Savoring Sight

I finished my Rona shawl -here it is just off the needles at only a 36" diameter. I started this first Pi shawl project last June-ONE WHOLE YEAR AGO! I never take that long to knit something but I benched this several times when I got frustrated with it but with the encouragement of good friends, I perservered! This is a triumph for all of us!

Nyki approves the new..... cat mat but only got to enjoy it for a minute because she graced it with a wet mousie (fake one) within minutes, so the shawl went right into a basin for its warm water soak prior to blocking.

I put it in the dryer to spin out and then laid my cardboard sewing mat on the diningroom table, covered it with a plastic tablecloth and began to pin out the shawl. Think 48 repeats of seven loops on each and you get the idea-that is a lot of pins........it will be worth it! The shawl blocks out at 52"-quite impressive how the pattern blooms as you pull out the shawl. As the shawl lay drying, I turned my thoughts to conquering the warping of the new loom. Since I have learned that you have to be warped to weave, I just applied what I had learned on my rigid heddle loom and it worked! I used the simplest of 1,2,3,4 threading because I decided to follow my own teaching advice and start simple and get to know my new activity before I get too fancy(it is good to take your own advice whether you are trying knitting, sewing, quilting , spinning or dyeing!) Using some leftover cotton yarns, I began my plain weave tablerunner I told Matthew I would make for him. As with spinning, I found that I knew what to do quite instinctively----it is pure delight to treadle, throw the shuttle, release the treadle, beat the weft, change the treadle, throw the shuttle and so on.......the rhythm just flows!

I found that I didn't like the end feed shuttle like I thought I would, changed it to the Harrisville boat shuttle and wow, I could really fly! The nubby yarn I am using went through much better with this shuttle. I sat and watched the news while I hand wound 6 bobbins (pirns)-not as troublesome as I was afraid that would be either-I actually enjoyed each step of the process!

There is no lighting in the south addition where the loom now resides (temporarily) but as it is by the window I could weave until 8:00 pm which was pretty late for me anyway. Here is what I got done just this evening!

The medicinal drops for my eyes make my head ache, my sinuses run and leaves a general irritated feeling BUT I can see so much better so I keep myself distracted........what an adventure!