Back from Hiatus with a New Toy

     I had someone ask me a few days ago when I was going to get back to writing some stories.  "Well," I told them, "I went on hiatus for a bit, but I'm ready to get back to it."  You ever feel like that?  Like you need to take a bit of a break and then come back fresh and perky?  Well, that was me.  I had to take a step back from the internet and rejuvenate.  Oh sure, I was here and there around Facebook, but still, not like I had been.  No, don't make me feel bad about it.  I already feel guilty, but it was necessary for me to find my fresh and perky.
     Of course, there were many story worthy things going on, but I decided besides a few tidbits here and there, I wanted to spend some time with the family, enjoy summer, and work on some projects like my herb garden, and daily exercise torture with a Jillian Michaels DVD.
     For example, there was the time Young'un was fascinated with those nasty tent caterpillars and kept poking a stick at them.  I told him if he didn't leave them alone they were going to get him, but he didn't believe me...until they came raining down on him.  If you were in the area that day you would have heard Young'un screaming like a girl with those caterpillars all over his head and down his shirt.  BLAH! Still makes me shudder thinking about it.
     A few weeks ago we had an article in the Chillicothe Gazette about our farm. Last I knew it was at this link - http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013309190013 - but I don't know if it's still there.  We were thrilled to have it in there, and I was happy to be able to show off the hard work my family does to do what we do around here.  Without their hard work and determination we wouldn't have the experiences and wonderful life we have.  However, Kid told me under no circumstances was I to ever mention that the picture of him and Hon shearing sheep was one where he was wearing pajama bottoms.  I told him no way, I won't tell anyone...besides, in that picture they looked like shorts anyway.  Nope, I won't tell anyone.  Ever.
     Now, on to my new toy ~ woohoo!  I've had an itch to get a loom.  I have a peg loom and a triangle loom that my good friend, Dana, made for me.  They are fantastic and I really enjoy using them.  Thing is, I also want to broaden my horizons and do some other weaving with patterns.  I like finding patterns in things, and having a loom to create them is what I've been wanting to do.  I searched high and low, thinking I found one, and then not.  I've searched Craigslist, checked eBay, and perused websites.  Oh my, there are a whole lot of antique looms out there, but I'm not knowledgeable about them to know if what I were to get would actually work.  Some of them are ex-pen-sive, too!  I'm a total noob when it comes to bigger looms.
     This weekend I finally found just what I was looking for.  I had met a nice man named Larry at the farmers market that told me weeks ago his wife, Dee, was selling her loom, but he wasn't sure what kind it was.  This past Saturday she and I finally got together and I was able to take a look at it.  I swear, even in the dark of Dee's basement, when I saw that loom the sun came shining down on it, rainbows formed, unicorns danced, and I kept hearing the mantra minemineminemine in my head.  Up there in the corner is a picture of it when it was in her basement...minus the rainbows, unicorns, and sunshine, of course.  I had found my loom!
     Later that day I had Hon go over to their house to help me get it in the van and then here, to it's new home.  What I have up in that picture (and now in our dining room) is a 1990  24" LeClerc Medico, which I have learned is actually a table loom that is on a stand with those peddles and such to make it work along the lines of a floor loom.  I tell you, the internet can be a wonderful thing, and without it and fiber friends all over the world, I'd still be scratching my head as to what exactly it is.  Now on to the fun part...learning how to use it. I figure I'll chronicle my journey into weave-dome with it, so you, too, may experience my journey.  
     Right now I'm impatiently waiting on a book that was recommended to me by a whole bunch of folks called A Handweaver's Pattern Book that has to do with weaving patterns on a four harness loom.  Hopefully between that, various other books I can scrounge up, and the internet, I'll be warping and weaving in no time!
     So, there you have it folks.  Rejuvenation is a wonderful thing.  I've got my bright eyed and bushy tailed back, and I'm raring to go...just in time to begin playing with my new toy.  Catch you later, tater!  Smiling & Waving, Sharon

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