Crazy as a Loom

Painting on canvas

2009-07-12T20:20:00.004-04:00

(Please click on photos to make them larger)

Oh, hollyhocks. One of my all time favorites. I have planted them all over the place, hoping that they will go crazy.
I am standing under the arbor, looking out at the meadow bushwhacked and mowed. It seems like a blank canvas, just waiting for me to do something wonderful out there.
It has to be done on a budget, you know.......I can't go out and pay someone thousands to landscape it. I can keep it mowed down though, until I figure it out.
As I was coming up to the house, after mowing all morning, I noticed this "vine" growing out of the edge of the window. What's up with that???
I guess someone will have to get up there and pull it off. Some vines, like bittersweet, will tear the siding right off a house.
I tied fringe on another big rug this morning. It is 7x10, but it is in wool. The Solmate sock rugs are usually in cotton, but I had a few boxes of the wool socks that have since been discontinued, so I wove them into this rug.
The colors are a bit muted, compared to the original Solmate sock rug.
The cats think I should just leave it here in the living room.
C'mon, can't ya' just leave it..........
"I am telling ya', this is one comfy rug. Just you try to get me off this rug!"

Suiting my fancy

2009-07-10T20:51:00.002-04:00

I have been lusting for an arbor for the "not so secret garden". I have been thinking about one for some time. I looked at new ones, I priced lumber to build one. But today, while I was on my way down Interstate 87 to deliver a kitten........yes, another one, to a coworker of my daughter's, I remembered this antique store, where I had seen some interesting things outside one evening. It was closed on that particular occasion, but today, I decided to stop on my way home, after said kitten was safely delivered to her new owner.
And this arbor was sittting right out front.
(click on pics to enlarge)

It came apart, in 3 pieces, so it fit in the back of my Santa Fe.
It is a light green, and has some areas of rust on it. I am torn about whether to leave it alone, or paint it. DH and I checked Lowe's tonight, and they have the most boring Rustoleum colors you could imagine.
I want verdigris, or something like it.
I think it fits perfectly, and I am very pleased with my find.
My husband and I put it together, and he is going to put some ground anchors on it, so it doesn't fall over in a storm.
That is a climbing rose next to it, so "get climbing", I say.
We took a metal detector over to the studio, but after awhile we decided that the entire property is covered in some kind of ore or something that sets it off. And the ground is not easy digging.
So we went and got ice cream instead.
This is one of my favorite times of day, I love early morning, but this time in the evening is wonderful, too. I love the long shadows, and the soft sunlight.
I am mowing tomorrow, and mulching, and weed whacking, and generally sweating......just not to the oldies.
Hopefully, I will get a lot done before it gets too hot. Have a great weekend, everyone.

And a light bulb went off.

2009-07-09T19:25:00.003-04:00

Here it is.......a 7'x10' Solmate sock rug. It was an incredible amount of work, and I am beat. Tammy and I both grumble while we are doing it.........I love to weave, but this size rug, in this venue, is plain hard work.
But when it comes off the loom, and we lay it out on the floor, to measure it and inspect it, it is always impressive. It is such an explosion of color, and walking on it with bare feet is like getting a foot massage.
This rug is going to Hilton Head, SC. I have never been there. Tammy seemed to think that there was room in the box.............
All in all, I feel pretty satisfied when we finish something this big.
Now we are going to make more of the same. When I set out to make a custom rug, I always put more warp on than I need. It is just simply good business. If it takes me two days to put the warp on this loom, and I only make one rug, then I have to apply those two days of work to that rug, in a financial way. On the other hand, if I put 20 yards on, which I did, then I can get 4 more rugs that size out of it, so now I can divide those hours spent on warping the loom by five.
Makes sense to me anyway.
So we are going to work on four more, and put them on my web site. A couple of them are going to be wool, still colorful, still socks, just wool, while the rug we just made is primarily cotton.
I have been "off" knitting for several months now. Not sure why. I knit like a crazy woman all fall and winter, but sometime in the spring, I just put the knitting needles down, and didn't pick them up again.
But today, for some unknown reason, this box of yarn that I was getting ready to list on Ebay, spoke to me, so I didn't list it, I brought it home instead.
Yes, dear, I know that I am nuts.
Tammy was cleaning today, after we finished the rug. She said she couldn't stand the studio anymore, too much dust......so she swept and vacuumed to her heart's content. When she finished, she was sitting at the counter, taking a break, eating some yogurt.......
I think I asked her if she was on a diet, or something..............
Sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And now, I am off to an Alanon meeting, which I have been a grateful member of for many years. I just started going again, after years of thinking that I was fine, and happy, and didn't need it. But then a family member ran into some difficulties, and needed my help, and suddenly I found myself doing the codependent dance all over again.
I got very out of control, in my head. I made myself sick with worry, and unhappy with my inability to control my reaction.
So I got myself together, and went to a meeting. The minute I walked through the door, I knew I was in the right place. I felt like I had come home.
So every Thursday night, I plan my evening around it. Because I found my way back to serenity there, and remembered why I went in the first place.
More later.

Back to work.

2009-07-07T21:00:00.004-04:00

Well, that thing I said about not having an order........well, that is no longer true.
I am torn.......love to have the income, of course, have to pay the bills. But I was kind of enjoying the idea of having some time to myself.
It was a bit prophetic.....I started putting a multicolored warp on the big Toika, and the phone rang, and I suddenly had an order for a 7' x 10' Solmate Sock rug. Whew!
So yesterday I spent all day winding the warp on the sectional beam.
Today, I spent most of the day tying the new warp onto the old warp.
It really makes a lot more sense than it appears to.
It works well. Honest.
Of course, it helps to have an assistant.
Even if she is laying down on the job most of the time.
The loom is ready. Tomorrow, Tammy and I will start weaving BIG Solmate Sock rugs.
The 7'x10' for the order, and some 4'x6' rugs for the shop.
This is the strangest thing. It is just down the road from my house. This tree is DEAD. But apparently, a seed found its way into the rotting wood. And 30 feet in the air, this little sunflower is thriving.
Pretty unbelievable.

For dinner tonight, I felt creative, which is tough in my house.......neither my husband or my mother would touch this dish with a ten foot pole.
I started with some zucchini and yellow squash, with some chopped red onion, 3 cloves of garlic, and I sauteed them in some olive oil. Some salt, some pepper, some basil. After a few minutes, I added a can of Roma tomatoes, with the liquid. I had chopped the tomatoes in a plastic bowl first. I cooked this over quite high heat til most of the liquid was gone. Then I added a can of black beans (drained first).
It was not only colorful, it was delish! I made some yellow rice, and put this concoction over the rice. Sprinkled a little feta cheese on top.
Husband made a face.
Mother raised her eyebrows.
That's OK, more for me.

Kate, over at Chronicles of a Country Girl, has touched me with her heartfelt blog. She has inspired me to be honest and authentic in what I write. Like her, I am human. I have some great qualities, I have some not so great ones. My life is not perfect. I struggle sometimes. I believe I have a calling to live the life I am living. I enjoy telling you all about my experience in this world, I love sharing with you my passion for family, for weaving, for gardening, for life. I have "met" some special people out there in the blogosphere. Posting on my blog, reading other blogs, is like connecting with new and old friends.

