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Here is my completed weaving project. I used mercerized cotton with an overshot design from the Learning to Weave Book by Deborah Chandler. It’s a great book and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn to weave. It is 76″ long, not including the 8 inches of fringe on each side. It is about 24″ wide. I love how it looks. I wish I had used a yarn that was a little thinner but it was for a class and a lot of the others in the class are making place mats so they needed something thicker and more substantial.

Here is a pretty good closeup. I like how weaving with the flax color toned down the rest of the colors.

I’ve ordered some spun silk for my next project. I ordered three different sizes and I’ll think about it when I get the yarn. I want to do some huck lace. I’d like it to be a little lighter in weight than this. The yarn I’m actually leaning toward is about 5000 ypp and I’m not sure I’m ready for a project to take that long..

I’ll do a little more thinking when I get the yarn. I can always knit lace with any of the yarns I ordered. I’m getting at least one cone of each so that will make a pretty good shawl.

Now I know this picture is sideways and that’s just pure laziness on my part but look at how this dog is sitting. Lou is rubbing her neck pretty hard here and she is just making the funniest noises. Crazy dog.

Who’s idea was it to get a dog anyway.

Things are getting better with her. I’m chalking all of the bad behavior up to adolescence and hoping we can work through it.

This is my final package from my Secret Pal. She is Samantha from Zan Knits. A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT! She was great and very thoughtful the whole time. I never would have guessed it. She spins cotton on a charkha, makes her own stitch markers, knits…all while trying to get into NYU or Rutgers or SMU. Hey Kate, can you help her out? I know it’s a different department but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

And lookee what she sent me. Knit picks yarn in both lace weight and sock weight and patterns to match and Simple Socks and Knitted Gifts. I don’t own any of this stuff and if you saw my book collection you would see what a miracle it is.

I love this girl. Thanks Sam.

Here are some extreme closeups from this morning. This kids love when I do this.

This month I turn 42. I left home to go to California when I was 18. I stayed there until Brittney was 2 1/2 and Chelsea was 1 1/2 so I was in my 23rd year. Had enough of the nonsense with their dad and went back to Pennsylvania. I started dating Lou when Brittney was 3 1/2, I think. We got married when Brittney was 9 and Chelsea was 8.

Our family moved from Pennsylvania to Michigan in 1999 so it will be 8 years since I’ve been away from home this second time.

My point of all of this is that I am still home sick. Sometimes more than others. Now is a more time. My grandmother on my mother’s side is getting up there – I think she’ll be 83 this year. I miss her a lot. My parents are still great and young. Lou’s parents have had a lot of health problems over the last year and a half and I wish I could be there to be a bigger help. I miss our families. I’m not saying I’m not happy here. I am. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. It hit me yesterday morning on my way to weigh in. I think it was a song on the radio that reminded me of home and … well, I’ll be better tomorrow.

Monday is always a busy day at the shop. I have a spinning student from 12:30 to 2. I think I remember somebody else is joining the class tomorrow too. And then weaving class from 2:30 to 4:30 and they are never out in time. It’s a great class though and I love them all.

Side note: Why is Prince wearing that rag on his head that women used to put on around their curlers? (I’m watching the Superbowl Halftime show)

After the shop closes I am going to the lace knitting group that meets at Yarn For Ewe. I’m very excited. I hope I can knit well enough for this group because they are definitely something.

I have to get knitting now because I wanted to have at least the lower border rows done on my Forest Path Stole before I go to meet the group tomorrow night.