A welcome respite

We’ve returned from our weekend jaunt to Cambria. It was very relaxing and quite fun! We spent a day touring Hearst Castle. I kept reminding myself. We’re at a State Park. It was very nicely cared for, very well curated. For the fiber friends, I saw nice examples of crochet, net lace, and needle lace, tatted and knitted lace; some excellent weaving and embroidery examples. I think the guides were a bit curious after watching me lean in to get a close look at anything on top of tables and dressers.

                There was a quaint little Historical museum we stopped at also. They have a square piano and a pump organ. Nothing very valuable. Just the work horses of their day. It seemed odd to me that this modest house would have 2 instruments. I would expect an instrument, like a piano if the house was built for a lawyer or prominent business tycoon. A teacher or Bishop might have a pump organ. Just my perspective. What was most valuable to me was their account of reproducing the wall paper. Good information for working on our historic home!

                I also found a lovely yarn shop: Ball & Skein. They sell tatting shuttles and tatting needles! They sell yarn (of course) and so much more! Kris was so much fun to talk to and I hope to meet Oz on my next trip. If you’re looking for rigid heddle time in the Morro Bay area, I suggest stopping in. I will return and I promise to bring tuck demonstration supplies in my bag!

....But.....

I am a Geek……But…..

I love tools……But…..

I love using my hands…..But….

It’s music whether it’s on the piano or organ.

It’s lace whether it’s tatted with needle or shuttle.

It’s salad whether you slice or tear.

[sigh]

Let’s just enjoy creating! Ok?

[rant finished]

I’ll be turning in my application to help raise funds for Carmel Bach Festival with a piece of tatting in their Art Raffle. I already have ideas. I must finish the bun holder before I finalize what thread and color and if there will be bling or beads or……

So, I’m off to the beach to exercise with a walk while listening to the fugue just one more time!

Oh, and Geeks Rule!!!!!!!!!!!

To read or not to read.....

Those of you who live around me know I love reading. I don’t mention it much in this blog because, well, reading is a hobby of mine that’s morphed into professional development lately. I have 4 magazines that come into my home on music and fiber arts each month. Articles in those send me to the internet regularly. I do read for fun some, but not as much as when I was younger.

I have been following the Great American Read program. It is fun to see what books made the list, what books they feature in the Fall shows, and what I am drawn to reread or finally get to reading. I’ll be looking into a way to read and tat just as you can tat while the TV is on, or your waiting for something to happen in an office or meeting. A good way to test out design ideas!

How is that Possible???

I seem to be drawn to activities that seem impossible. Like keeping a tidy, organized house.

No seriously, I’ve learned a few tricks in my time:

Playing the piano and organ.

Juggling,

Weaving, tatting, loom knitting, etc.

My nickname for a madrigal group was Legerdemain. They gave me that because I always seemed to be producing something that was needed just as someone realized we needed it. It wasn’t hard. I had sung with many small groups and knew the ropes. I wasn’t particularly thrilled. Part of the definition is deceit and trickery. Not my style!

Remember the pin loom I found in a box at a silent auction? I’ve been working through the directions posted by eLoomaNation . Thank you!!!! You can see where I forgot to weave in the final row and things unraveled a bit.

The weave structures are not hard to grasp except for one point: Much of the directions for warping the pin loom have you wind ½ the warp, ½ the weft, and then the rest of the warp. Yes, I wrote that correctly.  So, how DOES that work?????

Knitting uses loops of fiber to create cloth. Tatting uses knots. Weaving used intersections (the over/under you see). How can you get over/under if you only manipulate ½ of the weft?????

Well, I still haven’t wrapped my brain completely around it, but I have learned to predict where to weave in every other row for some of the weaves. Twill is easy. Rep weave made sense also. Color weaves were fussy, but worked. I’ve decided to leave it aside for a few days and see where my imagination takes me.

In the meantime, I could use some legerdemain with the clutter in the house. Maybe if I wiggle my nose?