I'm Weaving Scarves!!!

Every year I say I'm going to weave scarves and other things when I get my loom back from the Walk through Bethlehem and get the rugs off. This year I'm actually doing it!

On December 29, I put a 7-foot warp on the loom, using Lion Brand Ice Cream yarn in the colorway Strawberry. The Ice Cream is a variegated yarn with quite long runs of each color. Using it as both warp and weft resulted in a plaidish appearance.

 When the girls saw it, Lily said, "Can I have it; I like pink." I told her it is much too long (62") for her, but I have more of the yarn, so I can make one her size. Then Calla popped us, "I want blue." I have that yarn in the colorway Moon Mist, so I was able to do that, too.

With fewer threads, it doesn't look plaid. This picture shows the color better.

After the girls got their scarves, of course, Brady couldn't be left out. He wanted dark blue. I found some navy and some medium/royal blue unknown acrylic, worsted weight yarn for a striped warp, and used Bernat Hot Sox in navy for the weft. I put on a 3-yard warp and got two 35-inch scarves. I used a different treadling sequence for each scarf and let Brady choose which one he liked better. One of them reminded him of the Minecraft video game he likes to play, so he chose that one. They are not really as messy as they appear in this picture, although my selvedges should be a lot better. 
 

I now have a 6-yard warp on in red and white. For the weft on the first scarf, I alternated 3 inches of navy with 6 inches of white, for a total of 66 inches in plain weave. After I take it off the loom and wash it, I expect it to be about 60 inches. I don't have a picture of it. The second one is all white weft. I'm using a different treadling sequence and getting a more interesting cloth.

And in another craft, I took a class at the Itty Bitty Knitty Shop on Corner-to-corner crochet. I had printed out a baby blanket pattern and couldn't figure it out. Since the class was coming up, I decided to take it. Here is the little scarf I crocheted.

 

Christmas, day three

Last week was one of those weeks - I drove 471 miles and was never more than 40 miles from home.

On Sunday (12/16) I went to Metropolis to see Lily, Brady, and Calla sing a few Christmas songs with the other Sunday School kids at Immanuel Baptist Church.

On Monday (12/17), I was back in Metropolis for Brady's Christmas program at school at 2 pm. Then I hung out at Alyssa's house for a few hours and went to the High School band and chorus concert at 6:30. Lexi and Devin both play trumpet.

On Tuesday (12/18) I was back at Metropolis Elementary School for Lily's Christmas program at 2 pm.

Wednesday (12/19) I went to Paducah for a bit of shopping and to knit at the yarn shop.

On Thursday (12/20), it was back to Metropolis at 10:30 am for Calla's Christmas program at Head Start.

Back to Metropolis on Friday (12/21), this time by way of Wickliffe, which added 20 miles to the trip. A church in Wickliffe had some gifts for Lily and Calla, and Alyssa asked me to pick them up for her. Then I stayed with the kids while Alyssa and Stephen went to do some shopping.

I think I stayed home on Saturday.

Then started all the Christmas meals.
Sunday (12/23) I had Carmen and her friend, Alyssa and Stephen, Lexi, Lily, Brady, and Calla over for supper and to open the gifts I got for them (Hallmark ornaments). Last year I decided I wanted family over for chili on Christmas Eve, and wanted to make that a new tradition. This year Christmas Eve Eve worked out better for the working people. I had chili, broccoli/cheese soup and carrot/raisin salad, and Carmen and Alyssa both brought some sweet stuff. When I told the kids a few days before what my menu would be, Lily said she definitely didn't want the broccoli/cheese soup.

On Monday (12/24) Lexi called from her grandparents' house where she had spent the night. She said her Nana had cooked a whole lot of food, and then her father called and said he and his wife and step-daughters couldn't come. So Lexi wanted me to come over and help eat it. Her grandparents are some of my favorite people, so I was glad to spend some time with them. Alyssa and Stephen and the three little ones were there, too. Beverly (Nana) had a children's table set up in her back room, like I had here. (But her children's table is not 74 years old like mine is.)

Then on Christmas morning I went and had brunch with Carmen and Lanny and visited with them for a bit. 

So I think I'm all Christmased out, and will enjoy a few days alone. The kids don't go back to school until January 7, so I'll probably be called upon to babysit some next week.

 Probably Lexi's best gift was notification that she has been accepted by the University of Kentucky. She got an acceptance letter from University of Tennessee - Martin a few weeks ago, but UK is her first choice.

The Rugs

The five on top are the ones I wove at the Walk through Bethlehem. Actually, I only started the fifth one there and finished it at home after my loom was returned. Those five were woven with cut up t-shirts. The bottom five were woven with some stuff that a friend got from a pajama factory years ago. This is the first year I have used a striped warp - I like it! They vary in length depending on how much there was of a particular color or shade. Counting from the top, numbers 1, 3, and 5 are all white, but not exactly the same shade. Number 2 is black and number 4 is dark blue.

On Tuesday, I plan to take them to The Lighthouse women's shelter in Mayfield to see if anyone there wants them. If not, I will take them to the Paducah Cooperative Ministries on Wednesday for women in the Fresh Start Village. I think I have some knit things I can take, too. 