Kate was lusting after a Solmate Sock rug, and her friend,George,approves.
Can you blame him?
I think he and the rug are both stunning.
But that's me.

Open on Sunday

2009-07-05T17:56:00.005-04:00

(please click on photos to enlarge)

Yesterday, when everyone was at the pool, celebrating the 4th of July, it was cool, and windy, and cloudy.
Today, though, it was beautiful.
And even though it is Sunday, I went to the studio. But not weaving today. I spent the entire day outside, weed whacking, trimming trees, cleaning up. I needed to be in the open air.
So I put the OPEN sign out there. You never know.
This old house.........it just makes me feel good. I have taken on the challenge of conquering the acre and a half that it sits on, a tiny percent of the land that originally belonged to this farm.

And I have found that throwing myself into this project of clearing, and planting, and creating the not so secret garden, has helped me to process worries that would have otherwise dominated my thinking.

I couldn't have a really big sign.....since this area is zoned agricultural. But I am pleased with the sign that I have.

My husband made this one for me as a surprise.

My project most recently, has been to clear the meadow at the back of the property, and turn it into lawn and perennial gardens.
I had it brush hogged two days ago, for $75, which made me very happy.
But I knew that to get to the place where I dare use the riding lawn mower, I had to do more than that.
So this morning, I called Miles. Miles has been mowing and doing yard work for me for years.
He started early, while it was kind of cool, but it didn't last for long. The sun started heating things up.
He had only mowed about 10 min, and he pulled the start cord right out of the machine. So he went to the barn, and got the older mower out, but that machine shook so hard, it made your hands numb, and threatened to shake every tooth right out of your head.
So I called DH. I asked him if he would be so kind as to go to Lowe's and buy me the cheapest lawn mower that they had, and bring it over. He said he would, if that is what I wanted, but he thought maybe I should get one from a garage sale. His observation was that a new mower today would be an old mower in a month.
I said that would be fine............but I wanted it done today, while I had Miles there. So I got thinking, and said, maybe I should try Craig's list.
We agreed that I would call him back, and let him know if he had to make a quick trip to Lowe's, or not.
I called the number, the ad said they had 2 old mowers, $50 each. But the man who answered said that they were both gone. Bummer. He said he would buy my two old mowers, but I said I really needed them fixed, and especially need at least one mower today. He said he would come over and look at them, and 20 minutes later he was there. He fixed one on the spot, charged me $10, and he took the other mower, and my favorite lawn tool of all time, the Troy Bilt push weed whacker. He said he'd have them back in a day or two.
I love it when I find a solution that fast. And I love to find someone who does a job well, and is reasonable.
So Miles mowed.....all day.....and he got it done.
Now for some trees.

Thanks to DH, who tempers my impulsive nature at times. I don't always take his advice, but sometimes he is just so right, and I do take it, and I am grateful that we complement each other so well.
My potting table has a $2 tablecloth.
And this is a leftover from my Mom's garden........I have yet to figure out where it is going, and how I am going to use it. It needs running water in it......so it doesn't breed mosquitoes and such.
But I love it, and I really like this photo of it.
And Miles and I loaded up the Baby Wolf loom in my car, and I brought it home.......so I can weave towels in the evening, or by the pool, or whenever I want.
All in all, it has been a good day. I am tired, but satisfied.
There was spagetti and meatballs when I got home, my favorite comfort food, yes, I am spoiled.

Trying to escape

2009-07-03T08:16:00.010-04:00

( click on pics to enlarge)

Early morning.....not even 8am, and I am at the studio. Picking up, cleaning the kitchen, 2 cats and a kitten around my feet. The grass looks wet outside the window, but the sun is actually shining through the trees. There isn't much traffic this time of day, and honestly, I hardly notice it anymore. Me, who used to think she couldn't live on any road that there were more than a dozen cars by in a day.
Just goes to show, that life changes, and we adjust. And sometimes, it turns out better than we could have imagined.
I love the quiet here on a morning like this. Over the top of my computer screen, I look out the window, and see the cemetery across the way. There are people there who lived in this house 2oo years ago. Their name was Bellamy. I did a little research on the family when I first bought this house. One reference I found was to Edward Bellamy, who wrote the book Looking Backward.
Set in Boston on December 26, 2000, but written before the turn of the nineteenth century, this classic Utopian novel is more significant and relevant than ever with its reappearance this millennium. Addressing moral and material concerns of late nineteenth century industrial America through romantic narrative, Bellamy suggests a fictionalized society in which war, poverty, and malice do not exist.
I actually could not find any proof of this, and wonder if down through the years, this was just a figment of someone's imagination. Edward Bellamy wrote the book, but I doubt that he was related at all to the Jonathan Bellamy that built my house around 1790.

I had a good day today......in spite of a disturbing phone call.
I am "orderless".....first time this year. Perhaps the poor economy is catching up to me.
But it is an opportunity for me to play at the loom, and this is what I have been doing.
I have been wanting to make these pinwheel dish towels for a long time. I used cottolin, half cotton, half linen. I can't wait to get one off the loom.
Do you like them?

Later in the afternoon, I dragged myself away.......I was having a lot of fun with this. But I needed to take a chair to my friend in Ticonderoga, an hour away. She broke her hip, and needed a recliner. So my husband and I took the trip. It rained most of the way up, and back.
This is a view of Lake George, from her front steps, looking south down the lake.
I grew up here, climbing these mountains, swimming in this water. Ticonderoga, originally Tjeonderoge, or Te'c'cungha ro ge, means the place between two waters, or two waters flowing into each other.

And here is the other lake, Lake Champlain. This is South Bay, at the most southern point.

Our mission accomplished, the rain stopped. I walked the labyrinth, and stopped to look at some flowers. I love my "not so secret garden". I am thinking of getting a sign that says just that. How can it be secret, I tell everyone.

Finally, I headed home.......the sky over neighboring Vermont made me stop by the side of the road, to get this shot......in the distance, I could hear motorcycles coming at me.........

So I just kept shooting.......I am not much of a fan of motorcycles, but this one appealed to me.......some days you just want to ride away.
But not today.

Finished. In more ways than one.

2009-07-02T15:01:00.005-04:00

Here are the finished rugs......three of them. I love this fabric. Did I say that already?
They are packed and on their way to Mesa, Arizona. Whew. I'll bet it is HOT out there.
I am going to make a few more like this.....the warp is on the loom, and there is plenty of fabric. And they are pretty. So why not?
Had the grandkids today, two of them. We spent the morning at the studio. They ran around the labyrinth for awhile, but then it started raining. It has been raining on and off here all week.
So they played inside til lunch time.

I did manage to get the Baby Wolf threaded for 8 harness towels, in a pinwheel pattern. I am not sure how, but I did. I think I zoned out.
We went home, to see if they could swim between the rain drops, but that didn't work out either.

