The Shawl

February 1st, 2019

I have these gorgeous cones of

silk and wool, (combined)

sitting on my kitchen counter

where I can gaze upon them

with lovely anticipation!

I am going to make a shawl......

Doesn't it look as if it's going to be delicious?

If you say it very quickly the adventure

of making a shawl out of those skinny threads

doesn't seem to be too dauting.

But..

First you have to wind the warp.

Four hundred and fifty threads,

back and forth, back and forth

and with a cross at one end so that when you remove

the threads from the warping board

they will all be safe and secure and in order

to be beamed on to the back beam.

Once I took the warp off the board

without tying the cross securely

and there was all hell to pay when I tried to beam it on,

so I don't do that any more.

The warp is made up of even skinnier black cotton thread.......

It is safely on the loom

and I am on to the next stage, which involves

threading each of these four hundred and fifty ends.

through the proper heddles in accordance

with the pattern you desire.

Carefully, with the greatest concentration.

I thread for approximately 33 minutes, 

and then my back and neck whisper...

"hey, hey, remember your age!!  How

about a cup of tea, - or we could go and sit in

the easy chair and read a bit

(Kate Atkison - Transcription)

I have threaded two hundred and twenty-five ends,

so far.

Tomorrow morning I will tackle the rest,

and Sunday I will sley the threads through the reed

two at a time.

I figure Monday morning will see me up early,

winding bobbins with this gorgeous wool/silk

and throwing the shuttle back and forth, back and forth

with great enthusiasm and satisfaction!

It fills the days with a good feeling

of accomplishment

and weaves up all the tattered hours

and minutes.

In case you let February arrive without the proper obeisance to the White Rabbit

here he is, and you can bow three times and turn around, 

or are you supposed to turn around three times

and then bow???

In any event

have a great month - a short one

and soon it will be spring!

But hopefully, long before that

I will post a picture of the Shawl....

Tuesday, January 29th, 219

An invitation to dine tomorrow evening, - and entertainment after!

No. 3 son and I will be delving into old, old pictures, 

that don't bring back memories, because they were taken before our time,

 but do open the gates into another century, 

and other generations.....

I peer into the box of pictures
and what do I find, randomly!!!

Here is a picture of Mary Anne, my great grandmother, 

with my grandmother on her knee!

And four generations of my father's family..

My aunt, standing, was soon to die in the 1919 flu...

her son, my favourite cousin

A merry collection of my mother's family....

her sisters, her mother, probably her aunt
and cousins

Dear Aunt Hildred, - for whom I am named -

and the name goes on and on

in the family, remembering her

Ah, one of Charles' intrepid ancestors

and his mother, as a young girl visiting New York

Here is the grandmother who started off sitting on my great grandmother's knee

and now is cutting a special anniversary cake

with her husband, Leonard

(25th, I believe)

and Charles, playing cards with his sister

and a boyhood friend, who became a lifelong friend....

Just a little handful of the snaps

that lie in the box of old photos,

waiting to be passed on!!!