Sunday, November 13, 2011

Chain of Command

Has the concept of Chain of command died? I Trained in many hospitals and was always taught to go to my supervisor with anything unusual first, then it traveled up the Chain of Command. I've been thinking a lot about Penn State's problems. The person who witnessed went up the chain of command and so did the Coach. Are they responsible for what the higher ups did or didn't do? Isn't the guilty one the one who abused the children?
In institutions, military, education this concept was followed, Is it wrong?

 When I was an LPN witnessed someone shooting up a med in the women's locker room. Reported it to my supervisor who informed me that the person had a medical condition. Now if instead I had called the police, What would have happened to the person with the illness, me and my higher ups? This was an innocent example but could have turned much worse if I hadn't gone to the supervisor.

If I reported something or had something reported to me, Might I lose my job if the higher ups didn't take care of the problem? Just bouncing something around here. What do you think?

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Good news, bad news and weird news.

good news, bad news and weird news! Bad news:  ah well. Surgery was postponed on Friday, abnormal EKG and a lab result. It has to be cleared by a Cardiologist.  Darn I was all psyched up to get this done and over with! I can pretty much predict when the pain is going to come in my lower back and legs. 3:30 or 4 pm. I feel ok in the morning so tend to overdo or do what I can early in the day.

Now on to the good news: bought an AVL, 24 Shafts, 60 inches,computerized, with a fly shuttle and auto advance. I've been wanting one since school finished in 2008  and have been watching adds. Had about given up when one popped up on the boards. It was in PA 500 plus miles but we went Friday and picked it up early Saturday morning. Such nice people!!  It was way cheaper than I expected or dreamed. She had been trying to sell it for awhile, needed her attic back and even tried to get AVL to sell it.  AVL  must have too many in that size or something. My gain!  I'm thrilled if you can't tell!   
   Saturday morning we went two hours early and the winter storm came early too. Snow and freezing rain Awful driving weather. Rained almost all the way on Friday. My poor sweetie the things I drag him into. I wanted to do it before my back surgery( which was cancelled on Friday). The other date was Thanksgiving break but I thought that would be too wintery , boy was I wrong on that score! This storm broke a lot of records, so early in October.

    Now for the weird news:  Dave went to the dermatologist and has what they call a Halo around a pink spot. They took it off and it isn't even basal cell. Guess these come to warn us that there is something going on.  So he has to go back to the oncologist. Probably a PET scan again. I hope this is nothing again, like his last PET scan 2 yr ago.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Oct wool Project / back surgery

To the left is two white fleeces, one is a suffolk and the other??That are ready for the Drum Carder.
To the right is this lovely  chocolate brown fleece. The Pictures below show the locks after they were cleaned. I didn't realize how much wool I had on hand to card and spin


I don't know if I'll be able to finish the brown. That is the last one that still  needs to be washed, picked and got ready for the drum carder. I am unable to stand to do the washing and drum carding right now. My back got really bad back in August of 2011. Had MRI and Xrays done and I need surgery, Decompression L4-5. Now that is involving the nerve, my feet are numb, Time for surgery. It has been a problem  off and on  for Ten years. I've taken my sisters advice and have lots of books to read and if I get desperate there is knitting, Cotton spinning on a takli or something I can do while healing. Dave knows a fellow (80 yr old) who had the same surgeon and he was doing real well four days after the surgery!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Golden Rod Dyeing


When we got back to NC I noticed a lot of Golden rod in bloom. So I gathered enough to do a skein of hand spun wool with alum and cream of Tartar as the mordant. I read up on the subject a bit more and collected just the flowers and used both of the mordants and the color turned out almost the same as this color. Sent my husband out as he was getting the mail with a bowl and scissors and he came back with an empty bowl! A hunter not a gatherer!  I think the reason it is green ish is because the yarn was an off white grey  color.the ties are more yellow they are of a white commercial yarn.
Found an old Spin off magazine with a Danish Tie-shawl pattern.( Spring 2008) I'm going to use this and a variegated yarn for accent.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

New One of a Kind Items in my Studio

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/Warpology
Large Variety of Mug Rugs or coaster's now in my studio

You can buy one bear or all three Polar Bears.

