It's a Textural Thing

  I was thinking on my drive home the other day about how much of a place texture has in my life.  And I don't mean just the weaving thing, although I do go for the softer yarns, like wool and alpaca, but also food and what I wear. 
   When I was a little one, I had a blankie with a silk edge that I liked to rub on when I was going to sleep.  Then the blankie was taken away, and I started playing with my hair. I twirl it, I twist it, I rub on it when my hands aren't doing anything else.  And I have a lot of hair to play with.  With which to play. Whatever.
   One lady at work calls me Twiddles. Because I still do it.
  Also, there are foods I won't eat because of their texture. Coconut, for example, and shrimp. There is just something about how it feels in my mouth that makes me refuse to eat it. 
  Now, I know it's not just me that is like this. What won't you eat because it feels icky?  What do you like or do because it makes your fingertips happy?

I was in Heaven today

  Otherwise known as the Arts and Crafts Festival of Fairhope, Alabama. I love when Artsfest rolls around!  They have everything and anything you can think of there.  Including lots of people, from all over the country.  I saw a couple of weavers, one was busy with a customer so I didn't talk to her, but the other is Vickie Vipperman of Kingston Springs, Tennessee.   Her website is here,  She had some very lovely things.
   Another person I talked to was an oil painter by the name of Harry Jarman, and this painting blew me away.

    It's just some eggshells!!  But his use of light is AMAZING! One of his other paintings won Best of Show.  I bought a little copy of a painting he did of a half-peeled lemon. You can see it on his website here.
   I am going back tomorrow, too, with the kids. The first day I go by myself so I can see what I want to see.
   So, yeah, no weaving really done today. But I still have 6 more hours before I have to go to bed.

Life is busy

   So very busy!  I have almost finished weaving the rag rugs, and will need to start thinking about what to do next. I am thinking either cottolin towels for my kitchen (if the cottolin ever gets here!), or beach towels/mats for my Etsy site. I have not yet made either before.
  I have several bands I'd like to show y'all that I've made.

   These are some of my first inkle bands, so don't be too harsh.:) And here is my "sampler" band.

When I am done with it I'll take some more pictures so you can see the patterns clearly.
  Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

And now you know

   Hello, my name is Nicole, and I am a procrastinator.
   And my camera appears to have died. It says the batteries are dead and THEY ARE BRAND NEW! Can you feel the frustration?
   That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
   So, anyway, I finished two rugs from that warp I mentioned before, and I still have a butt-load of warp to go. I may be able to make up to two more! I showed one to the doctor whose lab coats they were, and he thought it was neat.
   Now I just need to hem the rugs (I decided against fringe), and retie the warp so I can keep weaving.
   Also, I was added to a fiber cybershop, www.squidoo.com/fave-fiber-artists, where they have my eyelash shawl listed. Cool, huh?
   To all the southern states that celebrate it, Happy Mardi Gras (almost)! Laissez les bons temps rouler! Can't wait until it is over and downtown traffic in Mobile gets back to normal!

The continuing saga of the rag rug

   So I finally got to do some work on my rag rug, beaming it onto the back beam. It took a while because its 94 inches or so. And I kept stopping to watch Sons of Guns on Discovery channel. I like when they blow stuff up.  Hee!
   Anyway, I was wrong about the colors I am using. Mahogany is in between the stripes and outer edges, one stripe is aqua and gold, the other is wine, pink, and slate gray.  Now I just need to tie it onto the front, make sure the tension is good, and start weaving. Once I get my ski shuttle I ordered. I won a football bet with Husband so I got money to get what I wanted. War Eagle!
   Here is what my first rug looks like, the one in my kitchen (obviously).

   Yeah, its a little dirty. Fortunately I can just toss it in the washer and its good.
    Now it is time for all good little girls to get their butts to bed so they can get up again in 6 hours and have a "fun" day at work. (Did you hear the sarcasm? I don't think it translates very well on here.) G'night!
    Next time, some of the rug will be woven ( I hope) and maybe I'll show you my inkle bands.

Ok, here we go!

So, I have finally given in and decided to blog. What the hey, so many others are, why not me? Here we go!
    Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicole Neal. I am a wife, mom of four, weaver, spinner, among other things.   My Eldest Son is almost 18 <shudder>, Eldest Daughter is 14, Second Daughter is also 14 (stepdaughter), and Baby Girl is 10. I have been weaving for about 9 years or so. My husband and I have been married 5 years. I will endeavor to keep this blog on topic, which would be my weaving, but don't be surprised if I go off on numerous tangents. I am, by no means, a master weaver, but what I learn I would like to share with you. I may occasionally say something funny. Let me rephrase, that others will find funny.
    Right now I am working on a rag rug for my side door that my husband has been asking me to make for a while.  I already have one in front of our stove that I made from a Handwoven article. This time I have made it up myself and kinda overcounted in my planning, but it will be okay.  The cotton carpet warp is in groups of aqua and gold, slate gray, rose, and maroon, and a rich brown in between the groups and at the edges.  The rag will be strips I tore up from lab coats one of the doctors I work for was discarding. (I was rather amused by the multiple ink stains at the bottom  of the pockets!) I have a 32" 4 harness Ashford table loom with the treadle stand that the rug is on, and I also have an inkle loom that I am weaving a sample band of pickup. I am much better with the big loom than the inkle, but I am working on it.

    That's a picture of my loom in the family room.  I let the Kids stay up as late as they want on Friday nights in the hope that they will sleep late and let me have the family room to myself on Saturday mornings!  Sometimes it works, sometimes ....
    Well, until next time, readers!  I gotta get to bed. I will try to blog every couple of days, or at least once a week.  Next time, pictures of my rag rug started! Pinky swear!