Crafting Vacation Update

I’ve discovered yet another citrus forage in our neighborhood– kumquats! Picked a big bag this morning, on a walk to put to sleep the Toddler who woke up at 3 am (oh, yes). I’ll pack them to Spokane, and my first crafting fun will be turning kumquats into candy for xmas gifts. I’ve candied orange and grapefruit peel before. Takes a ton of sugar, but it’s not that hard, and ever so addictively delicious. I think the kumquats might be the best ever, since their peel is even good to eat fresh. I’d never eaten one before. !KAZOWZA! That is one big burst of flavorama-rama-ding-dong!

We leave tomorrow, bright and early, for my fabulous DIY Crafting Vacation! (or Christmas Visit with In-Laws, depending on how you look at it). I’ve got the aforementioned

• Soap. Bar, liquid, and laundry.
• Bees-waxed cloth kitchen bags, to replace all the stupid ziplocks I’ve had just about enough of.

for which I ordered lye, washing soda and beeswax. But to those I’m hoping to add something a little more exciting. Something I’ve wanted to learn for years. Weaving.

I’ve always felt I had a kinship with fiber, like– fiber is my thing, my spiritcraft. But despite a lot of knitting, I’ve never come around to it, and when I tried crocheting, it didn’t look any more promising. Spinning looks all wrong for me too. What has always whispered sweet wooly nothings in my ear is weaving. Plus, the weavers I’ve met look like my people. My ladies. (No offense to the other fiber workers, of whom I’ve adored many.)

I did learn how to use a backstrap loom in Guatemala. So I have had enough of a taste to think my instinct is right on. In fact, I have a backstrap loom at home in Cordova, which is not much more than a bundle of sticks. Brilliant little invention. But what I want is a small tabletop loom. Something I can easily sit down to for 5-50 minutes at a time, which are the kind of windows I have at this point in my life. Something I can work at when I’m chatting with a friend.

They’re not so cheap as one might hope. I’m thinking I can convince someone to make it their xmas present to me. If I could find a used on, that would be ideal. We’ll see.

I’m thinking I will do a post a day for the duration of my trip, to make sure you all feel like a part of the fun! Though, I will still have kids, one of which is a baby. So don’t expect anything mind-blowing to go on… ;)