End of the Year

Yesterday my husband changed the calendars.  I guess he is ready for the year to be over.  I wanted to wait, because I wanted to finish weaving the warp on my Big Mac before the year was out.  I have been weaving, but ran into a snag.

This warp has been on the loom for a long time, and for a while I just stacked things on top of the loom and was not weaving it at all.  (I have been weaving on a number of other looms.)

As you can see, it was a sorry sight.

I decided a couple months ago to clean around, on and under the loom, and clear space so I could sit down and weave.  It was a goal to get it off the loom before another year had passed.  I have been weaving and really enjoying using this loom again.  I finished a couple of yards with the handspun accent yarn, then started the yardage without the handspun.  This is a draft of a fabric from Linton Textiles and I think I had plans for a jacket and skirt.  

The plain yardage still shows the floats where the handspun was.

I always planned to make the companion yardage (to the handspun) with the same treadling so that the floats would give it texture.  I really like the way it worked out.  But I ran out of weft yarn.

There is at least a yard of warp left.

So where do I go from here?  Should I see if I can get another cone of the peacock color?  Should I weave it off in a different color to make something else?  I do have some of the handspun left and could use that with a different color weft.  I am at a stand still...I don't think I can come up with the answer before the year is out!  So this one will not get finished this year...

I have finished a large number of weavings, and I have started (and even finished) some sitichery pieces.  I did not knit so many socks this year, but have done knitting.  This summer I got a pro-sized potholder loom from Harrisville Designs and I have made more than a dozen potholders...it has been fun.  I need to get them to my family and have them pick their favorite...I can't use that many!

I have started some alpaca ponchos.  This is a test to see if I can make them cheaply enough to sell (I need to see if I can make them to sell wholesale to the grower).  It is tough to do, I keep track of my time for warping, weaving and finishing the projects then see if she feels that she can make money on it.  The fabric is beautiful, but it seems to be taking too much time.

This color looks a little warmer than the yardage is

This looks too green

I may need to check the white balance on the camera.  Both pictures are the same yardage, but taken under different light.

Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope the love and the joy of the holiday season follows you throughout the new year.

christmas

Christmas, end of the year, winter solstice...It's that time of year.  I find myself so emotional about everything; teary at commercials, sad (or happy) stories.  I wonder what makes me feel this way.

I feel that I have not got as much done as I should, my "work ethic" is not up to par, I just want to curl up in bed with the heater on.  I should be happier.

The lights are up, 

The advent days are counting by,

We even have some snow,

but it is such an emotional time.

I feel like I need a new start, a new direction, a new year.

I guess I do have one of those starting up...let's see if I can do something with it.