Super-skinny brown bamboo scarf

A super-skinny brown bamboo scarf. The yarn is actually brown, black, white and burgandy threads twisted together that create a tweedy type look. The yarn is very soft and drapy. Fringe is twisted. It measures 4x68 and sells for $60.

Purple and White Merino Scarf

I really love the way the twill creates horizontal stripes on this scarf. It is made using a kettle dyed merino wool that is extremely soft. The kettle dying process creates a tonal variegated look because the dye takes differently throughout the yarn. It is very soft and textured looking.

This is a commission for Gaye. I hope you love it! It measures 7x68. If you'd like one I can do it in different colors; it sells for $60.

WW Update

I maintained and David gained 2.5. He was traveling this week...we have really have to learn how to eat while traveling so that we don't gain. Total loss so far: Me 13, David 11.5.

Berry Pie Scarf

So soft and silky, this rayon and polyester chenille scarf is wonderful, simply wonderful. The chenille is very fine, so FEELS soft, but isn't really fuzzy. I love that yarn.

The scarf measures 10.5x68 and has twisted fringe. I'm trying to find a good place to donate it for breast cancer awareness, so it isn't for sale, though I can make another one just like it if you are interested. (it would sell for $65).

Purple Bamboo Scarf

I love the way the color creates a textured look in this scarf. It is made from bamboo yarn, which is super-silky soft and wonderful feeling next to the skin. I absolutely love this yarn.

This scarf is a commission for Aunt Carolyn (hope you love it!) but I can make one for you in your own color-way if you'd like. It runs $50-60 depending on size.

Book Review: Fatlands by Sarah Dunant

Usually I wait a day or so after finishing a book to write the review. Gives me a little perspective and keeps me from totally spoiling the plot for potential readers...but I just finished Fatlands and wanted to write about it tonight because I found it so wonderful! Terrifically written. Loved the protagonist and a gripping story.

Fatlands is the first novel by Sarah Dunant (you may know her as the author of Birth of Venus or In the Company of the Courtesan, Italian renaissance historical fictions). It's a crime novel with the main character of Hannah Wolfe. Ms. Wolfe is a delightful character. I absolutely loved her. The story and writing are fast-paced and perfectly executed.

I'm not usually a reader of detective novels, but I enjoyed Dunant's historical fiction so much that I wanted to read it and see if I had issues with the detective novel genre or if I could enjoy one written by a writer that can really put words on a page. Apparently, I had issues with the writing of other detective novel authors.

Highly recommended.

glitzy, shiny scarf

Shimmery rayon loop in pastel colors combine with a blue cotton warp for a fun, funky glitzy scarf. It's skinny (only 6" wide) so very modern. I love it.

It measures 6x60, has twisted fringe and sells for $60.

WW update

Well, this week, David and I both doubled our gain from last week, only as a loss. Does that make sense? I lost 5 pounds, for a total now of 13 pounds, and he lost 3 pounds, for a total now of 14. YEA us!

shimmery, silky shawl

A grey tencel shawl with royal blue "shots" throughout. It is gorgeous, light weight, and shimmery. Feels heavenly on the skin.

This is a commission for Betty. Please let me know if you'd like me to make you one similar to this (different colors are available).

Book Review: Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman, and a review of my first experience reading on a Kindle

Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman is supposedly a "remake" of Wuthering Heights. Having never read Wuthering Heights, I can't make commentary about how closely it ties into the original...but I can say that it was just ok...I really like having characters that I LIKE in the book. It doesn't have to be every character--that would probably be boring, but at least one that I'm sympathetic with in some way...and to be honest I just didn't care if any of these characters lived or died, realized they were in an abusive relationship or not, or just got up and walked away. Maybe I'll feel differently after a couple of days' reflection, but I doubt it!

Recommended for readers who love Wuthering Heights and like to read remakes of the classics or for Alice Hoffmn fans.

