Its been a while but at last my computer seems to be fully functional. I keep on finding that I'm missing handy little programmes that I'd downloaded ages ago but other than that everything is ok.
As for the rest of life - its been a funny month full of ups and downs so far. My job in Wales finished which I knew what happening as I'd only been contracted for 18 months so no more lovely trips into the Welsh countryside but equally I get to spend more time at home (I used to work away three days per week).
I had arranged to work for another Architect, also in Wales when I finished but after only a week things were clearly not going to work so I left yesterday. It was hard to do but this is the first time in my life since leaving Uni twelve years ago that I've been jobless! As I'm self-employed this should be a normal occurance from time to time but its a first time experience for me. Needless to say today has been strange and I'll be keeping myself busy with things I needed to sort out like my accounts, work on our house plans (oh, forgot to say I've submitted for planning approval - yipee), and there's my CV etc to review.
DH has been lovely and said that I should take a month and review what I want to do before diving into another contract. The aim is eventually to work for myself but this coud take some time to come to fruition so for now staying self-employed but working for another is fine, besides I start back teaching one day per week at Liverpool Uni on 25th September so at least I have that to look forward to. I'm just finding it hard not having a deadline to meet or rushing to work or from work. I've realised that I don't take out time to simply stop or slow down and appreciate what's going on around. Its going to be an interesting month to say the least.
Craft wise it's been busy too! The guild weave week was wonderful. I managed three full days of learning to weave on a four shaft loom and now I'm hooked. So much so that I've ordered a Louet Klik loom from Scottish Fibres (this was before my sharp fall in income - oops). I did a bit of reasearch before hand but my main poin is storage. I've borrowed the Guild Ashford loom since the workshop but its far too big and I've had to negotiate storage in a friend's workshop for it so the Klik seems perfect, escpecially as you can extend it up to sixteen shafts (unlikely but eight would be useful). I was also inspired by Sweet Georgia's post showing her Klik with a beautiful dyed warp.
This is my sample weave from the workshop. Can you believe that it took us all day to warp the loom for the first time! We worked through varies weave patterns - twills, hopsack, chevron and steen in mercerised cotton. It was hard work and sometimes you could almost hear the concentration in the room as everyone was warping up but it was really rewarding.
Weaver's Cottage in Kilbarchan, a National Trust for Scotland property. It's only three miles from where they live and I remember going there as a child but at the time I had little interest in weaving. 
They also had a brand new Louet floor loom which I had a little play on!
They weave tartan's for reinactment costumes and any left over they make into bags and cushions so I had to have one and it's made me think that one day I'd like to weave a little bit of my own family tartan?