New Bracelets, above and below. I can make any of my bracelets custom order too!

 Click on the picture for more pictures of the items. Photographing took a bit especially with a broken tripod. I used older ones in school and didn't know there was a lock on the crank and broke the crank! ah well sounds like me a bit  of a Klutz.
    Danced two slow dances with my sweetie and now my left foot is numb. Guess that is all it takes sometimes. I have spinal stenosis so I suppose it has something to do with that. Dr appointment on Friday:(

Thursday, September 1, 2011

New photos, old finished Mohair shawl

Of course one cat had to get in the act. The one of him yawning with boredom was too fuzzy to use.lol He's my four year old studio assistant. For attention he does somersaults.

This is a hand spun mohair/ wool shawl that is woven in a V. One yard is woven with a yard of unwoven warp cut off. The warp is advanced another yard woven. Using the warp threads from the first yard as weft the two are woven together creating that V of fringe in the back! It is wonderfully cozy!

Loved spinning this mohair it was in a stash that a woman was getting rid of she had gone into basket weaving.Went there to get some fiber and ended up with a car Load! 

Friday, August 19, 2011


August 19, 2011

Summer Fun

flower garden braclet
This is my Summer Fun Challenge entry for the ArtFire Beadweaver's guild Challenge. I'm up here in the woods of Michigan away from my photography equipment but managed to get some nice shots with my sweeties help!. I was thinking what makes summer fun? I enjoy flowers and know that people enjoy gardening. If I had the health to have a garden, I would have a huge one. I do grow some orchids so I draped it over the one of the three orchids that are blooming and I like the picture. I usually shy away from props but I am trying! It's called Flower Garden beadwoven bracelet.
         This Bracelet was fun to work on. I used three common flower patterns that most beaders learn when they start beading, Daisy stitch two variations and Nepal chain stitch. Then I thought why not over a fence, then I found some findings that I had wanted to use for awhile now. Then  it all came together.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Studio of the month by default

I waited until the middle of the month for a volunteer so by default it is my studio. LOL.  Been busy beading.Can't see setting up the loom for two weeks and leaving the warp on all winter.

My left foot and part of my leg went numb the other day after 2 slow dances with my sweetie. That two step is a killer on my back I guess. It eased off for a bit but is back in full force today. Can't take my Arthritis meds cause it messes with my stomach. Ah well continuing saga of my crappy health. I know, play a violin in the background.

I'm kind of excited, bought a cheap ($50grand total) Apple computer a real oldie so that I can play with the JacqCad free program that is available. Won the ebay bid and got a great deal!  http://www.jacqcad.com/ is the site. I took a course in college from Catherine Ellis using this program but got bronchitis and was ill for four weeks of the class. I would love to finish something and go to the Oriole mill and weave it.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Mug Rugs


Mug Rugs!
All finished! not sure which I like the best. Some are kind of funky! Like the all red with a pink one. They were a lot of fun to do Next time I think I'll do a patterned warp vs just Twill. It was a multi colored warp but the end hand dyed yarns went by the wayside. Will after I get back to to  my light box put them on Art Fire for sale. I'm almost out of all the colors except a little bit of blue. There isn't enough of the off white to do anything with I am afraid. Used up some of the stash, next project is towels on the 4 shaft Norwood here. Fell in love with Thousand flower pattern,  Back in the 70s when I learned to weave and I think that is the pattern I'm going to use. 

Sunday, July 17, 2011

More finished work and more finishing to do!

Second Lace shawl I've completed this summer. I'm working on a second one just like this to put in the artfire shop. They are fun this one has one pattern row to every four rows so it isn't that challenging. Feather and Fan.
Finished my 10 yard warp with 31 mug rugs now to hem! We will be in Michigan for awhile longer as Dave is getting Cataract surgery and we would like to see our Grand son before he goes to Afghanistan. Ah well best laid plans.. At least now I can go to the Michigan Fiber festival! hehe evil laugh.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Summer fiber fun.

