Home Again

For the past sixteen years, Dan and I have set aside the first week of October to share ten days special time for just ourselves. Although in past years we have used this week to travel extensively, this year we both decided we just wanted to head to Washington State to simply relax. We arrived at Sea Tac airport just as the sun was setting and walked past a sculpture/wall hanging in the main terminal which I think is fascinating.

The centerpiece of art named "Landing" was designed by Ralph Helmick and Stuart Schechter. It is made up of 2800 individual sculptures arrayed in such a way that they form the image of a snow goose landing on a calm lake.Mr. Helmick and Mr. Schechter have individually and collectively completed twelve major public commissions, including major sculptures for the Midway Airport in Chicago, the new international terminal at Philadelphia Airport and the Melvin Price Federal Courthouse in St. Louis, Illinois. Their collaborative work began in 1994 with the creation of Ghostwriter, for the Evanston, Illinois Public Library. They are know for art work which is comprised of thousands of precisely suspended cast metal elements. These small elements then coalesce to become a larger three-dimensional composite form.

The next morning, I opened a box from Jennie the Potter. Inside was a bowl and mug I had ordered last July. The design is features whimsical sheep and a ball of yarn. The pieces are very well done. The colors are vibrant and not the somewhat dull colors my camera phone captured.

But the big excitement was my new loom and accessories from AVL. The Workshop Dobby Loom is AVL's smallest, most transportable, and least expensive computerized dobby loom. I chose a 24 inch loom with 24 harnesses. I chose to have the loom outfitted with sectional beams so I also ordered a warping wheel.

The loom and the box arrived in a series of large, heavy boxes. After locating the instruction sheets, I started the task of assembly. The instructions are easy to follow and I was able to construct the warping wheel and the frame in two days.

While I would have loved to immediately start warping the loom, there is an important component missing --- the computer dobby and shafts. The day before the Loom was to be shipped, AVL contacted me and asked if I would like to become a BETA tester for their latest upgrades. And the best part -- the upgrades would be added at no charge. The only problem was that the dobby would need to be reconfigured and it would not arrive before I left Washington. I took some time to think it over (at least 10 to 15 seconds), then decided to go for the new changes. The dobby will arrive next week.

The forecast was for lots and lots of rain so it was time to settle down and knit. More to come.....