Oh Dear

It looks as if my ambitious Barbara Walker project is on hiatus (I'd say hibernating but we're coming out of winter----maybe it's on Spring break in Fort Lauderdale?). In any case, I've not been keeping up with that or with updating here. Not that I've been inundated with comments and emails asking me where I am and how much my swatches have been missed.

Last month I started working two days a week at Loop. It's a wonderful, gorgeous store filled with wonderful, gorgeous yarn, laid out beautifully (a friend of mine refers to Loop as The Museum of Yarn). My boss and co-worker are great also, making the adjustment to my first outside-the-house job in 25+ years pretty smooth.

From my two days of work, I then go directly to my day of teaching the blind at ASB; I'm still figuring out how to both rest, catch up, and continue with my own work over the next days until it's time to start again.

Yes, I know I used to do this work thing, but after so many years of having the kids and their school years and then my own craft show schedule determine the rhythm of my work, it is taking a bit of adjusting.

I'm working on a store sample for Loop right now, using Zara, and the interesting thing is how much the yardage varies from ball to ball. Since I'm working in stripes, you'd think that one ball would work up the same number of rows as the next, but that's not the case. I'm a little nervous, because I'm not sure how this is going to turn out. Maybe they (the manufacturers) need to check their measuring machine. That aside, Zara is very nice to work with: smooth, quick, nice hand, great finished fabric. There is a slight tendency to split now and then--not badly, just something to keep an eye on.

And as soon as I have this finished, I'll be able to work out the sample and write the pattern for the latest design I've done for Valley Yarns. I'm really looking foward to working this one up. And maybe the Barbara Walker project will get back on track.