Reboot

Photos are random, from the last month or so, as I am not doing a lot right now.

I had my hip replaced last Thursday, the 11th, after dealing with the pain for several months.

The last 3 months were horrific, and I could barely walk, and every step was torture, so you

 can imagine that I was anxious to get it done.

 

The surgery went off well, and my whole experience at Saratoga Hospital was a good one.

My middle daughter picked me up, and I was home by 5:30pm.   She stayed with me until 

Sunday morning, which was an incredible gift.

There's a dog in there.   Willie has a penchant for sleeping while being completely covered up.

That's his chair, which is why it is ratty, and I don't bother to have it recovered.

Nobody sits in it but him.

Before my surgery, I was intent on having the two Louet Davids in the studio warped, and ready to weave.

On the smaller one, I put on this "sherbet" warp, I had a hankering for pastels.

It takes both feet to treadle, so I knew it would come later, but it would be ready.

On the bigger David, I have enough warp for about 20 of these towels, and 

I purposely planned a simpler pattern that requires me only to use my LEFT (good) leg.

I will be able to weave that in 15-20 minute increments to start.

Getting back to normal as soon as possible is good medicine in my opinion.

I am going to PT, and relying on friends for rides.  I won't be able to drive for a while, since it is my right hip that was replaced.

I am walking at home as much as I can, and doing my exercises, and I am intent on doing everything right.

Outside my window, this guy keeps tabs.

Being housebound for the most part, I am grateful for the things I love in my house, one of which is this Oxalis, which I have had for over 20 years.  It was my mother in law's before it was mine.

Every January, I cut it back level wit the top of the pot, and I put it in my attic loft, where it is dark and cool.   I mark my calendar, and take it out March 1st.  I put it back in its sunny window, and water it, and here it is just 6 weeks later.  

Happy.

Proof that we all need a good rest sometimes.

On Sunday, after my middle daughter went home, my youngest daughter came 

with my three youngest grands.

They were excited that I had three new looms that I bought for 

weaving workshops.  

Of course, the two oldest each claimed one for their personal loom, and the weaving began.

There are no words to explain how happy this makes me.

I love how intent they are.

They took their finished samples home to show Dad, because they were very proud of them.

As was I.

On another note, my oldest daughter is destined to have a house full of dogs.

She has three already, but decided that she had to foster this mini Australian shepherd

to keep her out of the shelter.

She is two years old, and lost a front leg.  My grand daughter and bestie have bonded

with her on sight.

I don't think this dog is going anywhere.........guess that's what you call a "failed foster"??????

But it's totally understandable.   

I say "welcome home, pup, you have just won the lottery."

So I'll be here recovering, healing, regrouping for a while.  I am grateful for the doctor and technology that gives me a chance to walk normally again.   

Getting older is often just doing whatever it takes to stay on your feet, and be happy.

On days when I get a tad discouraged about how long it takes, and I get impatient, I remember that I only have to do today, and eventually the todays will stack up and I will get to where I want to be.

I am so thankful for my daughters, and ALL my friends, for their help, their support, their encouragement.  I could NOT do this without them.  It's not fun to feel helpless, or ineffective, or dependent, but if you have to, there is nothing as reassuring as people who care.   And I am blessed to have them in my life.

The good and the bad.

I am once again shocked at how long it has been since I've blogged..........

Goldie is even asking me WTH???

If you haven't met him before, he is my outside kitty.  He's been year for many years, and refuses to come inside.   I have tried, and he raises quite the ruckus when I do.

The only time he has stayed in for any length of time was last year, we had a below zero spell, and I scooped him up and made him stay in the studio with the doors closed, food, water and a litter box, for 3 nights and days.   The only time he didn't cry, was when I was in there.

But I did it for him, because I am not sure how old he is, but I feared for his safety in such a deep freeze.

He has two houses one on the porch, and a solar house just off the porch, and a heated water bowl, and food every day, and he's happy with that.   But he doesn't watch the weather, and I do.

After that three days, he was skittish of me for a while, it took him some time to get over his snit.

A couple of months ago, I made an impulsive decision to buy a very expensive loom.

Here it is, in my studio with its first and only warp.   It's a Louet Megado with a mechanical dobby......it is 35" wide, and it's beautiful.

So why don't I want it????

Well, things have changed here.  Lois is gone, to weave no more.

I am getting older, and not really wanting to keep up with three looms.   I was fine with two, but for some crazy reason, I thought I needed another.   

I don't.

So I am selling this loom at my wholesale cost, for $10,500.  

