Back in the Studio Again!

Today, I am back in my weaving studio!  I began with a bit of rearranging and dusting, followed by tensioning the rug warp on the Glimakra Standard.
Checking through sheet strips already cut and sewn, colors were pulled that
will work for this rug, now piled on the warp beam (away from my cats).
Then I searched through my considerable sheet stash, pulling more of the colors needed.  The first rug had a teal emphasis, this one will focus on wine/navy/green, with lesser amounts of other colors used in the striped warp to pull the whole thing together. 

I've set up a table in the Studio Annex (my upstairs living room) where I can cut and sew strips, work on quilts, along with other uses.  I'm cutting these sheets now and later will set up my sewing machine and stitch them together.  Then, folding the joined strips in half, I'll fill three or four ski shuttles so I can begin weaving this rug tomorrow.  
  

After weeks of working on the exterior of my home, I am happy to report I was able to finish staining my log home.  Why is there snow fence next to the house?  The porch floor isn't dry yet, and I need to keep Keesha (and myself) from walking through wet stain! 

There are a few areas where I'll need someone, in the spring, to go much higher on a ladder than I am willing to go, but for the most part, it is done.  It took three 5 gallon pails of stain, and there is a fourth one waiting for spring.  Now, it's time to begin sanding, staining, and finishing the storm windows!

The Best Laid Plans...

I finished the eyelet cowl (photo soon), "in the snood," learned to knit I-cord, and have begun another in a different yarn and pattern, this time a pattern found on Ravelry as I needed to fit the yarn and circular needle size to a pattern.  The new cowl is brown tweed, but not the same exact yarn as the previously knitted hat.  

I am so looking forward to life getting back to "normal" again, but I'm not quite there yet.  Work was continuing on the outside of my home, weather/rain permitting, then several days ago, while in town, walking to my car, something in my left knee went "pop" and I nearly fell to the ground.  Walking was quite painful, but I managed to get into my car and drive home.    

You've heard the expression "when it rains, it pours?"  In this case, it was 35 mph wind with 35-50 mph gusts.  The midwest had a big WIND storm starting that night.  We were fortunate, with limbs and some trees blown down, but it was worse further downstate.  

At 4:15 AM the next morning, my power went out which means no phone (that's the downside to the new ones that plug into electricity as well as phone jack).  Midway through the day a neighbor came over to bring wood in for me so Jim and I (now with three Ibuprophin in me so I could get around) brought wood into my kitchen so I could get a fire going and warm the house up.  My five cats were very pleased with that development!  That evening, with no power yet, I read a book by oil lamplight.  Finally, after approximately sixteen hours, the power came back on.  Most of my newly purchased groceries had to be tossed.

The next morning I was able to call for an appointment with an orthopoedic doctor, scheduled for early this week.  It turns out I have a "Meniscus Tear" and may need arthroscopic surgery, not something I want to do now with the holidays approaching.  Meanwhile, I have exercises to do, the knee pain is slowly lessening and is now quite tolerable unless I'm walking or standing too long.

For now, I'm planning ahead what I'll need to do to get ready if I need the surgery.  Stock up on very easy-to-fix food, wood on the porch, ask my neighbor to move a bed down to main floor, along with TV and computer, and so on.  In other words, arrange things so I can stay on the main floor and not need to go upstairs for anything for a week or two.  Using crutches on a wood circular stairway, with a dog and five cats underfoot, is not something I even want to contemplate! 

Meanwhile, tomorrow and Monday are supposed to be in low 50's, and if I can manage it, I will very carefully try to stain the east side of the house and get it finished, as after that temps will drop again and likely stay that way until spring. 

I have cut and split wood to move into the woodshed to keep it dry and easier to access after we have snow.  Storm windows all need to be removed, one at a time, sanded, stained, finished, and put back on.  While that is being done, I'll be working on the inside of the house, scrubbing and oiling the wood ceilings and walls.  This isn't just log home maintenance, I'm getting the house ready to put it up for sale in the spring, and after 18+ years, move away from the WI Northwoods.

And while all this is going on, for my sanity, WEAVING and other fiber related activities MUST be going on, on a daily or near-daily basis.  I appreciate everyone's patience.  I WILL be writing about weaving again very soon.