Riding!!!

Today was the most beautiful day ever!  Sunny, warm, no bugs!  The horses were quiet but willing for their first ride of the season.  We went slowly so they wouldn't get sweaty because they have not completely shed out yet.  Just walk/trot in the arena to warm them up...over polls, etc.  Nothing very strenuous.  Then out the gate, down the dirt road, through the dry part of the woods past the pond and into the upper part of the field where it isn't too wet.

It was lovely.  I hope we can ride again tomorrow because the rest of my week is a little crazy.  Drs. appointments for me as well as a quick trip to Lake Placid with a friend on Wednesday, shots and teeth for the horses on Thursday.  Then I am off to oncology camp down by Lake George for the weekend!  And my youngest sister is joining me there because she had a melanoma taken out of her arm.  Camp Bravehearts is held 4 times a year though I only go to the April/May one.  Such a supportive group of women and the staff is all volunteers.  I hadn't been in several years because I considered myself healed and wanted to have someone new go in my place since they only take a certain number of women.  But after the lung cancer surgery I am in need of a little R & R.  

Django rolling after being brushed, ridden, and brushed again!  Of course.  

xo

Triangle Scarf in Naturals Finished...

Something light and ethereal!  Ahhhh...I am happy with this delicate confection!  Took it off yesterday and feeling refreshed and ready to tackle weaving towels again.  It is sometimes hard to balance designing and doing what I want to do with selling.  Both are gratifying but sometimes the repetitive nature of weaving gets tiring and I have to knit or make triangle scarves!  It is lovely work where you get to touch and feel every strand of yarn...the weight, the texture...

Wait!  I haven't made potholders in a while...

Finished but still on the triangle...

Close-up.  I love the bumpy mixed with

the shiny mixed with the smooth

and just a tiny bit of color!

I need to find a model!

xo

Triangle Scarf in Naturals...

 So, for a change of pace!  Pulled lots of my un-dyed natural thread (ok I added just a tiny bit of color)...and I'm happy with this!  Have to sometimes refresh my eyes for a while when I get saturated with color.  

 Finding it peaceful to work with my hands.

Will probably finish up tomorrow.  Now if only Noah would bring his girlfriend, Sofia, up to visit and I could photograph with her as my model!  

Meanwhile I hope everyone's Easter was lovely!

xo

Purple to Pale Green Rainbow Towels

YAY!  I actually made another towel warp!  Tomorrow I will wind bobbins and start weaving.  I would like to have complete sets of towels all ready to go in early July for a lovely craft/music festival up by the St. Lawrence River.  The festival attracts Canadians as well (hopefully they can get into the country without any hassle).  In between weaving the towels I will be weaving scarves and redoing my booth as well.  So I am encouraged and have cut down on my pain medication as well.

So far I have yellow/orange towels, these towels, pastel towels, then next another set of rainbow towels, then perhaps green/blue towels...and whatever else appeals to me at the time.  All with 6 blocks of color separated by bumpy white.  They make me happy.

Thread for pastel rainbow towels

Hope everyone's weekend was lovely!

xo

Sunrise Towels

Before surgery I finished weaving my Sunrise towels.  So the other day I took them off the loom and cut them apart, hemmed them, and washed and ironed them.  

Half the warp for the Sunrise towels on the warping mill

Woven towels wrapped around the cloth beam

Woven towels fresh off the loom

All done and ready for Etsy!

Photographed for Etsy

This is one of the Rainbow towels which
became gifts for Christmas...I kept two!

I have chosen the next colors for towels but haven't had the energy to actually make the warp.  Plus I only have a couple of days to do my NY sales tax.  And I haven't even found the form!  Maybe today...

xo

Post Surgery

OK...diagnosed lung cancer but the surgeon is sure she got everything out.  The tumor was small and she took out the entire upper right lobe with robotic assisted surgery. 5 stab wounds right side and back. All lymph nodes tested negative as well.  Now to recover.  Breathing is a little affected but what is worse is nerve pain.  However they are giving me plenty of pain medication round the clock.  I even have to set my phone alarm to take meds in the night.  I'll be glad when I am healed.

Meanwhile I am still loading photos from before surgery!

Winding the warp on for towels

Threading the heddles

Weaving

Off the loom but before cutting and hemming
and washing and ironing and tagging!

Sofia modeling an clasped weft weave overblouse

Back of overblouse

That's it...time for a nap and more pills...Can't wait to get back to "normal" and have some energy!

Happy Saturday!

xo

Stool Painting

Took a fun painting class with my riding instructor, Nancey, and her daughter, Emma...Took us two days and gallons (kidding) of paint over in Nancey's studio.  Taught by another dear friend, Melanie of Cat House Designs.  We stenciled a butterfly, drew squiggly lines, and used up all her paint. 

 Emma, me, Nancey

 My stool

 Melanie's stool

 Nancey's stool

 Far right is Emma's stool

Had an old stool from Ames (which has been out of business for years)...ugly, pale stool.  Sprayed it black and had a ball!  Livens up my kitchen especially with a big plant on top.

Just beginning to snow today.  Great day to weave!

xo

Rainbow Christmas Gift Towels

I finally made Christmas gifts for friends and family plus two for me!

Pulling cotton threads for towels

Winding the warp

Winding the warp onto the loom
using a raddle and lease sticks

threading the heddles so that the threads
make a pattern

Reed is sleyed and tied on
ready to weave

Weaving the towels

I didn't take any photos of the stack of 13 towels but

tomorrow I will take a photo of my two...

the rest are given away.

Working on Sunshine towels right now.

Hopefully I will be done with them

this weekend!

Happy Friday, Everyone!

xo

I Know...It has been a long time...

Victoria and Alex - July 10, 2016

Ava - Flower Girl

Last May I had an aortic valve replacement.  And breathing complications with fluid filling the pleural cavity.  And an allergic reaction to one of the medications given in the hospital.  And several hospital stays, etc. Finally, my lovely pulmonologist gave me steroids to help my appetite and energy levels. My middle son, Alex, married his Victoria in July. Adam, Alicia and Ava came to the farm a week before the wedding. Some of my siblings and I had rented a camp on Saranac Lake for after the wedding and I was able to enjoy all of it! And I made the flower girls fairy crowns out of wire and nail polish.

Faith, Cait, Paul, Meg

 Went to cardio rehab all fall finishing up near Christmas but in January they found that a spot on my lung is growing and February 16 I am back down to Memorial Sloan Kettering for surgery to remove it.  Hospital stay is approximately 5 days and I have no idea how this recovery is going to play out.

Meanwhile, I had been starting to weave some.  Wove some towels for gifts...another 13 towels for a customer...a rainbow scarf...

Rainbow Towels

Towels in Green

Blue Plaid towels

Infinity Wrap

Rainbow Scarf

 So life goes on...Hopefully after this next surgery the year will be a productive one for me!  Meanwhile, Hannah is keeping me good company and we walk everyday with a friend and her corgi...

And yes...I went to Washington for the
Women's March

Magic keeping warm with
Hannah

XO