The second part of this post is a review on my experience reading a book on the amazon.com's Kindle. (click on Kindle at the left to be taken to Amazon.com's information page about the wireless reading device. It's very interesting to look at.).

I love it...I'm getting used to it but I love it.

1. It's lightweight,
2. It fits in your hand like a book does, only it's smaller and lighter
3. very easy to navigate (perhaps too easy to "buy" with 1-click purchasing),
4. the screen is clear and you can adjust the font size (not type) for your ease in reading (this is something I thought I would have problems with because I don't see computer screens easily without getting serious eye strain AND I don't like reading in small columns, but the text is very clear and reads "across" like a book would rather than an article),
5. you can bookmark and take notes, which is really cool...and then you can somehow file them however you want, but I haven't figured that out yet.
6. AND you can create a list of quotes, which I think might be a fun experiment at some point.
7. Books are cheaper than in paper, but you can't "pre-order"
8. downloading takes about 2 minutes.

Kinks:

1. The "next page" button is on both the right and left side of the screen. I keep hitting the left one to go back a page and end up going forward...that's been frustrating but I'll get used to it (the back page is right above the next page on the left side)
2. some of the formatting and editing isn't as precise as it should be (something I care about and David doesn't. I think it's an English major thing). For example, in the book I'm reading only 1/2 of a title of a book was italicized.
3. I "flip" around in a book and this isn't something you can do. You can't really tell how far you are from the end of a chapter (something I was looking for the other night to decide whether to stop then or wait 5 min and stop at the end of the chapter), though it does provide you with a percent completion of the book.

------all-in-all though I'm very happy I bought it and don't know how many new books I'll purchase in print simply because this is so compact and portable. It will hold approximately 1500 books...and I don't have but 1/3 of that on my "to be read" list :) And now I have room for at least another outfit in my suitcase in December! yea!

Trilogy and Soy Silk Scarf

Trilogy (wool, cotton and rayon) is combined with soy silk for a bumpy, soft, silky, sparkly, fun scarf.

It measures 6.5x64 and sells for $55. Fringe is twisted.

Book Review: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead tells the story of John Ames, preacher and decendent of 3 generations of preachers, as he is dying. He knows he is dying and has a young son who he feels the urgency to depart parental guidance to but knows he won't be around to do so.

The tension in the story derives from three sources: 1) John Ames's best friend's son, John Ames Boughton, 2) his reluctance to leave the world that he loves,. and 3) his father's and brother's lack of belief in God.

Lyrically written, beautifully designed and thought-out, Gilead is a book for a contemplative time. It is not a quick read, but it is well-worth the time and effort one puts into it.

Recommended for those who like some philophical prose in their fiction, for those who like to read religious fiction, and for those who like to read about familial relationships.

Holiday Order Reminder

Just a quick reminder for those of you still considering a holiday hand wovens order. There are only 6 weeks left until the end of October.

Kitchen linens
Priced as follows:

• 100% cotton:
  $20/towel, 17x30;
  $15/napkin, 17x17;
  $12.50/waffle weave wash cloth, 10x10
  
• 60% cotton, 40% linen:
  $30/towel, 17x30;
  $25/napkin, 17x17.
• The benefits of the cotton/linen blend are softer finished products and slightly more vibrant colors. I have found that both materials are very absorbent and color fast. The linens are not bleach resistant, however, so be careful when laundering.

Scarves or shawls:
If you would like to give a nice hand-woven scarf or shawl, prices are specific per item and are based on the yarns used and time taken to make it. Prices generally range between $50-80 for most scarves made with cotton, wool, alpaca or a synthetic fiber. Silk is more expensive and usually runs in the $100 range. Tencel, bamboo, and soy silk are generally less expensive than silk and have the same sheen and drape so are great alternatives.

Other:
Other custom made items that you can order are blankets, place mats, table runners, pillows, or purses/bags. Prices for these items vary based on the material chosen and time investment in creating them, but they will definitely be unique items that are sure to please.

