Baby Steps...

Slowly but surely, this winter is beginning to ease away from us.  We actually had one day last week when the temp was near 40!  Of course, the next day was back to the deep freeze, but it did give us hope.  The frequency of snow storms has lessened, as have the amounts we get.  Granted, we still have huge piles everywhere, it is still impossible to look for oncoming traffic at the end of the driveway and at intersections, we practically skate when we leave the house, but the predictions are for continuing moderation of temperatures, with occasional warmer than normal days, and still some well below.  At this point, we will take anything that we can get!

This is about how bad our icicle situation got, before the 40 degree day.  My hubby got up on the roof that day and removed all the ice.

On a much happier note, I've started weaving some more random striped tabby towels, which are always cheery.  Here are the colors as they went on my Baby Wolf.

I've finished the first towel, but have now started winding for the next baby wrap, so these will get done a bit at a time.  They are very fast to weave with my EFS, and after spending so much time on the Glimakra, the BW almost feels flimsy, like I'm weaving on a child's loom.  Still, it's nice to sit down and zip zip zip with short treadle drops and a narrow-ish warp.  The first towel was woven with my favorite, black weft.  I will do at least one more like that, a couple with deep purple, and then decide as I go what other colors to use.

I'll have to check with my customer about sharing, but her baby wrap inspiration really touched me. It's to be a rainbow, separated by charcoal.  This is the down and dirty mock up with yarns I had on hand.

And these are the correct colors.

Four of the 17 sections are on the loom, so still a bit to go.  Work schedules do cut into weaving time, don't they?!?

I'm also struggling more and more with the arthritis in my right thumb.  I'm left handed, but my right hand is my stronger hand - it's a right-handed world out there, so I've always used it more.  Weaving is something that aggravates it quite a bit, so sometimes I use a brace, and some topical cream.  It's beginning to look larger, and I can foresee a gnarled hand in my future.  I am certainly not ready to give up weaving (or knitting, or spinning either!).

I took the advice of one of you kind readers and bought the video about rep weaving with Rosalie Neilsen.  It was very helpful in thinking about how I might design something, as well as having some useful tips for the different processes involved.  I'm sure I'll watch it again, and maybe several times as I get closer to my next rep project.  Thanks so much, Cindie!