Tale of the tobacco twine bath mat.

Once upon a time, I made custom order bath mats made of tobacco twine.  I sold them on Etsy and had quite a bit of business generated from them.  The bath mat business was good.  Then one day, a customer ordered a very odd and specifically sized bath mat. The customer wanted the width to be within a half inch.  This is difficult to do with such large yarn.  But I did it.  They also wanted it to be quite long.  In my opinion, this was no longer a bath mat, but a runner or a rug.   I made the mat and sent it off to the customer.  A few days later, I was contacted and told the mat/runner was the wrong size.  I let her know I would do whatever it took to make her happy with her purchase. The mat was sent back and remade and returned to her at no cost-to her.  Before mailing it, I measured and photographed it on a freshly washed floor...

 I did learn something valuable about my mats in this process.  It's a crocheted item and somehow with the size of the tobacco twine, it will decrease in size from the first couple of rows to the last row.  So when I measured it after the first few rows to make certain I had the dimensions right, it wasn't.  I gladly remade this item and sent it back to her. However, I sensed a storm coming and took these photos.

A few days later, I received a message from her telling me there was animal hair on the mat and because of her allergies, she felt she had to wash it. I made a point of vacuuming and washing my floor before I put it down to be photographed.  She measured it after washing and again, noticed it was too small.  If she had laundered it according to my instructions, which I included with her sales receipt and on her mat, this wouldn't have happened.  I will make a long and frustrating story short.  Nothing I did made this person happy.  She would only be satisfied by a full refund-which she received against my wishes.  I  am still not happy with PayPal over this.

So, the mat/runner sat in my laundry in a sealed bag room for a long time.  It had an odd odor and  was slightly discolored.  I have no idea what was done to this mat, but I hardly wanted to touch it.

Months later, my sister and i discussed dyeing this rug.  I was resistant to the idea because cotton (and this very thick yarn in particular) doesn't do well when dyed.  I reluctantly agreed to give it a try.  With all the necessary dye materials in place and a large cup of motivation at hand, I began the task.

 

I used a largish kid pool I found on sale at the end of the Summer season.  I put it on my back deck so I could carry out buckets of hot water to dissolve the dye.  I thought this was a great idea...until I started wondering how I would drain this pool of it's dye later on.  I really didn't want dark green dye all over my deck and driveway...

So, after following all the directions from the special solution to pre-soak the item to soaking it in vinegar and salt afterwards, I was greatly disappointed in the results.

I removed the dyebath from the pool with a garden hose.  I ran the hose from the deck, down a small hill to drain.  After pinching a portion of the hose shut, I filled the remaining portion with water from a pitcher.  I then plunged the filled hose into the dyebath, released the pinched hose and the suction  did the rest of the work!  It was a proud moment.  :)  

This is the mat after dyeing it for a second time.  I made a more concentrated solution of the dye and painted it on!  It still had areas where the dye hadn't even bothered to take-and other spots, the dye actually took-twice!   More disappointment.

At this point, I wanted to set it on fire and let the ashes blow with the four winds.. But I didn't.  I thought about it at great length. I thought about the last year I had basically wasted with this ill fated bath mat.   Finally, I came up with 2 (more) possible solutions.  I could disassemble the mat and re-make it with another strand of unifying yarn.  I could also, simply make it again using only the partially dyed tobacco twine.

I consulted with my sister about our choices.  She agreed with my first solution.  As I was taking the mat apart, I saw the pile of yarn at my feet.  Oh my goodness, it was lovely!  It was a tweedy combination of the natural and green dyed yarn.  I finally loved something about this thing!   Now, I was actually excited about this project. 

I purchased a synthetic yarn to combine with the tobacco twine that would subtly pick up on the colors in my sisters kitchen.  It was such a joy seeing something so lovely come from something that, up to this point, brought me nothing but grief.

  

  This is the final bath/kitchen/mat/runner/rug.  I can honestly say it was an enormous pleasure to give this to my sister! 

This is almost the end of the Tale of the Tobacco Twine bath mat...

I don't do custom orders...any more...

and they lived happily ever after.

That's it, I'm weaving!

