Darn, Darn, Darn!!!

You won't believe it. I went to the Visual Art Center for our facult party last night. I just stepped in for 15 minutes because I was at dinner with my parents, and in town. In that little bit of time, my mom's car was parked outside the center (remember that I am borrowing it because someone just caused an accident that involved both my girls and totalled my own car) and someone drove into my parked car! My Mom's car! DARN!
Someone rescue me please! I'm sure I'm sinking!

On a more positive note, at least no one was hurt. This time of year, it's usually our financial institution that has made a grievious error, or our appliances that have all had a melt-down, or something else major. So, I really can't complain, can I?
My life is so rich and full and warm and loving. I am very richly blessed:0)

In the event I don't check back in before Christmas, I hope yours if full of joy!
Cherri

Beautiful handspun yarn and it's fabric

I just wanted to post pictures of the piece I'm weaving at Roseneath. The pattern yarn is a very cool handspun that I did sort of 'on the fly'. I am using a Gems merino teal colored warp, and a navy blue corriedale hand-spun tabby weft. Hope you like it. I have also included a picture of the yarn before it is woven. What looks mustardy yellow is actually olive green. Cherri

pictures of a few of my handspun yarns

I am attaching pictures of some of my handspun yarns.
These are camel, alpaca, shetland, handpainted and black alpaca.
If you are not in the Richmond vicinity, but would like to study with me, I will be at Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington, PA this summer.
My spinning class there will be from July 6-11. You can contact Touchstone here:

http://www.touchstonecrafts.com/

I would love to hear from you.
Cherri

new pics/old and new work/play

Oh, I failed to mention that Alice Coppa came today to the Visual art center, and made one of these thrums scarves with me. She is an awesome knitter. You can visit her blog at:
http://ladyoftheloom.wordpress.com/





Here are a few pics of some of my current work. I have pics of the scarf I made in the thrums party today. It has to do with dissolving interfacing, hmmm it worked quite well. Then there are some pics of some of my handspun that has been crocheted into squares. These are just samples of how various breeds of sheep, and weights of handspun look when crocheted. There is my latest felt rug. I like it. It's more abstract than some, and more something than I usually am.
Uh, there is also a picture of a mohair boucle neck warmer that I hand-painted the yarn, and crocheted the item. It was too tickly (itchy) for me, so I knitted a liner for it out of some roving that I had hand-painted also. It is very 'me', as I like processes, and parts, sub-parts and sub-sub-parts to 'stuff'. Hope you feel inspired by some of this. If not, I hope you are at least moved to make your own and come up with some really great stuff.
Take care.
Cherri

Bethlehem walk

I'm seeing a lot of hits on this site of folks looking for Bethlehem Walk in Goochland.
We have had to "pass" on putting it on this year, as we are building a permanent site for it along with our new church.
It will be back next year. Please check with Salem Baptist Church next year. In the interim, have a Joyous Christmas!
Cherri

Fun Day at Visual Art Center of Richmond

In case I haven't invited you, Sat. is a fun open house sort of day at The Visual Art Center at 1812 W. Main st.
There will be hands on opportunities throughout the departments. Some for adults, and some for the kids.
The fiber studio will have a thrums party from 2-5 pm.
Hope you will join us for this fun!

On a another note, I'm sending out proposals to crafts centers for teaching opportunities. Please check out the Touchstone Crafts Center in Farmington, PA. I'll be there in July (6-11) teaching a class called The Serendipity of Spinning. It's a spinning class for all levels of spinning. We will cover a variety of fibers, drafting, spinning, plying and navajo plying. In addition, participants will learn to use inclusions, and will do some fundamental dyeing just for use during the week.
Please join us. This is a resident craft center.

Please keep us in your prayers, as the woman who hit my daughters in the auto accident last week is not 'claiming liability'.
This means there is no insurance coverage for the medical bills, or the auto bills. It also means that we will have to pay legal fees to engage an attorney and that will mean that Christmas will truly not be the materialistic, worldly holiday for us. I wanted it to be more about Christ's birth for us this year, but didn't imagine this would be how it would happen.