Finished this lace knit shawl just this past week. Have a second one on the needles too! I love to knit lace. No boredom with this project.

                                                This is the new weaving project some mug rugs.    



This is the warping wheel my husband Dave made for me so I can sit and warp. So much easier and it makes it possible for me to warp with my health problems. I dyed  the variegated yarn on the outer part of the mug rugs. They are usually a fun and easy project.



 I forget from one warping to the next how much I like using the Norwood looms
Wish they were still making them! I would love a wide 50" 8 Harness Norwood.
Add that to the loom wish list lol. Once you have wound onto the back beam and
 it is ready to thread you unbolt the  four side supports.The front and back beam 
move so it is real easy to get in there and thread. I had the threading bench from 
when I had a workshop Norwood and kept it for threading it is a great hight for 
threading. I'm up here in Michigan without any of my tools, Did this last summer 
and darn if I didn't do it again! Threading is simple without, I'll use a comb to
sley the reed. LOL

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Blue Willow Bracelet


This bracelet was made for the ArtFire Beadweaver's Guild Challenge. The challenge was chosen by  by Krafty Max for being the Winner of the March Challenge! This is what she says:
Vintage China has always been something I love to look at.  Our work - beadweaving - was also VERY popular when this China was made.  The theme will be - VINTAGE CHINA.  It can be via thecolor scheme, the actual look and style reflecting China or even something that actually encompasses a piece of Vintage China.  Let's have fun and enjoy creating our designs!  ~KM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first patten I thought of was Blue Willow. It has been a favorite of mine since Childhood. My father had brought back a piece of china from when he was in WWII. The story book also was an influence. There are two legends surrounding the scenes in the China patterns. I just love the scenes, the bridge, pagodas and the blue willows themselves.

 My Laptop crashed so I turned to an old cross stitch pattern software program on our ancient computer to plan out the pattern. Then warped the bead loom and started beading it. I was done with two scenes and thought that might be long enough, wrong. So I had to jerry rig a way to put the bracelet back on the loom to finish it. Valuable lesson measure before you take a piece off the loom. All those ends to sew back in and use to attach the magnetic clasp. Found and added some larger accent beads in the old, old stash. Even found some beads made in the pattern of blue willow that are now earrings that will be a freebie for whoever purchases this bracelet. 
Blue Willow Tree and Pagoda
Bridge with Three Men


Thursday, April 28, 2011

Special bracelet

My daughter likes jewelry but hasn't been a real fan of mine until recently. They changed her dress code at work and now she has to wear all black. She wanted one of my skinnier spiral bracelets in black but I couldn't do a plain black one! This one is silver and black with an additional charm that is going to be a surprise!
Also found some crystal beads in black at Caravan Beads in Asheville, NC. What a neat shop! I could spend a lot of money in that place but I restrained myself!

Friday, April 22, 2011

New Bracelet

New bracelet for sale on ArtFire
Actually I finished two this one and one for the ArtFire Beadweaver's Guild. It isn't due to be posted until June 30th I'm just ahead of the game! I also posted some small coin purses and some bookmarks to my ArtFire Studio. 
     
 Getting used to a new computer Windows 7, vs the idiosyncrasies of Vista. groan..
I have a photography / Studio assistant. Star got into the act the other day. She jumped up on the table where I had my light box set up. She loves beads and will steal bracelets if they are left out.She is my Southern kitty from a rescue down here.She loves bling. My other cat Sunny is a Northern boy but the meows sound the same. LOL


     

Monday, April 18, 2011

Bead work

Finished two bracelets, one for an ArtFire Bead weaver's challenge due next month but we will be a traveling again. So glad the tornados missed us. We did hear one a couple of days before this onslaught that hit near Raleigh. Strangest sound  not quite like a train, landed in a  nearby community in Canton. Luckily no one was injured in that one.