This is my current project.  It's a cotton table runner woven in a twill pattern. When I'm done, it will measure about 80" long and 15" wide.  This project is destined for Etsy!   I've had this warp on my loom for a very long time.  But it's coming along nicely now. 
 

I love these colors together.  They're simple and calming and remind me of the beach!

The next project for my loom will be a huge undertaking.  I'm planning to weave an overshot coverlet in "Cat Track and Snail Trail" or "Orange Peel".  "Cat Track and Snail Trail" is very old and has roots in a Tennessee family dating back to 1812.  This pattern was first called "Drunkard's Path" and then "Wandering Vine" in Scotland around the turn of the 18th century.  In the United States, it has become known as "Cat Tracks and Snail Trails".  Examples of this pattern can be seen from the mid-18th century, through the 19th and into the 20th centuries. 

This photo is of another weavers lovely interpretation of "Cat Track " or "Snail Trail"  http://deborahbee.wordpress.com/  

 

Orange Peel

The other pattern in the running  is called "Orange Peel" This photo is a table runner I wove for my sister many years ago.  It's familiar territory for me and has a short-ish pattern repeat.  This might very well end up as my coverlet pattern. It will be woven with 10/2 mercerized, natural cotton (warp) and the pattern yarn (weft) is Peruvian Highland wool in fingering weight.  The color is indigo. 

Weaving overshot patterns is somewhat of an undertaking.  You really have to love the processes of weaving to begin and finish a project of this magnitude.  I have a friend who firmly believes this will still be on my loom in ten years.  I'm pretty sure I'm up to the challenge and out to prove her wrong! Wink! 

I can't wait to start sharing my progress on this project! 

If you would like more information on Overshot weaving, I'm including a link that gives a bit of history.

http://web.utk.edu/~museum/archives/textile/index.shtml

On the fifth day of Spring...

It's still chilly here in Middle Tennessee.  In fact, it snowed this morning!  I am always happy to see snow falling from the sky.  It has almost the same effect on my psyche as seeing and hearing the ocean..  The thought in the back of my head has always been "If I were an orphan, I'd want to live in the mountains."  However, these last few years, I've begun to understand how "Snowbirds" evolve and eventually migrate! 

 

 

 

Chip didn't care about the snow-he cares about his grain.  :)

 The bottom line for me today is I woke up to a sweet frosty surprise from the sky.  It didn't make anyone's commute dangerous or cancel classes for the day.  I might have been the only one-

but it put a smile on my face.

Here's hoping something unexpected comes along in your day that makes you smile too!

La Mer

I've been thinking about this place on this sunny, but very chilly morning in March.  Here I sit in my warm socks, jeans and hoodie.  There-I could very well be wearing the same thing.  Simply being near the water, with the sand below my feet is soothing in ways I can hardly explain.  The sound and the smell of the water give me a feeling of freedom I didn't know I was lacking.  I'm transported somewhere blissful.  It's like a glass of wine or massage that hits all the right reflexology points.  My eyes relax and I feel a smile come across my lips.  I can spend hours, no-days sitting or strolling, picking up seashells I swear will become something lovely when I get home.

Nighttime on the cape evokes the same feelings.  It's time for family, a fire and a glass of 2 of good wine.  The crabs come out and run with wild abandon to and from the water's edge.  They make me laugh.  My son chases them on his hands and feet-this makes me laugh even harder.  He is filled with the same abandon as those little crabs.  It's good to be twelve.  I'm glad I get to witness his twelve-ness in this beautiful place or...at all. 

Even a stormy, chilly day at the beach is a good day.  It awakens the artist and dreamer in me.

Now, I can go back to my weaving and daydream some more about waves, beaches and the delightful, ever-changing  skies above them.  

What a difference a day makes.

Good morning moon! Aren't you sleepy?

The stormy night is over.  The sun has risen and left the moon in place for a while.  The skies are an astounding azure blue today. There is no storm damage here.  We were safe as kittens last night.  End of story. 
 
I will spend the day feeling grateful and making sweet little stitch markers, bath mats and spinning wool. 

Blessings to your day!

Weather Neurosis.