I'll talk more later. Cherri

God's grace and Cherri's girls

We lay awake tonight, counting our blessings, as we had a scare today. I was teaching and John was doing what he does, when we got calls on our cell phones. Now I try to keep my cell phone with me all the time. There are times, however, when it just isn't professional for me to receive phone calls. Teaching a class is one of them. I did go out to the van about 2:00 for something to supplement our materials stash in class when I looked at the screen of the cell phone. 20 calls had been missed in 4 hours! In the midst of that was a text message from my son. That seemed like the most immediate means of an answer, as 20 voice messages would be a lot to wade through.
OMG.
The message read,"Girls had accident. Va in hospital."
Concise. That's a good marine son. He had captured the essence of what I needed to know, except, if one is on the way to the hospital, what of the other?
SHOCK.
SHOCK.
Immediate phone calls. No answer, answering machine, voice mail. No answer.
Still SHOCK.
My phone rings and the daughter not in the hospital was on the line. The girls are OK. Va. is on the way to the hospital. Alone.
My hubby stayed with the well child and police to help her, as the other daughter was in properly trained hands and seemed like she might be in shock, or suffering a concussion. He needed to be where he was.
What to do? My students had worked all day to prepare their wool to felt, and we were at a crossroad.
What to do?
SHOCK.
yes, still shock.
I needed to be alone, just to let the fog clear.
Just a few moments alone. a phone call, everyone is ok.
EVERYONE IS OK.
Shock begins to subside. There is nothing I can do. Va. needs a cat scan. Can I help?
No. Will I be a help or a hinderance at the hospital?
A hysterical mom? a help? No. I stayed and finished teaching the class, knowing that my husband and my Dad were now
with my daughters. We are a family. My Dad and my husband, my daughters, my mom, my marine son and me.
My students might be my family some times. They surrounded me with love and support today.
Thank you Jane and Emily and Debra, and Glenn. Today you were like my cousins and my aunts. You helped me to be distracted in the midst of uncertainty and trauma.
I am blessed by my family. my work, my students. I have a rich life.
Thank you God, for grace to live another wonderful day as a full family, rich in love.
Cherri

Some weaving items that need a home

I have a friend who has several looms that she is looking for a home for. They are NOT floor looms. She has a couple of standing inkle looms, a couple of frame looms, and some books. Here is how she describes these items and if you are interested, please contact me. The items are in Lynchburg, but can travel to Richmond near the Christmas holidays.
Cherri

"I have a LeClerc Cendral floor model Inkle loom which has been much loved and well used but I consider it in good condition. This has pegs enough to weave up to 150" on one warping. Heck, I even have it warped up for Thanksgiving thinking my grandkids would like to weave a pastel rainbow bookmark one last time. Silly me.

The other loom is a handmade Inkle loom which my aunt passed on to me years ago, in the 1970's. I think the designer made it in such a way that a handicapped person in a wheelchair could weave in his/her chair. My aunt was a Red Cross volunteer teaching handcrafts to disabled veterans at Walter Reed hospital during WWII. It is a floor model and the top fits into its stand. In my early weaving business days it went with me on vacations and to craft shows because it was so portable. On this one a piece up to about 60" long can be woven.

I have a large frame loom, size 22"x38", which I bought from the Hammett School Craft Supplies Company years ago. Called their Todd Perfection Loom, it was the first loom I used when teaching my 4th grade students. Each child got to weave several rows at a time, etc. It can weave placemat size pieces which can become a mat or handbag or wall hanging. Seated on the floor before it they could imagine they were a Southwestern Indian weaver. One can weave a piece up to 20"x30" on it. I have its instruction book also.

I have a 14" x 20" board loom made by the Belding Lily Company. They call it an All-Around Weaving Board. And I have their detailed and illustrated instructions it came with.

I have 6 good weaving books too.

2 copies of Helene Bress' INKLE WEAVING.
1 copy of CLOTHING FROM THE HANDS THAT WEAVE by Anita Mayer
1 copy of Rachel Brown's THE WEAVING, SPINNING, AND DYEING BOOK
1 copy of Nina Holland's INKLE LOOM WEAVING
1 copy of A WEAVER'S GARDEN by Rita Buchanan (on growing plants with which to weave)