Officially a Weaver!

I am so excited about my new craft/hobby/passion. For Christmas I was blessed with a Kromski rigid heddle weaving loom and I can't wait to begin making gifts. I wanted to make rugs but was told by some more experienced weavers that might not be my best choice for a rigid heddle loom but I'm not completely giving up on the idea. For now, I'll be weaving kitchen towels. Everyone beware. If my production matches my enthusiasm, friends and family alike will be getting them for Christmas!

Because I'm quite the beginner, I needed a little help to get started. Craftsy was having a sale on classes and I couldn't pass it up. For $10 I downloaded a video with instructions and worksheets that I keep watching over and over. I think I've watched it so much I think even Jason can quote it and do some weaving of his own. What do you think of my progress?

This is prior to washing but they still look nice after they've been washed. I'm just not sure if I should wash them before giving them as gifts. Actually, I do need to wash them first but need to figure out how to maintain that fresh, new look.  Woohoo, another hobby!

Finishing

The house is clean and the Christmas decorations are put away. For many, December 26th is too early to put everything away but I need the time before returning to school to renew, refresh and at least pretend I have regained control of my world. For the next week I will eat leftovers, clean a few cabinets or closets and try to complete as many UFOs as possible. I'll post pictures as projects are completed. For today, I want to finish a pair of Basic Ribbed socks and maybe even the last of eight infinity scarves. However, let's be real, I also want to do some weaving on my new Kromski weaving loom so I may not complete as much as I think. We'll see. Of course, this is all while having a Harry Potter Marathon!

Christmas Day

We are so blessed to spend the holidays with those we love. We had a wonderful weekend with my brother, Richard. We took a trip down to Yuma to spend time with Gerrie and Casi and Rick and Nana and Papa. I'm always so touched that Rick's boys come and visit. I took each of the girls towel sets with knit dishcloths and they seemed to genuinely like them. This year I hope to stockpile handmade gifts and give them freely to those I love.

Last night we were blessed with a fabulous service at Palm Valley Church and heard Mia's testimony in such a profound way. I truly enjoyed going to church to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We then had the privilege of going to Jocelyn's house for our annual Christmas Eve spinach dip and enchiladas! We opened gifts and took pictures and even played a few games of UNO.

This morning I've already made quiche for breakfast and have everything ready to start cooking lunch. My Christmas present, a new Keurig machine, is already heated and ready to go. Jason has had his hot chocolate and I'm sipping my peppermint mocha at this moment.

I know today will be a day blessed with family and love for all.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The first paragraph in Huckleberry Finn basically tells us that everybody lies. Although that is a somewhat depressing idea, I've been exploring the concept with 11th grade students and you would be amazed at some of their ideas. We've discussed what constitutes a lie, if there is such a thing as a "white" lie and if anyone is ever totally truthful.

Of course then I begin thinking about the weight on my driver's license and question if I have a moral obligation to change it. I also think about those awkward questions like, "Who do you like best?" or "How do you like my new outfit?" But I also wonder if I put anyone in a position where they have to lie to avoid hurting my feelings. I especially think about this around Christmas time when I am making gifts for people I work with, family members and girlfriends.

Truthfully, however, I can't imagine them not liking what I make. I like the items I'm creating and giving them or I wouldn't have made them in the first place. In the midst of all this creating and giving there is always one person I can count on to tell me the truth (or not say anything which is in itself telling) and that is Jocelyn. But I try to not give her too much of a hard time because there is a long list of knitted items she does like and I'm not going to hold it against her even if she didn't like the spiral scarf I was working on!

For now, however, I will continue discussing Huckleberry Finn with my students while knitting Christmas washcloths. They make great gifts, the students are enthralled and mesmerized by the movement and I don't have to look at my needles while I knit them.

Knitting on the Road

I'm preparing to see my family and that means a road trip. My first thought was Jack Kerouac's book On the Road but I think this trip will be less dramatic. Oh, wait. Did I say less dramatic? Probably not, but it is okay. We love our families because they are family and we accept their idiosyncrasies because they are family. I have to take my camera and I'm sure I will irritate everyone with too many pictures but they will be happy at some point that I captured this visit!

Here's the bottom line. I'm planning the packing for my trip based on the amount of knitting I will need to take. I'm taking projects that are somewhat easily memorized and don't require much thought. I've decided to knit a spiral scarf from a video I watched on YouTube this morning - I've been up since 3:00am - but I think it will be great for the trip. I've also packed a large ball of cotton yarn so that I can make Christmas washcloths if I need something mindless and that will take care of some of my Christmas knitting. I've also brought a few knitted gifts in case I want to give a present. It's always a little awkward since we don't see each other very often and you never know who will be there and what exactly will happen but I like to be prepared.