Handling Warps of a Different Sort....

.....or, what to do if the boatyard 'forget' to install the main halyard before stepping the mast. Do as the Beau did:-




1. Buy a safety harness
2. Ascertain that girlfriend (=me), henceforth known as First Mate (FM) is available as winch woman
3. Hire some ladders (mast has no steps) Wait for tide to ebb so bilge keels settle in mud and boat will be still.
4. Manoeuvre ladders onto deck with FM; lash to anchor post and shrouds
5. Make and drink tea
6. Don harness, attach safety line (the Genoa halyard), climb up ladder while FM winches you up
7. FM ties off safety line, Cap'n lashes ladder to mast
8. FM releases safety line and pays out while Cap'n climbs down ladder
9. Cap'n ties new main halyard to harness
10. Climb ladder while FM winches you up
11. FM ties off safety line; Cap'n hauls up new halyard and feeds it through the thingy at the top of the mast**
12. Repeat step 8
13. Secure new halyard to piece of chain and stow in the lazy jacks
14. Repeat step 10; undo lashing at top of ladder
15. Repeat step 8
16. Make and drink tea and eat teacake
17. Remove lashing at bottom ladder, Cap'n and FM carry ladders onto pontoon then back to hire place.
18. FM moves car which is in 2hr only spot.
19. Make and drink tea.
20. FM makes whipped, thimbled eye splice in the new halyard (her first eye splice in nylon rope, and first with a thimble, and all after a year's gap since last one)
21. Congratulations all round.

Now for the rest of my Studio Day!

**technical term temporarily escapes me

Location:Emsworth

Getting Back To Normal (ish)

The Art Trail is over, so today is about putting my home back to rights; with the challenge of maintaining the current level of tidiness! It has been a good experience - many enjoyable conversations about weaving in general, and my practice in particular.
I found it most salutary to tell my story and be reminded about the blessings I have gained in the last few years.
I was right not to become stressed making lots of work for sale; people came to look and talk, not buy necessarily, and that was fine - I now have a good stock of tiny tapestries to stock my Etsy shop (taking photos and doing that will be a day's work).
There are affirming comments in the Visitors' Book to look back on.
I have several new ideas to work on, and a new impetus to finish the larger works.
I shall participate again.

Location:The Loom Room

Making the Most of Lovely Days

My walking mascot Manny Kin; I am working on the 1000 mile challenge with Country Walking magazine, and there is a mascot subgroup on Facebook.


The restored signal on the Hayling Billy coastal path, looking north towards Langstone. It was an excellent day for walking; just enough breeze to stay cool. I clocked up 5.5 miles; Flo probably managed twice that with her scamperings. She is clearly fully recovered from her hip injury!

Last evening I went to see Rory Kinnear and Anne Marie Duff in Macbeth (NT Live streamed to my local indie cinema). I have seen several productions (and been First Witch in one); this was spine-tingling, chillingly excellent.

I have yet to decide on today's activities; aren't holidays delightful?

Location:Hayling Island

Art Trail Update

The first weekend of Chichester Art Trail took place in blazing sunshine, which rather impacted on visitor numbers - and who can blame people for staying in their gardens or heading to the beach in such glorious weather? Not being overrun with visitors, I was able to spend time in my (beautifully tidy) studio, working at some more tiny (5cm / 2.5") tapestries:-

Samples / experiments from earlier in the year



Made up into brooches (soon to be available in my Etsy shop)



WIP



The weather next weekend is supposed to less clement, so it will be interesting to see whether more visits ensue.

I have a couple of days holiday this week; I spent much of today reading my lovely book while lounging on The Beau's boat. Not a bad life!

Location:The Loom Room