Letter to a rooster.

Dear Bart,

I worry about you and your girls in this bitter cold.

But what you don't know, is that someone ELSE worries about you, too.
Even though that someone professes to NOT LIKE YOU.

Imagine that, Bart?  Not liking you, with your silky, shiny black plumage, your antics, your incredible, repetitive CROWING?
I know, I know, hard to believe.
But you have to admit, Bart, that you do kind of appear suddenly, and scare the living crap out of whoever might be gathering the eggs in YOUR coop.
And you are a tad formidable, with your "death stare", when someone looks like they might get too close to your HENS.

But yes, someone else does worry about you in this cold.

 
Worries about your flashy, red comb getting frost bite.


So while you are spreading the straw in the hen house...........

and in the chicken run....

and while you are doing your JOB, being a bit of a PAIN..........supervising all goings on around you......
causing certain people DISTRESS..............

Just remember, Black Bart, that a certain someone whose name I will not mention, who does not like you, has nagged and nagged me until TODAY, I went and bought you a RED LIGHT BULB, to keep the frost off your little head.
I'm sure the girls will like it, too.
So Bart,  when you see that certain someone, please  crow really LOUD for her, so she'll know you're not an ungrateful rooster.

Heaven forbid.

Sunshine

I got to the studio this morning, and it was cold, and gray.    Kind of depressing.

But then the sun came out.

Not for just a minute, but for the WHOLE DAY.

It lights up the floors, and there is a golden glow everywhere.

I don't think you can ever have too many windows.
Cause when the sun shines, you want to let it in.
As much as possible.

 This front room used to be my retail shop, and then I realized that it had so much more to offer.  Retail got moved.
New windows, new glass door, and some rearranging, and now it is my favorite place to weave.
Wow, never thought I would say that.

I got a lot done today, when I wasn't looking out at the sun.

I could take winter a lot better, if only the sun would shine like this.

Per several email requests,  thhe egg muffin recipe is HERE 
I get creative with mine.....and you can, too.  They are delish.

 I guess my girls don't know that chickens SLOW DOWN production in the winter.
I am loving the eggs, but collection is ongoing all day, so the eggs don't freeze.

SUNDAY is February 1st, that means in FOUR weeks, the worst of winter is over.
Pretty much.
I hope.

A cold wintry day.

AVL warped, Happy Light turned on.

 Snow storm apparently decided to avoid the northeast.

Someone said these are too pretty to be dish towels.
But I say, why shouldn't we have beautiful textiles in our daily lives?  Makes me feel good to make them, and makes me feel good to use them.

 It was very cold out today, but no snow to speak of.  Everyone got ready for the big blizzard, but not this time.  It's really ok with me.

I proved something to myself today, something that I knew perfectly well, but kind of wanted to ignore.
Yup, the old carrying eggs in your jacket pocket trick........not wise.
Do I need to say more???

 Lois is on vacay.  
Sydney wants to know what the hell is going on.
I told her, "I got this."
I am currently flitting from loom to loom......fiesta rugs, mobius shawls, mohair throws, and cotton dishtowels.
These two are sold already.

 

 Since the girls are laying their little selves silly, despite the cold, I made some more egg muffins.

 
These have zucchini, red pepper, onions and cheese.  They make a great breakfast.

I'm just amusing myself, counting the days until spring.  Staying warm.

How about you?

Looms.

"Keep the looms you love, and get rid of the rest."  
That was the advice of a weaver friend who died before she could do all the weaving she wanted to do.
That will be me, I fear.
I will never get all the weaving done that is in my head.

Today though, I realized that I DO have the looms I love.   On occasion, I am guilty of lusting after a computerized AVL.
But somehow, I always resist.
I think that I resist because deep down, I am happy with what I have, and I know it.


 For throws and baby blankets, I love my 4 harness, 46" wide, Schacht.

Outfitted with  Leclerc sectional rakes, because I like theirs BETTER.

My favorite rug loom of all, the Union Custom, made in Boonville, NY, the "cadillac" of the Union loom line.
The tray on top has been repaired, but otherwise, this loom is the bomb.

When the Union Custom is 'BUSY', there is always the Union 36, to pick up the slack.  Usually, we use it for placemats, sweet bottom chair pads, table runners.

My older, maple Schacht, also 4 harness, but only 36".   This is a sweet loom.
I use it for mobius shawls mostly.

