Thursday, March 1, 2018

Disappearing Dog Deep

Please add about 17" depth to this pic now

Yep, snow, deep enough now to lose a few dogs excepting the bark, of course! The dogs all pretty much like the snow except Pogo and Mandy but even they have a bit of fun on a sunny afternoon when it's warm and melty. We've had one of those. The rest of the time it has been bitter cold and unsettled.
Highway 66 quite early one morning.

 This is where they prefer to spend the day. The rug of rotating sleepers.

Pogo & Hazel

 Leaves more room on the comfy chair bundled under the blanket. Gene has plowed three times and hey, March is coming in like a lion. I always notice since the first day of this month is my birthday. Today I turn 60. Frankly, I'm not thrilled. It is only a number, a pretty flipping big number. ;-)  I think I'll just stay 49 and some months thank you very much!

I've diddled around in the sewing salon, cutting out new to me patterns



 and sewing up one blouse that, for a couple of reasons, just didn't send me. The pockets made it wide, the shirt tail hem is rarely a favorite with me and the whole thing just felt too short. In other words "meh".  This was the Linnet pattern.

Then I started in on the Bolero Blouse, the Lois Ericson pattern.

I have just enough of that bug fabric to make a Webster top from instead.

The shell is unremarkable and honestly rather ill fitting. A better choice to pair with the cute bolero layer would be the Cashmerette Webster . Now the Bolero layer itself is saved by that amazing collar. I love the collar. The jacket itself is too short or maybe I just don't remember the days when those bunnies sat MUCH higher in their hutch without a mechanical engineering degree or a plastic surgeon...... It has been a goodly number of years since I could wear any old lacy thing and call it enough support. Two inches easy and maybe even three need to added to the overall length. The sleeves set in nice but they are too long and taper down to a tight cuff. I hate not being able to push up my sleeves. Easy fixes though and this will be made again.

A cute new fabric came in the mail from South Korea and a another new pattern from France.



 No, these are not a match, just thrown together for economy of picture taking. That blouse pattern is calling for some smooth fine linen. As to the hedgehogs, who knows where they will turn up.

The weaving front has been slightly more active. I received the 12lbs of natural 4/2 yarn from Earth Guild.



 I love the weight and the price was pretty nice too. Perfect for a run of 3 double wide blankets.
I bought myself PixieLoom as a weaving program ( I never could get into Proweave), and have had it take a simple Swedish Rosepath and use it for the double weave. It will take 8 shafts and 12 treadles. I've got it covered on either the Macomber or the Spring. Likely it will go on the Spring since I have a couple inches more width. If a 48 or 56 inch Macomber ever comes up for sale in this area I would snag it and sell the 40. There is a 64" one locally but it is simply too big for my space and I doubt I want to lift those big shafts.

The yellow band is off the Saori loom. Matches the linen perfectly. I am enjoying these small weaving tools more than I ever thought I would.



The Leclerc inkle loom Has been seeing some action lately too. I have findings to make eyeglass leashes on hand! And lastly Fiona the wolf pup is almost threaded on her little warp.



The day I bought that old waterfall cedar chest I had no idea it would be the perfect height for weaving and such for the looms, but it is and I am grateful I came across it so many years ago.

Regardless of the weather I'm still getting at least two after meal walks in. Especially in the winter you can hear the wind moving through the trees heading for you or passing you by 50 yards or so away. Watch the trees wagging their tops to and fro, imagining birds holding on for dear life or maybe enjoying the wild ride? Walking in these conifer forests is so different from most Northeastern deciduous ones. Fuller, closer, prettier and more alive. Where wind whistles like far off shrieks from the grave, our forest whispers and rustles, alive and protective. With that, here is a classic from Paint Your Wagon. Enjoy!

Parting shot: Finally, my turn.

13 comments:

Michelle said...

