My friend Aimee, one of the most kind and generous people I have ever known, bought a loom a while back and never ended up getting into it.
So she gave it to me.
I set it up the same night it got here with some leftover bulky yarns I had from my very first attempt at knitting. How symbolic, I thought.
Unfortunately, my practice strip is nothing to brag about.
So for my next attempt, I used sock yarn. Single strands for the warp, five for the weft.
MUCH better.
All rolled up.
Requisite hanging shot.
So bright!
Feeling somewhat bolstered (and realizing I am enjoying working "small" on the loom), I warped my next project with laceweight yarns, hoping to do a plaid.
It worked.
This scarf is going to be worn so much this winter. I am head over heels in love.
More to come soon, as I am warping for a special surprise for someone today.
How fantastic that the gardening bug has officially bitten! And your neighbors sound like a fantastic resource to have as you begin your journey. I hope you enjoy Tim's book and that it inspires you even more!
This has been a really nice week. Between a relaxing holiday weekend with lots of food and some visitors, a day all to myself on Wednesday, and the awesome comments on the giveaway posts, I am feeling pretty mellow.
Seriously, I am reading the nicest little stories and they make me smile. Thanks for playing along!
In garden news, all the popcorn has tassels now,
and I'm seeing a lot of this!
The zinnias are doing well in here, but a squirrel keeps digging in the middle planter (not shown). Jerk.
The seeds I planted out front are absolutely flourishing, and I am starting to get some poppies now!
My favorite birdhouse in my neighbor's yard has some little wild morning glories growing around it right now.
And some of the convolvulus I dug up to move some stuff around are really happy in this pot.
So, day to myself happened Wednesday. It was a great day. I took a tiny trip to a local greenhouse that my neighbor recommended to me. I will not go off about how wonderful it was, because I'm planning on going back soon and doing a whole post about it. It is that wonderful.
Anyway, they were having a sale and I STOCKED UP on herbs!
Most of them ended up in the herb bed:
The exciting plantings happened in a little project I started the other day and was super happy about.
I had these two old matching chairs, one was antique white, and one was sort of a dark turquoise-ish, and two baskets, one red and one unpainted, but falling apart.
I found some old spray paint in the basement and did one chair white (and gave the red basket a refresher coat), and planted --clockwise from top left-- pineapple sage, orange mint, golden sage, and pineapple mint.
The other chair turned red and ended up with the white basket on it, which was filled to the max with sweet basil.
I'm just delighted to see them out there every time I go out or look out the windows. And the baskets are just lined with a double layer of newspaper.
And finally, because it has been a while, here is the most recent banjo song I've been working on:
See you Sunday night or Monday! Remember that comments are open on all three giveaways through Sunday!
Here she is. Number three! This one is very much gardening related.
First up is a super great gardening apron, made by me.
And what you saw peeking out of the pocket in the top picture is your very own copy of Tim Stark's book, "Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer."
I had the absolute pleasure of hearing Tim speak a few months back, and I have read this book six times now since I first got it. Something about the way he writes just pulls me in -- and a great deal of the stories take place right around where I live!
Finally, you will also receive a Ten Dollar (email) Gift Certificate to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, savers of extremely high quality seeds, and makers of the seed "catalog" I have paged through and drooled over about a million times since I got it.
