Taking Care of Things

 

digital photo of Gist wool yarn woven in twill

The photo is a digital microscopic look at a wool yarn woven in twill, fairly loosely because the intention was to full it a little bit to increase stability and create a nice warm scarf.  

We don't usually get to see our threads so up close and personal, and sometimes I like to drag my digital microscope out and take a deeper look at the fibres.  

The last couple of weeks I've been buffeted by Things Happening.  My intentions kept getting knocked askew which meant I had to adjust my expectations.

However, things are beginning to happen after what seemed like weeks, months of waiting.  It seems it's all going to happen in August.  Or a bunch of stuff, at least.

What that means for my weaving goals?  Dunno.  Going to have to wait and find out.

Amongst other things, we found a painter and they had a cancellation last week and phoned Thursday to see if they could come do us the following day, Friday July 28 and finish Saturday.  That meant we had to juggle our schedule because one of the things that desperately needed doing were both doors on the house and the door to Doug's workshop.  That meant the house was completely open all day and one of us had to be upstairs.  

It was also the first day in weeks where there was *no* wildfire smoke.  I had been worrying about having both doors open with the smoke wafting through the house all day long, and nope.  Not so much as a whiff!  The next day they finished the fence about an hour before the next t-storm gusted in which meant the paint was dry enough and they didn't get wet, either.

Other things happened, and kept happening and after waiting for weeks for word on some personal maintenance stuff, I now have appointments next week for a couple of them.

I will also be seeing the local pain clinic the end of the month and I have questions about a different pain medication - if I would be a good candidate to take it.  (Sciatic pain isn't listed, nor peripheral neuropathy, but a girl can ask?)

Last Sunday I finally made it to the guild to measure the three looms so I knew what size the aprons should be.  Yesterday I finally found some mental (and physical!) space to begin serging the apron blanks.  Hopefully I can finish those over the weekend, then sew in the rod pockets.  I'm going to make 'tabs' which will mean only one rod is needed per apron, which should stop the missing rod situation.  

And let's see.  Oh, yes, I finished writing another book.  Just a small book.  Nothing much to speak of.  Of course by finished I mean finished the initial gush of words, sort of like dressing the loom and throwing the shuttle.  Because it won't be 'finished' until my editor gets her sharp pencil into it and works her magic on the text.  Now I have to choose photos appropriate for the chapters.  The ms has gone out to a couple of sort of alpha, sort of beta, readers and the editor.  The a/b readers are to give feedback on the content.  My alpha, alpha reader has already finished the initial read through searching for nits.  Or typos, I suppose I should say.

But that meant I spent a whole lotta hours at the desktop while I wrote, then began polishing the words and some days I just didn't make it to the loom.

Today I got one towel woven and finally found the error I just *knew* had to be there.  Did I fix it?  No, I did not.  I'm over 3/4s the way through weaving the warp.  If it took me this long to find it when I knew it had to be lurking in there somewhere, I doubt very many others will notice.  If they do they can point at it and laugh.  Guess what?  I already know I'm not 'perfect'.  And the tea towels will still dry dishes, error or no.  :-/

Anyway yesterday I used up one more colour of 2/20 mercerized cotton.  I have some dark grey I'm using on the last of this warp.  There may be some left when I've done the five towels and I may keep that for the next warp, also white.  Or I may give it to my lace making friend.  TBD.

Today was the guild executive meeting and we reviewed how the spring and summer has been going, laid out plans for the coming year, talked through the AGM in September and what needs to happen.  We tossed some names around and I was able to recruit someone to shadow the VP and potentially take over next year when *I* finally get to step aside.  I'll be Past President (or Chair, whatever the position is called) and can take a seat at the back of the room and watch the newer, younger, more energetic guild members pick up the reins and run.  I'll be cheering them on.

So - goals for the coming week.  Finish weaving the current warp.  Serge the apron blanks.  Sew the pockets.  Recruit Doug to install the aprons onto the looms.  Beam the next warp.  Thread said warp.  Start weaving said warp.  Oh, yeah, wet finish 20 towels, press them, hem the ones that need hemming (including the ones already on the love seat, never mind the 20 new ones...)  Easy-peasy?  

And oops - the personal maintenance appointments booked today for next week.  Piece of cake?  Well, the loom *is* very patient, after all.  So is the hemming.  Just ask the pile on the back of the love seat.