Hello, friends. As many of you already know, I simply love our feathered friends. My current studio companion is a Scottish Fife canary, Mr. Darcy.
I also maintain a feeder for the wild birds that visit our property. (Note: I do not keep the feeder active in the spring months as we do have black bears that live in Harrisville. They will make short work of a feeder full of seed after hibernating all winter).
We have had several interesting wild bird sightings since moving to the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. We’ve spotted scarlet tanagers, pileated woodpeckers, ruffed grouse, and loons. We have heard owls, particularly the barred owl, in the woods but haven’t spotted one yet. While working outside in early November, we spotted a ruby crowned kinglet in the rhododendrens. I may never see another one, so I feel very lucky to have had this chance.
All of the birdie-ness that tends to occupy my thoughts has found its way onto the loom. I’ve been designing scarves using a lovely merino/tencel blend that feature the colors of wild birds. I’ve nearly finished my first “Common Warbler” scarf woven from grey, mustard yellow, and ivory:
I plan to wash the scarf after weaving and finish up the ends with a twisted fringe. I really like working with this yarn; it has a slight sheen to it and it is quite strong.
I’d like to see how these finish up before venturing into too many more variations of this design. Also, I have placemats to weave! I have a very long warp of black and ivory cottons to weave up into some log cabin placemats for two customers. And I’m all out of blue/ivory again so I plan to work those into the queue somehow.
I hope you are all safe and well. Happy 2021, friends.
Kate Kilgus 