They are hungry every second. And I know why they eat badly at meals....because they want to "graze" all day.
But Mimi doesn't go for that..........
I am into LUNCH, scheduled SNACKS, DINNER.
They go along with it, but not without a little resistance.
It helps to WARN them of what is going to happen. That seems to lessen the pain.

They don't look unhappy, do they?

So after getting rained out at the pool, they decided to watch cartoons for a while, to see if maybe the rain would stop.
I love having them. They are sweet children, for the most part.
But my ears are about to fall off. I swear they are on KID CRACK. They didn't shut up all day.
They were good, and they played great together, minus a couple of moments of discontent. But they have no VOLUME CONTROL.
Aren't they supposed to???
Or is it my increasing age?
The studio is pretty kid friendly......there are so many rooms, and so much "stuff " to make into imaginary play things. They come up with some pretty innovative scenarios to entertain themselves.
But some days, they are just exhausting. They are proof positive that YOUNG people should have children. Period.
I liked this shot.......I imagine Miss Puss saying....."hmm, should I lay on the sunglasses, or should I wear them?"
Ah, to heck with it, I guess I will just take a nap.

I am SO jealous.
I want to take a nap. I do.

Pink elephants.

2009-06-30T17:36:00.003-04:00

Jinx has found a perfect napping place in a sunny window.
Unfortunately, it is a favorite lounging spot for Miss Puss.
Miss Puss .....trying to look disinterested. (I can't believe she is up there.)
Miss Puss looking disgusted.
Jinx.........whaaaaaat???

The dynamics going on here are a free show every day. Miss Puss hated the kitten at first. She hissed and wanted NOTHING to do with her. Her jealousy was palpable.
Today, after the two of them rolled around on the floor together, playing, boxing, chasing each other, for a couple of hours, Miss Puss was observed giving Jinx a bath, like a mother would do.
Never discount how important it is to have "company".
This is the warp I put on one of the Union Custom looms.......for a custom order. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these colors. They MOVE me.
This is the material all cut up and ready to go.

I am thinking about pink elephants. They are difficult animals to deal with. Especially so for me, as I have never been known for my tact. In fact, most people will tell you that I am brutally
honest. I don't know that I would go that far, but I am pretty straight forward most of the time.
Some of it is genetic........I come by it naturally. And there is some of it that was encouraged, and perhaps nurtured over the years I worked in a prison.
My husband, and others, often suggest to me that I write a book about my experiences in "jail".
To be sure, I could write a book. A maximum security prison is a place like no other. I never expected to take my nursing career in that direction, it just happened. The job was there, it paid well, I needed it. After a few months, the shock lessened, and it became "normal". Isn't that scary...........
Then, of course, you get enough years in the system to get your retirement vested, and then you feel that you can't give it up. And children grow up, and then there's college. Somehow, it lasted for 20 years.
But as entertaining as my recollections of those years might be, it is something I would rather forget. I can't imagine writing about it, having to ponder it, dwell on it, remember all the details.
No thanks.
But still, there's that pink elephant.

Celebration

2009-06-28T19:19:00.011-04:00

(click on any picture to make it larger)

Yesterday my family all gathered at my house, to celebrate Morgan's birthday. The pool was lovely, and though it rained in the early afternoon, the sun prevailed eventually.
I think grandson #1 is getting away from those pesky girls.
Grandson #2........hasn't he heard that warning about your face staying that way?
No, Eddie, no......don't shake on me!!!!!!!!!
My buddy, getting a little white in the face. He is a sweet soul.
And speaking of sweet souls!
Do you remember when you used to do these things?
I think if I did them today, I would dislocate something.

My pitbull, Eddie, is 12 years old. He is famous for his love of swimming. He has always jumped into the pool on his own, and always swam counterclockwise. We have tried several times to get him to swim in the opposite direction, but as soon as you take your hands off him, he makes a turn and goes back the way he wants to go. This past year, his sight has gotten so much worse. The other day when we took him out to go in the pool for the first swim of the year, he stood at the edge of the pool looking very frightened. I am sure that he could not see the water.
We coaxed him, but for awhile, he wouldn't budge. So I got in the pool myself. He circled. He went to his favorite spot on the edge. He circled some more.
Then he leaned forward, a little further and a little further, until he had to jump. It was not his usual boisterous leap, and he swam right to the stairs and got out. That was two days ago.

But yesterday, when the kids jumped in the pool, Eddie was ready.

It was a great day.......good food, lots of swimming and pool time. The kids had a blast all day long. Our family is not a big family, but we are very close. It is very important to me, and to all of us.
Times change, situations change,troubles come and go, but family is family.

Day trip with Morgan

2009-06-26T19:13:00.006-04:00

These are the mountains in Vermont, just over the New York line. My daughter and I headed out in spite of the rain. We never checked the weather, and our plans had been made.
Her birthday is this weekend, and when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she said she wanted us to spend the day together.
Music to a Mom's ears.

So we did what we love to do. We went to Manchester, Vt. And we went to our favorite lunch spot, Candelero's. They have great food, and we especially like the freshly made tortilla chips, and their guacamole.
We had no idea what this plant was outside their front door, but we liked it.
I especially love the ambience of this place. It is very informal, and comfortable.
Unfortunately, the bathroom is upstairs.

There is this room, which is the quieter space, and then the big dining room, where the bar is.

We went to the Northshire Book Store, too, but it was raining sideways, so my camera stayed put. I could spend hours shopping for books here......but I was good, only bought a couple. But I did make a mental note of others I like, for next time.

Then we went to our NEXT favorite place, the Mettowee Mill Nursery. It was raining when we got there, but while we were perusing their fantastic little shop, it stopped. So we went outside and shopped for flowers.

She got the flowers she wanted for her birthday. I love this......I get to buy her a birthday present that she really wants, and NO WRAPPING.
We also fed the trout.
They have a pond with trout, and this is a very clever marketing tool, if you think about it.
When I head there with my husband, who has no love of flowers whatever, he says, "Is that the place with the fish?" I say, "Yeah". And he says, "Oh, OK."

This is a little video I took of the fish.......I have to preface this.....my daughter brought me the book, "The Face on Your Plate", since we both have been trying out a vegetarian diet for the last few months. I have been eating fish right along, which she has not........so listen for her comment towards the end.
Geesh. She really knows how to get me.

My days.

