Ready to Weave!

But, Alice, I was only able to weave about an inch. I had forgotten to wind off one of the many colors in the warp. 16 people in the class to make samples for (including me). Tomorrow I will go retrieve the color I need from Lois.

Tomorrow I will once again go door to door to get out the vote for the August 5th Primary. Doug & I walked for about 4 hours again today, and with the temperature at almost 90, it does take its toll. Still, I am enjoying every minute of it!

Yours until I can show you something,
Nancy

Summer Colors

Alice...the end of July is coming fast, and I have a warp to finish threading, denting, and to weave. 'Tis the color warp that I created in Lois Bryant's Marvelous, Magical Color for Weavers. This is a workshop that Lois taught to the Warped Wo/men study group in the Guild. It was marvelous, marvelous, marvelous! We studied luminosity, reflectivity, transparency, and irridescence, and Lois's lecture and photos were magical illustrations of these phenomena.

I will be taking the 'Shimmering Silks' workshop with Heather Winslow at the Michigan League of Handweavers workshops, scheduled for early August, so 'tis time to get this beautiful warp going and off so that I can be ready for the next learning. And finally, Sarah Saulson will be giving her painted warp workshop two weeks after that for the Warped Wo/men study group.

Scott and I stopped at Greenfield Village on our way back from Dearborn this afternoon...the jacquard loom is in full operation! Richard Jeryan has worked over the past three years to bring it back to life. He is now weaving on it...using a pattern that was woven at Greenfield Village early in its history, though (rightly so) he has changed the year in the edge border. Richard is excited about having weavers come to the Village for workshops, lectures, study. He will be lecturing at the Historic Weaving Conference in Clayton next Spring. Exciting stuff. Alice, he would love to meet you and have you come to the Weaving shop at Greenfield Village!

More later. I really must get the warp threaded and dented and ready to weave.

Lovely summer days....
Nancy

A VERY Good Day

Dear Alice,

Imagine that everything goes just as you had hoped in a day.... Today was one of those days! Today I was endorsed by the local newspaper for the office I am seeking with the very capable, remarkable Team for Scio.
Photo by Dr. Irwin Martin
Four of our Team members were also endorsed by the Home Builders Association. Today was the first day of the Art Fair...I worked the Fiberarts Guild's booth from 3-9:30, and today was the first day that I sold one of my favorite pieces, the shawl that I wrote about in my June 10th postcard.

Less than three weeks to go until the August 5th Primary, the day that will tell the tale! Miles of walking door-to-door, and I am really enjoying meeting and talking with our neighbors and the residents of Scio, for whom I have been working (on the Planning Commission and Board of Review) for years.

I am really too tired at this hour, and can hardly remember what I was saying/doing, so will end this note here and plan to write again soon.

Kramar,
Nancy

Summer Pleasures

Alpine strawberries

Summertime frolics

Friends Playing

Balloonflowers

Chris Craft rides

Lake Ann sunrises

Summer Grilling

Art Fairs

Hummingbirds

Emergence

Alice,

The lawn area, in fact...almost every surface, was covered with the dried skins of the dragonfly nymphs. I was lucky enough to catch one just as it emerged. Can you see how tiny its wings are when working his way out?

And later, a fully realized dragonfly glistening in the sun. I love looking at their eyes. Can you imagine gazing at the world from their perspective?

Love to you in this 97th year!
Nancy

Happy Belated 97th Birthday, Alice!

July 5th came and went quickly, Alice. Did my Birch postcard arrive in time? I hope you had a wonderful birthday and this coming year will be a little kinder to you. The last one has been a doozy (to use your words), hasn't it? I am wondering if you have had a chance to do a little weaving on that beautiful red warp you showed the Chicks when we were there last.

I am back at home where the looms are, so am looking forward to getting back to finishing off some fabric.



The Loon chicks were still at the lake and they grew so fast whilst we were there this week. They stayed in the vicinity of our cottage most of the time since the week of July 4 is often a busy one with lots of boaters, jet-skiers, and fishermen/women, so we had front row seats every day.

More to come....
nancy

More Fast Weekends!

Dear Alice,

This weekend was another blur. Two weekends ago we enjoyed another few days at the cottage--lots more work accomplished, and meals on the patio where we enjoyed seeing the loons again. This time, the whole family came by!

And what a treat it was! I had never seen baby loons (for I fear that the snapping turtles have always seen them before I do!) So this was a real treat! One year when I was at the Weaving History Conference I picked up a little loon knick-knack for Scott with the babies on the back of the mother. They obliged us on Saturday, and Scott was able to get a photo since his camera has better zoom capabilities.



The day we were to leave, I knew that I still had to get the rest of my tomatoes in the ground, and I also knew that we were to expect thunderstorms most of the day. I lucked out when I arose at 5:45 for this is what the sky held for me: I put on my garden clogs post haste and got every last one in the ground before the rain came down. While we were at Lake Ann, the thunderstorms rolled through every day. Still, it was beautiful.

The long ride up and back allowed for some serious sock-knitting since Stewart was along and shared driving. So, I finished the short Tyrolean socks. After weaving in the last end and trying them both on to see how they looked, I discovered yet another mistake...one that I am still agonizing over, but alas! I swore to not rip a whole sock. You'll never see it in the Finished! photo, and I am not telling on myself.

They are lovely. The yarn is awfully soft, so I shall be curious to see how they hold up for Mom, though she has a tendency to not wear her hand-knitted socks because they are too pretty, and I think she doesn't want to wear them out. I have decided that if she receives 7 pair in one year, she may just get over keeping them in her drawer.

I also finished sock #1 of the coriolis socks during the weekend. One must arise very early every day to do that when there are so many projects not knitting-related to be done. Stewart was a big, big help to us there.

Ah, yes. What is the flower with the Tyrolean socks? 'Tis my Crambe cordifolia. I started it many years ago from seed (after sticker shock when looking at the nursery catalog). This year it had two stalks of blossoms arise from the soil.


I will stop for now, There is much, much more to report, so you can expect another card soon!

Have you been weaving this past week?
Nancy