Food and Wine Festival @ Epcot

We went to Epcot @ Disney World for the weekend. The Food and Wine Festival was going on and we thought it was a great idea to take off for the weekend.

The featured state was Oaklahoma this year and they had a chuck wagon that was 110 years old on display I thought it was the coolest thing I'd seen that day. There was a teepee and the history of the state. The day was overcast and it sprinkled but at least it was not hot and sunny, I know that sounds kinda a wierd but when your walking around as much as you have to to get to see everything going on the last thing you need is heat and a sunburn. So I appreciated the overcast and sprinkles.

We had little bits of food throughout the day, Samosas and Butternut soup from India, Beef Ravioli with yogurt and butter sauce with pistachio baklava in Turkey, Pastilla which is Chicken and spices in a pastry in Morrocco, and the Austrialian Wine Walkabout, four samplings of wine from twelve choices.
Hubby enjoyed the wine tasting which was a ton of fun and we learned the difference of wine making and tastes for each region. If you every get down this way, the Food and Wine Festival is a must do.

TABLE RUNNER #2

This one is my SIL's present for Christmas,

I'm in the middle of twist fringing and am having my usual difficulties I can't cut the suckers even no matter what I do so. I will fringe long tie then re-tie higher and cut across. (if someone has a trick, tip for this I'd appreciate some help as it seems I can never get it right LOL) This piece measures 114" of woven fabric and the fringes are 8" or 7" depending on which one you measure hehe.. I need to wash it and am concerned it will shrink too much, her table with some drop measures 112" so 2" of shrink would be great, but since I used cotton I know it's going go a lot smaller. I guess I'll wash it and not dry it in the dryer and that should help. I've never blocked anything and don't know if this would help the stop the shrinking, I guess this is a question for the groups.

I have one more table runner to make for Christmas ( the 122" one)and then I'm done with those creatures for a while, I was thinking of making matching dishtowels but, those will be either needle knitted or loomed. I've asked my RugTalk group on yahoo about pile rugs, if I get my answers from them and it's positive that will be the next project.

A Weaver!

Lona just left me a comment about how she's never heard a "weaver" call the top portion of the tri loom the hypotenuse side you can read the comments and my answer from the previous post. But what got me is being called a "weaver" that in itself is so satisfying to be actually acknowledge as a weaver, you have no idea Lona, but you made my day.

I know that some of you are going oh well big deal, you know it really is a big deal at least for me, see my family, mom, grand and aunt all on my mom's side are all crocheters, knitters and sewers, my mom is a seamstress, pattern maker and all. Since I was a kid I've always dabbled, first it was macrame, then some sewing, scrapbooking and so on. In recent years I've loom knitted, board knitted, needle knitted, tri loom weave and now most recently weaving on my RH loom. Since I've always dabbled, I guess I never really felt accomplished or recognized by others as anything other than a really "crafty" person or I was "very good with my hands". Even my hubby and kids always say "you know mom (honey) what you do is really for little old ladies", which for some reason or another always made me feel like I should be doing something else with my time other than my hobbies, after all I'm only 42 and don't feel like an old lady LOL. Of course there is always the self doubt that no matter what you do your never as good as the other person in the other blog, group etc. you were just reading or looking at, but today I really feel like someone actually looked at my stuff and said she's a weaver, and that feels really good. It feels acomplished, funny not even in my professional life have I ever felt satisfied with my title, but weaver just fits the bill, it feels right.

RUANA!!

I can't believe it's finally finished, wow I love the results. After much fringe twisting and cutting, washing and drying it just what I wanted the finished fabric to look like, warm and wonderful. The first two pics are of the ruana crossed and un-crossed the right pic is of the back detail. I chain crochet the hypotenuse then crocheted the two tri's together a little less than half the length. I hope it will handle the stress point alright if not I will need to come up with some other solution. I'm planning to take this one on my trip to SC in November, once I get back I can re-inspect it and see how well it's holding up. The last photo is of the fabric close up, although it didn't do the tabby effect I wanted I still think it looks great, basket weave stripes is what I see.

Blue/Brown Scarf

I finally finished this scarf yet another present. I have also finished two panels on my knitted sweater top. My sister in law has also placed more orders for those hair net thingys, you know I'm shocked that they're selling as they are, but I don't really feel like make anymore. Must be some sort of weird psych thing or just my strange personality, I don't mind making things for gifts, requests etc.. but once I'm asked to make things especially repetitive things, I tend to not want to make them and procrastinate until I need to hand them over.
Does anyone else feel this way, react this way? God only knows I like getting paid for the items, but getting them done well that's another issue, I know I'll finish them and get it out the door, I just don't feel motivated, weird huh?

New Knitting

I've started a new sweater with the yarn I had left over from the cabled sleeve I did for the jean jacket I want to do the sweater that's in the magazine (the white only) only not so long and with long sleeves, that one is short sleeved, which IMO is worthless if I can wear short sleeves I don't need a sweater. But whatever the buyers were thinking it's irrelevant at this point. So I found this pattern and I thought it would be a great top substitute for the sweater and the bottom I'm getting from my Cables Untangled book, I plan to make the sleeves kimono style like the pattern but with some of the open weave cable stitching to match the bottom. This should be an interesting if not challenging knit. So far I can purl and knit without even thinking about it so I guess my needle knitting is coming along. The picture above is of the back of the sweater, since I have different yarn than what the pattern called for I'm measuring and adjusting as I go for my body shape and size. I really excited about this one and hope I can get through it.

There hasn't been much weaving this week, I had a biopsy on my uterus (ouch!!) and that put the kibosh on weaving and exercising. But once the results are in it will be all worth the discomfort and cramps.

Honoring Mom's Everywhere

I usually don't put u-tube stuff in my blog but this one is great. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGoelj7l668