Sharon Pollock is on the hot seat today!

Let me see how the old memory is working today.  Well, I know this is Sharon Pollock.  I know she comes from Colorado City, which is just up the road a ways.  The "road"  is I 25.  I 25 is one of the nations supply lines from Canada down to Mexico and vice versa.  And according to the paper I see it is not all legal trade either.  I am not really sure Canada exports a lot of merchandise into Mexico, but I only read headlines anyway.
Ok, now I think I remember.  This is Merino and if you click on my pictures they will get bigger.  This has a lovely design and check out the edges on her work.  They are as even and her tension on the whole thing amazes me.  I may have her come hold my little paw and teach me a few tricks.  My edges usually look like a drunken caterpillar laid them out!

On the left is a hand dyed scarf that Sharon made.  On the right is another she made and went to a lot of work tying this into a knot that the ladies have learned to tie and I have not as my attention span is not that long.  I have even forgotten who taught them how to do it, but I knew at one time.  Oh, I remember, it was Jennifer some one.  Hang on and let me go to Youtube and see if I can find the video.  It is called Jennifer ties one on.   Found it.  I will post it at the end of the blog. 
Back on topic.  As I recall, both of these scarvers were white and she hand dyed them at one of Joanne  Caldwell's "Dye Party's".  Remember when we used to throw Tupperware Party's?  Now we just throw Tupperware.
I know Sharon has worked two days at the sale already.  Maybe more.  She is a very good salesperson.  She is a Guild Lady!  And I am very happy I got the chance to work with her at least the one day.  I enjoy working the sale as it gives me a chance to get to know all the ladies better.  So here we have Sharon at the end of her shift and I could be wrong, but I think she may have dozed off on me.  My stories do get a bit boring!



See ya tomorrow!!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiB6HtZNXb8

Betty Kochevar, one of the Grande Dames of the Guild.

Here is our lovely Betty standing by the perpetual calendar, which we are selling at the sale going on right now!  Now when I say Betty is a Grande Dame it is not to be pronounced Grand Dame.  The "a" will be soft as "Graund Daume".  See?  This woman is every inch a lady!  Know up front that classy ladies rarely befriend me, but the ladies of the Guild are different.  See I have to give you a lesson in ladies here.  Women fall into three classes mostly.  There are women, ladies and then the "B" words.  Most of the females in the Guild land right smack in the lady category.  They all have a rather genteel quality about them which is not something that can be forced, but rather something deep inside that is a part of their very being.  Imagine when I first stumbled into a Guild meeting.  Oh, dear!  But most of them accept me without question and actually seem to like me just the way I am.  So, I hang out with my ladies of the Guild!
But this is about Betty and her endeavors.  I forgot to ask her how long she has been with the Guild, but I bet it is a long time.  (When you meet Marilyn Hoisington  I will give you more history.)  Betty was there before me.  She lives over in Joanne Caldwell's neck of the woods and more on that little fox later also.
And here are pictures of Betty showing off some of her work.  Top picture is a Christmas Ornament.
Then a very beautiful scarf of which I did not get a very good picture, but you have come to expect that, haven't you?
Bottom is a beautiful blue vest, which I thought pretty strongly about stealing, but for some odd reason, the women of the Guild bring out the "not being bad girl" side of me.  Bet if I asked her for that she would give it to me.  Sure hope it sells , but the chances of that happening are very good.  Stuff is flying off the shelves.  I think we are going to set a new record on our sale.  I think I heard someone say this is our 27th sale.  Same time, same place every year; the first weekend in November at the Historic Down Town Union Avenue District. 
But once more I do digress!  Back to Betty Kochevar.  I do not ever recall not seeing a smile on her face.  And what I know about her  life is pretty much zilch.  I know she has a husband and that exhausts my knowledge of her home life.  Oh, wait!  This woman is a fantastic cook!  Course most woman that weave their own clothes are not going to be picking up a lot of fast food on the way home from anywhere.
So for the sake of brevity, let us bid a fond farewell to our little Betty and let me go do some thing about that mess in my kitchen!  See you tomorrow; same time, same place!

Tara Matthews is showing off her wares today.

I would like you to meet Tara Matthews.  She is showing off a something or other here that you pull over your head.  She told me what the name of this is but the vacuum between my ears was so loud I missed it.  I think it is like a shawl kind of.  I do know it was very pretty and very soft.  She did a very good job, but then she does very good work.

Now this is a very lovely scarf.  Tara likes to makes scarves and I like to buy them so we have a lot in common there!  Tara has been with the Guild off and on, sometimes here and sometimes moved a way  for about 15 years.  Oh, I like her fingernails!  I usually dine on mine.

When the elections are held next month, I think, Tara will be our second vice president.  First we have a president, then a vice president and then a second vice president.  I think that is how it goes.

Can you see that purse back there?  I did not get a very good picture of it, I am sorry to say. The colors in it are abosolutely vibrant.  Now, what else did you make Tara?

