A new warp going on the loom for table-runners. More on the Handweave Adventures Blog.

Trois Seigneurs

With the weaving barn finally occupied, a chance to get in the hills. Andy who had a hip replacement about 10 months ago was free and finally feeling able, so a trip up Trois Seigneurs was in order. Much hotter than we expected, but we made the circuit in 6hrs30 including some leisurely stops for lunches.

 

Almost finished!

After waiting on two different occasions for delivery of our floor from Leroy Merlin we eventually cancelled the order and went to Toulouse to collect from the store.  After 11 hours of work floor and underlay are fitted. Just a short length of skirting boards to do.  The loom has finally moved in!

 

normal service is resumed

It's been a strange year so far on the mushroom front. In the twenty years I've lived here I have never experienced so few mushrooms - virtually nothing until now. Now they've all come at once, not that I'm complaining.

Chaux chanvre has been completed and drying for over a week now, the floor was supposed to arrive today but although the delivery driver called me and said he would arrive in 2 hours, he didn't. Very frustrating.

With the upstairs almost complete, thoughts are turning to downstairs. We are now thinking that it will provide more room for wool processing, dyeing and running weaving courses. 

Solar panel teething problems seem to be over and the system for instantaneous power transfer when we have a power cut is now working. apart from a few days when the system wasn4t working, we haven't needed to use any grid electricity since installation in late April. We'll see how things continue in the shorter days of winter. 

Four days of chanvre chaux and we've three walls completed. A rest before I tackle the last wall.

Whilst the doors were open this little fella crept in!

 

Ready for wall finishes at last!

A quick test of the storage now the electrics are complete, before starting the chanvre-chaux (lime and hemp) on the walls.

Latest project finished on the loom, a pure silk shawl in huck lace.

 

14 days progress

Another couple of weeks of scorching temperatures as the heatwave in Southern Europe continues. 

We decided we needed to start rebuilding our flock after last years losses from FCO. Before we could get a new ram we had to get rid of Oak. Although he's not a ram (he's castrated) Somehow a tiny root of testicle was left and so he behaves as if he was. He has a healthy set of horns, unfortunately is aggressive and would fight and possibly kill a new ram (especially if young). There was no alternative but to take him to the abattoir. He's now safely processed and in the freezer. He was surprising fat! 

Oak

Next we sold on some of the lambs and sheep that have poor wool and from which we didn't want to breed. Olive and Chihero went and although Truffle was also bought she escaped from the buyer's trailer and eventually we decided to keep her. After looking at a few rams we finally decided on Teddy a 4 month old ram from near Aspet. We bought him and another white ewe who we called Sasha from an amateur. The poor sheep had never been shorn and were in a small bare field with 5 or 6 others. As soon as we got her home we sheared her much to her delight. She was also thin as a rake. Both sheep have been eating non-stop since their arrival.

Teddy left and Sasha right

Progress in the Weaving barn has been slow in the heat, although I have built cupboards for weaving and yoga equipment, started fitting the lights and built the walls of the cupboard around the solar battery and switchgear. The staircase walls have gone up, we have hand and guard rails, the last bit of exterior wall has been pointed and we have a sign on the door. More first fix electrics to do before we can finally start the chaux chanvre.

Col de Lau depuis Aulus les Bains

With appointments in the afternoon and low cloud we decided on a low level walk from Aulus. There's a path that climbs to eventually traverse the face of Mont Beas passing via the Col de Lau to eventually reach the Col du Dret. It's a long gradually climb of about 800m. Mostly in forest on granite. Then suddenly you leave the treeline and emerge in a karst landscape below the steep south face of Mont Beas. Quite spectacular. Return by the same itinery for 4 hours of exercise including lunch.

 

Col de crouzette via etang d'eychelle et etang d'ayes

First time in the mountains since my knee problems, but equipped with a pair of knee supports all went amazingly well. We (Al, Breezy, Sheri, Susie and I) started in the clouds from the new lower parking on the piste de mont noir above the Etang Bethmale. From there steeply up through the forest and clouds to the Col d'Auerole where our loop began.

We decided to go clockwise, climbing past the etang d'eychelle, to eventually reach the col de crouzette for lunch with views towards Valier and some very friendly merens horses and foals.

From here we traversed westwards to eventaully reach the col de roc plat below Pic de Montgarie, where we descended to join the GR10. This traverses high above the Riberot valley before passing below Pic de Crabère and descending to reach the Etang d'Ayes. A short climb back up to the Col d'Auerole and the loop was complete. 

1173m of ascent and 15km.

On the GR10

 

One of many wheatears

Advancing twills off the loom

 

An evening for skies

 

Stairs at last

 A busy few days making a stair. Lots of routing to make the string housings, treads and risers, then a over hundred wedges. Assembly went fairly smoothly but the installation was a pig. Although it's only made from pine and only 73cm wide its still pretty heavy. The hole in the floor is a few cm wider than the stair, but the odd protruding rock, the newel post and other irritations made it impossible to get into place from below. After getting it wedged in the wrong place a rethink was necessary.

We got it free then dragged the whole stir up onto the first floor, then tried to install from above. Eventually after getting it stuck a second time, I reach for the hammer and bolster. Some stones were trimmed and numerous blows with "the persuader" aka a big mallet and the stair finally dropped into place. 

Too coats of varnish before bed and we finally have easy access to the first floor.

The elusive Golden Oriol

A few days ago the distinctive calls of a handful of Golden Oriols close to the house. I spent 2 hours trying to spot them in the canopy, let alone photograph them, without success.  They're known to be secretive!

Hay

Crazy hot weather continues So decided to make the hay before storms arrive on Tuesday. The last few years the hay from the field in front of the house has been getting poorer. The grass is very fine and not at all leafy. So this year I decided to cut the pla d'artigue, which 5 or 6 years after clearing is now free of bracken.  Cutting, tedding and putting into rows went without a hitch except for the shear quantity of grass this year. Bailing is always a problem. After the first 50m of attempting to get a bail the knotters suddenly started working....often the case. Then suddenly a loud bang! One of the recently replaced tyres had perished over the winter and the inner tube exploded. The rest of the bailing had to be accomplished with a flat tyre, the last 100m without a tyre at all as it came off! Half way through the drive shaft also disconnected from the gearbox. A beer and a few blows with a lump hammer and all was well again. The bailer twine also snagged on a bolt head, so about 50 bails need retying on one side. Haven't counted yet but probably over 200 bails off about half an acre.....it's been crazy growth with the wet spring. That's plenty of hay for the sheep, the other fields will all have to be cut in the late summer and left to compost. Tomorrow the task of repairing damaged bails and getting it all n the barn.

New warp

With the completion of the warping wheel a new sectional warp has been put on the loom. The warping wheel is a big improvement over a tension box and bobbins for my kind of weaving with many colour changes in the warp.

This weave will be a long cushion for our iron bedstead, a scarf and some smaller items (maybe another cushion). It's an advancing twill which will produce 'fractal" type patterns.

A regime of cycling twice a day seems to be helping my knee recovery, albeit slowly.