it up. We are planning an 8am start. We need to get everything out of there so Derek can put the shelving together in the shed. Then we need to get every thing back in all in the one day!

I also want to re-wind the 60/2 silk warp. I need to dye the little shawlette I knitted for my Kris Kringle, and while I’m doing that I’ll dye some of the silk I took off the loom. I need to sort photos for two photo calendars I want printed. I must get more of that alpaca combed so I can spin it. And I need to spin some fleece from the guild and knit a 6 inch square for the Guild’s raffle rug for next year. The alpaca and fleece are not exactly urgent but I want them out of the way as soon as possible. Oh and I start a Yoga course at 6am! on Monday!

My Babies. Tami in front, Kaiko behind her.

Ok  the ironing is jumping up and down and shouting!!!

Spread your Wings and Soar

                          Judy