Summer School

You might have wondered what I have been up to. Two separate time-consuming things have been happening. Firstly the house purchase has hotted up enough for us to know that we get the house next Saturday and today I pay for the house!!! Lots needs doing, all of it essential and mostly boring. Secondly I have been at the Association Summer School for the last eight days learning about weft ikat with Martin Weatherhead. It was held in an agricultural college which left a great deal to be desired. Most people had a problem of some sort with the accomodation.

 

Here are my first set of weft skeins after dyeing.

 

And my samples. I dyed a whole lot of skeins later in the week which are blue rather than violet.

 

One of the pleasures of the Summer school is talking to people and I had a long and interesting chat about painting warps with one lady. She uses freezer paper to mask areas and paints round them. Very nifty. I must try that - - when I have access to paints and dyes again.

 

Which brings me round to the house. My sister, Dorothy, moves in eight days but they cannot move me in until 16th September but I shall go and live in the house anyway. Tomorrow we are seeing the electrician and the gardener about work to be done. No plumbing needs doing and I have organised the decorator already. So today and tomorrow are devoted to organising the house, gas internet, power et cetera.

 

Other gossip from the forest? I have changed my car and get the new one today. I found the Ford Mondeo too big for me and the driving seat is uncomfortable so I have bought one which has sit-up-and-beg seats more like dining room chairs which are better for my back - and it is two foot shorter!!!!

 

On Wednesday I am off to Antwerp with some bookbinders for a guided tour of the Plantin-Moretus printing works. We are going by train. I have been twice before but this time we are getting a special conducted tour for which we have paid rather a lot of money. And that will occupy me until late Friday. From Saturday onwards my time must be devoted to THE HOUSE. I will help Dorothy unpack - my grandson will also help and we hope to get all her stuff straight. before mine arrives.