Big Sigh of Relief

Last week I found a really ugly small growth on Miss Bea's right rear leg. Irregular in shape and rather angry looking. I was sure this had to go and very worried that it could be cancerous. She's of an age when these things start, at about 12. An appointment made for Tuesday and I had planned to leave her for what I thought was imminent surgery.

Dr. Beth takes a good look, scraps around and looks at me and states it's a wart. A WART!!!! No need to remove it unless it starts to bother her or we have her in and under for something else. Needless to say, I bundled my little blonde bombshell back into the car for the ride home faster than you can say "How much do we owe you?" She got a big late breakfast and Gene has dubbed her with a new nick name, Bumpy Bea!

 The monks belt curtains are in progress. I got a lot done yesterday. About 30-40 inches with the one run of decorative pattern which will be a few inches above the bottom hem. I had to measure the window, decide where I wanted the pattern to sit, add hem lengths etc. My easy way of doing it is to take a string measured to length and knot where the elements go, pin it in to the selvage edge and start weaving. I just slip the big pin out and stick it back in at the start of the second panel and so forth. I like the pattern very much, but I have used an open & rather sleazy sett on this and the floats on the monks belt are rather long. For this application it will work fine but if I wanted pillows or something that will get far more abrasion and use than just hanging around, I would go to a MUCH tighter sett. I could see the possibilities of this border pattern on some pillow cases, using something in 30/2 range. 

The saddle blanket has languished a bit. I do have some wonderful wool coming for more blankets and the process of acquisition is quite wonderful and unique. When it gets here I'll explain more and offer some pics!

Lastly, it has done nothing but rain here. Just awful weather. The paddock is now a sea of mud. The horses are getting their hay delivered by hand up the hill so they don't have to stand ankle deep in the muck. We are all feeling a bit moldy and housebound.

Thank heavens for weaving and knitting ( and Miss Bea's wart) because riding is out for a while yet.

Mischief in the Making

I'll bet you wonder who REALLY writes this blog. Well, I do, but in case I ever drop off the face of the earth. I have a sub. He may have figured out the Carolyn table loom too for all I know. Jack may not have a lot going for him in the beauty category, but he sure is one busy inquisitive pup. If the chair was closer he'd be giving the desk top the once over. While I was keeping the seat warm he was supposedly fast asleep in the blanket on the floor. 

On the weaving front, some progress was made on the saddle blankets. There is about 10 more inches of the single color to go before I get into the 3 color pattern to the end

of the first blanket.  I am slowly gearing up to put another curtain warp on the Murphy loom. I'm thinking natural 10/2 cotton with a small monks belt band in rose or, as I did previously, a canvas weave also with a band woven in. I have 20/2 here but I'm saving that to try a pillow case pattern I came across in an older Handwoven. It was shown in a feature for summer weaving projects. I was going through my older Handwoven's yesterday when I came to the much slammed pet issue one. Low and behold it did have one redeeming pattern, another saddle blanket draft which is quite pretty. I'll have to give it a go on the next round of them. Well, off to start that pesky cleaning.