Sometimes Less is More

I spent the entire day today on computers.   Setting up a new Mac and preparing my old one for Hubby Dearest  to use.   We 'migrated' stuff using Apple's programs and troubleshooted some other issues.   Such as this one:  I've been using a program called iPhoto to do all the hundreds of old family pictures and apparently  Apple has dropped it from their roster. I clearly did not get the memo.  I have a back up drive with all the pictures as saved in iPhoto.... but where do they get to go??  The new Mac didn't come with iPhoto so I had a moment of panic.  As luck would have it, we found that I could download the program from the  'previously purchased' list at the App store, and after that download, they all went like homing pigeons into their folders!  iPhoto won't receive updates anymore so I will have to work out where to shift them to next, but I'm putting out one bush fire at a time !

So I'm using my new Mac for this post and hubby beside me is happily on his learning curve with the MacAir as he's a newbie. ( iPads and iPhones don't really set you up for a full on Mac).  His other PC laptop died after only six months, which is just crazy.  Its a lot of money to be out after a few months, not to mention the aggravation factor!   The Apple conversion in this house is now total and complete!     He was a tough nut to crack but like water on rock.......     :)


I had four or five cones of 8/2  (or 2/8) tencel sitting on my desk for some time.  Old gold, mineral green, taupe, Pompeii, and slate gray. There was something about the colours that drew me and they seemed to just go together but what to do with them?   I wanted to use all of them and try to keep the colours separate and distinct if possible.  I spent much time looking through old drafts, old samples looking for inspiration.   Then in a stack of old drafts  which I call my 'some day' pile I found a 6 shaft reversing 2/2 twill.   Then I found some similar colours in my Fiberworks. Not accurate but close enough for me.

Aprox 200 ends, 24 epi and 6 yards in length. I wound the warp and it hung  around awhile waiting its turn, but at least it in the queue now!

After the ombre scarves came off, the warp went on and Bruce was there to help.  Here he is all set to use his new trick of a pvc rod in the paper roll to stop it from going wandering while being wound on. It really seems to help!

Then I used my usual lacing on and two stick start. It really reduces the loom waste.  I only nip off the knots later and all that becomes my twisted fringe later  instead of going into the trash bin or thrums bag (which I don't keep).

I checked for mistakes, prepped my floating selvedges and got busy.  It met all my desired criteria of keeping colours separate and altogether, fully reversible, and having visual impact but simply done.  It sure looked better than I expected!    

There was a nice 'melding' of the colours, which are all of a similar value and depth of shade.  The black dividers nicely pop the colours, as well as the little boxes shine through.

I wove two in these colours and I can't say how important pressing is to the final wet finishing at the projects conclusion.   Its the shine on the apple.     I hope you can see these two examples clearly.... maybe enlarge it to see better, either by clicking or spreading with your fingers.  One scarf is washed and dry.... the other washed, dry and pressed.

The cloth becomes softer,  more drape to it, beautiful sheen, and ready to go somewhere!

Showing the length.

Here the fold has been turned to show the reverse side.

I was thrilled with how they turned out!   So I wound another warp to do it again.... next post will be the second warp and how getting excited about weaving again, did me in   :(      But I'm doing okay and ready to start again but in a more sedate fashion.   More tortoise, less hare.   

Speaking of rabbits, I hope you had an enjoyable Easter.   

Down the Rabbit Hole

Where did a month go?    I'm still here...... honest!

Well, it seems that my getting back into weaving that fast was perhaps a bit too much, too fast and I have been resting my knee and leg (other than the mandatory exercises).  

I fell down a proverbial rabbit hole!

Paternal great x3 aunt, only known as Ms Bowers.

I started sorting and scanning old family pictures instead to be useful with my time while my knee settles down.   Its like an old murder mystery but minus the murder part and you track clues and family trees.... and oh, look its midnight!

Olive  age 3, 1924

I have  family pictures for both my sets of grandparents and even some of great grandparents, then add to the mix one paternal aunt and her two marriages, and also two maternal aunts and their spouses  and all of the pictures taken by my father and mother over their lifetimes and I have literally thousands to sort, identify and scan.

Twins 1934
 

Twins approx 1937

Twins approx 1940-41

Twins approx 1948-49

I have an account with Ancestry and so can double check years and dates, family connections and then I have been sending these out one by one to family.   I had thought that 12-15 per day would take me 2-3 years but I decided to speed things up a bit.     So long as they sort using my subject lines, then all photos will group together as an individual or family.

Paternal great uncles Bill and Fred

Its fascinating seeing Life in another place and time, from their births to their old age. Its been a quite cathartic experience and it sure puts what's important .... truly important into perspective.

Paternal great aunt Hilda 

I'm doing my best with each and every one I handle as now that my father has passed on,  I'm the eldest in our family and for some of these people, I'm the only one to have met them or know their names.  

Unknown family member... no one recorded his name on the back. 

I just didn't want them to remain nameless or end up in a garbage bin or second hand shop someday. That is so sad.  

Family weddings....

If you have old style paper photographs, even if you don't organize them, at least write names on the back so someone one day who does organize them has names to go with faces.  Its one of those jobs that everyone says they must do sometime but it never seems important until its too late.

and funerals

Trust me, we all become a line on a family tree someday and with the technology around now, you can add pictures, stories, and even video's.

Consider it a gift to the future family.....

new babies

I did manage to ever so slowly weave off the last portion of my recent  scarves and they are threatening us with some sunshine tomorrow so I hope to put Madge Mannequin outside for some beauty shots.

Meanwhile we had an overflow from our four year old dishwasher and so our four year old hard wood floor is being lifted in places and  replaced with new boards this weekend.   The offending dishwasher is still here and we are hand washing until we decide which route to take: repair or replace.  Hand washing is a very time consuming job.   :(

Then there have also been some mysterious plumbing 'issues' downstairs which has four plumbers scratching their heads while we search for solutions.  

Now you know why the Rabbit Hole has been so appealing....    next post, weaving.... promise!