2009-06-25T07:06:00.005-04:00

Typical day.
6am....by no design whatever, I am awake. I know that laying in bed will not lead to more sleep.
I get up and shower and dress.
I envy these people who can sleep all hours. Maybe too many years working as a nurse,having to BE at work at 7am, maybe THAT skewed my internal clock forever.
My husband says that he has never known anyone like this. My eyes open, my feet hit the floor. Period.
I make a pot of tea. We are English, my mother and I. We share a love of a hot cuppa tea. I start my day with at least TWO. Made in a pot, with a tea cozy, the "proper way", so Mum says.
Then usually, I am off to the studio. Sometimes I have errands to run, medical appointments to take my mother to. If I have to purchase something, the Hannaford is close by, and the Super K Mart is on my way. I am also a frequent customer at the Agway. I buy all kinds of plants and hardware stuff there.
Once again, my brain is a tad twisted. I love to shope in stores like this. Lowe's, Home Depot, Agway, True Value Hardware.
Not sure what that says about me, and way too old to really care.
At the studio, I am surrounded by cats as soon as I get walk in.....well, maybe not surrounded, but definitely greeted. I don't necessarily feed them right away, since they have food all the time, so I guess it is pretty safe to say that they come to see me for me, and not for tuna.
But there is that chore.....food, water, litter boxes......all have to be taken care of.
Check email, check phone messages.
And decide......what will I do today.
This is the amazing part. After years in the work force, working in a paper mill, then to nursing school, and 3o years of hospitals, and prisons, working for "the man" so to speak, I get to make the decision of what I want to do today.
Wow.'
Most times it is a no brainer, because I have orders to work on. But every now and again, they slow down, and get to wander creatively off the path that supposedly leads to fortune.
This week, I am playing on my 8 harness Baby Wolf. I have some cottolin (half cotton, half linen) dark blue, light blue and white. I am going to make some pinwheel dish towels. Should be interesting......I have wanted to make them for the longest time. I am excited.
On my Macomber, I am going to start some waffle weave towels in a mixture of cotton and hemp that I ordered from New World Textiles.
These are projects for me.....totally selfish. And even though I know that the orders will start up again when I finish this latest one I have......it is OK, because in between I fit in time to weave these frivolous things. Both these looms are upstairs, one in the hallway, and one in my favorite bedroom that looks out onto the labyrinth. So it is restful working up there.
So my day at the studio can vary from weaving on an order, weaving rugs for the shop and my website, cutting fabric, sewing fabric or blue jeans, putting a warp on a loom for a project (this is a time consuming process).
And sometimes I switch it up, and clean, maybe do some organizing.....though I am quick to admit that Tammy is WAY better at this than I am. Or I go outside and mow, or plant, or weed, or just generally work on the "not so secret garden". I am getting a sign that say that by the way.
And I am trying to think up some kind of "gathering" or "event", kind of in a party atmosphere, that I can have using the labyrinth space. Any suggestions??
Sometimes we scrounge lunch from the minimal shopping that I have done for the studio, occasionally we buy the best subs around at the Kingsbury General Store, which we can see out the window. And even less often, we take a spin 3 or so miles down the road, and eat Mexican, and get serenaded by a very nice, if loud, singing, guitar playing, non English speaking, cowboy hat wearing Senor.(senior, too) Although the last time we were in there, and he said in his broken English "can I play you a song?", I actually.....to my own horror.....said "not today, thanks".........an action that my friend Sheila applauded. We were busy talking seriously, trying to cram a conversation into her lunch break. Since she does not work for herself, she can't be free as the wind, like I can. If I had that in me.
Usually, when 4-4:30pm rolls around, I am appalled. I can't stand it. I can't believe the day has gone by this fast, and it is time to go home.
I push it to the limit, and then pack it in.
The evening is time to rest up, have dinner.....watch at least ONE Everybody Loves Raymond,
but my husband usually has the REMOTE pretty tied up, waiting with anticipation for the Red Sox game to come on MLB.
This time of year finds me in the pool, or reading a book in the gazebo.
I try not to complain about summer, or the heat........when I hear myself start to do that, I try to remember what January and February are like in the Adirondacks.
And hot suddenly sounds not so bad.

Live and let live

2009-06-24T15:19:00.004-04:00

This isn't exactly a garage sale find, but just as good. My husband has been checking Craig's list for some time now, looking for a riding lawn mower for me to use at the studio. This little baby runs smooth, it needed a new blade, which we put on it. For $200. What a buy!
My husband is the best when it comes to shopping for the best deal.

Had to share this one with you......Tammy and her baby kitty.......well, guess what? Her boyfriend, Shawn, is smitten with this little one, too. And apparently, little Jinx feels the same way.
Sorry, Sheila. I know you wanted grandchildren, but I think this is as good as it is going to get.
She is a cutie!

Yesterday, I had to address the suspicious smell in the barn. I have a room that is all fabric rolls, and huge boxes of sock seconds. A couple of days ago, I noticed that it smelled kind of funky in there. It never has before.
So I took the 5 storage containers that I bought to transport rugs to the Larac festival, and I emptied the boxes of looper chains, one hand full at a time, and put them into plastic containers.
We found the source of the smell.....one very dead mouse. Yuk.
We also found out that Tammy screams like a girl.

So then, of course, I was driven to repack every single box. And it was 88 degrees outside, and I was sweating buckets by the time I was done.

Ya' gotta love these wild colors, though..............colors this vibrant always cheer me up. And I must say I haven't been in the best of moods lately.
I am struggling still to live and let live.

And of course, they were all fine....there was just the one mouse. That's all it took.
But I guess it was worth doing, because now they are all in containers that won't absorb moisture, and mice can't get into them. Unless they chew plastic. They don't, do they?

Here is a warp I just put on.......it is all pastels, and I am going to make some more of the smaller bags.........for summer.
Playing is hard work........so Jinx says. She runs for hours and hours, and then she crashes.
I feel pretty much like crashing right now.
I got a lot done today. But tomorrow I am playing hooky. Going kayaking on the Sacandaga.
I am still trying to put some balance in my life. Stay tuned, I just might figure this out.

Life ain't no bed of roses

2009-06-20T16:50:00.005-04:00

Today is just randomness. I have no excuse. My mind whirls some times....and this is what you get.
I went to the studio with the intent of spending some time in the garden. And I did. It was hot and muggy, and I was drenched in no time. I put down landscape fabric, and mulched. I moved a couple of plants to more appropriate places. You know how that goes. You plant something, and then you are rethinking it, until finally you holler uncle, and go move it.
Here is my "bed of roses", actually a crib. It was in the house when I bought it, and while it is totally unsafe for children.........though I wonder how many children managed to survive it........I couldn't bear to part with it. So it has a new life in the garden. There are four different kinds and colors of roses in it.
But my life is not all hunky dory. Still having unrest in my family, and it is very hard to deal with. While I don't want to get into the details, suffice it to say that I have to keep repeating my mantra, "Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today".

I LOVE this fabric. I don't have a lot of it, but I enjoy every bit of it that I can find. The warp is off white, the red poppies in the material appear randomly, and that is the charm, I think.
Totally summer.

They can be rugs, but they are 21" wide, by about 44".....and they would make great runners for a country table.

