Silent Movie

Here is a scarf that is new to my Etsy store, but not newly handwoven.

Silent Movie

The warp is silk, wool, and a metallic blend yarn. The weft is mohair. I wove this a few years ago (maybe three?) and it was living at Swift Waters in Willimantic. It's beautiful and classic and the silk and mohair have a sheen naturally found in those fibers. The metallic blend yarn gives the scarf a little sparkle an interest but is not overpowering. The yarn is handpainted and very high quality.

The mohair gives the scarf a lovely, slight halo (little fibers fluffing out) but it might be a little scartching for wearing directly around some necks (mine included). I have to be honest because I wouldn't want someone to buy this, then have it irritate them. Some people aren't bothered by the mohair, though. Either way, this would look beautiful draped around the coat collar of a gray, tan, or black coat.

I have to take more pictures of another scarf today (we are getting more snow on Wednesday) so I will be posting another new scarf in the store later!

Say Hello to My New Friend

It's beautiful. I love it. It's an Ibanez, acoustic/electric.

I'm posting this for my mom to see - for everyone else, too, of course, but she's very happy. I played a long, long time ago, when I was about 10 or 12, so this isn't exactly a random, out-of-the-blue thing. I just decided to pick it up again and start all over again. I basically forgot nearly everything I ever learned.

I have a photo shoot to do today, mail out an order, work out at lunch (tired from the game last night - good game!), working on my next set of spring scarves, and practicing!

You Might Want to Look Better Naked, But Why Not Wear a Scarf, Too?

For selective coverage, of course.

You might try January Rose, for instance.

Or try it with Toasted Almond Coffee.

Happy Friday!

Good Weekend!

Ok, not much to report on the weaving/creating scene. However, I did work on my business taxes and I think that caused me to have heart palpitations all weekend. (I'm not really finished yet, although I thought I was. However, my husband will check my work, ask me how I arrived at these conclusions, and I am unable to answer. I don't know what I'm doing, although I have all my own numbers. This is a topic for another day. ugh.)

I am back to doing work today but this weekend we took a little day trip out to Litchfield county, hit a winery, Connecticut Valley Winery (excellent Chianti, which we coulddn't try, as they were sold out, excellent Raspberry Wine and Black Bear Wine, which is their port), out to Litchfield, the town, where we watched the end of the Syracuse - West Virginia game (I was born and raised near Syracuse, so SU basketball is a given for me), and tried a new (to me) beer called Winter Bourbon Cask Ale - AWESOME! Slight vanilla aftertase but not sweet. I'm on a hunt to find it. Then a bit of shopping.

Yesterday we had the family over for football and - hey, what do you know, an early birthday party for me! (It's on Wednesday) My husband wanted to surprise me by having my mom come in from Syracuse but she couldn't make it. That was nice of him, wasn't it?

Sorry there are no pictures, again, but I am slowly getting back on track after the holidays, my husband' vacation, his foot injury, the taxes - ugh.

Happy New Year!

There are two ways of looking at it - it's been a bit of a bumpy ride so far into the seventh day of the new year. My husband, after being on vacation for the previous week and me not being able to work as much as I'd like, is finally back to work, but not before tearing a ligament in his ankle. He slipped on ice while shoveling snow. Not the way to start the new year.

On the other hand, what's the new year but a continuation of your current life, a date on the calender. What did I expect - fireworks, a clean slate, a sudden explosion of energy?

It's like every other day, week, month. I'm not happy, not sad. It's a state of mind and I am ready to push forward.

It's time to work on my goals for the month - increased inventory and working with a group of like-minded women who are trying to make our businesses succeed. I first met with them on Tuesday night and we have so much in common, despite our varied experiences and small businesses. We are planning an event, "Gardens, Galleries, and Gifts", for June 5 & 6 in Broad Brook. Exciting and a new challenge for me.

So I have (vague) goals (but goals nonetheless) and some opportunities that have popped up, so it's all good!

Inspiration

Evening All Afternoon

Pantomime

I sold my Evening All Afternoon scarf this week. This was made on the same warp (yarn going the long way) as Pantomime but using different colored wefts (yarn going the short way, or horizontally).

The idea for these scarves came to me as I was watching CPTV, our public channel here in Connecticut. It was early in the morning and the alarm went off so I watched a bit of tv before I got up. I have no idea what the program was or who the artist was and I think it was in Spanish. Basically, the program showed some beautiful wooden tables, plain, but maybe they were made of salvaged wood. Then there was an exhibit that showed cubby holes cut out in walls, found objects from drug war zones in central America placed inside (shoes, I remember), and a sheer fabric placed over the hole. Very haunting.

But at some point there was a painting or a door, which appeared to have been painted red but was weathered to shades of gray. The weathering followed the wood grain and I was struck by this image the most. Sometimes I become absolutely mesmerized by images. It can be a little unnerving to be so captivated by something, to try to remember it and burn it into my brain, then try to figure out how to translate it into something. That's what happened that morning. I would have honored the artists and their work by naming the scarves after them but I could not find out what the program was.

Hence, the two scarves above. It was a fun project. I'd like to do more. These things sometimes have a way of taking you down a road that you had not expected, giving you food for other ideas or changing your current ideas and plans due to technical challenges or my own limited abilities at this time. Or sometimes, as you move forward with an idea, you meet with new ideas, much as you would walking down a path in the woods or in normal interactions with people, music, books. And I feel like my head is going to explode.

Note: always carry a writing instrument and paper with you.

Merry Christmas! And even if you don't celebrate, it's still a day on the calendar, so have a good one!

Sleepy Moon Soap Open House

Are you going to be in eastern Connecticut today? Stop by Sleepy Moon Soap's Open House, set in a charming cottage on beautiful Baily Farm in Franklin, CT. Candles glow and a wood burning stove set the scene to smell all the delicious soaps, try some mulled wine, and tasty goodies. Do some holiday shopping for soaps, silver jewelry by White Crane Design, Lu Lu Design handmade handbags, Dot Drobney photo cards, and my scarves! Handcrafted soaps make good stocking stuffers, gifts, or use everyday for extra special pleasure! Winter will be there to answer your questions. She also gives soap making lessons!

Visit the link for more information on today's event, which runs 11 - 4, or information on soapmaking classes and where to buy Sleepy Moon Soaps.