Inspiration:
If you need inspiration, check out the past projects on my blog. You can search by type of gift by selecting the category you are interested in under the “labels” section in the upper left corner.

If you are interested in placing an order for the holidays, please contact me either by e-mail (leslief150@yahoo.com) or phone (601.310.9372).

I’m looking forward to making your special items!

Leslie Suzanne

Navy Blue Towels for Jeff

These towels were commissioned by my friend Jeff for a gift for his mother. There are 2 dark blue towels, but I only pictured one here for space. Jeff gets the left two and I keep the other two.

Not a good weigh-in day

...for either David or me. He gained 1.5 pounds and I gained 2.5 pounds (total loss to this point, 11 for D and 8 for me). He was traveling last week, and I drank some alcohol on two occasions--sewing group and Saturday night. Guess we learned some of our limitations. Here's to a better week next week!

Soft and silky scarf

This scarf is perfect for fall...in autumn colors and lightweight, it will complement any outfit plus keep the wind off. It's a nice size that you could wrap around your head on particularly windy days, too. There are small mohair boucle (bumpy) stripes throughout to give the scarf a little texture and interest. The other yarns are rayon and tencel. Wonderful drape, too. (to see the texture of the mohair, click on the picture for a close up view. Look at the fringe too).

The scarf measures 11.5x68 and has twisted fringe. It sells for $50.

Kathie and Leslie's Assignment Book Review: Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Cold Sassy Tree is a story about family, growing up, the influence of "modernity," and faith. Will Tweedy, the narrator, tells how his grandfather, Mr. Blakeslee, marries the milliner in his store only three weeks after his grandmother died, much to the dismay and embarrassment of his family and the town.

Miss Love, the new wife, suffers under the presumptions, gossip and snubbing of the town, but learns to love Mr. Blaskeslee and gets a family in the process.

The story is told from the perspective of 14 year old Will Tweedy as he goes through the trials and tribulations of being a teenager at the turn of the century in Georgia. It addresses racial and class issues as well as the effect of modern machinery (such as automobiles and grammophones) on society.

Well written, very lovingly told, this is a great story. The dialect can be difficult to interpret at times, but it's worth it.

Recommended, especially for lovers of Southern fiction.

Bookclub Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I was prepared to like this book a lot becuase of the amazing review that Rosina Lippi (one of my favorite authors) wrote about it....I was even prepare to love it considering that it's about a topic near and dear to my heart--women's relationships. I don't know that I was prepared for it to wriggle its way deep into my brain and make me think and feel in a way that I haven't done in a long while about a book. Wonderful is my best descriptor simply because words don't do this book justice.

Stockett tells the story of the relationships between black women "help" and their white women employers and the children they raise. The inconsistencies in 1960s racial codes and blatant racism and the love that these women share for one another is unexplainable, yet somehow is explained in this book. Two quotes from the book, on facing pages, almost exactly opposite one another, sum the book up very nicely:

• Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, we are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought. p.418
• And while I'd never lie and tell myself I actually changed the minds of people like Hilly and Elizabeth, at least I don't have to pretend I agree with them anymore. p. 419

I understand why this book has risen to #3 on the NYT Best Sellers list. It's excellently written, and tackles a topic that people need to read about, but does so in a way that is accessible while being revealing. I'll be thinking and talking about this book for a while...not just at bookclub.

Highly recommended. (Aunt Janice, this is her first novel, and I know you like to read "firsts"...it's a really really good one!)

4 green towels, and 1 Baylor towel

The top two towels are a commission for Glenda, the bottom 3 are birthday presents for Mom.

Enjoy ladies! They are going to the PO this afternoon.

WW Update

I lost 2 pounds and David lost 1.5. That brings us to a total of 10.5 and 12.5 respectively! We're still moving on! yea!

A Green Soy Silk and Bamboo Scarf

Soft, silky AND eco-friendly. This is a wonderful scarf. It measures 9.5x56 and sells for $55. Fringe is twisted.