Breaking the Rules

Sometimes I rebel against rules like a teenager, sometimes I find it hard to break them. I figure it’s my Gemini nature.

Earlier this month I set my goal (aka rule) to do two buckets a day of work in my garden. Although there were a few days when the rain prevented it, there were other days when I more than made up for it. Then I did something (too much gardening, perhaps?) and strained my back. I had no choice but to lay off for a few days. Then the weather was so nice and I thought, why would I cut back plants that are still nice and green and looking good? So I skipped a few more days.

I got back at it and pulled some weeds, then realized that I would not want to do all the cutting back after everything was frost-killed and slimy and it was cold out. I’d better get started right now! I decided to start in my bed of Siberian iris.

I actually have two beds of them, one white flowers, the other deep purple. I decided to start in the white bed. It’s roughly 8′ x 12′ and a steep hillside. I’ve now spent more than 3 hours in this bed and cut more than 3 wheelbarrows full of iris leaves.

I still have at least 1/4 of this bed to do, plus the purple bed, which is fortunately smaller – maybe 8′ x 4′. Then I’m going to do my peonies. I have lots of them, too.

In between I’ve spent 5 hours already twisting fringe on the gebrochene shawls. I still have one more to fringe before I can wet finish & get some good photos. Fringing is a good evening activity while I’m watching the tube – I rarely do it during the day.

So I’ve put on my next custom weaving order on the loom. This time I’m back on my sweet little counterbalance; I haven’t been able to weave on it for some time. The order is for a scarf in what I call huck checkerboards in a bleached silk. I know in this photo the yarn looks creamy, but it’s not; it’s a pure, clear white.

I put on enough warp for 3 scarves. I’m going to weave 2 in the bleached/pure white and try the third with a natural silk (not bleached) to see how it looks.