I'm writing about the weather...probably again!  It's really not calm here at all.  The winds are blowing very hard out of the South.  A cold front approaches from the North.  Bad weather is on it's way.  Apparently, where I live is the bulls eye.  I'm rolling my eyes at this prospect.  Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel is in Nashville for the impending weather doom.  Someone said today, "If Jim Cantore is there, you shouldn't be."  Sounds like good advice!

I often wonder when or from what I came to be so terrified of this weather.  Most people seem to go on about their business and are mindful of what is to come.  I've been completely distracted and unable to work today.  My mother and grandmother as well, were both very distracted when the weather was bad. My grandmother would get up in the middle of the night and get dressed and watch the weather.  No one was going to catch her in her jammies if her house was sucked into the sky and she was left wandering...!   It reminds me of countless movies I've seen where the main character dies and wears the same clothes for the duration of the movie.  The lesson?  Never die in something you wouldn't want to wear for eternity!  Pick something comfortable!

But I digress.  My objective was to talk about how I came to own this neurosis.  I wrote about this briefly the other day.  When I was done, I was a little shaky and nervous.  So I must be on to something.

When I was a little girl, our family lived in Chicago.  It was a sweet little community called Brighton Park.  Very seldom was the weather violent there.  Feet of snow piled up in the winter and that was the worst I can remember up to April 21, 1967.  I was 4.  During the afternoon, I could see the skies becoming stormy.  My 9 year old sister was already home from school and my 16 year old brother
would be on his way home from Quigley South High School.  The school was closer to the town of Oak Lawn.  Which is, I would learn in later years, why my mother became so frantic that day.

That afternoon, an F4 tornado touched down in Oak Lawn.  It destroyed everything in it's path and killed 33 people.  My sister and I were playing in the basement where our mom had sent us.  We knew she was freaking out a bit, but I don't think either of us understood fully why-not at the ages of 4 and 9 anyway.  My brother's high school was directly in the path of this tornado.  It was predicted to carry on it's Northeast trek and end up somewhere over Lake Michigan.  After hitting Oak Lawn, I believe the tornado dissipated/ascended or whatever it is that tornadoes do when they aren't on the ground anymore...and my brother made it home safe and unharmed.Coincidentally, our family moved to the town of Oak Lawn in 1972.  That house had a finished basement to hide in  as well.
 
I lived in Nashville for a while in a home with a basement.  Our children were all born while we lived there.  I never really worried about these storms before we had children.  The basement in Nashville was tricky.  You needed to exit the house and go down the stairs to get to it.  So, when storms were bad enough to warrant a tornado warning, it meant going out in the weather with small children to get to that safe room.  My husband and I now have 3 teenaged children and have moved to a beautiful rural area.  Our house sits upon a hill and gives us a lovely view of the scenery.  We um, don't have a basement.  Soooo, you can guess what this does to me .  (she said in a humorous and snarky way)

We lived in this house not one year before we had a tornado in our front yard!  On May 5, 2003 at approximately 1:00 am, a tornado warning was issued for our county.  I had brought our 3 children into our closet and covered them with pillows.  I think I might have even put a football helmet on one of them!  The last thing I heard WSMV's Nancy Van Camp say before the power went out was the wind speed-110 mph.. Yikes.  My husband was the last one in the closet. I was praying and holding on to our children.  When it was over, I asked him if he had actually heard it because I really hadn't.   He said he heard the train and was really surprised I hadn't.  I realized right then that I had kind of  'checked out' while it was actually happening.  There's a tiny little lapse in my memory!  lol

Neither of us really slept that night.  The next morning, we saw what it had done.  The house was covered with tiny little shreds of leaves and bark.  A shingle or two were found in our back yard.  A few limbs were down on the 8 acre property.  But it wasn't until we tried to leave to get some breakfast, we found the small, but effective tornado had churned up many trees and stacked them neatly at the end of our driveway.  Fortunately, we had 4 wheel drive in the Jeep and found another way out.  When we came back, the work began and we spent several days cutting and dragging brush and limbs. John used the tractor to pull the larger trunks and limbs that littered the driveway.  The power was repaired that afternoon.  All was well.  Our home was basically untouched.   We were blessed!   The turbulent weather lasted for a few more days.  The sky would appear to be clearing and then darken again.  Then another warning..and another.   It was very tiring.  But still we were blessed. 