Will post photos as soon as i get off this computer and get  some done!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Bead cupboard


We found this cupboard at a local thrift store. My Dh just added the slide out for my bead hanks So Kewl! I always wanted to hang the hanks but didn't want them all dusty this closes and they are covered! Now I won't hesitate buying hanks of beads... uh oh Dh didn't know this aspect. More bead shopping!! The grey boxes are findings and my tubes etc are down below.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Beading frenzy

I've been working on beading lately. This bezel has morphed a lot from this picture! When it is done or closer to be done I'll post new pictures. I tried a circular Spiral peyote or Cellini spiral and it was too bulky so I ended up with an embellished simple spiral instead. It looks goo together. I've done a netted spiral type thing on the bezel.
Finished this Raw Bracelet and did some earrings to go with it. I think this is the first of many of these!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

CATMAN2.ORG

This is the rescue where we found our cute calico retriever cat! CATMAN2.ORG

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Did I bite off more than I can Chew??

Guess I just got tired of nothing happening in our guild on Artfire. After seeing what other guilds do in ArtFire even with the messed up guilds there it seemed time. I want our work promoted, tweeted, Facebooked or what ever! There are really beautiful woven items in ArtFire!
      Yes the ArtFire guilds are messed up. Wouldn't take my pictures, can't edit them once they are there. The calendar is last years and you can't update it. Last but not least you can't use the Forums! I tried to go in and set it up, no go. So I did what all the other guilds have been doing for ages. Took it off site. I hope this works and not just me doing it all. I need all of them to help.
     We have our first Studio of the month!  see part below!  Photo shop to the rescue

    

ArtFire Weaving Group: Our First Studio of The Month, April of 2011

ArtFire Weaving Group: Our First Studio of The Month, April of 2011" ArtFire Studio: http://www.artfire.com/users/whatsyourbag &n..."

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

relearning..

Borrowed Peggy Osterkamp's book ''Weaving and drafting your own cloth' Book #3 in her series hoping that there would be information on Fabric analysis. There is an appendix on it but I also learned that I have been winding my bobbins the old fashioned way instead of building up on the ends it is better to have it built up in the middle instead. So now I'm trying to retrain myself to wind it this way after 30 plus years... can this old dog learn this trick. I think so Just have to keep repeating it and not letting myself do it the old way.
       The lace project is coming along nicely. Have the hem woven and one repeat for the center. The kitten would rather I let her sleep on me or play fetch but I did get to weaving today!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Lace weave scarves

Have warped up the baby wolf with a neat lace pattern and then I'm going to pole dye them when they are finished. . Misunderstood the directions, Kept getting shaft floats. Finally everything is working well and I'm on my way. This loom was moved here and not been warped for awhile things shift and need tightening, balancing.

Wanted to weave yesterday and the kitten wanted to play, all day. She "found" her pink mousey, we think she hides it. Have to get my glasses fixed today then maybe I'll get to weave.Here she is almost asleep. wore us out too!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Back to front warping with out all the extra equipment



Some looms are easier to warp from the back, like the Megado by Louet above. The method I use doesn't require the spool rack or tensioner that is usually needed for sectional warping.  This method allows you to thread with your draft right side up and there is much less waste than usual sectional warping.
Equipment you will need:
  1.  Lease sticks,
  2.  Some system of support for the lease sticks (I use homemade Angel wings, more below) 
  3.  A rake,
  4.  Cords from back beam, 
  5.  C clamps to attach Angel wings. (forgot the C clamps in the picture above)

 The first step is to wind a few sections  of your warp on a warping board or reel. I usually wind on counting the number needed for my sectional beam or my EPI.  This will work without a sectional beam. Most of us have this equipment vs the tension box and spool rack that is needed for usual sectional beaming. It also cuts down on waste from the spools. I do not wind the whole warp due to some of the tangling that occurs, it is just easier for me.

 Next you take your warp to the loom I put the chain at the front of the loom and carry my cross over the loom to my lease sticks. I put the cross on the lease sticks.  The lease sticks can be supported with cord, wood or in my case, a set of home made angel wings. If you haven't got a handy husband or wood working skills, they can be purchased at puringtonlooms.com.
Then I bring my cord from the sectional beam,  through the rake attaching one cord to every section of the warp I am winding on,. 

