Have Loom, Will Travel

Greetings from the Bay of Fundy!

Last week was a frenzy of packing and prepping for our trip up to Kent Island.  The highlight, as usual, was our trip to BJs wholesale club to pick up a bulk order of food.  Ever bought $1200 of food in one trip?  On top of that a trip to the grocery ($300) and Walmart ($100); then we buy about $500 of food every week.  Feeding 20 people takes a lot of supplies!

Loom burrito and a traveling studio.

Jane (my Louet) came up riding safe and secure in our truck -- good thing because it poured buckets first thing in the morning!  I wrapped her in several layers of bubble wrap (a good investment) and then in a vinyl tablecloth -- a loom burrito!  We also took apart her stand and luckily it fit right in my work bin.  Hopefully I have all I need to be productive here on the island.  The trip is like "Planes Trains and Automobiles" -- start by leaving at an ungodly hour (5 am); drive to Bangor and turn right onto the "Airline Road".  They don't build roads like that anymore . . . .  Dodge moose, deer, and bears, then cross into Canada.  Try not to anger the border guards.  (They wanted us to post a bond because we brought so much scientific equipment, but DH talked them out of it!)  Then, it's a mere 3 boat trips and hike across the mudflats to get to Kent Island!

Walking on the ferry while cars are offloaded from the previous trip.

The stern deck of the "Black Ferry" -- an amazingly warm day on the Bay of Fundy.



The north end of Grand Manan -- looking out at the cliffs called "Seven Days Work".



Taking the old ferry, running in place of the damaged new ferry,
meant I got to photograph some of the old signs.  She's a charmer!

The harbor at Seal Cove on Grand Manan.

It's been a busy few days since we arrived -- lots of unpacking, cleaning, and organizing.  Last night I set up Jane down by the wharf, but some further cleaning will need to occur before I get out any warps.  When we say dirt here, we mean dirt.  Makes me appreciate how easy it is to clean with running water and electricity.

One load of supplies coming up from the wharf.
The cottage in the background is where I live -- it was built by
Sterling Rockefeller -- a story in and of itself.

On a last note -- I finished my pinwheel scarf in bamboo!  This was a really fun project and Ihave to say came out beautifully.  The colors were lovely and really complemented my friend's complexion.  Now to see about getting a warp on that loom with a view . . . .

Necessity is a muthah

I leave for the Island in a few days.  In the midst of packing up all the personal gear we'll need for 9 weeks and our science equipment; answering questions from 8 excited young researchers; making a bulk run to BJs; cleaning our house; and taking the dog to her summer home, I'm trying to pack up my weaving.  Who's coming?  Jane -- this is actually why I bought her.  And a bin of items I've carefully inventoried -- shuttles, reading glasses, measuring tape, etc.

Finishing the bamboo scarf for my friend Nancy.

And projects.

I'm going to Vavstuga in late June, so I know I'll come back with some materials then, and I'll be wanting to do some Swedish weaving.  And I return to Maine in July for a week to run a lab for a teacher workshop (human genetics, anyone?)  I'm sure I can rustle up some more projects then.  So I'm trying to be realistic about what I need to take.  I want to wind warps at home, although I got some warping pegs to take along.  This has been fun and I'm in such a hurry I only have time to use my stash -- which is great.  I have a tendency to see yarn and then want to weave with it, but then I ignore the remnants.  Also to buy more than I need when I get to a big yarn shop.  Being forced to work out of my stash has made me work from yarn to project, rather than from project to yarn.  In this case, necessity has been the mother of invention for me.

Three warps are ready:

A leaf-green and white bamboo, for a shadow-weave scarf from Vav.

A somber slate grey and light green tencel, which will be a houndstooth scarf.

And I think my favorite -- this is Madeleine Tosh Prairie and variegated tencel mixed.  This has a wonderful depth of texture and color.  I'm planning on just putting this on and plowing through it with tabby for a quick start to the season.  If the weaving is as easy and fun as making this warp, I'll be loving it.  I'm a little concerned about using the Tosh as warp but we'll see what happens!

FERRY UPDATE:  The ferry that ran aground is going to dry dock.  This leaves the little black ferry to run; it was actually decommissioned in fall in anticipation of the arrival of the newest ferry, planned in July.  So they are pulling her out of mothballs and using her.  This means there will be a long wait to cross to the island; we are going to bring tents just in case we have to camp out on the mainland and wait.  Getting to the island will be a relief, and I'm looking forward to setting up my things and getting to work.

The Ferry is Hard Aground!

My DH and I went out to Grand Manan on Monday and Tuesday so he could go to a meeting in anticipation of the upcoming field season.  The ferry crossing over was the vomit comet, with 40 knot winds.  We came off on the 3:30 ferry yesterday.

This is an old house on the "Airline Road", rt 9 to Canada.  Must be lonely out there.

This morning we learned the ferry ran aground coming into Black's Harbor on the 7:30am trip.  No injuries, but that must have been scary!  We missed this by 15 hours!  We had actually planned to stay over on Grand Manan one more day and if we had we'd have been on that ferry.  Now the question is how are we going to get our students out there?  This could be interesting!

I am scrambling to wind warps before we go.  This one is for a leaf-green double weave scarf in 16/2 bamboo from Halcyon.  I love the spring colors!

 I'm also finishing up a pinwheel scarf in bamboo from Webs.  This is for a friend leaving our college this spring.  Autumnal, huh?  Can I get it done in time?