Nearly 10 years later, I sit at the computer listening to the wind howl and toss things around outside.  It unnerves me to have to hear it. It's been difficult to concentrate on any one thing today.  I've had to force myself to keep at this blog entry in the hopes it will be therapeutic for me and entertaining to you.  I'd much rather bury my head in a basement for the night under stack of pillows with iPod ear buds stuck in my ears. It's February 20th.  Not a time anyone expects violent weather. But in the South, it can happen whenever it chooses.  (I'm rolling my eyes)

My good friend who lives just down the street understands how I feel.  She has given us an open ended invitation to her home whenever the weather is bad.  We have hidden in her basement several times since 2003.  Many times, we end up simply talking, drinking wine and passing the time in the most pleasant way, while waiting for the weather to pass.  Thankfully, nothing has ever happened as it did in 2003.  But in the event it does, I'm so very thankful to her and her husband for being so gracious.  They help me to feel so much more calm when waiting for such badness to pass.  God bless them!

Scary Clouds!

I'd rather be here today.... Well okay, any day.  ;)

Wedding bird progress

Magnolia, lilac and viburnum are blooming all around my deck and the fragrance is Heavenly!

It is an absolutely stunning day here in Middle Tennessee. Warm, sunny, and breezy with lovely white puffy clouds in the sky.  I decided to bring my studio outside where I can hear the birds singing, and maybe even catch a little sun on my shoulders. It will be the best of both worlds!  I looked at this as 'going to work'.  I changed my clothes, washed my hair and even brushed my teeth!  I was kind of laughing at myself the whole time I was getting ready. I do, truly enjoy these moments of my own silliness.  

The Groom, so far.

I sat outside enjoying it all.  

The "groom" will have a tiny little black knitted vest with pearl buttons.  The beginning of the vest is to his right on those tiny, little size 1 needles.  They look similar to long toothpicks...and they're about as easy with which to work!  He also has a little top hat that didn't make the photo! 

I slowly began to realize how very warm it had become but was determined to ignore it. However, my cheeks began to pulsate and my clothes adhered themselves to my skin in the noontime sun. I shifted uncomfortably and then gave up and came back in the house.  The thermometer read 91.4 F.  Yikes! I think I'll wait for a cooler day before I bring my studio outside again!

Weather aside, I'll be working on my little birds and posting their progress from time to time.  

Happy Wednesday!

My words feel hollow.

The Boston terrorism tragedy is forefront in my mind today.

Perhaps I need to turn off the news .  There is so much information, unintentional misinformation, photos and videos.   My heart aches for the people injured by these bombings and the families and loved ones of the people who perished in them. 

We probably all know someone who runs and participates in marathons and 5 k walk/runs, etc.  I have many friends who are runners.  Even my 11 year old son enjoys an occasional run/walk event.  He came home from school yesterday and announced that he doesn't think he wants to do these events anymore.  I attempted to discourage him from a complete boycott.  But at the same time I was thinking of all the people we heard about and saw on the news yesterday and discouraging him wouldn't have been hard

No, we don't live in a huge city like Boston.  But what precludes our small town from experiencing a similar event?  Nothing.  That is why it's called terrorism...It can make you live in fear-if you let it.   My husband and I have stood at the finish line the few times he has raced, waiting excitedly for our son to cross.  The photo below was the beginning of the race.  I remember feeling so proud and excited for him.  Surely, it was the same feeling for all the families of the runners of the Boston Marathon yesterday.  What a tragic end for so many spectators.

My son's latest 5 K race

So, where does it end?  Do we stay cocooned in our safe little corners of the world and in our homes?  No. We will pray away the fear for others and ourselves.  Our sons, daughters, husbands and wives will run in 5 k races and we will wait excitedly at the finish line. 

 We will not waste a moment to rush to help someone in need.

 I will encourage our son to participate without fear in the things he loves because "Darkness cannot drive out darkness.  Only light can do that. "

 We need to be a beacon to others in that darkness!

Run like the wind my friend!