I have wanted to show you this for awhile, and keep forgetting. It is in the kitchen, right outside the bathroom door. It is a marble, in the pitch pine floor. Pitch pine is hard, so it is a total mystery how that marble got there. But when we refinished the floors, I said "leave it there". It belongs there now.
If only this house could talk.
Now you saw the bags I just made yesterday. Simple, unadorned.
But then I got to thinking. Sometimes, my own downfall.
So I went to Joann Fabrics, got some magnetic snaps, and now I have small, purse size bags, with CLOSURES. Oh, my.
And I had to search through my button collection, to put a button over the snap on the outside.
They are pretty cool, though, if I do say so myself.
Which I do.
This morning my husband and I headed out to an early breakfast, but before we did, we stopped at a couple of garage sales.
This lamp is sweet.........with the impression of leaves in the shade. $1.00
I love it.
And I bought some books for my grandchildren to read when they come. I got a couple of Shel Silverstein, my favorite children's author.
And these two I Spy books.

I also got several books for myself. And a Pampered Chef food chopper.
I am presently having a glass of vino, waiting for my dear husband to yell, "DINNER!" Which he does so well.......the yelling and the dinner.
And when he yells, he expects attendance.....immediate attendance.
But it is the least I can do, after all, he is the cook!

Change of heart

2009-06-19T15:03:00.006-04:00

Today was a productive day for me......I had ten purses woven, and they were stacked up giving me the evil eye......so I threw myself into it.......sewed them all together, straps and all. The ones on the bottom rung are ones I made a couple of weeks ago....the top two rungs are today.

Here they are up close.....very simple, but very sturdy. They hold a lot.
I guess it is very apparent that I LOVE color.....can't get enough of it.
Do you like them??

OK......I had it all planned....the kitten was going today. My oldest daughter was giving her a ride as far as her house, and the new owner was picking her up.
That was how it was supposed to go.
Then Tammy came in early this morning. You all know Tammy? She has been my apprentice since last November, and she has become quite the weaver, and indispensable as well.
She had emailed me last night, begging please, don't send "Jinx" away.....her name for the kitten.
Now let me preface this by saying that I have to chase the kitty around just to pick her up, and she is very sweet, but not inclined to stay with me long, nor does she throw herself all over me.
So turn up your volume, and watch this little video....it had gone on for 5 minutes before I got my flip camera out.

This kitten knows its MOMMA when she sees her.
And after I watched it, there is no way I could follow through with the aforementioned plan.
So Jinx is staying, her mom is weaving rugs to pay for her keep, and when she moves in October, to a pet friendly environment, she is taking her home.
So see, just when you think you have it all figured out.......imagine that.

Raining in NY

2009-06-18T19:04:00.004-04:00

(click on any pic to make it larger)

You might remember that a stray cat had her kittens under the back porch of our house. I caught three of the kittens, and took them to my daughter's, and unfortunately the mother cat took off with the remaining two kittens. A few days later, I caught sight of them in the bushes behind my neighbor's house. My neighbor is living in Florida, and her house is empty. So I fed the cats for a few days, and then put the trap out there again. I caught the fourth kitten within 20 minutes. The momma cat was quite perturbed, and she spent the next day lying in front of the trap, keeping her last baby from going in. Then the next day, they were both gone.
So I took the kitten I caught to the vet, where she was wormed, treated for fleas, given her first distemper shot, and treated for ringworm, which isn't really a worm at all, but just a skin fungus.
Then I brought her to the studio, where I kept her separated from the two adult cats, for her own safety. Over the next couple of days, we tried her out around them, and found that while Kizzy was totally OK with her, Miss Puss was actually quite hateful. Today, I let them mingle, and within 10 minutes, the kitten and Miss Puss were playing, chasing each other,

and generally having fun. Not to say that Miss Puss didn't make it absolutely crystal clear that she was the boss....because she did. But she didn't hurt the little one.

I have been very tempted to keep her, she is wicked cute, and just full of life and joy. But I found a good home for her, with a single guy who has one young cat, and wants another. And I already feel guilty that I don't spend a lot of time with Kizzy and Miss Puss.
The other issue is that I have to feed Kizzy, and thus any other cat that I have, a special food for urinary tract health, it is a prescription food, and costs $49 a bag. So you can see why I don't want too many cats.

Last week I went to my favorite furniture store, Tops in Hudson Falls, NY. I was just looking, and found a computer desk that would fit perfectly in the spot I had for it. I had been previously using a cast off desk with drawers that didn't work, and a file cabinet for the printer. This works so much better. I had quite the mess going on, and couldn't find anything.

And it makes me feel so organized. I love it.
Then we had to find a place for my "check out", which is actually an old organ with the keys removed. I found it in the barn, and my cousin brought me a piece of slate for the top of it.
So we moved it out by the back door, which I didn't think I would like.
But I did. It worked out quite well.
And I guess the check out by the door is appropriate anyhow.
So today, it has rained and rained, and I continued the organizing that Tammy and I started yesterday.
And I finished one order, and started another.
Then I looked for the UPS truck, but couldn't find one, so I had to go to the UPS distribution center, which has the craziest hours ever......3:30pm to 6:30pm. When I have packages to send out, I usually take them with me, and look for the UPS man on the way home. I know all their stops on my route. Sometimes I think the UPS driver that I most often find suspects me of stalking.

I was actually joking with someone the other day that when I unexpectedly see a UPS truck, I get all excited. Like an addict.
Guess you had to be there.

Easy Peasy

2009-06-14T20:00:00.002-04:00

Here are my two booths at the Larac festival. This is early morning, before the crowds arrived.
This show is a huge social event in downtown Glens Falls. Thousands of people come.
Unfortunately, they are not big shoppers. There are 170 new vendors, and 75 were new this year, an indication to me that 75 "old" vendors weren' t happy with their returns.
Of course, the ailing economy certainly has an impact on how much people want to spend at craft/art shows.
I took my Baby Wolf with me, and demonstrated. People were very interested, most of them were clueless. And it passed the time nicely.
Here are some of the bags I have; the large, beach size bags, and the smaller purse size bags.
The ground was wet from LOTS of rain this past week, including last night, so they put down straw to keep it from being a mud hole. I kept thinking I was at the circus.......damp straw gave off an odor reminiscent of that.
Here is a bag I made while I was there.....I wove up several of them in different colors.

All this stuff is heavy. The tents, the racks, the rugs, the bags, the placemats..........all very heavy. As my husband and I were packing it all up tonight, grunting and groaning, and working together to get it done, I realized that this is not really much fun.
And just like that, in an instant, I decided. No more shows. I am canceling the two I have scheduled. And I'm done.
Enough already.
I can't explain it, maybe I am just too tired right now. but it feels right.
No more nursing.
No more shows.
There, now wasn't that easy????

911

2009-06-14T06:03:00.002-04:00

This weekend is the 38th annual Larac Festival, a juried art show, in Glens Falls, NY.
I have a booth there, and I am also demonstrating. A young man with a camera showed up, and starting snapping pics. He identified himself as T.J.Hooker, from the Post Star.
He sounds like he should have his own sitcom, doesn't he?
He said his camera cost more than his car.
These pictures were on the local paper's web site, which I was perusing at 3am.

