current weaving project

my current weaving project is a pillow for my mother. as i'm having trouble uploading pictures to this blog, i'll try to post links to the colors i'm using for both warp and weft. my warp colors are three shades of 'maroon', found here, here and here. my weft color is here (top row, far right, 'raspberry'). i used two different sizes of warp yarns, 8/4 and 5/2. my weft yarn is 2/4 and is quite thick, making for faster weaving (especially as i'm using plain weave). i hope to get this project off the loom, stuffed and sewn very soon so i can mail it out.

i hope everyone has had a blessed LORD's day and are looking forward to another week of blessings from His hands.

this past week at the cottage, i've been busy trying to do above and beyond normal cleaning and maintenance cleaning. i've found that if i do the bigger tasks in smaller chunks that i don't get as overwhelmed with them or discouraged at the list of them. so cleaning out the fridge for a good scrub turns into several sessions of cleaning and scrubbing the various levels. some tasks may not be suitable to being broken down into smaller ones to be done over a series of days, so reserving one day as a day to do thus-and-so is also more pleasant than fretting over the list of ones not tackled just yet. it was very refreshing to rest today and see how much i've accomplished.

another task i've been busy at is weaving. the next project i'll warp the loom for is a Harvest Home tablerunner for my sister, as she is hosting her first family Thanksgiving this year. she has recently expressed an interest in and discovered a talent for baking, so i think she's looking forward to cooking a meal for us all. i'm also trying to make as many Christmas gifts as possible this year and am trying to outdo my previous handmade gift tallies.

the garden is still giving veggies, mainly yellow squash. there are some pumpkins still growing and i discovered several cantalope as well. the dahlias are still blooming, as are the zinnias. the leaf color is deepening and spreading, making every day a pallete of brilliant golds, reds and greens. how blessed i truly am!

saturday-preparation day

it's been a while since i've posted here and there have been some changes. the garden has been having a tough time due to the lack of rain and water restrictions (and, to be honest, the lack of attention from the resident gardeners). however, we are still getting some eggplants, peppers, squash and okra; there are also some baby pumpkins! i've been trying to weed and water when i can, in between sorting through possessions to sell, take to the thrift store or throw away (a never-ending task, it seems).

the weaving is going much, much better than it was earlier in the summer. i think that's in part due to a shift in my attitude; as Autumn approaches, i can feel a quickening inside me. i think Autumn is my favorite time of year, with Winter a close second (then Spring and then Summer). i do have to say that i missed having at least one good, solid snow-fall this past Winter and i'm already hoping and praying for such for this one! but back to the weaving; i finished an order for the gallery where i have some of my things and took it over. they're a nonprofit organization and August plus the financial situation 'round the country wasn't too nice to them. so the director let me know that payment may be a bit later than normal. so that got me thinking...

i do enjoy having my handwovens in a local gallery and i'm committed to supporting this gallery as a nonprofit and its role in the regional arts community; so i'm not going to stop taking orders from them! however, another venue through which to sell would be wonderful. so i'm taking another look at using etsy. i still haven't made a decision, but if i do open up a store, i'll post a link to it from here (and vice-versa). i've got to take some decent pictures of my items, to start with. my camera isn't top-of-the-line, but it was free and i'm very thankful to have it and to be able to take digital images. i just need to figure out how to maximze its capabilities.

we are also being blessed with 'free' free-range eggs from our neighbor's chickens. they have decided to hang out in our yard and lay eggs on our front and back porches; never very many but still, free eggs! i think we've collected six in a week. they're funny animals and the cats enjoy watching them through the windows. yesterday i actually heard one of them sneeze; how many people can say they've heard a chicken sneeze?

today i've been busy with cleaning the house and then trying to plan an afternoon activity, or rather pick an activity from the many on my list that need to be done or started or advanced. an order of yarn came in the mail today for some placemats that one of my mom's coworkers ordered; so i need to dress the loom for them soon. i'm looking forward to tomorrow as a day of resting, relaxing, renewing and contemplation.

things have been busy here at the cottage, so i've not been online or posting very much at all lately. the garden is in full swing, with blooms on many of our plants (except for the tomatoes; they're having problems) and the herbs we've planted are thriving (although i'll have to stop picking leaves off the catnip for a bit, much to the disappointment of three kitties). weaving is coming along well, with a new warp in the process of being wound on and an order from the gallery in the wings as well.

the things i've been struggling with, though, are heavy. i've been at a loss lately in terms of faith and have really felt dry and parched in my committment to Christ. i should confess that i've not helped myself very much in this area; instead of praying more, being more vigilant about avoiding known temptations and calling on a few trusted friends for prayer/advice, i've been just moping and wallowing in despair and dallying with temptation wherever i've come across it (and, yes, sometimes i've actively sought it out). i would like to write that my faith, perseverence and pray are increasing and strengthening, but i don't know that they are. for today, however, i'm making a conscious effort to turn to the LORD, in confession, in petition, in praise...in faith.

it's a good thing that i'm not too terribly afraid of questioning beliefs and having doubts; i went through such an incredibly intense period of that during my late teens/entire twenties that i'm sure God got tired of me obsessing over the same issues for literally years. thankfully, He used that time to gently guide me into new ways of thinking based on His Word (renewing the mind, anyone?) that otherwise i would've laughed off as stupid (yes, i was young and arrogant even though i was confused. now the 'young' has disappeared and just left 'arrogant'!)

there are some blogs i've bookmarked specifically to help me through tough times, either from external persecution (from misunderstanding, well-meaning people) or from internal doubts; these fall into two different groups: gentle blogs and right blogs. the two categories are not mutually exclusive; the gentle blogs are homemaker blogs that address practical issues, as well as marriage ups-n-downs and spiritual ones, too. the right blogs give rebuttle to feminist arguments, with the theology and Scripture behind the answers clearly made plain. both sets of blogs are used by God in my life to encourage me to press on towards the goal.

saturday chores

it's saturday and that means cleaning: the bathroom, the car, weeding the garden and flower beds and a general spruce-ing up of the house...perhaps some laundry, too, if the hamper is full enough for a load. the weather has finally cleared with sunshine streaming in the windows this morning; however, there is still a slight chill in the air, especially inside. later today, if there is time, i'll do some weaving on the new placemat designs that i'm enjoying so much.