It just has to be picked up in Hudson Falls, NY.

I am trying to give it to the universe, and not be impatient.  If it's meant to happen, it will.

Feel free to share.

It is a crazy good deal, as it retails for almost $16000.

Oh, and it's 16 harnesses!!!!

I must say, Louet makes some awesome looms.  I already have two Louet Davids.

Other than the fact that it takes up more real estate than I am willing to part with, I am 

mostly embarrassed to have not given this more thought.   

You would think as you get older, that you get wiser, and less capable of doing things that 

you almost instantly regret, but I guess that's not true.

The longer it sits there and stares back at me, the longer I get to mull that over.

So after I recently taught my friend's two grown daughters to weave, on a mini weaving 

weekend, I decided that maybe I wanted to teach again.  I haven't really done any 

teaching in several years.

Last weekend I had a basic weaving workshop here, with three students, and it was

really enjoyable, for me as well as them.

I've decided to do more workshops.   I think it is good for me, and I love the thought that

I have introduced weaving to more people that will carry it forward.

There is a slight hitch in this plan.......I have been limping/gimping around for months now, and  finally have a plan to get myself more mobile with a hip replacement coming in three weeks.

Honestly, I can't wait.

I have had two knee replacements, and I'm somewhat shocked at how debilitating and 

painful a bad hip can be.

So I say, "bring it on".

I leave you today with photos of my CONSTANT companions, and actually, often the 

best parts of my day.

Willie.

Naya.

I am going to try to get back here more often.

Studio time

January and February are usually a great time to get really productive in the studio.

It's too cold and nasty usually to do much, and I'm a hermit at heart, so it 

works out.

These are a few of the garments I've finished lately.

I love dyeing my warps, and I love how the finished product turns out.

I am also trying to downsize my stash of chenille.......even though I love the end result, it's not my favorite thing to weave.

This is one of the last pieces that Lois wove.  It had issues on one side, she 

was kind of oblivious at the end about threads breaking.  But I cut that part off, and used 

what was good. 

I think it turned out well.

Lois is now in memory care nearby.  While on one hand it is heartbreaking, on the

other is it a relief, not to worry about her at home alone, AND driving her car.

She's not sad, and she's not upset about being there, it is too late for that.

She seems mostly relieved.

She is safe, and as her Alzheimers get worse, she is exactly where she 

needs to be.

She is close enough to visit, and she can go out on little day trips.

Her sisters are nearby, and several friends, too.  So she has a lot of company.

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I am still trying to hang on to the Lois I have known and worked with all these years, 

because that person is gone.   But that's how I want to remember her.

Waiting for one more ortho appt this week, but I guess everything is pointing 

to a "new " hip in my future.

It's been a tough couple of years.    I'm ready for a wee break.  

But apparently, I'm not getting one in the very near future.

Thank God for the ability to AMUSE myself.

Fun dyeing and weaving, then some sewing.

A few weeks ago, I had a friend and her two daughters, and a grand daughter  here for the weekend, 

and we had a bit of a weaving workshop.

It was a lot of fun, and I've decided to start doing some day workshops, and maybe even a 

couple of weaving weekends.

I may have to work them around hip surgery, but I guess I will do what I have to do.

Isn't that always the way???

Almost February.

The hot pink and white towels are off the loom.....22 of them.  I am sure sick of pink, which

is not my favorite color anyway.

I have two Louet David looms, one is 45", and I call that one Big Lou, and the other is 27" and I call that one Little Lou, just to keep it straight.

So her comes the Megado, and I am resisting the urge to call her "Meg"......suggestions are welcome.

Looms need a name in my world.

Finally the hand dyed Turkish cotton/ramie warp is on the loom, and I've started threading.

I don't do it all at once.  I can't sit that long on that low stool.  Whatever is making my 

outer hip and leg hurt does not like it at all.

So I break it up...half today, the other half tomorrow......and hopefully I will be ready to weave.

It takes time to acclimate oneself to a new loom........they are all so different, even from the same company.

It will take a little time to decide if it is true love, or not.

On the advice of a friend, I purchased a walking foot for my Bernina 770.

It was pricey, as everything to do with Bernina is, but I must say, my towel hems are 

more perfect than they have ever been, so I am pleased with it.

It will earn its place.

Lately, I have been thinking about things that I don't need

in my life anymore, and things that I just do not have time for.

It's pretty freeing, I must say, when you get to a certain age, and you can 

happily dispense with things that you once thought that you couldn't live without.

