Weaving ... a new project ...

My poor loom! It looks like a dumping ground since I removed the Noro scarf a few weeks ago.

At least it's all fiber-related material. I even have my swift bolted onto the breast beam! Ha!

But that will be tidied up soon enough because this week I had the marvelous idea to weave treads for my stairs. Isn't this going to be fun, fun, fun!

I'm almost finished painting and stenciling the bottom portion of the stair well. I've never done a room in red before, but since the stairs are at the heart of the house I thought red would be rather nice. I've also never painted stripes before but it's been on my mind to do so forever. I painted harlequin diamonds in my bathroom in Brooklyn. They were in green:

After 20 years it had started to chip. Look at that ceiling! I surmise it hasn't been painted since sometime in the 1940s! I didn't paint it because I thought the chipped paint made an interesting texture.
Here's my new stairwell in stripes:

My camera has a hard time capturing red. This photo is close but not quite right, but it does give an overall impression. The following photo is truer in color and shows the 4 weft yarns I will use in weaving the treads:

My plan is to weave the treads in something called "boundweave" which produces a stiff, rug-worthy fabric. A few tests are in order to make sure I have the right weight yarns, etc.
I'm all geared up about this one! :)

Construction ... day 4 ...

The bird's room is quickly taking shape. Happy, happy. These photo make a better showing of the addition in relation to the rest of the house. From the street side the addition is not visible at all. (Doesn't it look better with the "carport" gone!?)

Quilting ... first lesson ...

I took my first quilting class this evening. It was bound to happen seeing how I've admired quilts for so long and even have a few books on quilting.

North Country Quilters is offering a 4-class introduction to quilting and the first class was last week. I didn't find out about it until this past weekend, but the teacher allowed me to join in beginning tonight. She gave me some catch-up instruction a half-hour before class started. I was the only man in class but one gets accustomed to that. Though, come to think of it, when I took spinning lessons at The Yarn Tree in Brooklyn the class started out with 2 of us. It still makes me sad that the store is gone from Bedford Ave. The web store is still open though.

I'm hoping the class will help get me over my fear of using the sewing machine. Straight lines seem rather improbable at the moment. As does accurate cutting. Though I must say, a rotatary cutter, cutting board, and good ruler make all the difference.

For our first project we're making table runners. I decided on a Thanksgiving color scheme since it'll be upon us in no time, besides which I'm getting into a fall mood. I absolutely, totally, with all my being, love autumn.

Got my strips cut and managed to sew 4 together before class ended. I'll sew the remainder this week and next week we'll be shown how to cut new strips from our constructed cloth and join them into the runner pattern. It was fun, and it's getting me out and about. Who knows, maybe if I get comfortable with my little $99 sewing machine I could end up making meself some clothes!

I would so love to have an old pedal sewing machine. We had one in our house all the while I was growing up. No electricity needed. What a wonderful idea!

Construction ... day 3 ...

Day 2 was rainy so not much happened. The contractor spent about 6 hours here today. It's all getting a thoroughly good soaking at the moment as a rather large (and severe) thunderstorm just passed through.

Construction under way ...

The "bird room" has begun! I can't believe it.

I'll try to take several progress pictures and here's the first from day one.


The room will be 10x15 on the back of the house with access from the living room. There will be a window on all three sides. Golly! Who'd a thunk it?

A story of fingerless mittens ...

I had some hand spun Alpaca left over from the scarf--yarn spun by my young neighbor--and was debating what I'd do with it. Beginning of story.

In the meantime I've seen my neighbors at the Plymouth farmer's market on Thursdays selling their handmade soaps, cookies, and all. Last Thursday I popped my head around the corner of their tent for a quick exchange of greetings with the young lady who spins so beautifully considering she's just begun. Haven't seen any more yarn at their tent since the spool which I bought back when, but I'll keep my eyes on the lookout. ...

The story continues. Pretty sure I've mentioned it before, that the general store in Rumney--the Rumney Village Store--is one of my favorite places around these parts.


There was an old general store in West Canaan when I was growing up, just down from the high school and on the first floor of the building which housed the Grange. We (all of my family) belonged to the Grange. If my memory serves me I went to the meetings just about all through my high school years. There were colorful, beautiful people at those meetings. Old timers. It was good. Apple pie and sharp cheddar cheese for refreshments! The Grange hall had creeky old floor boards, antique benches, and a dusty-musty scent of time gone by. A history.

The general store in West Canaan didn't have roaming chickens, but the Rumney Village Store does. They roam about the yard and sometimes the porch, and on some days their eggs will be carted up waiting for someone pining to cook a hearty breakfast, or maybe the baker needs them. A few weeks ago when I visited the store I could hear the player piano from outside as I alit my car. What a treat! And their lovely pooch. What a sweetheart!


You must visit the Rumney Village Store if you find yourself in central NH. They are just past the town common--oh so pretty in that New England way--on the way to Stinson Lake.

The story continues. When I was there 2 visits ago I was presented with a skein of my young neighbor's handspun as a gift from the proprietor of the store. The young spinner sells pies and cookies at the store, and now yarn. The owner thought I should have a skien. Very kind and thoughtful. It was a wool/alpaca blend, darker--in a chocolately way--than the 100% alpaca I already had. A very beautiful yarn and a bit softer than the straight alpaca. It wasn't a huge skein and I wondered what I would make with it. Hm. Hm. Hm. Off to peruse my "favorites" list on Ravelry: A list of patterns I'd seen and wanted to remember. Found it! A quick, simple pattern for fingerless mitts. Elegant in their simplicity.

I used both the lighter 100% alpaca and the gifted skein of darker wool/alpaca blend. Dark on both ends, light in the center. Kind of like a neapolitan ice cream with twice as much chocolate and no strawberry. I think they came out looking pretty good, if I do say so myself. Brought them over to the store last weekend and they fit the owner well. Wouldn't you know! I forgot to take a picture of them before I wrapped them up. Maybe I'll be able to sneak a pic sometime when he's not looking.

I like that a number of people were involved in the creation of these mitts. Happy story.

Shakers

I visited the Shaker Museum in my home town of Enfield on Sunday. It was marvelous. My brother met me there and we were given a tour of the great stone dwelling by a very informative, interesting guide. The great stone dwelling has 6 floors and is the biggest dwelling house the Shaker's ever built.

Our tour started in the basement, a fine place to be with company and some lights but I'd hate to get caught down there alone when the lights went out! We ascended floor-by-floor up to the 4th story and saw the big meeting hall and many very large bedrooms. The light coming in from the many enormous windows is just splendid. It must have been a wonderful place to live.

I came to the museum knowing beforehand about a collection of spinning wheels in the attic. As far as I know this room is not part of the regular tour so I inquired about the wheels and wondered if we might be allowed to see them. So after giving us the rounds up through the 4th floor we were guided to the 5th floor where I had an opportunity to draw the bell rope. Fun! The last flight of stairs brought us to the top, just below the bell tower and directly ahead was the room full of spinning wheels. Several of them need a bit of TLC, but I'm sure all of them could be brought up to working order.

My favorites are the double wheels.

From the gift shop I purchased a paperback entitled "Growing Up Shaker", a first-person account by Sister Frances A. Carr. It was such a good read I've already finished it! I will need to go back and pick up a few more reads. They have a lovely shop with books, music, craft kits, handiwork, cards, etc.

The Shaker system is fascinating and I wouldn't mind learning more about it. Most interesting to discover that their god is not an all-male trinity, but a male-female duality, and that they strove after equality of the sexes in all matters. Wow.

It's a shame they are down to only 3 living members, but it seems this could have been foreseen seeing how they shun procreation.