Lace Pole dyeing project

Oddball one on the loom it is now blue!

Finished weaving the lace project on to dyeing. The first one I dyed using the traditional method with string wrapped around the pole then slid down. Dyed the first one Blue with Fiber Reactive dyes no heat used at all. 2nd one is batching it is very yellow. I may end up over dyeing it with a darker color. Used Rubber bands for the resist for the second one, a lot easier on my hands!

It turned out just the way I had envisioned it! Nice when that happens.

A Weaving Studio At Last!

This is the right side facing the door. Sewing machine, baby wolf loom, Drum Carder and microwave for dyeing.

Right side facing back of studio. Three windows across the back room for my Glimakra Ideal and the AVL. Yarn storage at the end.

Yarn is almost all put away, have some up north still that will move in later. The Shower curtains are the blue and white over top of the storage cubes. They were all hot pink like in the first picture. We plan on enclosing the door and back of the room after DH has run electricity to his workshop, next door to me.
   We went to a small town near us and found a pretty gift store going out of business. I found a rack for my mug rugs and went back a couple of days later and bought a bracelet rack. All made of wire, dh had a point: me and plastic don't mix to well. It was nice looking but would have broken in a minute with me...
    I've been working on the Baby Wolf loom lately weaving lace for scarves. Less energy and stress on the old bod, getting very close to being recovered from the back surgery.

The other kind of Sheds

In this case it is a storage shed, now my studio. Finished painting, putting lower white peg board, and trim. Looking good. Now to some way cover over the hot pink insulation. I don't want to paint it, to high and I want it only to have a thin cover over the insulation. Went to Lowe's a couple of times trying to figure out what I could do, Talked with one of their workers whose mother was a weaver!
We priced out carpet too expensive, then she had the suggestion plastic which I already had thought about but black or clear? no.  I had wanted foam but I can't find it anywhere that thin.  Then it dawned on me Cheap shower curtains in different colors! cut to size and stapled. The $ store only had white, off white and blue. So I got blue and white. I will post pictures when all moved in. Can't wait!  All my books are moved, soon cones and other misc. I have three looms, a sewing area and a dyeing area! Exciting.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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:(