No More Nudity in the Studio

Since I've moved to Brasstown, Tootsie and Jenny have been naked, or nearly so.  Tootsie came with a problematic turned-overshot warp that was only wound on the back beam, but Jenny was, and still is, naked as a jay bird.  Last weekend, I unwound Tootsie's warp completely, and wound the tabby warp and the pattern warp together.  It was already threaded and sleyed, and it was a bit tricky.  It took several hours, and a little cursing and yelling--picture running cats and a dog who always thinks everything is her fault--but I got it done.  Originally a curtain for my kitchen in Knoxville, it will now become napkins.  

Today, I'm giving my first dinner party in Brasstown, but as I clean and cook, I'm going to be working on Jenny's new warp, a blue, green and purple hand dyed warp of 240 ends that will turn into Christmas gifts.  I have to run to Lowe's first to get some parts that I lost while moving, but then, she'll be closer to being dressed. She'll at least have a warp draped on her!  I've picked out a miniature overshot pattern LouAnn gave to our guild long ago, Cat's Tracks.  Appropriate given my usual company at home.

I always mean to take photos of the food we're making at the Folk School, but it's always such a rush to get it out, I forget to have my phone with me.  Some of it is beautiful, some of it is just comforting.  The students fill out comment cards every week when they leave, and some of them are nice, and some of them are just plain hateful.  I try to avoid reading them, but my immediate supervisor takes great pleasure in copying the worst and giving them to me.  This week, she not only did that, but she also read them aloud to me.  It was a rough week, and there are times when I certainly question my decision to take this job.  But I've learned a lot about myself, that I am a pretty good cook, and a good supervisor, and most importantly, that you cannot please everyone. 

Food is deeply personal.  It has all kinds of emotions and memories and wants and desires tied up in it.  I can't make everyone's favorite dish, or make it the way they're used to.  I can't accommodate every person's dietary preferences, and this whole gluten-free thing has gotten way out of control.  But my team and I do our very best, and more frequently as we go on, hit the mark.  There will always be mean people, right alongside the kind ones.  And anonymous comment cards are perfect vehicles for those who want to hurt people without getting caught.  The day I had to endure the ugly comments being read to me, I worked at the window in the kitchen, taking back dishes from the students, and so many were warm and friendly and encouraging, I realized that many more people like what we're doing than those venting their spleen in private.  

So, we will soldier on!  I'm making good friends and getting good things done on my days off.  Life could be worse!  I could still be going to work at 4 in the morning, working two jobs and never having energy left to do the things I love or being with the people I care about.  As LouAnn pointed out last time I was in Knoxville, I see her more now than I did when I was there full time!

After I finish the green-blue-purple shawls on Jenny, she will be covered in dish towels of the Huck lace variety.  I'm warping on an old warping board I got from Mom, that my dear handy sister Liz put back together for me.  It's a little high up, hanging from the bathroom door, so I can only wind about 24 ends per bout, but it will be done soon!  488 ends!  It's some organic 8/2 cotton I bought from Lunatic Fringe several years ago, and I am excited to get started!  I've wanted to do some more Huck lace, and I love the way it looks in natural cotton.

I smell the charcoal outside, ready to smoke a nice fat pork butt.  Time to make some 'cue!