LOOOOOOOMMMM!

Hooray!

After a week's worth of waiting (I can't believe how spoiled I've been by USPS!) my wonderful new loom finally arrived. It actually showed up this past Friday, but I didn't do a thing with it until Sunday. First, I needed to finish up spinning last month's Spunky Club fiber and then we had a small task to accomplish at a semi-local winery.

So, Sunday morning finally came along and I just had to dive in and get started. I followed the excellent advice of my Spunky and Weaver friends on Ravelry and used Tofutsies as the warp (96", 10epi, 11" on the loom) with the intent of using it as the weft as well. Nice, balanced weave - that's the ticket.

I started warping at around 10a on Sunday. By the time I had to leave for Book Club at 3p, this is the result:



Amazing, isn't it? Like LIGHTNING this stuff is. I kept going and going on Sunday night, then again yesterday. I ran out of the Tofutsies about 2/3 of the way through but I couldn't bear cutting it off and wasting all that weft. So, I dug into my old crochet cotton stash and found a nice ball of ecru cotton. I grabbed that, along with my pickup stick and kept going. And going. And GOING! Then, around 9p last night, I finished. Gave it a quick soak and popped it in the dryer (!!!!!) with the rest of the laundry. A quick press and tying up the ends and voila:



Can you believe it? Isn't it FABULOUS! Wow. WOW. WOW!! I'm totally in love. The cotton is an excellent foil for the Tofutsies and the more-open weave gives it a somewhat similar drape. It softened up so wonderfully in the wash that it's like silk against my skin. Oh, here are a few more:





So there you go. The loom's folded up and stowed under the couch (Chris appreciates this added bonus) but it's likely coming out again tonight. I have this idea for another scarf, but this time I'll be doing some color changes in the weft ... assuming I can figure that out.

Yep, I'm hooked. Absolutely. LOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!

(oh, and who else is up for the Tour de Fleece?)

What a weekend!

So I mentioned on Friday that my hubby, along with the menfolk from two other friends who are also turning 40 this year, were taking the three of us out for a glorious celebratory weekend. Well, they didn't disappoint. The weather was ideal and we had a great time. Can't you tell?



No photos of the dinner to share (yet). The six of us were all dolled up and enjoyed a nearly four-hour marathon of amazing food and remarkable wine before staggering back to the hotel. I can't even begin to describe what a magical experience it was to eat at the French Laundry. Not every dish was perfect, but the combination of the food, the wine, the presentation and the first class service were more than enough to exceed my expectations. Suffice it to say, if ever given the opportunity, go. Don't walk, run.

Anyway - I'm a very lucky girl. Happy Sunday, folks.

More greens - and an exciting weekend

Last week was our first week of fresh veggies from my CSA. Given that we didn't get the box until Friday, not everything was perfect, but I was still enamored with the contents. This week was no exception. We got:

Rainbow Chard
Lettuce Mix
Loose Spinach
French Breakfast Radishes
Green Garlic
Spring Red Onions
Fresh Strawberries

This may, perhaps, sound like less than last week's contents, but that's not necessarily bad. My last salad was eaten the day of arrival for the other box! Anyway, I've not made as much of a dent in this box so far, mainly because I'm still buried under the box of cherries from the orchard, but I'm sure I'll manage to eat all of it.

All that waits until Sunday because we're going away (yet again) for a weekend with friends. My cohorts in crime, Amy and Beth, and I are all turning 40 this year. Our menfolk took it upon themselves to "do something about it" and this weekend is the big deal. The boys did a superb job of keeping things secret, and even managed to ensure that none of us planned anything on our calendars, and they finally started spilling the beans a few weeks ago. Suffice to say, they've done a fabulous job. We're having a weekend of wine tasting, cycling, general mayhem and the crowning achievement is dinner a The French Laundry. I really don't know how wonderful it will be. It's been getting mixed reviews from customers over the past few years (service declining, less variety of menu, prices skyrocketing) but it's still one of those "lifetime" things.

My plan? Close my mental checkbook, open my mouth and enjoy. See you all Monday.

Template woes - and new stuff!

Well, I've managed to delete all the customizations I've made to the blog - but then again, maybe that's a good thing. I still can't get the archive calendar to work properly, but maybe that's ok, too. I'll try and take this as an opportunity to "restart" all this stuff and do a little housecleaning.

Anyway, it's Memorial Day weekend here in the us and that means a long weekend. It's a happy coincidence that this extra day off coincided with the end of our extended vacation; I wish I could take credit for planning it that way, but no dice. Doesn't mean I won't take that extra day off!

The weather has been pretty crappy up here on the mountain and today was the first bit of sunshine we'd gotten since coming home. That was enough to motivate me outside for a run (everything now hurts) and I'm glad I did. It's been too long since I'd run and I'm looking forward to getting back to it in a serious way.

On the handicrafts side of the house, I've gone off and ordered a small, rigid heddle loom from Schacht. Looks like this:



I'm just tickled at the prospect of being able to burn through a HUGE amount of stash in no time at all. Scarves and wraps from all that lonely sock yarn are destined to be gifts for family and friends. Rumor has it that I can warp the loom, weave a project and finish it in a day. Now *that's* the right speed for me. Plus, it's a nice way to ease into weaving. I really see this as a first step toward full-time fiber arts.

Anyway, it's back to the salt mines for me tomorrow. 8a meeting. Can you believe it?

Back from holiday - and fresh greens!

I can't believe how quickly three weeks went by. We had an amazing time in New Zealand, Australia, and the Kingdom of Tonga. The first two points were more "transit stops" than destinations, but I managed to completely fall in love with the kiwi lifestyle and am scheming ways to move down there! Sydney was also good - but the highlight of our trip was 11 days of sailing in Tonga. There's just too much to tell about it, but suffice to say, we all had a wonderful time.

So, we're rested, relaxed, and ready to start working again next week. But, since it's a holiday weekend, this leaves me time to get acquainted with the box of fresh veggies dropped of by my CSA. I've bought a weekly delivery of fresh veggies and I think that the quantities should be more than sufficient for the two of us. This week, we got:

Romaine Lettuce
Red Leaf Lettuce
Red Russian Kale (this is a new one for me!)
Spring Bunched Carrots
Spring Onions
Green Garlic (also a rare treat)
Arugula
Radishes
Strawberries

I've been casting about for a recipe for the kale - and so far haven't been really taken by any of them. At a minimum, I'll be stuffing myself with salads for the next few days!

Happy long weekend everyone! It's great to be home.