These are some quotes I read this morning that resonate with me-

"Went on a run.  And ran my hardest. Perfect time to think. I am so grateful for my legs and thankful I live in America."

"We are Boston"

 “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.” - Mr. Rogers

Sheeply Musings

Today, for reasons unnecessary to explain, it is incumbent upon me to defend the much maligned intelligence of sheep. 

Having raised them for nearly 20 years, I have the benefit of some experience on my side. 

Sheep are not stupid.   

Just like humans, some sheep appear flighty and skittish. For the most part, they are gentle, intelligent and caring creatures.  My opinion is, the negative sheep-ly behaviors are motivated by fear and not stupidity.  A sheep only has a few means of self defense.  Both rams and ewes will; butt, face the threat head on, stomp a foot and even snort when afraid and sadly, that is where it ends.   Most of these defenses will not protect them from a predator.  

A good shepherd will provide a means of protection.  Most importantly, they’ll need a sturdy fence to keep sheep in and predators out!   A livestock guardian dog, even llamas and donkeys provide the rest of the necessary protection.  When the guardian animal is doing his job properly, he will place himself between the impending threat and his sheep.  Then he will defend accordingly.  The sheep will learn to stay behind their protector and keep a close watch on the situation.  Depending on the severity of the threat or attack, a flock might scatter while being chased.  Once the situation deteriorates to a chase, all they can do is run.  A frightened sheep most likely will not make good decisions about where it runs.  Most predators can outrun or tire a sheep very easily.  Then the attack is imminent. 

Watching and observing my flock over the years brought me great joy.  I have seen their behavior in so many different situations.  While a birth is occurring, they all seem to be aware of what is happening and maintain a respectful distance.  To a degree, they care for each others lambs by allowing them to remain close by-sometimes even resting on the ewes back while she’s laying down in the warm Spring sunshine. But when it comes to nursing, ewes are quick to send other ewe’s lambs back to their own mom.  Young lambs will play and romp with each other with wild abandon and this was undoubtedly, the most joyful thing to watch-ever.  

Sheep miss each other when one is removed from the flock for shearing, veterinary care or when a death occurs.  They will call and look for the missing sheep, to the point of exhaustion.  In the case of a death, they call and look again, exhaustively.  Once the realization settles in, they mourn.  I’ve seen this more than once.   While I can’t humanize this animal, they do certainly possess many human qualities. 

So, when I hear people speak of these animals in less than flattering tones, I don’t fight back the compulsion to correct their point of view…I kindly inform them that sheep are so much more than they might have ever realized.  

"Ruthie and Lulabelle", were my last two ewes.  They lived very long and happy lives on our farm. Both passed on some time ago. They were my beautiful wooly friends. :)

Springtime is for weddings!

Today, I began the process of making a pair of wool felted wedding birds.  I made the pair in the above photo for my niece.  She and her husband were married in 2008.  It's been quite a while since my first pair of birds.  I'm going to enjoy creating these again.  Eventually, they will be listed in my Etsy.com shop.  My niece's wedding was featured in the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Chicago Brides Magazine.  It was a spectacular event!   I loved that her little feathered bride and groom cake topper made it into the article.

Great close up

The happy couple cutting the cake!

Chicago Brides Magazine article Spring/Summer 2009

I was encouraged to make these birds again and again actually.  I'm not sure why I've waited so long,  but here we go!

Left Handed Knitting

Oh so true!

I've been teaching a "Beginner Knitting" class on Tuesday nights.  Tonight will be the last official class.  One of my students is left handed.  When I developed this class, I never considered I might encounter a left handed student. 

Despite me, she is doing well!  When I am instructing, I feel so disconnected reversing the directions...  Sometimes, I knit directly facing her so she can see what needs to be done.  I hadn't considered asking her to knit in front of a mirror-or maybe it's me who needs to use the mirror!
When I watch her knit, it just doesn't compute in my own head!  But when I see what she has knitted, it's perfect.

Mirror Knitting

I'm wondering if you have any sage advice for my student or myself...  Have you ever instructed a left handed person? Are there any tips or tricks?  I'd like to make certain my student gets all she can from the class and not walk away feeling cheated.  

Happy Knitting!