December already

It finally seems like winter...Last week we still had flowers blooming and 60 degrees during the day.  This week 2 inches of snow, a high of 20 degrees, and more snow expected.  What a difference a week makes.  

I did get the first Christmas decoration up, my Advent Calendar.  I made it when my children were little, about 30 years ago, but I love seeing it every year.

Here's a picture of it several years ago.

Last year I actually put some nails in the wall to hang up some Christmas pictures.  I had not had them hanging for several years and it was fun to see them again.  I think I will get them up today.  I wanted to put new hanging wires on some other pictures to hang there during the rest of the year, but I did not get that done.  Oh well maybe after the holidays this year...

The color is a little off, but I did take a photo last year.

All of the pictures are stitchery, and all are about 25 years old.  The center white on white is done by my Mom using the candlewick technique.  The other four were a series that I did.  I like the variety of sentiments and the variety of techniques.  The Santa "Joy" is embroidery, the family "Tree" is counted cross, the snowman "Frosty" is needlepoint, and the baby Jesus "Nativity" is trapunto.  It was fun to put such a variety together.  The four 8" x 10" pieces hung for several Christmas seasons in a special place between our bookshelves.  When we got rid of those bookshelves, I had no place to put them.  It is fun to enjoy them again.

And I got the final shipment of my order out, I hope it reaches her in time for her show.  I know the first got there and she was very pleased with my work.  When I did the shawls this time, I used huck lace instead of Bronson lace.  I had just taught Huck lace in my class, so it was on my mind.  I have never done these in Huck and I really like them.

White on white shawl

Beige on white shawl

Here's a Bronson lace from the first shipment

I like the Huck better, maybe because it is the last warp I did!  I would not mind having a huck lace piece, I was thinking of cutting holes in it for my arms and wearing it like the lace "vest" that I saw Anita Meyer wearing.

I also did some ruanas, and ponchos for her.  The short poncho is a new design.  I like the versatility in wearing it.

Belted

Flipped over the shoulder

They really worked out well.  I just blended the colors of warp, then used two different wefts for them.  This is the 1800 yd/lb alpaca again, but this shipment had some colors to play with.

I also got a new loom yesterday, a very old, and needs some work, Schacht table loom.  I will probably use it in the classes.  It makes a great loom for beginning students and for rental.  It travels quite well.  But there are a couple of pieces missing and the wood really needs some TLC.  I would like to replace the apron cord with Texsolv, I hope I have enough left (I just replaced the apron cords on my Baby Wolf...scissor accident when I was cutting off one of the alpaca pieces.

I finally found the pattern and the yarn and the knitting for the socks I have been working on forever.  The pattern is slow knitting, cable work every row, and I only carried the part of the pattern I needed at the time.  So there was periods where I was looking for the pattern, then found the pattern and could not find where I put the half finished socks...anyway, I have all the components together and I want to get them finished.  I am really tired of this pattern.  That may be another reason it has taken so long, I knit for a while then put them away to do a less demanding design.

First sock at chevron cuff, the second sock is there now! Yeah!

And with the Alpaca work done for a while, I can get back to my yardage.  I am interested in seeing how far I get with the handspun yarn...I have more than I thought.  I may be able to have solid handspun in the whole body of the jacket instead of just stripes in the front and back.

I thought I had a picture of how it looks now that it is on the loom, but this is just a picture of the test.  The actual fabric is not that "stripey".  I think I will like it, even if it is MUCH brighter colors than I usually wear.