And my very own AVL, a mechanical dobby, 40" wide, 16 harness.

I use it mostly for towels, this is a new warp, ready to go.

 I have more looms.

An 8 harness Ashford table loom
A band loom.
A 7 ft wide Toika, 8 harness.
A Leclerc compact loom, 4 harness, 24" wide
A Schacht baby wolf.
A Reed Ideal, 2 harness, 36" wide.

Isn't that enough, you ask???

Well, yes, actually, I think it is.  Just perfect.

Fiesta Rugs

Hey, it's January in New York.  It's cold, icy, did I say COLD?
Frigid.

So I decided to take some of the fabric I bought while I was in Georgia, and make some bright, sunshine-y, happy rugs.

 Here's the warp.

 Bright and colorful, that's what I'm talking about.

What do you think???
I am loving it.
It makes me want to make some guacamole.
Drink some Corona.

I want them to be JOYFUL.  

 I am trying to decide on regular size rugs........29"x45"  OR porch rugs........8' of 9' long.

Or maybe both.

Let's make some quesadillas!!!

I'm back.

OK, my mini trip south is over.
Back to the frozen north, and my regular routine.

I will miss my friend, Linda, and our daily walks, even in the rain.

When we left the hotel this morning, at 6:40am, in Allentown, PA, I was sideswiped by a tractor trailer.  We were both stopped at the traffic light, and unlike most trucks that make huge and wide turns, he just cranked left, and practically ripped the back of my car off.
It was scary, and noisy, but didn't do as much damage as I thought.
I tried to catch him, honking my horn, but he stepped on the gas.  He had no intention of stopping.
I had to stop, to investigate the noise coming from the back of my car.  The metal that he ripped off, was bent into the tire, so we had to bend it back before we could proceed.
While it is upsetting, we weren't hurt.  It's just a car, after all.

First order of business, when we got home, was to get Bart from the vet's.  He was apparently not very cooperative while he was there, and crowed so much they were happy to see him go.

He was very quiet in the car on the way back to the studio.  When he got there though, he was a happy boy.
It must have been a nightmare, no wonder he wasn't cooperative.
Home with his girls now, back to normal.

I have a huge list of things to do.

But first, I need to do some weaving.

Farming it.

While I am in Georgia visiting my friend, Lois has been in charge of the studio, which includes cat care, and MUCH to her dismay, chicken duty.
Today I got the call that I knew had to come.  I have been dreading her having any problems related to her "fowl" duties.

But sure enough, while I was perusing Kroger's grocery store, looking for stuff for dinner, my cell phone rang.    A hysterical pretty upset Lois was on the other end of the line.

It seems that Bart had somehow gotten injured, and his entire chest was covered in blood.  And if you know anything about chickens, you know that the rest of them will 'happily' peck him to death, if he is bleeding.
We went over all the different scenarios that might work.  Unfortunately, the coop is one room, and there is no place to separate a wounded chicken. That's going to change this year, I promise you.

Finally, she suggested that she call our Wildlife Control guy, who lives nearby.  He has successfully rehomed a few skunks for me.
Then it hit me........my vet has taken care of some strange animals, even an iguana.  Why not a rooster???

Lois just called me, in her car, on the way to the vet, with Bart in a crate in the back. 

Probably crowing all the way.

Lois's first book may be called "Hit by a Farm CHICKEN".

Hoping Black Bart is ok.  We'll keep you posted.

I better get home.

C'mon along.

Well, it's cold even in the south.  The wood stove is roaring.
During the day it's still warm enough to walk the dog though, and there is NO SNOW or ICE on the ground.

 You cannot hate that.

I've been taking it easy, something you know I don't do often.
Doing a little knitting.

My friend and I are doing a little shopping, a lot of talking, and cooking when we are so moved.

I have to say that these egg muffins are going to be in my refrigerator on an ongoing basis.  What a quick, great breakfast.
I love them.  Without the meat, of course.

We are making them again tomorrow!!!

More knitting......this for my grandbaby, Dale.

In pale pink, what else?

 Then a little side trip for FABRIC.
I know, I know.  I have enough fabric.
How can that be true?????
Hmmmmmmm?

 And you have to love this.   It's almost surreal.

They say it's going to rain here on Monday.

They did not say snow.
So it's all good.