Weekend Project

There was some beading this weekend (so far) but not a lot.

One kit sample.

One reworking of an idea whose first incarnation was a little lacking.

The focus of the production was directed by the disintegration of both the handles and lining of my every-day tote bag.

The lining had perished slightly, becoming completely detached from the body of the bag, and the handles were so badly frayed that all I was lacking was a cardboard sign proclaiming "Will Work For Food" to be in character.

I hate sewing strips for handles, much preferring the inkle-woven handles of my Better Tote. My father, a consummate woodworker but not necessarily attuned to the needs of the fibre dabbler, had made me an inkle loom that wasn't so very fantastic, so notwithstanding that I had successfully woven quite a few bands on it, I sold it. I'm still in two minds about having sold something that he made for me, but the truth is that it was a sub-standard tool, unlike the nostepinde or the swift or the desk that my daughter now uses or the plant stand or toys he made for my kids. And on and on.

So I borrowed John's.

The weaving went pretty well after the first few inches, which is how long it took me to get back such weaving mojo as I have (very, very minor. I am not a weaver, and I mean that, unlike Sara who was foolish enough to proclaim herself Not A Knitter, and we all know what we think of that, after scads of lace shawls, colourwork mittens and baby clothes), and to persuade one Isis that she wasn't really all that enamoured of weaving.

One small problem. Unwilling to buy yarns when I have a stash whose volume would no doubt have protected me from Friday's tornado, had I lived five miles north of here and required such protection, I found oddments in the general colour scheme of my fabric (cover of my living-room sofa. I'm a big fan of upholstery fabrics for non-upholstery purposes), which from tornado-distance were perfect, but up close were much too bright and clear.

After most of a day in rather strong Darjeeling, the light lime green is somewhat muted, not really enough, but good enough for my impatience to finish the project.

All-in-all, a success. I think it'll serve me well.

My daughter, who was young enough to be unaware when I sold my inkle loom, thinks I should make her a camera bag strap. I have a week, as she leaves for a two-week course in Italy on Mother's Day.

Guess I'll be raiding the cotton yarn stash again.