So, in addition to having clogged up all my precious tools, it’s also been the holidays and I’ve just had minor surgery! \u00a0While the surgery was minor and completely successful, general anesthesia always takes its toll. \u00a0I’ve been blissfully relaxed and able to sleep ridiculous amounts of time, and I’ve been quite fuzzy brained. \u00a0In a number of ways, it’s been a blessing! \u00a0I’ve had a no-stress holiday since I couldn’t get up enough energy to jump through all the hoops or even worry about what lists I should make!<\/p>\n
A terrific perk to not worrying about Christmas preparations was that I took a whole day to go into New York to see the Pieter Coecke van Aelst tapestries at the Met. \u00a0It was so inspiring and overwhelming and just plain\u00a0HUGE<\/em>. \u00a0Isn’t it marvellous how they displayed the tapestries coming out from the walls?<\/p>\n But, on the other hand, there is so much<\/em> I would like to catch up on here. \u00a0I had such amazing experiences in Portugal, and I want to record them. \u00a0There were so many opportunities to experience textiles. \u00a0I spent a day in the lace museum at Vila de Conde and another day at the lace school that is part of that museum. \u00a0I saw wonderful textiles everywhere! \u00a0Each part of the country has its traditional embroidery techniques (and pottery designs too!) which are easy to find. \u00a0And I visited the eastern city of Portalegre where there is a tapetry studio for large works created by well known modern Portuguese artists. \u00a0I have lots of photos and lots of stories about these wonderful places, and I hope to make some space on my computer so I can begin to document these adventures!<\/p>\n Meanwhile, it’s that lulling time between Christmas and New Year and Bob and I are throwing our stuff together to head south and move onboard our boat Pandora<\/em>, that is waiting for us in St. Marys, Georgia. \u00a0I am taking some guilty pleasure from spending some time washing and ironing all the linens we have used over the past week. \u00a0I am setting the table for my return in May, and have a new embroidered tablecloth from de Viano do Castelo<\/a> in the north of Portugal. \u00a0Take a look at that link for some gorgeous examples of the handwork of the women in this area!<\/p>\n \u00a0Here is a close up.<\/p>\n A few other things that have given me a grateful holiday spirit: \u00a0Approaching the end of my Merle sweater<\/a>. \u00a0Huge thanks to Jared Flood and Harrisville Designs<\/a> for making such a lovely yarn (Loft) for knitting! \u00a0Thank you to Amy Christoffers<\/a> for this beautiful design. \u00a0I have knitted it a intriguing color called “Button Jar” which is a complex green, hard for me to describe….muted with wonderful flecks of a bright warm blue, like sky blue, and sunny yellow. \u00a0It has been a dream to knit, and it looks pretty good on me too! \u00a0Unfortunately, I am having no luck getting the colors to be accurate. \u00a0This is too washed out.<\/p>\n \u00a0When I return home in May I will be ready to finish weaving this medium weight linen fabric that has huck motifs crossing each other in a plaited effect. \u00a0Pretty cool! \u00a0It’s a huck threading based on a plaited twill that Laurie Autio designed on her computer, and I am translating into cloth. This design was part of a hand out that Laurie gave us at our November mini-workshop at the Handweavers’ Guild of Connecticut. \u00a0This fabric will become a hefty tote bag lined with some fun plaid linen fabric from my stash. \u00a0It will be a summer bag and I hope it will be finished in time for summer in New England when I return!<\/p>\n This is the fabric on the loom….the color is somewhat too cool. \u00a0The real thing is a bit warmer.<\/p>\n![\"Tapestry](\"http:\/\/www.argoknot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Tapestry-Pieter-Coecke-Met.jpg\")
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![Merle sweater<\/a>. \u00a0Huge thanks to](\"http:\/\/www.yarngal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Merle_02_medium2.jpg\"){kind=link}