I put on a 12-yard warp with no thought to whether that many rugs would fit on the cloth beam. They did, with about half an inch to spare. Last year, when we were able to do all five nights, I almost ran out of the 8-yard warp I had put on; that's why I put on 12 yards this time,

Over for this year

The Walk through Bethlehem was cancelled both Friday and Saturday. Although the weather in the 6 to 8 pm time slot on Saturday was not bad, it had poured rain through much of the night Friday night/Saturday morning. The men of the church worked throughout the day Saturday diverting rain water from the village. They even build a bridge at the entrance. By Sunday evening, things were good enough for us to go ahead. I guess they were afraid their bridge wouldn't hold the garden tractor and trailer they move my loom with, so two men carried it between the entrance and my stall. Good thing I'm the first stall inside the gate. 

Pastor Steve brought my loom and other stuff home this morning. Now I need to weave a couple more rugs to finish off the 12-yard warp.

Since we only did three nights instead of five, there is a lot of stuff left over. I had made 387 miniature rugs - 220 are left. I also had 366 two-inch squares - 310 remain. That means I won't need to make as many next year. I keep saying each year that I am going to weave some scarves; maybe this will be the time I actually do. I might learn more about weaving that way.

Two down, three to go

Nights of the Walk through Bethlehem at the Nazarene Church in Mayfield KY, that is. Wednesday night was cold (35 F), but last night was comfortable (52 F). It looks like we may be rained out tonight, but I think Saturday and Sunday will be OK.

Someone took my picture Wednesday night and posted it on FaceBook. I swiped it to post here. I'm the one weaving and my daughter, Carmen, is the merchant in the rug stall.

At least for weaving I can wear fingerless gloves with hand warmers inside, so only my fingers got cold. I felt sorry for the potter; not only could she not wear gloves, she was working with wet clay. Her hands were completely red when we finished.

This is the tenth year I've done this event. I enjoy it - the weaving, the talking about weaving to the visitors to 'Bethlehem'.

I'm here, I think

Once again it has been about six weeks since I posted. Things have been a bit hectic, and I've done a lot of driving back and forth to Metropolis. Sara and her girls moved in with Alyssa, but Sara was not doing what she was supposed to, so now only Lily and Calla are there, and Rose is back in New Jersey with her father.

The Fall Festival was interesting. The club decided that they wanted to put my 'critters' in the Country Store, rather than use them in the fishing booth, so I had to price them. Only a couple of them sold - people don't want to pay $5 or $10 when most of the items on the tables are one tenth of that. The dishcloths and hotpads sold at $2 or $3. I took the 'critters' that were left, along with some scarves to the craft sale at church. I don't know if they sold there or not. I told them to donate any that didn't sell to Paducah Cooperative Ministries for them to use however they saw fit.

The next thing coming up soon is the Walk through Bethlehem that I've been doing since 2008. I have 386 miniature rugs (mugrugs/coasters) and 366 2-inch squares for the kids to 'buy' with the 'shekels' they are given when they enter the village. Pray for good weather - no wind or rain, and temperatures around 50. I have the loom warped and ready for someone to pick up on Wednesday morning. The Walk is Wednesday through Sunday next week, 6 to 8 pm.

 

572 miles

That's how far I drove last week. I know my grandson-in-law probably drives at least twice that much every week as part of his job, but I'm retired. And the only time I was more than 40 miles from my house, I was riding with someone else.

It started on Sunday when I picked Rose up to spend the night with me. Monday morning I took her to the dentist in Lone Oak for a filling, then to Mayfield for basketball practice, and on to lunch in Paducah and over to Metropolis for Brady's birthday party, and of course home again after the party.

We combined his party with a 50th anniversary celebration for my brother and sister-in-law. For their anniversary on June 22, they did something novel. Instead or having a party at or near their home in Florida, they sent $50 bills to our sisters and me and I have no idea who else, asking us to celebrate with people who are special to us, and to send them pictures. I held onto that bill until my western KY/southern IL family were able to get together. Then I gave it to Alyssa and Stephen to help pay for the pizza, sodas, etc. for Brady's bityhday party. Here is the picture:

The adults and teen-agers, left to right: Stephen, Devin, Lexi, Alyssa, Rose, Lanny (Carmen's friend), and Carmen holding Calla. In front are: Brady, me holding a sign Alyssa made, Lily, and Brady's girlfriend Charlotte.

There were several other people there, as well, and I told them they were welcome to get in the picture, but they opted not to. Stephen's father took the picture.

Sara was missing, and Reggie, and of course the New Jersey gang.

Back to the week's driving: I've forgotten exactly how things went, but since it was fall break all week for Rose and Lily, I was helping with them and was back and forth to Metropolis and Mayfield several times.

Then on Saturday I went to a high school marching band competition in Sikeston MO. That's the time I rode with friends - Lexi's grandparents. Since we could not go the way people from this area usually go to Sikeston, because the bridge over the Ohio River between Wickliffe KY and Cairo IL is closed for repair, we went to Metropolis and followed the buses and equipment trailers. Then we sat in the football stadium for about four hours watching bands of various sizes do their thing. The temperature was in the low 50's. After about three hours, when I went to the ladies room, I had trouble unbuttoning my jeans because my fingers were so cold. I had started knitting a scarf on the trip over, but certainly couldn't work on it while we were there.

The Massac County band places third in their class, and their drum major placed first!

Here are my two trumpeters, Devin and Lexi:

 

Afterwards, we joined the band for supper at Lambert's (home of throwed rolls). Even though we had a reservation, we had to wait over an hour to get in, because a couple of the other bands were there, too. Lambert's stayed open past their usual closing time to serve us.

Then we followed the buses back to Metropolis. It was 1:45 before I got home. It was a very interesting day.