Slow as Molasses in January

Maybe I'm even slower than that right now warping Hey Baby! I am using a modified sectional warping technique put forth my friend Susan on her beautiful blog Thrums. It's not the technique per se, more so the one executing it! 

Each inch bout needs to be measured and tied. 

Which while time consuming is further belabored by having to deal with hanks of yarn. Small yardage on these skeins too. So, I need to make a ball, then measure, then tie, then warp. This loom was barely used. For each section a leader needs to be made. Then of course there is the lining up the tension regulator so it winds on correctly, all compounded by a fairly heavy yarn. You get the picture. :-)

There were reasons I started this way. The first and foremost is a space issue. I simply don't have room to set that bobbin rack up correctly without pushing everything out of the way. The Murphy is warped and in process, so no folding him up. Barbara is pushed to the wall as it is and there is no making her any smaller. The second reason is that all the equipment is new to me and I wanted to get familiar with each piece at a time. I'm getting quite comfortable with the tensioner and the sectional beam. The third reason is the math involved with figuring out each stripe of color in double weave and putting the correct amount onto the bobbins for the whole blanket. I just haven't wrapped my head around it yet. It's not hard once you have a system I'm sure. We are about half way through the warp being wound on. I need to make more bouts, about 15 more. So far, other than being snail slow, I am loving the way the loom feels and acts winding on. It looks like good tension, and with the tensioner set and left, each bout is the same.

I've also managed to get Gene out on his trusty steed. Sunday morning we went for a lovely ride. It wasn't more than an hour and a half, but neither Gene nor Dandy is in riding form and we all enjoyed a relaxed walk in the woods. Monday I got Cooper out again and did some serious conditioning for both of us, lots of trotting and posting.

We spent three hours out mostly cruising along the irrigation canal that brings water down to Talent from our mountain lakes. At our half way point is a lovely little meadow where we both took a break. He got to graze and cool down and I got to stretch my legs. We did see a fair amount of wildlife, mostly deer. One big buck was startled as we rounded a corner and we watched him bound in one leap over the canal.

Very handsome! We spied a weasel of some sort, martin, fisher, ? who scooted into the woods as we headed down to our little meadow. Quail, assorted birds and a small hawk

were also seen. It was a nice ride and we beat feet home by noon when it really started to heat up for the day. Cooper enjoyed being hosed down and making mud by rolling heartily afterwards in the paddock. "Look Ma! No more white spots!!"

In other news, Puck, the black cat hasn't been seen in over a week. Someone started a fire about a mile from our house on monument land. The Greensprings Fire and Rescue and ODF ( Oregon Department of Forestry) both responded and it was put out quickly after only covering less than half a wooded acre. It was spied by a local resident bicycling and two other folks called about smoke shortly afterwards. We have a great community that way, thank god!

I picked up some very interesting new yarn last Friday at, you guessed it, the 

Web-sters. I hadn't been in since my trip and there was all sorts of new goodies to look at. I did show restraint, as Bea needs a new knee and I have enough stash that I really need to weave and knit my way down some.

Anyway, the yarn is Plymouth Earth Hillside Linen. 80% natural Alpaca and 20% linen. I thought it an intriguing combination and will warp it onto the Murphy loom for a scarf and see how it performs. It only comes in a few natural alpaca colors. There was a soft medium grey also, but I preferred this brownish black with the tan. Yardage is 219 which is pretty ample for the price ($12./skein). The weight feels like a dk weight, although the label says US size 7 for knitting.

The orange cape is also on the planning board. Fall and hunting season will be here before I know it!