In Control

I feel in control for the first time in over a year.  I don't know if it's because today I actually cleaned out my office or if it's because I do see an end to the dissertation haze.  It could be because David and I are going out on a "whim" and having dinner in New Orleans tonight (at Bayona, where else?).  Maybe it's because I realize I only have 2 more weeks of teaching and then life gets to be much more manageable.  Whatever, it feels good to be me today.

Red and White Overshot Table Runner

This was a commission for a co-worker.  I hope she loves it.  I am very proud of it.

A blue and grey alpaca silk shawl

This shawl is luxuriously soft, made from alpaca and silk.  It is in a "deflected doubleweave" design from Handwoven Magazine (March/April 2010).  I don't think it "fulled" or shrunk like it was supposed to and as a result is very long, but quite pretty and I'll forgive the extra length.  I do love it and will be wearing it come fall.

4 Red Towels in Spot Bronson

These towels are woven in a "Spot Bronson" pattern.  It give them dimension and character that I haven't created in my towels before.  I just love it. Spot Bronson is usually reserved for special items like scarves or table runners, but it is also perfect for towels and I'm glad that I tried it out.  I love the rich red color and the feel of them makes you want to wash your hands just so you can dry them!

Madeline Hunter

I have discovered a new writer who I absolutely love:  Madeline Hunter.  I read Ravishing in Red while in Texas for spring break.   Bought the next two in the series while I was there and had been thinking about them ever since.  Finished Provocative in Pearls yesterday and started and am halfway finished with Sinful in Satin.  Dangerous in Diamonds doesn't come out for another month...I don't know how I'll wait to finish this group of books.  Wonderful all around.

They are focused on four women during the early 1800s in England who have for one reason or another come to live together as independent women.  Following the rule that they don't pry into their reasons for being alone, but simply love and support one another, they each grow and find love along the way.  Sinful in Satin is especially interesting because it is about Celia, the daughter of a famous prostitute in London.  Her limitations for moving about in society are painful to read about, but it is wonderful to learn how she has faced and eventually overcome as much as possible those limitations.

In Pearls, I was a little worried because when I started it I really didn't like either Hawkeswell or Verity, but by the end I loved them both and was both sad and happy to see their story end.  Happy because it's such a wonderful ending and sad because I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters.

Hunter's books are rich in detail and character development, and most amazingly to me, carry a very interesting plot.  There are mystery elements thrown in.  The solving of those mysteries is important, but carried off in such a way that it doesn't take over the overarching plot.  AND I didn't solve it before the time necessary nor feel jipped when I did find out the underlying currents.

Really wonderful books.  I highly highly recommend and cannot wait to read the rest of Hunter's works.  These are definitely on my "to buy" list!

Green, Gold and Pink Variegated Merino Scarf

I made this one using my new Cricket Loom.  It is so soft and shimmery it looks and feels like silk even though it's wool.  Really pretty.  It measures 5x60 and sells for $65.

2 Scarves

I forgot to take a picture of the honeycomb scarf, so I only have 2 pics to post.  The first one is a grey cotton and gold rayon scarf that I sold.  The second one is a green chenille with merino strips that my mama wants.  I wove the second one in the car on my way home from Texas this week.   I bought a new "Cricket Loom" which is lap sized and perfect for road trips.  Too bad the weaving goes so quickly.  I'd need about 12 of these for a real road trip!

I promise I haven't disappeared

I've been super busy with work, dissertation and other claims on my time.  I hope to have some pics of the weaving I've done recently up tomorrow.  And then maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to keep up...

"Cool Stuff" Scarf

I'm wearing this scarf just about every day because I love it so much.  It's made from hand dyed yarns that are tied together in a color-way change to create a rainbow effect.  All are soft, silky, or chenille, and I just love it.  Expensive but worth it!

Mardi Gras Scarf

This is a Mardi Gras scarf that I made for a co-worker to give to her daughter.  It's purple and green cotton with yellow bamboo.  Soft, long, and very "festive."  I love it!

A Blue and White Plaited Twill Rayon Scarf

Soft, silky, oversized.  Perfect for my friend Cathy.

A Bevy of Book Reviews

I'm trying to catch up on my blog (and my life really, but the blog is just as good a place to start as any).  So, I'm going to catch up my book reviews in this blog and hopefully manage to keep up from this point forward.

