Archive | January 2008

My brother, the guitar maker

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I ‘stole’ these photo’s from John’s old web page (the new one won’t let me have them!) so if you’re a guitar expert and think these are old fashioned,… they may be, I dunno anything about the subject! Only that I am tickled pink for him. πŸ˜€ If you’re a guitar person, check his web page. He says he’s going to Florida for a show in April. That’s the only one I know about but he does others here in CA, too.

My bro!

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My brother is a guitar maker. He’s been doing this for years on a minor key but he recently retired from his ‘real job’ and has been able to go round to shows and things and people are finding out what great guitars he makes. He is now selling them internationally! I am just delighted. I knew he could do this. I think, in his youth, he wanted to be a rock star or something along those lines but he is a wonderful craftsman as well as a player singer and composer and now he’s getting to do all of this. The theme song on our DVD is his song, played by him, Placerville Nights.

Baby, it’s cold outside!

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Very pretty growing off the porch, but chillllly! :O Mud puddles in the driveway didn’t even start to thaw out today. Gonna do it again tonight. I’m going to sit by the fireside in my nice warm xmas socks and weave! :laugh:
Grandson in Georgia emailed that it was snowing there. I’m happy for him, we’ve had our share, I wouldn’t want to be greedy. πŸ˜‰

A little PS: Jan. 22. It’s now 39″ long and has a cluster of growing siblings!

Value added

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Well, I have to brag a bit. My presentation of my challenge for today’s art class was a hit. Evelyn had talked enthusiastically about using other media and doing abstracts but as it turned out I was the only one who did. There were a couple of pastels and a couple of pastel over water color but most were water color or pencil so presenting myself in black pants, white shirt, and varied grey vest as an example of value in art got applause. They like my little camera case, too. In fact, I was asked when I was going to teach a weaving class! πŸ™„
That little bag is made with some of those Persian yarns from my stash and I did two of the double triangle squares and crocheted them together to make the bag. Crocheted a draw string which was also felted in the machine. They even liked my ‘tapestry’ picture. So I’m guessing I’ll start off with a good grade this year. Which is good as I somehow got into the class for a grade this year. Been taking it as credit/no credit. Oh well… do you think I’m too old to get an art degree! :laugh:

Art?

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Taking a form & design class this year, taught by my watercolor teacher of the last two semesters. Had this in college, but it’s fun. She said we could use any medium we liked and listed off a bunch of ‘for instances’ that didn’t include weaving so naturally… πŸ˜›
Well, I’ve really never done any tapestry weaving to speak of but thought I’d give it a try. I made my cartoon, picked though my stash of Persian wools, and here it is for better or worse! I hope she likes it but I’m working on another little project, just in case, never hurts to be sure! :laugh:
By the way, I didn’t have any matting of the right size so cut a piece of ‘board’ to make one because I’ve always been told that the mark of a good needle woman is a neat backside. I didn’t want anyone to see my backside. :O

Bah! Humbug!

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It’s never as pretty once we have to live with it, is it! :laugh: Oh well, it will make for a pretty summer so I don’t mind. Much.
Gosh, my head is groggy! I fell asleep in my chair after lunch and had a good long nap. What I get for getting up with himself at not quite 5 am. But I got Grandmother’s vest un-knit and the yarn skeined and now soaking in a basin. It’s cormo, handspun by Rosy and too good to just lay in the drawer so I decided to weave a vest for myself with the new looms.
Now I think Cori and I ought to walk out to the mailbox. Maybe the fresh air will clear my head a bit and allow my brain to start working again. :crazy:

Experiment

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I wasn’t able to load the photo on the tri list so I’ll put it here . The top is the cardboard box pin loom. it is 13 nails on a side. Shorts dies are 1/4″ and the long sides 1/2″ because I’m not good at the math part and this seemed easiest. :blush:
KI used a couple scrapes of handspun, the loom is 3 x 6″. The piece was easily pulled into a square, as seen in the bottom left, but blocked into a fairly stable rectangle, bottom right. I can’t guarantee it would stay that way with use or that this would work equally with a larger piece.

A break

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We’re getting a break in the storm, the sun is going to come up this morning. I wanted to go out and take some photos for next year’s xmas cards but my car door is frozen over and I’m not sure I can get out the driveway now that Randy’s truck has packed the new snow. I think I’ll give it another try in a bit because this froth we got last night is going to evaporate rapidly once the sun hits it. If I can get in the car I’ll give it a try. If I get high centered, he’ll just have to dig me out tonight. It was his idea for me to go out & get photos, after all! :laugh:
It sure is pretty and we can’t complain because it’s what we’ve all been asking for. Hope we get enough to fill the lake without flooding, too.
Hope you are having a beautiful January!