Now, why? do you ask, was I up at 3am, on the computer. Well, the answer is somewhat embarrassing, but here goes.
I had a bad dream.
Not just a bad dream, but a dream that felt so real, I had to shake myself awake, and then was afraid to go back to sleep in case I might pick it up where I left off.
I would say it was a combination of being over tired and too much stuff whipping around inside my brain.
At any rate, I got up and came downstairs, then went back to bed, then got up again. I finally just made a pot of tea, and said to heck with it. I will be tired today, I don't know what else to do about it.
But here's the funny part. I guess.
When I came down stairs the first time, I opened the window in the living room a bit, towards the street. As I am lying on the couch, trying to relax, I hear this car come down the street, slow. Then I hear clunk, and something hit the house. I hear voices. I get up, look out the window, there is this black car, and someone is getting out of it, walking down the street, the car following, then I hear another clunk, and another.
I thought, omg, these thugs are driving down the street throwing things at houses. What are they thinking?
So I call the police, and tell them what is going on. They say they will send someone to check it out.
Then I am really awake, and suddenly I knew. I went out on the front porch...........bent down..............and picked up the Sunday paper.
Ouch.
OMG.
I am such a dope.
This is what happens, when you worry too much about things you can do nothing about, you get overtired, and overdrawn, you have a bad dream that seems too real for comfort, and you open the window.
Just warning you.
One more day of Larac, and then I am going to disappear into the secret garden. I need a break.

Trust and Serenity

2009-06-11T17:15:00.004-04:00

This is Libby Lou. As you can see, she is very, very content. She trusts that the world is a safe place, and that the love given her will continue without interruption. What a place to be. I hope that she is never disappointed.
Ah, serenity. I have been missing it these last several weeks. Lots of things going on in my family, and lots of worry and frustration in my head.
But today, I was able to step back and look at it all with a new perspective. I was also able to step back and look at the labyrinth, in its final and finished state.
I hope you like it as much as I do.

As you know from previous posts, I anguished over what to do with it.....I had originally wanted grass paths, but even mowed, they looked not quite right....and the grass grew up around the rocks, and I could either weed whack all around, or use Roundup, which left lots of brown, unappealing remains.
And somehow, it just looked like a temporary thing, like rocks laid out on the grass.

This, though, is the real deal. First, landscaping fabric laid down under the whole affair, then 14 yards of pea stone, by the wheel barrow full, spread out over it all.
No, I did not do this labor intensive task. My helper, Miles, did the hard stuff. I just supervised in between weaving rugs.
And at the last minute, I decided to put the fountain in the middle, after all. So now, when you walk the labyrinth, you are soothed by the sound of splashing water.

I think I may be getting something right.
Finally.

Home Accents Today

2009-06-08T20:13:00.005-04:00

(click on pic to make it bigger)
Am I bothering you, Miss Puss??????

I used to think Miss Puss was the most photogenic cat ever, until I saw pics of "Libby", a kitten my daughter saved. I have to figure out how to get the pictures off my phone, and onto my computer.

Busy day today.........the labyrinth is ready for a huge load of pea stones that are coming tomorrow. Five rolls of fabric cloth have been put down under the rocks. I actually need one more roll, which I will pick up tomorrow. This is the most expensive, and most labor intensive solution, but it is the one that will make me the happiest in the long run. It will be maintenance free, for the most part, and give me precious time to do other things.
And as someone commented, there is plenty of grass around it.

I decided to put a simple cotton warp on my Baby Wolf loom, to take to the LARAC festival this weekend. I am supposed to demonstrate both days. I am going to do tote bags with crazy, colorful fabric.
(LARAC is an huge craft show in the city park, this coming weekend, June 13th and 14th)
I still have to get all my booth paraphernalia out.

Crazy as a Loom was featured in a national publication, specifically the Solmate Sock rug. See below.

I am somewhat impressed. I have no idea what may come of it, but it is nice to be mentioned, at any rate.
I emailed pictures to this magazine, Home Accents Today, for the May issue, which featured "green" products.
I got an email a couple of days ago, with this photo attached. They are going to send me an actual copy of the magazine....which means, I guess, that I need to do a scrapbook of sorts, since my cousin has been saving every local newspaper mention of me for the last 5 years..... (how exciting, right?)
Anyway, I have already had one inquiry today that came from this issue.
Apparently, it is a business to business magazine, not a magazine that you can actually buy in the grocery store.
It isn't Oprah, or Rachel Ray(who actually lives 5 miles from me), but it is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, that's what I always say.
They got the price wrong on the rug, but it is a great photo, isn't it??? Took it with my new camera!!!

(click on the pic to make it bigger)

The Thule racks are on my car, ready for two kayaks......yay!

I badly need a break.......a trip up the Hudson will do me good. Now if only it will stop raining.

I should be on the river.

2009-06-07T13:37:00.007-04:00

Here are my kayaks, waiting for their first trip up the river. My husband made this great rack for them behind the house.
I have been chasing my tail all week, but finally, my mother is home from the hospital. She had a cardiac cath, and then a stent, and hopefully, she will even be compliant with the medications they gave her.
I have to get ready for the LARAC festival, right here in Glens Falls, in the city park. It is a two day juried show, and I mostly do it to just promote the studio. I quite often get custom orders from people who see me there......sometimes months later. And it is a good thing to let local people know where I am. It is a pretty good advertising venue, and if the weather is good, it will be a good weekend.
This year I am demonstrating, so I have to put a warp on my Baby Wolf, something that I can weave away on during the two days. That will be a challenge, to demonstrate, and run the booth at the same time. But I will just do my best. I try not to get wound up about those kinds of details, figuring that they usually work themselves out.
I think I am going to do some 8 harness towels, if I can get my brain to quiet down. It has just been one of those weeks....worrying too much, having a crazy schedule, and not having two minutes to myself to just settle on anything. It doesn't make me feel very good, I have to say.

Update: I heard some screeching early this morning, outside the bedroom window. It was 5am. I got up and came downstairs, and went out on the back porch. In the next back yard, I saw the momma kitty, lying in the grass, and this scruffy black cat was circling her. I am afraid she may be in heat already.
Later, I saw her kittens, the two that are left, jumping out of the bushes. I took some food, and some milk out to them. As soon as I was out of their site, they came out and devoured it. So, the plan is, to feed them all this week, and not bother them much, and then put the Hav-a-heart trap out there covered with brush, and baited with some really smelly fish cat food. I want to catch the kittens, but I REALLY want to catch the momma kitty, and get her fixed before she has more kittens.
I wish people would be more responsible. I really do.
My husband said today that there were feral cats outside of OTB, and that someone made them a shelter out behind the building. I said, that's great, but how about catching them, taking up a collection, and getting them neutered???? How about that for an idea???
Is it me? Or are people just generally clueless about the long term effects of doing NOTHING.
Sorry, I could stump my way across America about the plight of homeless dogs and cats in this fair country.
If I weren't running a weaving studio, I would likely be the local cat lady, or the local dog lady......you know, that nutty old lady that has a houseful, and never turns one away.......that
would be me.
Instead, I have the two cats that are pretty famous on this blog, and Eddie......my prince.