Bad Day for Sorry by Sophi Littlefield.  A slightly charming, mostly disarming crime novel with a menopausal, formerly abused wife who sets out to "right the wrongs" of all abused women everywhere.  The plot sagged a bit, overly violent.  Not really my cup of tea, but I gave it a shot for bookclub.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith.  Beautifully written, dense novel dealing with lots of issues ranging from race, to class, to feminism.  I found it slow to read at times, and put it down three times before I managed to finish it.  While I was reading it I was enjoying it but something would happen to take me away and I found I didn't want to get back to it for a while.  I'll try another book by Z. Smith..but I'll be skeptical.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby.  This is a memoir of a French man who had a stroke in his mid-40s that left him in "locked-in" syndrome.  He wasn't able to move or communicate except through blinking his eyes.  In this manner he wrote his memoir which is reallyl quite insightful about the power of the mind.

When the Duke Returns by Eloisa James.  The 4th in the Desperate Duchesses series follows Lady Isidore as her duke returns to claim her as his wife (after being married 11 years via proxy) and his life as duke.  It was a charming story about 2 people getting to know each other and themselves and finding love along the way.  My favorite of the duchesses series so far.

Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck.  Steinbeck had a traveling truck built and he drove across most of America in 1961 with his French poodle Charley.  It was a funny, insightful, and sometimes horrifying journey that left me wishing for more miles on the road.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read, and especially for those who like to travel.

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philipa Gregory.  This is the 5th in the Tudor series by Gregory.  In time, it comes right after The Other Boleyn Girl and tells the stories of Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn.  It was gripping and I had a hard time putting it down--read rather quickly.  However, I do get tired of Gregory's novels about 2/3 into them. So, while I love them, I'm always happy to finish.

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James. Unlike Gregory I never want James's novels to end.  This was no exception.  I absolutely loved watching Linnett and Piers fall in love and learn to accept and love themselves as well as their families in the process.  Fun book, and James has a "way" with characters, dialog, and humor.

Just Imagine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  A fun story about Kit and Baron as they battle wits and power to eventually admit they have fallen in love with one another.  The novel deals with issues pertinent to a Reconstruction Era fiction:  race relations, rebuilding the south, coming to terms with the issues of slavery and the "southern" way of living.  Excellent book, though not your typical romance.

Red and White Stitched Double Weave Table Runner

This was a new process of weaving that I wanted to learn.  It was lots of fun because of all the different patterns--plus the weaving went so quickly.  Love love love it!

Because it's double weave, there is a top side and a bottom side.  The way the "stitching" works in this project is that it brings up some of the bottom threads to the top (and therefore some of the top threads to the bottom) and creates diamond patterns.

Knifty Knitter

I bought a Knifty Knitter to help me with my long hours in the car--I get terribly bored.  On my most recent trip out to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl I made the two items pictured here.  The fuzzy green scarf is for Elizabeth and the hat is for Mom.

A Red Scarf for Alyssa

A Fuzzy Red Scarf

This is a commission for my friend Rachel.

A Fabulous Alpaca Blanket

This blanket was woven using a double weave/double wide technique.  Basically that means there are two layers woven at the same time, and in this set up, they are connected at one side which creates a "fold" and when you take the item off the loom it opens up and voila is double as wide as you wove.  I love double weave because it does feel a little like magic happens.  That said, that much alpaca all stuffed into the loom together doesn't make for happy weaving because the alpaca tends to shed and create little fuzz balls that cause problems.  I'm going to try again with different yarns--maybe some cotton in the warp and a fuzzy chennile for the weft. 

I used 6 different yarns to create the mini striping effect.  The yarn with pink is a hand-dyed alpaca that variegates from pink to brown to green.  I love the overall look!

Bulky Cotton Chenille Scarf

The epitome of cozy.  This scarf is soft and cuddly.  I'd love to have it around my neck!  It measures 7.5 x 68 and sells for $50.  The fringe is twisted.

A couple of scarves

This scarf is made with a yarn called "fuzzy purls" and is fun fun fun! (and all mine!)

This fuzzy and sparkly scarf was given to Elizabeth for a Christmas present.

This scarf was intended for Alyssa's Christmas present but she found the wool slightly scratchy.  It's already sold to a different person!

Black and Blue Alpaca Scarf

SOOO soft and warm.  Lovely.