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Home again

We’re back from Black Sheep Gathering, in Eugene, Oregon. Had a wonderful time with Jane Grogan who came all the way from Wisconsin  to teach weaving in Oregon.  She wore her vest woven on the 4″ square Multi. which I didn’t get a close up of. 😦 But here we are in the booth where we got to weave together when she was “off duty”.

Jane in vestBSG4a

I also like her hat with the diamond top and the rolled brim. Hers was two dark colors so the diamonds stood out more than on mine where the colors  kind of blend everything together. I’ll use more contrast on the next one. But I like it anyway.

Jane Hat 4Jane Hat 5

Yesterday was spent going to town to pick up the cats from the ‘motel’ and get a few emergency groceries. Today is shipping orders and catching up on the laundry. What fun! lol  and Friday we’re off to Medford for the month’s grocery shopping and for lumber so Randy can get busy filling orders again. This year we are going to be at the California Wool and Fiber Festival in Booneville which is in September. We have not been there since it joined the Mendocino County Fair so it’ll be a new experience for us. If you are in that area I hope you’ll come by and say hi.

Meantime… Back to weaving. Hope your summer is off to a great start!

Tripping

Well, we’re home again. OFFF was very …er… interesting this year! That big storm coming in from Alaska arrived just in time to dampen our spirits. Well, those of us unused to those volumes of rain, that is, and especially the gale force winds! The upper Oregonians just put on their designer waders and kept on shopping! lol We did a pretty good business, tho I was sometimes convinced that shoppers just dropped in the get out of the blustering wind and driving rain and stayed to get interested. Which was fine, but in the end we had to fold up what was left of our tent and crawl back into the 5th wheel. The wind got a little too strong and was tearing us up. But we’ll be back again next year!

After the weekend we headed out east ion hopes of visiting Yellowstone Nat’l park if it was not buried in snow by that time. We didn’t get there as you all know by now that everything National got shut down by out dilatory congress unable to made compromises and losing votes by the bucket full. But I try to avoid political discussions so will skip over that here. We did see a lot of eastern Oregon, had a nice two day visit in Pendleton, visited the woolen factory and left some $ there then went on the view several museums and art galleries. Went on into southern Idaho finally getting ahead (or was it behind?) the storm and into mostly clear but still Very Windy weather. Beautiful country but boy am I glad I was not a pioneer! Those people were either crazy or desperate! I’d have stayed in Ohio! lol It would have been awful country when viewed walking at the side of a covered wagon. But we went on though Pocatello and into Utah. Salt lake was very interesting. Salt Lake City is just too big for me! But it got worse for those poor pioneers!  Getting around that huge salt lake and then into the Bonneville salt flats and on to the 40 mile desert. It’s a wonder to me that any of them made it to California. Bonneville salt flats My window needed cleaning, the sky was quite clear and blue and the white… it really is salt… went on for as far as you could see. Those mountains are miles away. That place that looks like a blue hill there at the end of the mountains is really a mirage.  The salt was quite flat and there was no real water.

And then there was this. I think you’ll all recognize this little girl. And the piles are more salt. There were many of those piles. mortons

Well, we traveled on across Utah and into Nevada. This was our first trip though norther Nevada but, really, Nevada to tourists, is Nevada, no matter what part you’re in. Well, except for Basin Nat’l monument off Hwy 50, maybe. Took this one on the fly. The last guy cracked an Indiana Jones bullwhip over the last cow just after I snapped this.  It’s going to be hard to see detail at this size. I’m going to print this one up big and frame it. nevada cowboys

The story I started off to tell was of meeting another weaver at a way side park in southern Oregon.  She saw our tire cover on the trailer with our logo and asked about the looms. I took her into our little travel home and showed her mine. She liked them and ended up increasing her loom stash there by the side of the road! I hope you are enjoying your new looms, Cindy! I think that was so neat. It’s also nice to know that people do see that logo after all! lol

But now we’re home and after filling orders it’s going to be firewood and putting the garden to bed for the winter. hope you are staying warm!

Our Little SweetHeart.

It came about via a customer request and even tho I have not yet posted it to the web site we are already getting orders! I did make a little you tube video on how to weave it so I guess that shows that there are a few people who actually look at my movie productions! That’s heartening!

But here’s out little SweetHeart. You can see it and the rest of them at Canby this coming weekend at OFFF. Bring your umbrella!

DSC00671cardString of Hearts 3String of Hearts 1

 

What I’m weaving now.