As I was making dinner tonight, the phone rang. My best friend, since I was five, fell today and broke her hip. So back to the hospital I went.....I have been there a lot this week. My husband and my mother had dinner without me, and I stayed with my friend til they got her moved from the Emergency Department to the Orthopedic floor. She was in a lot of pain, and faces surgery as soon as they get her medically cleared.
I finally got home, had some dinner nuked in the microwave, and some rhubarb cake.
Nothing like being home after a long day, rhubarb cake, and a cuppa tea.
Priceless.

To Shirley

2009-06-03T19:58:00.003-04:00

Sorry everyone, no photos tonight.
Last night I took my Mom to the ER at 10pm. She had a "small" heart attack.....how do they grade those things anyway????
She had a cardiac cath today, and they are putting a stent in tomorrow. So I have been at the hospital all day, and I couldn't comprehend the camera.
It got me to thinking about my old friend. Shirley, who died a year ago.
I was looking back at some old emails she had written me, and I came across this one that I wrote for her.
For some reason, it resonated with me tonight, so I thought I would share it with you.

She was only 5 years younger than my mother. She was diagnosed with cancer in her spine in March, and was gone in 6 weeks. Having my mother in ICU brings it all right back. Shirley was my friend, but she could have been my mother. Mom is well, my mother, but she is also my friend.

Here it is:

I don't drink, but I am having a drink right now, Bailey's on the
> rocks, in tribute to my friend, Shirley Simms, who passed away this
> afternoon.
> She could be quite outspoken, and even cranky, but she taught me a lot
> about weaving, and even some about life. Even towards the end, she
> was joking about not being able to be on "dancing with the stars", and
> saying that she didn't have time for this "crap"....cause she planned
> on going to Nashville to be a county music star.....even in the pain
> she was in, she joked.
> I met Shirley on Rugtalk...several years ago.....we started emailing
> back and forth.....eventually we talked on the phone...and she coached
> me....(along with Chris Gustin, and if I am good at weaving rag rugs,
> it is because of them.)
> Finally I went to KY when we were visiting family in Tenn....and we
> actually met.....I spent time with her there...and then a year later,
> she came to NY and spent a week with me and my family, and she came to
> weave with me at the studio....she entertained everyone at Knit Night,
> and she had too much to drink at the Artists' Pot Luck dinner I
> hosted.....she got stuck in the Cambridge loom when she was threading
> it, and we had to haul her butt out of it......
> She shared her life with me, her worries, her sorrows,her hopes and
> dreams...she shared her loss of her son, Buddy, when he died in the
> fire.....she shared her recipes,her love of food, her knowledge of
> knitting and weaving, she sent me books and yarn and hats and
> fabric....she kept me laughing with her antics and her stories...she
> was one of a kind. She told me to call her Flossie.....that's what
> her friends called her....and said she got that name because she
> flossed her teeth excessively....I shoulda known.
> Right before she went in the hospital, she sent me a beautiful antique
> quilt.....an absolutely stunning thing.....and I called her, and said,
> my God, this is an awfully nice gift.......is it for my birthday? And
> she said, no...it is just because you are you..........
> I think she knew then that she wasn't going to make it.....I think
> that the quilt was her parting gift.
> I hope she is with Buddy now, and they are both weaving rugs, and
> there is no pain for either of them.
>
> thanks all for listening.
> Hilary
> who is shedding a tear or two in rainy NY
> Crazy as a Loom

Awards and Rewards

2009-06-01T20:14:00.005-04:00

I was recently presented with this award, by the Washington County Advisory Board on Historic Preservation. It was actually given to me and my husband, for the work we did on the house in Kingsbury, that is my studio.

My husband couldn't attend, so my mother went with me. She loves stuff like that.

The plaque is positioned right by the back door, where most people come in. That was my husband's idea. And it was a good one. I can count on him for things like that.

I have been dreaming of a fountain in my secret garden, and the other day, when I went to Kmart looking for a comfy bicycle seat, I noticed this one right outside the garden center. And they were 30% off! I am going to plant some stuff around it, but I have to make sure I plant things that woodchucks don't like, since they are barred from the barn, they might have an axe to grind.

I convinced my husband to go to the studio after dinner tonight, to help me put the fountain together, and he said he would, if I bought him ice cream at his favorite place.

So we went to Cooper's Cave. They started making beer, and then the bike trail went right by their business. So they decided to try selling ice cream, too.

They have more flavors of both hard and soft ice cream than I have ever seen anywhere.

Lots of people ride their bikes here, but we just drove over.

There he is, my husband, in the brown jacket, perusing all the flavors. It is delicious ice cream, and they make it right here.

They have also opened a restaurant on the other side of the building.

Yum. Carrot cake. That's the flavor he got, in a homemade waffle cone.

Today I am struggling with "letting go".

Do you ever have those days, when you know that you need to let go of stuff that doesn't belong to you, but it whirls around in your brain, and makes you crazy.

One of these days, I will get it.

I hope soon.

Feeling like a kid

2009-05-31T21:01:00.004-04:00

Amazing what a $10 garage sale bike can do.
I haven't been on a bike since I sold my mountain bike eleven years ago.
I was a little nervous about it, mostly because I now have a titanium knee that I have only had since 2007. It wasn't a good surgery, and the swelling didn't go down for a year and a half.
I wouldn't do it again. But that's another story.
I was a little unsteady at first, but after a ride down to the river and along the bike trail, I remembered that old saying about how you can't forget how to ride a bicycle.
Well, it's true.
I haven't had this much fun in ages. I felt like a kid, flying down the road, with the wind in my face.
My husband inferred that I would be sore all over this morning, but I wasn't. Except for the part of me that was intimately connected with the concrete bicycle seat.
Ouch.
So today, I went to Kmart, the Super Store, and bought myself a nice, new seat, which my mother called a "saddle".........bigger and softer, it cost 2 and 1/2 times what I paid for the bicycle.
But one must have priorities.
And that sort of comfort is up there on the list.
I took today off from weaving. I know that sounds unlikely, untrue, and unbelievable, but it's true. I went to the stdio and fed the cats, planted a snowball bush, and some lamb's ears, and came home.
I made Oma's rhubarb cake, and don't tell my husband, but since I didn't have any sour cream, I used my new favorite, Fage' Greek yogurt. They make wonderful, unique yogurt.
And the cake was awesome!
Kitty update: I have seen the momma cat twice, sneaking around the back yard, but though we have searched, her hiding place, and her two kittens, are safe so far from prying eyes. I feel badly about it, but I guess I should be grateful that I caught three of them.
My big news is that I have finally retired from nursing. Yup, tis true.
I was holding on to that one day a week, per diem, at the county jail.
I had planned on giving it up in March, but I guess I was resisting. I wanted to let it go, but somehow I was afraid to.
Then last week, in an instant, I was ready. Just like that.
So I resigned.
I graduated nursing school 30 years ago this month. That is so incredible to me. It seems like it was not so long ago.
I worked for 5 years in a hospital, then I went to a maximum security prison where I worked for 20 years. I have been told many times that I should write a book about that experience, but for the most part, I really am just happy to forget about it.
During 18 of those 20 years, I worked part time in the local emergency room.
Then for the last five years, I have worked per diem at Urgent Care, and the county jail.
In a way, I guess it is a shame to let all the experience I have go to waste, but that is just what it is going to do.
No looking back.
Now I am retired from the world of working for other people, and instead I am working for myself at Crazy as a Loom Weaving Studio, weaving what I want, when I want.
My only real challenge will be to structure myself to actually have some balance in my life, to give myself permission to really take days off.
Sounds easy.
My body agrees, it knows how old I am, and how tired I get........
But then I go flying down the road on my "bicula"..........