"Oh, let me see!  Hmmm.....I forgot."  I know that feeling Tara, so don't feel bad!  I have never seen so many handwoven pieces in one room before.  I do not even know where mine are.  So I want to thank Tara Matthews for being my subject for today.  And a very good subject she was!

OK, I am going to call it a night and hit the sack.  Remember to set your clocks back an hour.  One year I set them the wrong way and I was two hours early for church.  Course I had 3 grandkids with me and they were little and just figured I was old and addled so I just let them think that.  But now that I am old and addled I have to act like I am not or they will revoke my park pass!!

Have a lovely evening and I will see you tomorrow when I once more go the Vail Hotel and run down some innocent little Guild member and embarrass her to tears.  I am so worthless!

The Weavers Sale is going to start tomorrow and I am there!

 




This is what my towel looked like on the loom. This is the finishing end of it. I made this one with a cotton warp and Pigtail Cotton Chenille. It is 100% cotton and weighs 2 pounds and 4 ounces. This sucker is big and it is soft and I thought about keeping it myself, but I am so money hungry it makes me sick.

This is what it looks like after it is washed, blocked and then tossed in the dryer for a little fluffing up job.  My daughter has a towel I gave her three years ago that I made out of Island Cotton.  She is going to bring it over so I can see it.  She says she uses it and loves it and washes it and it is just like the day she got it only it is softer and more absorbent than ever.  Sure makes me feel good when some one actually likes something I do. 
Course it is a little hard to beat anything that is home made whether it is a tea towel, a shawl or a bowl of mashed potatoes.  I had a friend once named Judy and she always brought mashed potatoes to the pot lucks.  I think that pound and a half of butter that she added finally caught up with her because she moved to California and promptly died.  And what all that has to do with the Weavers's Sale I have not a clue, but here is the deal for you!
I am going to stop by the sale tomorrow afternoon and take lots of pictures.  Then I am going to download those pictures into my Picassa.  Then I will spend three or four hours trying to figure out how that slideshow works.  And when I hit the publish button I will also hit the notify button and send it off to Joanne Caldwell who will send it out to her contacts.  So you ladies better be ready because I am going to snap your little pictures for the next week and then all my friends out there who read this will get to meet you.  This is going to be so much fun!!
But if you are a reader of my blog and not a member of the Handweavers Guild of Pueblo, and you live in this area, I fully expect you to pop in and visit at the Vail Hotel,  217 South Grand (at Union), in Historic Pueblo, Colorado.  Hours are from 10:00 AM-6:00 PM.  And keep a sharp eye out here cause I am going to devote a lot of digital snaps to this sale this year.
I love these women in my Guild and never cease to be amazed at what wonderful work they do.  Oh, and hey!  They let me sell my soaps and lotions at the sale.  I feel so special!

It is the annual Handweavers Guild of Pueblo Sale at the Vail Hotel!

I would like to cordially invite you to the 26th Annual Handwoven Holiday Sale

November 5th – 13th

10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. Daily

Historic Vail Hotel, 217 S Grand Ave, Pueblo, CO

(Union & Grand Downtown)

The sale will showcase one-of-a-kind hand-crafted items, including handwoven kitchen and bath towels, table linens, rugs, blankets, tapestries, hats, bags, wall art, jackets, scarves, wraps, basketry, gourds, exquisite pottery and jewelry, handmade cards, ornaments, roving along with hand-spun, hand-dyed yarns and more…..There will be demonstrations of weaving and spinning at 11:00 and 2:00 daily.

If you ever just wondered how to go from the first picture to the second  picture your are going to get your chance to learn.

All you got to do is show up at the Vail Hotel on Friday the 12 of November at 11:00 AM. Well any time between 11 and 2 cause I am going to be there to give you a demonstration. Oh these demonstrations are so much fun! Did you happen to pick up that the first 5 letters of the word spell DEMON? I have been told by the avante guard that I am to behave like a lady! That failing I am not to get too far out of line! I am not sure that they told everybody this, but they might have. There are a couple other women there that we need to caution from time to time and the one in particular knows who she is!

I guess what I am telling you is this sale runs a full week and we have us a good time! Not rowdy, mind you, because I would never do anything to embarrass my dear friends, but this is an event that you need to attend. We work all year getting ready for this sale and there is beautiful workmanship in all our products. All I can say is it is a very good thing that some of the members work harder than I do! Could not pay the hall rental on my meager showing, but I have my lotions and soap there, so that buys me a spot.

And then there is the table over by the door with cookies, coffee and hot apple cider! These people are not only damn good weavers, knitters, gourd decorators, artisans, craftsmen, but accomplished bakers as well. And trust me on this, they all try to out do each other so there will be some cookies on that table that will make Betty Crocker green with envy!

So I hope to see some of you there and when you show up be sure and tell somebody that Lou Mercer sent you! Got to get my brownie points in, you know. A good time will be had by all!