Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Pine Trees


Well, let me tell you that tying up 11 treadles on a countermarche loom with a puppy and cat as helpers is time consuming. Even without the "helpers" it took some time. My Dad puts his Louet Spring up on buckets to do the tie-ups and I think I'm going to try the same thing with Hannah Hollandia next time around.

Hey Baby Delta is just too heavy to consider it.

The towels are in process and so far, I'm pretty happy with the pattern.


I am only going to do the border on one edge. I want these to be working towels and I think the pattern at both ends with the floats might render it less sturdy.


We'll only know after a hot wash and dry how it all works out. The organic cotton shrinks like crazy, so while it appears sleazy right now, it won't be once finished. The only bummer is I have to share the temple between this warp and the pillow case warp. I need another temple in this mid-range 22-30 inch size. For now I'll make do.

Stella has graduated from the baby bed (crate) to the big girl bed (ours). She is not yet an accepted member of the Bed Tack Gang, but she's carving out her little niche inch by inch and bad acting growl by growl. She's a noisy little sleeper, lots of moans and little grunting sounds. It makes Gene and I giggle. I have also found a way to play ball in the morning without anyone having to hear the loud rubber ball bounce around.


While I was organizing the studio buffet, I can across two large felted balls that I've had since I took a dye class at the Webster's.


They are perfect and once I'm done with the game I pull them up and give Stella her little not stuffed zebra. It's just too slimy right now for a picture, trust me on this.

On farm news, the weather has been surprisingly cool. The highest temp this past weekend was 62 degrees F during the day. It RAINED yesterday, most of the morning and part of the afternoon. Temps never got any higher than 55F and Gene started Rube up to take the chill off of the house. Summer will be swinging back through later in the week, but it looks like cool nights from now on.

Dandy cut his left rear lower leg and while it isn't deep it's a pretty angry looking wound and we are flushing it daily with cool water, keeping it clean and applying antibacterial agents. It obviously stings. He holds the foot up tight while I'm working on it but has never offered to strike out with it, even when I had to give it a good cleaning out when first discovered. He's always the gentleman. Yes, the doled out treats are truly deserved.

No bear sign, but I am vigilant as we start moving into fall. The raccoon has visited once or twice and left empty pawed. We saw the most beautiful fox trotting down our driveway Saturday afternoon. He trotted into the barn to see if there was anything of interest and then trotted out in a typically foxy manner. It's sad to see my early morning dawn get later and later. I'm back to the hat and headlamp routine and have made a point of making a lot of noise when I head out the door.

Summer, like August, is waning. There is so much frost on the trees this morning that they look flocked for Christmas. I'm hoping for a long crisp fall, promising a good cold snowy winter. The dogwoods are already changing color. Stella's puppy summer is almost over. I've enjoyed it. So too, has she.


13 comments:

LA said...

I really enjoy watching Stella grow up right in front of me (although she's on the other side of the country!) She really is such a "Jack"! The towels look amazing! You inspire me to try some towels when things calm down around here.

Judy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Judy said...

What lovely towels to use in your kitchen!!

Stella is so photogenic and she looks like quite a character!

Cindie said...

Love the towels - I've woven tree towels often, they're always very well received. And Stella is a cutie.
Amazing how we live so close and our weather is so different - we got 15 minutes of rain yesterday morning, overcast, low temps, but far from frost on the trees - it's that difference in elevation

DEEP END OF THE LOOM said...

Stella is such a cute puppy never a bad pic of her. I love the towel motif really pretty. I too want to put my Mac on bucket, but you know I need a crane for that LOL.. I love that pic of the loom on the buckets.

Anonymous said...

I can remember tying up Louet Spring - raising it up is such a good idea! The felt balls are brilliant! Are they solid or felted onto something?

Leigh said...

Stella, you are just too cute! With a model's eye for the camera.

I love, love, love pine trees! I've thought that a countermarche ought to be set up over a pit for the very reason of tying up the treadles.

Theresa said...

Hmm, Leigh, maybe I'll look for an old alignment garage as studio space, wheel the looms over the pit!
Evelyn, the balls are solid, although they have to be taken up as Stella and the other dogs would literally pull the fluff off of them.
Yep, gotta try the buckets. His Spring is the same size as mine, 43" so it should work.
DEOTL, at least the Mac is a jack loom which is faster on tying up. They are certainly good sturdy looms!
LA, she sure is all Jack, but a very mellow one for the most part. Judy, she is so easy to photograph, I can't help but take lots of pictures. Her puppyhood is certainly well documented.
Cindie, it is amazing the difference a few miles and elevation make. I was expecting a short shower like you got. The frost didn't last long, pretty much gone once the sun crested the trees, but it was certainly lovely under headlamp light!

Life Looms Large said...

Great towels!! I love that pine tree pattern.

I don't think I'll be hoisting my Toika into the air anytime soon...but as I add more treadles maybe I'll want to!

Stella is such a cutie! Good thing that you recapture the felt balls....Bailey devoured a really pretty one that we had. (He doesn't fetch though....little prince that he is.)

I'm heading home from the Rockies to what I hear is a very hot NH. We've definitely had a very long summer this year (and I've loved it!)

Cheers,
Sue

Peg said...

I've seen some creative homemade temples, using things like old suspenders (clip to edges, hang weights on them). Here's a few links with photos of paperclip temples...

http://www.woolgatherers.com/id105.htm
http://www.knittinggeek.com/howto/weaving.htm

and a bamboo temple:
http://web.me.com/debmcclintock/Site/Temples.html#grid

Or you can just buy one. ;-)

Julie said...

The towels look great!!! That puppy is the cutest little thing!

Sharon said...

I hope you realize that Stella upstages you at every turn. She's pretty stiff competition for my attention.

Theresa said...

Sharon, I do realize that. Stella is pretty darn cute and I'm not prejudiced at all. ;)
Peg, great links, thank you. I might just give it a go on the towel warp.
Sue, glad you're heading home from what was probably an amazing trip, get blogging!