I've Been Busy. Really.

I know that my last post showed me warping my long towel project, with promises of weaving and photos ahead.  Well....  I have managed to weave one towel, which is pretty pathetic.  But, really, I have a valid excuse.  I do!

First, the on-the-loom towel shot;

Just a simple 4 shaft crepe weave.  The warp is 8/2 Georgia unmercerized cotton, and this weft is Brassard's 8/2 in navy.  I love the simplicity of the design, especially since I used to use this structure quite a bit but haven't for a long time.  You can also see that I used reinforced selvedges (and a temple).

The weather here has been just horrid most of the time, gray, cool, and rainy/showery.  Our normal high is 66, yet for the last few days we have hovered in the mid-40's.  Every now and then the sun will pop out, but most of the time, I'm at work when that happens, and I can't even find the time to pop outside for a quick break.  That is very disheartening to me, that in a 12.5 hour shift, I cannot take a few minutes to get off the unit.

Anyway, when it hasn't actually been precipitating, I have taken it upon myself to try to get back to our exterior siding project by painting the newly installed (last summer) clapboards.  I think the last photo that I shared was this one, showing the house after the construction guys were done;

I got a bit of the bottom, more easily reached clapboards painted before winter set in, while my hubby and son managed to do a bit of scraping up high on the trim and try out an idea for snazzing it up a bit.  I thought I had a photo of that, but can't find it now.

Anyway, over the last couple of weeks, I've been scampering up and down increasingly long ladders, painting when I can.  Just this morning, I think I have reached everything that I can with the set-up my hubby has done with ladders.

I guess I'm not as afraid of heights as I thought!  When I was on the staging board, my first day painting, I felt very nervous as it bounced quite a bit.  I only felt safe painting if I either had a hand on a ladder or a foot against the house.  Somehow, and don't ask me how, the ladders felt safer to me, especially at the top, where they don't bounce as much. That center ladder is the only one I haven't been on, as it sits away from the house enough to prevent reaching the clapboards.  One downside of all this is my lower back is letting me know I'm not as young as I used to be - it's quite achy from leaning backwards away from the ladders to reach some of the clapboards, so here I sit with a warm pack on it, which feels quite soothing.

I thought I'd leave everyone with a weave-related photo.  A woman that my hubby was doing some boat work for brought a skirt that her mother's friend had woven for her many, many years ago.  Her mom wore it until it no longer fit, then this woman did the same.  Since then, the skirt has just sat in a box, waiting for someone in the family to want to wear it.  She thought I was small enough for it to fit, and so brought it over one day while I was at work.  Alas, it wasn't even close, but I took a photo to remember it by.

As a weaver who has yet to try overshot, I was quite taken by the designs, even if the skirt wouldn't be "fashionable" these days. What a lovely gift that weaver gave to her friend!

And a few days early, I want to wish every mother out there the happiest of Mother's Days!!  It will be pouring here all day, but I'll be seeing at least one of the sons, maybe both, so being inside will be fine with me!