It's A Start...

I feel rather foolish that while I can manage a warp and tie up of triple weave on a countermarche loom, I am somewhat flummoxed by the simplicity of a tapestry pipe loom. It became apparent that stuff would have to be removed to warp it. The wood shedding device needed the little eye screws removed to slide it out. I took the wood stand part off, tightened it up and set it aside for later use. Finally I was left with nothing more than the most basic of items. A frame and some cotton twine for warp. I decided for better or worse to sett at 6 epi and do a continuous warp 8 inches across. A piece of painters tape with inches marked out on the top of the loom was my guide. The two strings at either side held it all together while I got the warp on, since the top pipe piece rests over the threaded rod and is not actually held on in any way other than gravity. That was as far as I got.

I need to make heddles for each of the warp threads, two colors,one for each shed of a tabby weave. I also need to decide just what to weave. I think that's the hardest part. Lots of grand ideas and no skills! So, I'm simplifying or trying to simplify at least. It might be better to just do something that is nothing but has me learning the techniques, but I prefer to have it "be" something.

Some of my ideas have been to use tangrams to tell a simple story since they can represent endless shapes, another of a fox and tree in the snow, another of hanging prayer flags. Gene liked the idea of weaving a prayer flag image into the tapestry but it might be too simple. So as you can see, I am up to my eyeballs in ideas and picking one can sometimes be the biggest hurdle to a creative endeavor, at least for me!

On farm news I got my wish, the ground is completely frozen. The temps around here the last few days have really been quite cold for this time of year. It's 12 degrees F (-11c?) this morning. Yesterday we barely made it up to 25F. I was going to ride but didn't. There was ice everywhere and it makes walking hard and riding fairly dangerous. Instead I went out and did something I promised a good friend I would do.

The day before Thanksgiving my friend and I laid to rest her much loved and long time companion dog Sadie in the special area where all the loved fur kids go. I had promised to put out a Rainbow Bridge flag for Sadie and to make a stone cairn to mark her special place and it was done yesterday.

As I may be as crazy as the proverbial mad hatter, I talked with all the girls, called them to me if only just to remember how much they all loved a walk on a crisp day. Sadie came too, just as honored, loved and respected.