Woodchucks 0, Hilary 1

2009-05-30T21:34:00.002-04:00

Saturday, and the Open flag is fluttering in the breeze. The sun is shining, it is a beautiful day.
I don't know how old this apple tree is, but apparently the wind lately was just too much for it, because a big chunk of it broke off and is laying on the ground behind the tree.
I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed with this mess. Everything is out of the right side of the barn, most of it stacked up outside. The tools and lawn equipment are in the shed with the pellets. About 6" of dirt from the barn floor is piled on that tarp on the lawn.
And here is the plan.........metal fencing on the floor, and up the walls part way. then the dirt will get put back on top of the wire. Then some crushed stone on top of that..........and then the wood chucks will have to move out of my barn for good!!!!!!!
Here is a little path to the secret garden.
Today I worked on placemats for an order, all white. I wanted to go outside and do some gardening, but I resisted the temptation. I have 20 placemats to do, plus some runners.
I did walk the labyrinth, and strolled through the meadow walk that I have manged to keep mowed.

I haven't decided yet what to do about the labyrinth.......I don't like the brown grass around the rocks, where I sprayed Roundup, trying to kill the weeds that grew up. I want the labyrinth to be pretty maintenance free, especially as I can't see my self getting any younger here. So I am thinking of putting landscape fabric down, and some small stones to cover it. I am open to ideas, and would love to hear any suggestions.
Then after dinner, I took my new "bicula", my granddaughter Ava's name for a bicycle, for a ride. My friend, Alice, and I took a long ride down by the river, and it was a blast. I have finally gotten over my fear of falling and screwing up my titanium knee. The only thing the bike needs is a new seat, a "comfortable" seat. OUCH OUCH OUCH.
And now, good friends and all, I am off to the hot tub, and to bed. It's been a good day, but a long one.

Studio tour

2009-05-25T20:20:00.018-04:00

Welcome. For all of you that can't come to Kingsbury, and take a tour, here is a photo tour that is the next best thing.

Here is the back porch. I can't show you the other end of it, it's such a mess. There are bales of upsholstery selvedge, bags of loopers, jeans, etc. When I clean out here, I will take another photo!
This used to be the dining room, but now it is home to the seven foot Toika countermarche loom, and the Union Custom rug loom.

Kizzy and Miss Puss like to sit on the loom or on the bench, and watch the bird feeder outside this window.

Looking back towards the porch, this room used to have three looms in it, but I finally moved one out. It was just too crowded, and didn't feel right.
I love the old fashioned sized window panes in the back door.
This room was a paler shade of yellow, and since it is on the west side of the house, and doesn't get much sun, I painted it a buttery shade of yellow to keep it light.
The Union Custom is warped for rugs, and I am currently weaving Adirondack Lodge rugs on it.

The door on the left goes to the center hall, the other closed door is a closet under the stairs, and the open door goes to the older part of the house.
There used to be a huge grate under this rug, and the coal furnace underneath is still there. It is pretty huge, and probably won't ever get moved.

This is the door to the basement....one of these days I will go down and take pictures down there.....it is a huge space, and I can't imagine the history that it has seen.
But that's for another day.
Looking into the old pantry. When I painted it, I swore I could hear the sound of paint getting sucked up by the wood and old plaster.
This looks like a lot of fabric, but it is only a fraction of what I have stock piled.
My stash of jeans, which I need to replenish.

This is where I sew tote bags together, and blue jeans strips, and the fabric for Mimi's vintage rg rugs.
The Kalamazoo stove in the corner came with the house.......we moved it out to finish the floors, and moved it right back where it was.
This door goes back out to the enclosed porch, when I don't have fabric stacked in front of it.

This room was the old kitchen, it is a lovely place to weave in the sunshine. This is the Reed Ideal, warped for Solmate Sock rugs.
The door behind the loom goes to a storage space, that is over the outside entrance to the cellar.

And this is the old living room. The front door is noticeably shorter. I guess people were shorter when this part was built in 1790. The two smaller looms, a Schacht Baby Wolf, and a Leclerc studio loom, are usually what I use to teach basic weaving.

Here is the Union 36, right now it is warped for placemats.
The fireplace was totally inefficient, and I had a gas insert put in. I don't use it often, but it is nice to have.
The windows in this part are original. They are pretty much painted and caulked shut. I suppose that sensibility says they should be replaced, but sentiment says no.

This is the "front room" as I call it, looking back into the dining room.Pantry to the right, old kitchen in the background.

This is looking from the front room, into the hall way.

I took this photo this way, to show you what the window over the door looks like.
The staircase, with a woven stair runner.

Looking down the hall back into the dining room.

This is looking into the living room from the hall. The walls were papered a dreary gray. Now they are painted florentine clay.
To the left of the computer is an old organ we found in the barn. I put a piece of slate on it, and I use it for a check out counter.
The pellet stove was a new addition last year.

Another Union Custom loom.

And the loom by the window is a Union Special.

Looking from the living room into the kitchen.
This is my old Tappan range. It is a gem of a stove, and I wouldn't trade it for any new stove on the market.

The kitchen counter sometimes gets pretty cluttered....... the prints over the stove were gifts from my daughters.
Off the kitchen is a little bathroom, with what I call an "elf sink".

Let's go upstairs.

The upstairs hall.

The front bedroom. This is the room that is supposedly the "president's room". My husband says sarcastically....."the president of what".

I don't have a loom in every room.......but almost.

We repapered the walls to match the original paper as closely as we could.
The blue room. DH said that we HAD to have a blue room. And since he painted all the doors, all the walls, all the ceilings, all the woodwork, I thought he should have a blue room if that's what he wanted.

As you can see, this is a post and beam house. There are visible beams on all corners, and in the center of this room. That means that it is not a 2x4 construction, but rather, board on board. So there is no space to put insulation, unfortunately.
This is the bathroom, and the little door goes into the loft over the old part of the house, and to the second set of stairs.

This is the red room. Note that the floors upstairs are wide pine, unlike the pitch pine floors downstairs.

Miss Puss. Pear tree outside the window.

I have had this old metal bed for longer than I care to think about.

I bought the green dresser at a garage sale in Vermont, also years ago.

This is my favorite bedroom.

Two blue jean rugs waiting to be sewn together. You can see the final product on my web site.....at the top of the custom rug page.

The only thing I missed was the loft over the older part of the house. Maybe next time......Hope you enjoyed my house.

Thanks for stopping by.