Busy Saturday

In the studio, Laura sorts quilt fabric for Aunt Janice.

Emily sews quilt blocks.

Jan held up two panels of her current quilt.

She is making several quilts to be raffled to provide food bank funding.

I finished the scarf I wove on all week, and it's on Helen, at the Gallery.

Together with one lonely purple scarf.

And me, taking its picture.

And Emily, watching.

The eye of the squirrel

Over the last two or three weeks we have watched one determined squirrel work through an expensive block of bird seed that we call "the good stuff."

I begrudge the squirrel every morsel. Opportunistic or not, I bought that for the birds, not fat rodents that can feed from the ground.

I've yelled at it, and send it scampering across the road. One morning I pursued it, blowing the car's horn. Of course it was unimpressed.

Here it is at noon, when I came home from work, cleaning up the last of the goods from the red covered feeder.

Got him with the phone camera.

The girls put the hot peper block in tonight.

I'll let you know.

As we discussed the learning experience awaiting this squirrel, I realized that last year, when this was not a problem, that feeder was a couple of hooks around the tree.

On a more slender branch.

But, we'll give it a taste before we move the feeder.

As I cropped the picture down, I see what may be The Great Squirrel, giving me the stink eye.

Oh, well. 

On weaving with a broken arm

Here's how to weave:

Step on a treadle, open a shed.

Throw the shuttle, catch it on the other side.

Use the hand that threw the shuttle to pull the beater into the weft.

Repeat with the other hand.

Here's how to weave with my broken arm:

Step on a treadle, open a shed.

Throw the shuttle left to right, with broken arm.

Put the shuttle in left hand, in order to use right hand to beat warp.

Put shuttle back in right hand, throw to left, catch in left hand,while beating warp with right hand.

Anyone who had done a job that requires a rhythm will see the broken beat here.

I can throw the shuttle left to right and catch it coming back if I do not lift my wrist or forearm from the breast beam.

I cannot raise my left arm high enough and far enough to reach the beater.

My left hand caught the shuttle in the picture below, but cannot rise and move left to make the return throw properly.

I have spent three days trying to weave, and can keep at it a little longer each day.

I have made half a ninety inch scarf.

Emily bailed on me. Teenagers!

Back at it tomorrow, after physical therapy.

On a happier note,

I put on a bra today, for the first time in six weeks.

We have a birthday today

Laura is 14.

The usual extravaganza.

Tempus fugit.

Four years ago neither of them were teenagers.

Plan B +

We pulled a lot together in a week.

Linda came Wednesday afternoon and wove until Thursday afternoon.

That took care of about half the remaining warp.

I'll try the yoga skirt from this tomorrow.

Friday evening and this morning Emily took over.

Her first time throwing a shuttle.

In the meantime, I wound all the bobbins for a scarf warp,

which Emily got on the loom.

Here, tying the new threads onto the old threads in the tension box.

Turn, turn turning the new warp onto the sectional beam.

Beth arrived mid afternoon, and we began threading heddles. That's the royal "we;" I handed threads.

Her reward was to pick the color of the first scarf.

Basketweave with stripe. Looks a little psychedelic. 

We should have scarves to the gallery by Wednesday.