I’ve been preparing for Slovakia… double-time.  Normally I’d have everything done two weeks ago, but for some reason I was behind this time.  Wednesday I finished everything for the beading, including making samples.   Now I have a lot of things to do for my lesson plans—things to get ready, getting everything together.

Next Tuesday I’m doing a weaving program at the girls’ camp my church is having.  We’re using my inkle looms and two other inkles and the girls will make bookmarks… now I have to warp the three looms this weekend.  At least they’re not full-size looms!  I think it takes me about 2 hours to warp my inkle loom.  I just finished my sixth warp on it… the first one was a long cord, the middle three bookmarks, then a warp of headbands, and finally another cord I’ll use to make a bag.

As for Honor, she’s warped with a project—it’s been about a month since I started weaving on her, but I sprained my foot so was delayed.   I also had LOTS of problems.  I’m using rayon chenille I got cheap, and set it close, 18 epi, as everything I’d read about chenille instructed.  However, since I’ve sleyed 2 per dent, the threads get twisted together.  I’ve found out that if I spray the warp with hair de-tangler, have the tension tight, and press the treadles twice (hard) before throwing the shuttle.  Then I have few floats.  It’s coming along much better. 

I have some images to load somewhere.  I’ll find them eventually.  Right now I’m inspired to weave because yesterday Heather L and I went to pick up a inklette for camp (at Tabby Tree… saw some beautiful overshot samples)—I have to dress three inkle looms but would rather weave on my floor loom.

here's something I wrote a week ago but never posted... it's about my trip to Pittsburgh

Saturday, David and I went into Pittsburgh around noon… it was his birthday, so we opened presents first.  And he saved two to open when we got home at night.  We first went to the Arts Festival (they’ve been having it downtown for something like 30 years)—there was one weaver selling jackets she’d made.  We saw a glassworker make a bead, a calligraphy demonstrator, and lots of booths with a variety of arts (and expensive stuff… not the crochet-and-knitting art fair). 

After that, we went to a Greek restaurant for dinner—David got lamb and chicken kabobs (I tried the lamb, and I like it very much!!) and I got a mixed plate with hummus, a vegetarian grape leaf, gyro, and rice.  Yummy.  Then we went to the other greek restaurant across the street and got a piece of baklava (I knew it would be cheaper there).  I wanted to go back on Sunday, but they were closed. 

As part of the art festival, we saw a film called Pittsburgh Neighborhoods.  Each short film took place in a different neighborhood, highlighting a few people in that neighborhood, and some were quite funny.    We stopped out for dinner and to watch the Red Wings game on TV.

Sunday we went to church in the morning (Peters Creek Baptist Church)—it’s a little weird being in an area that’s close to where my parents grew up.  Dad used to play in Peters Creek, and went to T.J. High (a few kids from the church had recently graduated from there).  Then it was out to South Park (David lives in South Park, but this was the South Park in South Park Township.  Nope, not confusing at all).  We walked on the trails for about an hour, then toured the Oliver Miller homestead—it only cost a dollar each, and we were there for an hour and a half.  They had an old stone house (built in 1830), springhouse, smaller replica log cabin, blacksmith forge, and barn.  At each point, there was an interpreter to tell us about the Miller family.  This was where the first shots of the Whiskey Rebellion were fired.  Inside the stone house was a woman spinning—both wool and flax—and a big barn loom.  It only had two shafts, but the spinner said no one knew how to work it, so they’d had the same warp on for about 6 years.  There was also a woman making candle wicking on what I believe was a lucet.

Then we went to Pittsburgh again—first back to the arts festival because I wanted a little glass bead I’d seen the day before, then to look for a place to eat (lots of places downtown are closed on Sundays), get tickets for the theatre, eat dinner at Primati’s, and then to theatre.  One of the main characters in the play was also in Pittsburgh Neighborhoods (one of my favorite pieces about parking in the South Side and a milk crate, a juxtaposition of young and old).  I wanted to get his autograph, but we didn’t see any of the actors afterward.

I think David and I will have to spend the whole time eating when I’m in Pittsburgh.  I want to have pierogies in McKees Rocks, Bahn Mi in the Strip, have paella and tapas (which I was introduced to in Spain—I’m so hungry for manchego, tortilla de patatas, and paella), go to Isaly’s (a Pittsburgh tradition and must have chipped ham), and of course eat somewhere Greek/Mediterranean.   I think that’s about four meals a day.  :)

Today I went to Meijer looking for ground lamb, but they didn’t have any.  The lady at the meat counter said they wouldn’t get another shipment until Thursday.  And just when I’m craving lamb… last week I had gyros and kibbeh, but apparently that’s not enough.  It doesn’t help that I just read The Language of Baklava with a Jordanian recipe in every chapter, many of which are similar to Greek/Lebanese/etc. cooking.

It’s funny how once you learn something, it shows up frequently.  I’d read about mastic on Friday here (http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/), then in Language of Baklava Sunday, and today on this blog (which I’m loving!)  http://kalofagas.ca.

Currently Berkeley Square By Clare Wilkie, Victoria Smurfit, Tabitha Wady, Kate Williams, Jason O'Mara see related

For some reason, when I’m at an art museum, I don’t look at paintings that feature people.  Shiloh was telling me about a painting she liked, but I’d never even noticed it before.  I look at the landscapes mostly, people if it’s a Cassatt or Copely, and Dutch skies.  I think I need to expand my horizons next time I go and look at some different paintings; I tend to focus on the same ones.

firsts for me

- an actual injury

- using a wheelchair

- using crutches

- having to sit with my leg up and foot on ice

I twisted my foot over the weekend (walking... my foot slipped out of my sandal and twisted).  If I were at home, this wouldn’t have been as big of a deal, but I was at Cedarville judging debate, so had to get from one to the next.  And if I wasn’t having company this weekend, which isn’t exactly an invitation to sit around with my foot up.