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My Knees Are Better!

I’ve been carrying my healing talisman for my knees during all my waking hours for three weeks now, and all I can say is, “WOW!”

My knees feel SO much better!

Now, I can’t claim that use of the talisman deserves all the credit, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s at least partly responsible for the dramatic improvement.

Prior to making the talisman, my left knee ached most of the time. It would become stiff very quickly, requiring me to rise out of a chair slowly and take initial awkward steps until the knee started functioning normally. I was applying my herbalist friend’s arnica oil at least twice daily to reduce both pain and inflammation. My knee was quite visibly swollen, and I couldn’t sleep in my usual positions because my knee objected, sometimes loudly. I was taking a hot bath just to soak my knees in the warmth at least twice a week.

Now, just three weeks later, my knee is not completely recovered, but it is DRAMATICALLY improved. I don’t use the oil every day. I can sleep in my preferred positions about half of the time. My knee is nowhere near as stiff when I get up from sitting.

Sure, I still have to pay attention to it. It still doesn’t like me to kneel or squat for more than a minute or two, which is a bit of a problem with all my gardening. And my sleep isn’t completely as I’d like it to be. But hey, it’s only been a short time.

I’m certainly going to keep carrying my healing talisman for my knee, in my left pocket whenever possible (it’s my left knee that’s bad), for some time to come. And keep being kind to this joint that carries me through my life.

Learn about how gemstones can enhance healing, and if you think a talisman could help you, contact me and I’ll gladly create one just for you. It will contain healing gemstones chosen especially for you, and will be of a size and shape appropriate to you, your lifestyle, and your personal taste.

(There’s no photo with this post, ‘cuz trust me, even with the swelling down, you do NOT want to see my knees!)

June Contest – Free Gemstone Earrings!

I’ve promised you another easy contest this month, and I’m true to my word. Here’s all you have to do.

Leopardskin Jasper & Sterling Silver Handmade Earrings

Leopardskin Jasper & Sterling Silver Handmade Earrings


Leave me a comment that includes the web addresses of blogs that you really like. Just for leaving me a blog address, your name will be entered into the contest.

Here’s the really good news – you can enter as many times as you wish. You’ll get your name entered AGAIN for every blog address I like well enough to link to!

What could be easier?!

And what’s this month’s prize? A free pair of handmade earrings. These beauties are little leopardskin jasper hearts. Of course they’re dangling from sterling silver earwires. I made the head pins, with an extra special twist of wire down the length the earring. Total length from top of earwire to bottom of heart is 1½ inches. In my next entry I’ll tell you about the healing properties of the gemstone leopardskin jasper.

Entries are due by June 26th.

Start sending in your favorite blog sites!

The Baby Blanket is Done!

Completed handwoven baby blanket

Completed handwoven baby blanket

It was the first time I’d warped my loom for two baby blankets, and I was a bit anxious about how well it would work.

Things went fine for the first half of the first blanket. Then an entire section of the warp threads started getting far too loose. The only way I know of to handle this is to hang weights on the sagging yarn. By the time I was done with the second blanket, I had 10 weights hanging, and most were holding more than 8 threads. It wasn’t a pretty sight, so I didn’t take a picture.

I’ve been asked what I use for weights in such conditions. I know that you can buy professional-looking weights, but (a) that’d cost money, (b) they wouldn’t be here when I needed them, and (c) buying them would be contradictory to my business name – Second Wind – and operating philosophy – to repurpose items and reduce the amount of waste we produce. So I use an odd assortment of things I have hanging around – big washers, stone pendants, bags of shells, weird heavy earrings, and more. All of these items hang from the yarn via loops of copper wire.

I worked slowly, taking my time to advance the warp frequently and move the shuttle through the shed carefully to avoid missed threads and other weaving errors that would have to be corrected when the blankets came off the loom.

Closeup of handwoven baby blanket

Closeup of handwoven baby blanket

Finally, both blankets were done. I hand-hemmed them on the loom while they were still under tension to help secure the ends.

Next comes the moment of truth, particularly for doubleweave. Because of the way the loom has to work, you simply cannot see one-half of what you’re weaving till it’s off the loom – that’s when all your mistakes will show up, and not a minute sooner. So when I removed these handwoven blankets and inspected them for missed threads, I was thrilled that I didn’t find even one! YAY!! My technical skills are getting better every time I do it.

Double-twisted fringe on woven baby blanket

Double-twisted fringe on woven baby blanket

Next I trimmed the fringe to all the same length, and double-twisted it to make it more baby-friendly. All that’s left is to wash it. Every item that’s woven must be washed to finish it. The washing process helps the threads, which were under tension during the weave, to relax, to soften, and to sit themselves comfortably with their neighbors.

I’m very happy with these handwoven baby blankets, and think that moms & dads, grandmas & grandpas, aunts & uncles, and good friends will all be pleased to wrap their new family addition in them.

When they’re dry, I’ll photograph them again and put them up on my website, as well as bringing them to my next show.

Woven Baby Blanket, Part 2

Cotton flannel on warping board

Cotton flannel on warping board

From cone to warping board, I got the 360 threads measured for my cotton flannel handwoven baby blanket.

Next steps: tie the warp onto the back beam, thread the heddles, and thread the reed. (With 360 threads, this is a time consuming process, but if you don’t enjoy each step in the weaving process, you’d better find another hobby.) I was almost done and had to take out about 40% of the threads. I’d missed heddles 3 & 4 way back then. Damn!

Cotton flannel on loom back beam

Cotton flannel on loom back beam

I usually weave with a 12 dent reed. I like it, and it’s pretty versatile. When I wove the first baby blanket from the baby acrylic, I used this reed and it worked fine. But the cotton flannel yarn is very textured and quite “sticky,” so it doesn’t slip by itself easily. Although I had to make some minor modifications to my loom, I did it so that I could use a 6 dent reed I have. I thought it would be easier to have 3 threads in each dent of a 6 dent reed than to have 2 threads in some of the 12 dent reeds. I’m really glad I did; the 6 dent worked great with the first cotton flannel, so I’m sticking with it for this doubleweave warp, too.

On to weaving!

May Contest Winner

Handmade Sterling Earrings

Handmade Sterling Earrings

Charlene from Olean, NY is the winner of the handmade sterling silver earrings. When learning that she won, Charlene wrote, “WOW! I’m not usually a lucky person when it comes to drawings these earrings will be extra special. Not just for the luck that goes with them but because of your excellent design and craftmanship. And silver is my metal of choice.”

I’ll get the earrings into the mail for Charlene promptly, and trust they’ll look great on her.

Watch for the June contest – it will be easy, too!