I am having a glass of wine as I type, the dogs have been fed, it's getting dark out there,

the doors are locked for the night, and soon I will make myself a typical English dinner/breakfast......eggs, beans, toast.  I forego the meat, of course.

Thankfully, the horrible cold has broken, I am so relieved.   January is almost over....there are 

property taxes to be paid, income tax forms to be submitted, and on to February.

I have 103 towels on the shelves so far....and I am determined to hit 250 for the year.......with 

enough to sell a few here and there, and at least 200 to take to the guild show in November.

My other plan for this year is to buy my Subaru in June when the lease is up.

I know the dealer will try to lease me another, but I am determined.  I'm keeping my car.  

It only has 24, 000 miles on it...it's a 2021....and I'm not learning all new gadgetry on a new one.   I've just about tackled the stuff on this one.

So this is where you'll find me until spring, in the studio; weaving sewing, dyeing.......and 

enjoying the solitude and peace of winter days.

After the holidays

Mr. Froggy even got a sweater to wear on Christmas Eve.

My granddaughter's response was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen, and made all the 

work that went into this more than worth it.

I tried to upload a video, but it said it was too long.......at only 1 minute!! 

But she was totally surprised, and was speechless, it was precious.  Then she tackled me 

which I was totally ready for.

After a 5 year break from knitting........which I still don't really understand, as I have knitted my whole life, I started again.

It feels like I never stopped, to be honest, and I am pleased to have found it again.

This photo makes the socks look like they are different lengths, and I had to go back and check them.  They are the same, it's the photo, thank goodness.

I think I will. be gifting everyone hand knitted socks for Christmas next year.

I did get back to some dyeing, and all this color is appreciated since most of this winter

has been gray and gloomy.  I long for those few and far between sunny days.

This will be a towel warp, coming up.

On the towel front, I just took 21 blue ones off the loom.

And I'm doing pink and white right now, and since these are really NOT my colors, I'll be super glad when they are done.

We are having high winds tonight, after a rainy, rainy day.  I am hoping that we don't lose

power, although it is very likely.

This was a very busy week, and a tough one in some ways.

But I've decided that I don't have a lonely life at all.   I do have a solitary one, much of the time, but it suits me, actually quite well.

We are headed towards spring, and it's a lovely thought, isn't it?

A crime scene and a frog.

We are having a monster rain storm.

If it were snow, we would be buried, but it's 50 degrees outside,  so it's rain.

I don't really mind, this is where I'm spending my afternoon.

I haven't been doing much dyeing, but another weaver asked me to 

dye this for her.

My daughter said it looks like a crime scene.

It dries overnight in front of my Toyotomi heater....which also keeps the studio toasty, 

for not a lot of money.

Willie is overseeing my work.

Here it is, dry and chained.  She approved, and it is on its way to Illinois.

These towels just came off the loom, 

I seem to be into plaids lately, not sure why, but they were fun to weave.

My youngest daughter bought me this tree, and it's about as festive as I get......

Except for this little light, $1.50 at Big Lots.

It does occasionally bubble like it's supposed to, and brings back memories of being enchanted and somewhat envious of the Christmas tree that my aunt and uncle put up every year.

Ok, let me tell you about the rabbit hole that I have just fallen in.

My youngest daughter is Dale's mother, and the other day she told me

about an Instagram that she lets Dale watch, about a frog.   The Instagram

site is IndiaRoseCrawford, if you are interested. She has 1.6 million followers,

and she makes frog videos.

Dale is obsessed....addicted, to this little green frog.

When questioned, the maker of the frog, says that she does not make them to sell, oh no, 

she is far too busy making videos.  If you visit her on Instagram, you will

understand.

But she did direct me to a lady in France, owner of the pattern to make the frog.  I ordered 

it and downloaded it to my computer

My daughter says she did not ask me to make the frog.

And to be fair, she did not. 

She did, however, know perfectly well that I would take the bait.

And take the bait I did.

This little frog doesn't have a name, although I admit to calling him a few.

I admit to having great admiration for the creator of this pattern, even while I cursed it, and her.

So, here's the upshot.

Yarn in correct weight and color:  $32

Armature wire for his arms and legs:  $6

Plastic safety eyes that almost caused me to 

have a nervous breakdown putting the backs on them: $7

Polyester stuffing, smallest bag I could find:  $7.99

Knitting needles size 0,  the only needles I didn't have,

because who wants to knit on 

needles that small:  $11

Glue stick, pack of 2: $3.99

Labor:  6 hours more or less.

All I can say is that I hope her surprise, and the look on her face

when she sees him is:  Priceless.