Call me Penelope
29 Nov 2020 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ursulas_alcoveToday I unwound almost the entire shawl of mohair. I was 9 nails short of a finished 7' shawl. It bites. At least I don't have to deal with warlords and a wayward husband. Because I couldn't stand to look at it again so soon, I tabled this color and went on to the next one. It is very similar but instead of magenta and van dyke brown, it uses chestnut and a cranberry/rose tone. I have a matching ball of cranberry rose wool to finish the edges. The weaving should be done in about 6 days. The edging will be crocheted in rose all the way around. That may take an additional 2 days. Remember my goal is to only spend an hour a day weaving.
I have two more shawls in this size to follow. This year's year-end-inventory counting should go fairly quickly. I still need to update spreadsheets, but since sales are down 80%, it shouldn't take long. The Commonwealth downgraded my business to only having to file sales taxes semi-annually. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I spent 20 years filing quarterly. I am awaiting a Covid grant to help boost sales. I need a computer system that is modern enough to keep up with modern software. My operating system doesn't work on many platforms. Anyhow, once that happens, I will be spending much more time on my shop updates. There is just too much we still don't know about vaccine effectiveness, virus mutation, and so forth. Having a good online presence serves all my customers better.
Meanwhile, I am playing with all the pretty colors. I picked up a lovely green ribbon yarn at a yarn shop in Tucson, AZ some time ago and have been trying to match other yarns to it. Manos del Uruguay had the closest color so here's the bin I threw together. I think the Manos came from a shop in Coralville, IA. I love yarn tourism when I'm on the road.
Some of the yarn was dyed in Burdock for a video that Fiona shot back in the early 80s. Others were dyed in rhubarb which gave the khaki. I probably used carrot tops on some too. I also have Peace Fleece from a show I did in Crystal Lake, IL. There is also handspun, and Catalina from when my husband worked in Cedar Rapids, from a local yarn shop. So many memories are going into this warp! I have more work to do to finish it, but I had other things on my agenda today. I am also doing roof staple removal in the driveway. I can't use the driveway until all pokey bits are gone. My wonderful neighbors let me borrow a metal detector. I need to buy it batteries. Meanwhile, I have an old scissors that seems to find every staple as I cut. I'm also doing the edging while I'm there. The driveway has grass up the middle. I think I pulled at least 5 staples and a big nail today. Once the grass is cut really short, the rake is good at making the staples go 'ting'. Then I get to find them on the concrete. I have three more sections to go but rain and cold weather are moving in.
This is a classic vintage loom from the 1975 Sears Wishbook. My parents bought it for me for Christmas that year. It was the only remotely interesting thing in that catalog. I had it in my head to make plaid in my school colors and stitch them to my jeans to make bell bottoms. I did not think to ask for yarn for Christmas. Big mistake. Anyhow, I will finish filling out this 18" wide loom and warp the rigid heddle frame over the next week. I have a dye bath to run and clients to interface with as well. I have my work cut out for me.
I have two more shawls in this size to follow. This year's year-end-inventory counting should go fairly quickly. I still need to update spreadsheets, but since sales are down 80%, it shouldn't take long. The Commonwealth downgraded my business to only having to file sales taxes semi-annually. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I spent 20 years filing quarterly. I am awaiting a Covid grant to help boost sales. I need a computer system that is modern enough to keep up with modern software. My operating system doesn't work on many platforms. Anyhow, once that happens, I will be spending much more time on my shop updates. There is just too much we still don't know about vaccine effectiveness, virus mutation, and so forth. Having a good online presence serves all my customers better.
Meanwhile, I am playing with all the pretty colors. I picked up a lovely green ribbon yarn at a yarn shop in Tucson, AZ some time ago and have been trying to match other yarns to it. Manos del Uruguay had the closest color so here's the bin I threw together. I think the Manos came from a shop in Coralville, IA. I love yarn tourism when I'm on the road.
Some of the yarn was dyed in Burdock for a video that Fiona shot back in the early 80s. Others were dyed in rhubarb which gave the khaki. I probably used carrot tops on some too. I also have Peace Fleece from a show I did in Crystal Lake, IL. There is also handspun, and Catalina from when my husband worked in Cedar Rapids, from a local yarn shop. So many memories are going into this warp! I have more work to do to finish it, but I had other things on my agenda today. I am also doing roof staple removal in the driveway. I can't use the driveway until all pokey bits are gone. My wonderful neighbors let me borrow a metal detector. I need to buy it batteries. Meanwhile, I have an old scissors that seems to find every staple as I cut. I'm also doing the edging while I'm there. The driveway has grass up the middle. I think I pulled at least 5 staples and a big nail today. Once the grass is cut really short, the rake is good at making the staples go 'ting'. Then I get to find them on the concrete. I have three more sections to go but rain and cold weather are moving in.
This is a classic vintage loom from the 1975 Sears Wishbook. My parents bought it for me for Christmas that year. It was the only remotely interesting thing in that catalog. I had it in my head to make plaid in my school colors and stitch them to my jeans to make bell bottoms. I did not think to ask for yarn for Christmas. Big mistake. Anyhow, I will finish filling out this 18" wide loom and warp the rigid heddle frame over the next week. I have a dye bath to run and clients to interface with as well. I have my work cut out for me.
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Date: 30 Nov 2020 04:52 pm (UTC)Love the colors in the bowl of planning.}:P Nice, muted, almost early early spring theme. That should be fun to weave, with all the memories in there.
I really need to get a second rigid heddle. That way when one is busy, I have the other as back up still. Got plenty of pin looms though. Heh.
So many projects, so little time.
Rain just cleared out here, headed your way, I believe.