Happy, happy – as much as possible this particular number. I'm less than four years behind you . . . I wonder if my then-20-year-old will be showing some progress in the character and responsibility departments. :-/

Your description following the fit of the bolero was a thing of high comedy vocabulary, and your description of conifer woods a thing of beauty. Maybe you'll be a famous writer when you grow up!

Cindie said...

Happy Day!!!
Now you're eligible for discounts!

Love that hedgehog fabric - where did you get that?

Susan said...

Ah, yes. The bunnies. Mine have dug out of their hutch altogether and I'm all for giving them their freedom. TMI? I, too, love that collar on the bolero. Also love that hedgehog fabric and can't wait to see what you're going to do with it. Mr. Butters is quite happy that the snow is gone, sharing shortie legs with Mandy. I, however, do miss it. But, it is Farch, after all. Anything can happen.

Susan said...

P.S. Happiest of birthdays to you - and many more of equal or better happiness!

LA said...

Happy, happy day to you!!!! LOVE the hedgehogs...always a favorite. You can keep the snow (although it is quite lovely.) Pups always have it right: snuggle up by the fire!!!!

Leigh said...

Oh my goodness! I have that exact rug. No fireplace though and the corgis are jealous.
Happy Birthday! They're not as exciting as they were when we were ten are they? Still, better than not having them, no?
Bunnies. I'm glad it's winter when I wear so many layers no one can tell if there's a hutch or no.
I could almost feel the chill and hear the wind. Love your description.
Good wishes to your mom.

mary said...

Happy birthday, Theresa!
I love reading your blog and keeping up with your menagerie and your crafting.

Hilary said...

Happy Birthday ....hope it was a marvelous one...and 60 is a great year!

Theresa said...

Hilary, All in all it was pretty darn nice and with the snow storm, breathtaking to see. I enjoyed my walks.

Mary, Thank you!

Leigh, we have a dark brown one too. They appear in mud season although they are great to park snowy boots on too.

LA, Lace weavers love those hedgies I hear. I just think they are too terribly adorable.

Susan, The bunnies are free to "roam" as they will most days I'm home. In fact one never knows what strange assortment of garb I'll be wearing. Mandy always thinks she wants to come on these snowy walks, until we are about 100 feet down the driveway, then of course, I end up carrying her for the rest of the walk. She looks pained by it, humoring me to "allow" me the privilege of schlepping the 8.5lb Queen about.

Cindie, Hedgehog fabric procured from South Korea.
The "Sewingdoingshop". They are sold out but there is another with the same color in different color ways. Billy Cotton Shop maybe, both on Etsy.

Michelle, Thank you again for the well wishes. I hope you survive those teenage years. You can always flee here for a respite. There are numerous obnoxious dogs but a space bed can be cleaned off from the fiber piling up on it.....I can even give you barn chores, like home. ;-)

Peg Cherre said...

My bunnies are always free at home, and in the winter with lots of layers, sometimes when I'm out, too. I concur with the group - that hedgehog fabric is tres adorable.

We just got dumped on with about 15" of wet, heavy snow here in Rochester, NY. 2.25 hours of shoveling. Ugh. But it all does add to the water table - which I don't need but you really do, so that's the good news, right?

In this kind of weather Jack does his job very quickly and turns around and heads for home. :-)

Sharon said...

Happy birthday!! And yes, it is just a number. I just means you’re still here :-)

Peg Cherre said...

Just saw a video on FB of daschunds and chihuahuas from Spain with little cowboys (dolls) riding them as they were walked along the street. Found it funny. Couldn't help but wonder what your pack would think of that. :-)

Theresa said...

Peg, Ugh is right on the shoveling, Looks like the Northeast really got hit. I use to work in Watertown MA and OMG, seeing that line of fallen power poles. I need to go look for that video. My pack would rip the doll of the dogs back (after making fun of the poor "doll pony"), and gleefully chew its head off. Terriers, need I say more.

Sharon, Thank you, good wisdom! :-)