Scarves. Hooded scarves, in fact. People keep wanting to buy my samples at the shows so I figure if I weave a few to sell, nobody will offer to buy them again! lol But if they do, I’ll be ready! Here’s some squares for one.

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I’m working on the third one now. The one below was the first one & used the triangle loom and some Blue Sky Alpaca and some rainbow colored mohair.

tri scarf 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The third one is  using the same alpaca but I dyed this one which was plain plain.  The color was called Toasted Almond which sounds very nice but to me it just looked a kind of pasty grey. So I got out my kool aid and gave it some help. I think. Anyway it’s keeping me busy while we get ready for  OFFF. The Green one is finihsed now and I’ve still got a few more squres to weave on this last one. I have more yarn but I think that’s enough for now.

DSC00650

Finished.

I finally have the baby blanket finished. Nearly have the mixer cover finished but ran short of yarn with only a few to go. I’ll get to town this week and hopefully Jan with still have another skein in her shop.

ducks finihsed

We’re  getting ready for our trip to the Big Sky Festival. This is our first time for this show but our second trip to Hamilton Montana. Then we have to hurry home and do laundry then off to Eugene, Oregon for the Black Sheep Gathering. Haven’t been to that one for years and am looking forward to it.

I am hoping to have a few new projects to show as examples.

Things have been busy around here. Randy is making looms, trying finish our new porch, getting the composts piles ready for the new bed and trying to keep his construction customers happy, too. So far, so good! Except for the porch… Now that he has the roofing off the house, Mother Nature decided it was time for a couple days of rain. Well, it’s Memorial Day weekend… bound to happen, huh?! I’ve been in the shop, too, trying to keep up with him, plus projects, printing, getting the garden going, and all the domestic fun that has to continuously be done as we all know. But it’s been a pleasant month, too. And my little peach tree has a whopping big crop this year! Had to thin some off and may have to thin it again. This is the most it’s ever had!

Okay, enough chat. I made a determination to keep this blog more up to date than I have been doing. I’ve probably lost my three followers already, huh? lol Hope you are all having a wonderful and warm, windless! spring.

 

A Late Christmas Visit

We finally made it to Randy’s Mom’s for Christmas. It was not quite the same but we have an really enjoyable visit, even if it was halfway thought January! We met Katie, who waits here for me to toss her monkey so she can chase it. We didn’t do any big events, other than watch the ‘Niner’s beat Green Bay, which was rather fun. But we spent a lot of time talking, eating, and catching up while Randy took care of a list of “Honey Do’s”! lol Now we’re back home where it is just as cold and a lot whiter. I don’t think any snow has melted since we left. Oh well!

Katie

Happy Christmas!

Xmas day

 

 

Christmas morning and it’s snowing again. Just in case it wasn’t already white enough? Around 8″ and still falling heavily. Okay, Santa! Enough is enough already! lol  Hope you are warm and cozy where ever you are!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…..

Had our first snow and the second one is on the way.  Maybe.  Yesterday it was three feet by Friday, today it’s 10″ and it might actually be rain.  By tomorrow it’ll probably be Indian summer! lol Well, the weather folk keep telling us that forecasting is better than it used to be but still not an exact science. But you know what? I am okay with a lesser amount of snow. A little white for Christmas, enough for kids to sled or build a snow person and then it melts and goes away… that’s fine with me.

DSC09155zThe trial is over, no more driving to town every day. The Christmas sale is over so no more frantic packaging in order to get orders to people in time for the Big Day. Now it’s time to get ready for a trip to Randy’s family. That’s going to depend a lot of the forecasted or not forecasted snow storm mentioned above.  But I admit to looking forward to January and having little to do. Can that be?! lol

I hope you and your family have a very Happy Christmas and New Year!

 

‘Tis the Season to be….

…Jolly well overly busy! The fourth week on the jury and now we have an added 2 1/2 hours to our day. That means I leave here at 7 am and hope to get home by nine pm. But we are still working hard to get your loom orders on the way to you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just wanted to reassure you who might be waiting. Randy has been spending his time in the shop and I’ve been out there evenings and weekends, too. We’ll get it done and want to thank you all for your patience!

Meantime, there hasn’t been one snowflake! We’re due some rain later this week, the NOAA people tell us, and they did mention a snow level of 4000′ which is as low as it’s been so far, mostly over 6000′. We sometimes get a little wet snow here when they call for 4000′ tho we are are at 2500′. Our little valley is a cold one. I would like a bit of snow before Christmas. Hate driving in it but the first snow is so pretty and makes it feel more like Christmas, don’t you think?

Hope you are having fun this December and staying warm and safe. If you’ve placed an order… it is coming!