Ta Ta January

This is the flax pillow that Ian ordered for me online.  It's been more valuable than a heating pad and better than the muscle relaxant Robaxin.  I heat it in the microwave and then scrunch it around my neck.  I can really press it into the sore spots.  In case you want to check this out for yourself, he ordered it from these people.

I finally got my loom warped and wanted to show you how I check for threading errors.  By the time I've slipped four slats through in alternating sheds, I can see if I've made a mistake or not.  Then I remove the slats, because that's a huge waste of warp, and get ready for the header with packing material.  In this case, I used old strips I had cut for a rag rug.

I'm really surprised at the pastel colors, certainly the lightest I've ever woven.  I was tired of cold gray days when I picked out the cones for this set of dish towels and was looking for colors of spring.  I wondered how I had picked such Eastery colors when I realized that these colors are associated with Easter for the same reason I picked them - in anticipation of spring flowers.  And I thought I was being original.

I've been spinning the blended batts for the guild conference and need to get mailed off soon.  I plied the single with a space-dyed 60/2 silk from Just Our Yarn.  I know it's not brilliant spinning so I'll be interested to hear what the judges have to say about this as warp.

The next thing I need to get ready for the conference is a bag.  Guilds are challenged to pick a unifying theme so our theme is winter.  I've made a Kumihimo braid for the strap and want to make a small cross-body bag to wear when I'm working a craft fair.  I only need my phone, the Square, cash and a small notepad.  We've all purchased the same pin of a deciduous tree in winter - the unifier.  I'm stumped on what closure to use.  I bought a zipper but now the reality of using it, open, close, open, close - not thinking that's such a brilliant idea.  Guess I'll go phish on Etsy.

Speaking of winter, it snowed last night for the time in January and today's the last day of the month - just in time.  It's been over a month since we've had any snow so I'm pleased the temps are cold enough that it won't melt for a while.  I had planned to go to town today, but this persuaded me to stay home.

Wednesday was the four-month anniversary of my fall and broken neck.  I was released from physical therapy two weeks ago and have been doing a little light yoga here at home.  I know I need an instructor since mine moved back to PA but when I looked online, I discovered that there are a ton of yoga studios.  I selected one, partly based on location and parking, and went for a self-study session Wednesday morning.  Time got away from me and the next thing I knew I had spent an hour.

I  felt great when I left, but when I woke up yesterday morning, every muscle complained.  And here's the irony.  On the list of classes, the self-study class is entitled "Mysore."  And howdy!  It's obnoxious but at the same time it's a wholesome kind of pain - it says I'm on the path to recovery.  And last night I slept clear through for the first time.  That more than anything says I'm doing the right thing.