Family

I finished with the first scarf in plain weave, using multi-
colored warp and a solid weft from stash yarns.  I decided that since Log Cabin is a patterned plain weave, I'd warp for that and weave a sample to demonstrate future options.  Oops.  I didn't have any idea how clueless I was in using two different threads in a continuous warp.  I wish I knew someone who had a book because our library doesn't have anything on rigid heddles and I don't want to buy one.  As you can see, I had serious warp tension problems.

I know it can be done because I've seen the fruits.  I'm not teaching this technique but will at least take the scarf to show the potential.  I unfortunately used a really stretchy superwash merino knitting yarn that was ill-suited.  When the tension was removed, it shrank by 30% - yikes - but I can turn my mistakes into teaching opportunities.  The class in scheduled for next month.  I plan to get out to Jimmy Beans this week to select yarns for class materials, if the snow storm coming in tonight isn't too bad.  I know what *not* to use.  It's like - I'm so glad we had this conversation!

Our kids from San Francisco came out to spend the weekend with us.  Michael has a new job - you know how that goes - they weren't able to confirm until earlier this week that they were coming. Ian just bought this battery-operated kids quad from Neighbor Tom, whose grandsons have outgrown it.

Tom's boys hadn't used it in a long time and the question was - would there be any juice in the battery.  Noah was so anxious - you can see the anticipation.  No pressure, Grandpa.

And it was all systems go.  Noah lives in the Mission District in a second-
story walk-up.  He does have a bike but he can only ride it one block at a time and then wait for this parents to catch up before getting the go-ahead.  You can see what this means on his face.  His patient daddy spent a couple hours over the time they were here, walking along side as Noah puttered along our dirt roads.

 

Over the last four years, Noah has developed a very special relationship with our neighbors' daughter.  He wanted us to call her the evening they got here and then was anxious all through breakfast.  I called Joe and said, I have a very excited little seven-year-old boy who desperately hopes Hiroka is available for a play date.  He said - Hiroka would love that!  

We went hunting for arrowheads, which ended up being a collection of pretty rocks.  Both of them came home with a couple pounds of different colored pieces of chert.  It's like collecting rock Easter eggs.  They played hard for four hours, finishing with a indoors game of hide-and-seek.  Hiroka always hid on the sofa under afghans which had us giggling so hard that Ian took a picture and sent it to Joe.  The kids were shrieking with laughter and we were caught up in the joy of that simple game.

Joe emailed back a while later - I think Hiroka doesn't quite grasp the concept, but she had a great time and arrived home very tired.  It's those little sweet nuggets, hidden in usual places that make life so rich, dontcha think?

And to top it off, I received a mailer on Saturday with this gem in it.  My friend Stephanie had said on Facebook that she had discovered something very pleasant after moving a stove.  The person who guessed it would win a prize, and that person was me.  Steph has an Etsy store where she sells hand-dyed rovings and yarns.  There are 435 yards here and I will do the math to turn this into a woven scarf.  This picture doesn't do it justice but there's a fleck of angelina which provides a subtle sparkle.  Almost forgot.  I said dead mouse?  She said -half a dead mouse!

The happy weekend hit a snag on Sunday.  DD Chris alerted us that her brother-in-law was being careflighted - would we please pray.  Unfortunately, he never made the flight.  He was dead on site of a dirtbike accident in his favorite recreational area with his brother and a group of friends. Our newspaper reported him as being found by a search and rescue team and identification was withheld upon notification of next of kin.  I know newspapers are struggling to retain relevancy,  but that release was painful to an already distraught widow.  The family is in a state of circling the wagons.  Family.