 Lastly roll the warp on the back beam.  At times you need open up the threads in the cross for tangles or even gently yank on the warp chain.  When all your yards are wound on  tape the sections.

 If you really want a cross to thread from you can wind your warp with a cross at each end. 

 To thread after all the warp is wound on  unwind the warp over the back beam and rest it on the lease stick. You can sit at the front of the loom and thread, Right side up from your draft. On this loom I take off the front beam and the cloth beam. You are ready to thread. Have fun and Happy Weaving! Smile

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Towels color or off white?

Designing an unusual honeycomb pattern for towels and can't make up my mind should I use White fine with Off white for the heavy? or I have purple fine and pink heavy. It looks like;  one heavy  to every 4-6 fine. I've done this pattern before for some towels for myself and loved them at the time I did all white with colored weft. Must have run out of the fine heavier thread. Decisions, Decisions. I think I'll do a short warp of the colored then tie on the white off white. Hunted forever for this pattern, thought it was in handwoven turned out to be in an old Weaver's magazine. God how I miss that magazine. It was great! more advanced weaving than handwoven. Stopped getting that one two or three years ago it was the same stuff repeated over and over. This is an old piece of the material, not a great photo but these towels were used and abused.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Does computer work ever end?



Like housework I do believe computer work is an ongoing thing! Found out that I needed meta tags on my web page and some updating and added photos and tweaked it etc etc. Have been working the 45 day plan on Artfire and that is how I found out that my website wasn't going into search engines much. ESO oh my. With my Step daughters help my Art Fire site gets a 99% rating on a  free website grading site. Warpology not so much but some of the things they marked it down on wasn't really fair. Tripods picture didn't have a have a description nor did Artfire's Rapid Cart, Basically nothing I could control.

I didn't know about the meta tags because our class never got that far. We got bogged down way earlier than that what with a book that was no good and the teacher wasn't familiar with the new Dreamweaver. Not to mention the computer illiterates in the class, whoops just mentioned them. It has been awhile since I used that program but it came back to me fairly quick. Even code isn't as frightening as it was in the beginning. The Teacher was a real character in that class, he was retired from NASA wrote instruction, job duties etc. Quite the hacker for a 70 year old guy. Off the record taught us some hacking tricks.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Finished scarf

Finished the first of the scarves in deflected double weave. They took quite awhile due to the blue in the scarf. I found the right blue at Great Northern Weaving in Kalamazoo and replaced the middle blue with a more vibrant color. Course this was between being in Pentwater and Clyde. Started them in Clyde went to MI, came back six months later and started again. Yes this is driving me nuts...Started the felting process last night and wasn't happy with it, so back in the washer it went and now it looks great! These turned out very double weavey lol I know not a word but these are more separate layers than the shawls I wove.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Spinning Spinning

Finished two bobbins of Michigan wool on the columbine wheel. These Bobbins hold about three times what my regular wheels bobbins hold. Amazing. I will definitely use this wheel for plying from now on. The wool isn't the greatest, rug quality for sure but it is spinning up nicely. Needed to get the bobbins empties for the two spinning activities this weekend! Roc Day or St. Distaffs day on Saturday and spin meeting on Sunday afternoon.

Wikipedia says"  7 January, the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day, since it was not really a holiday at all. In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work. Often the men and women would play pranks on each other during this day, as was written by Robert Herrick in his poem "Saint Distaffs day, or the Morrow After Twelfth Day" which appears in his Hesperides"


Spinning is so relaxing. My good wheels are here in NC so I tend to do more of it when we are here for the winter. I do have a wheel up North but it needs repairs, Whoops two wheels up north, one is for sale in a local Antique store. Wheels and looms tend to multiply or breed. I had four with no intentions of getting more when a girlfriend moved and had no room for her Green columbine off course I'll store it for her! LOL Reminds me of John Deere Tractors but I see they now come in pretty colors at Royal Fibers.  Filled my Niddy Noody three times! Wonder if she will sell it to me?? Well back to winding skeins.