String, String, String...

I am so sorry about not having time to surf around and visit all of you, but the weeks over here are pretty insane right now. I'll do better - promise (I'd better, or I will probably yell at someone at work soon...)!
I also wanted to say tanks so much for all the kind words and cheers over the finished Hare Pyns - I really appreciate it, thanks so much!

Right now it is work, work, work during the days (you know, days so full that you have to plan when to squeeze your bathroom breaks in...) and string, string, string in the evenings.
I probably didn't mention in my last post that we were taught to make a couple of different lucet cord types; the square cord and the flat braid. The latter is plenty harder to make than the first. We concentrated very hard on making the flat braid during the second half of the course day, which was great because it was a piece of cake to go back and pump out a few yards of the basic square cord after that. I even developed my own technique after a while and I got the square cord done in no time. Here is the current update (note my brand new silver-dollar lucet!) with bundles of square cord and flat braid ready to be used for the finishing step:

I am looking forward to finish the lucet pouch and to use all the yummy cord.

I got many inches done bunch done while volunteering for a Scout Innovation Badge event through work on Saturday. I was talking career options with kids of ages twelve to seventeen and specifically what a Chemical Engineer can do. It was great and I think that some of the scouts did get pretty impressed and pumped about all the opportunities that are out there for engineers. If I managed to convince one out of the 50 kids that were there, I would be very satisfied indeed! Here is the poster I made and displayed - I spent a lot of time on it so that it would attract some well-needed attention.

You throw in a space theme and lots of cool pictures of everyday stuff, stir, and hopefully you have made some brand new engineers... ;-) As mentioned, in between the booth visitors, I did get a bunch of cord done and I had a t least three curious adults come by to ask what I was making. They seemed more excited about the cord making than the kids did about a career in the science field. (Apparently a lot of the kids nowadays are planning a career path that involves going to the moon... Who knows, that may mot be an all that far-fetched future.)

I am still working on the flat braid - I need three more brown lengths (I am not pleased with the tension of the first one, so it that one is a do-over...) - but if I get time, I may get them completed this week.
Speaking of the lucet, Sherri e-mailed me today to let me know that she has finally launched her brand new web-site, Patrick's Woods. It is great - swing by and take a look. She has pictures and descriptions of class-projects (current and retired), patterns, her teaching schedule, and even a blog! Very cool. The neatest thing is that she will teach on-line classes from her site in the future too! She has posted the first project, which is brand new little bunny purse- isn't it pretty!?
Speaking of bunnies - DH took this pic on Sunday morning (thanks for letting me dry my hair and put on make-up, honey... LOL). I finally had some time to sit down and breathe after a crazy week. Talking with Mom on the phone with a big, black bunny on my chest and a little dusty-green Hen hanging out (Henny is totally checking out Bubba.)

This week ended up being packed as well; I am giving a presentation about male gender biases to the local SWE chapter over lunch tomorrow (the presentation is not pulled together yet, of course), going for dinner at a friends house tomorrow night, and I will probably have to pack on Thursday, since I am going away on another stitch retreat leaving on Friday! No, I promise that I am not making this up - I am going to Salty Yarns' Ocean Jamboree for the first time. My friend NJ-Babe has gone before - I try to meet up with her at least once a year - and she swears that it is a great time! I am a bit intimidated, since I have read the organizer's blog and let me tell you, I may not open my mouth once during the entire retreat! You can have a look for yourselves and see what you think.... Salty Yarns. Everything is fair game on this blog; teachers, customers, co-workers - you name it.... It will be nice to see the ocean though... LOL
The teachers are Elizabeth Talledo (Dames of the Needle), Amy Bruecken, and Barbara Jackson (Tristan Brooks). I am particularly excited about the Barbara Jackson's class, since she will be teaching one of her original strawberries. I am pretty sure that it will be crewel embroidery, so it will be a lot of fun to work a bit more with that.

Other interesting tidbits; DH has fallen hard for the TV-show "Dog the Bounty Hunter", so we watch at least 5 episodes on Netflix each and every evening now. It is an interesting show and you can't help but really liking the guy. He looks like a real gangster but he really has a soft and truly caring heart. His wife Beth is fascinating as well (and she is definitely the hard-a$$ in the team). I mean, you are bound to have a huge personality when you chose to chase down bond-breakers by foot in stiletto heels! You go Beth!

Finally, I can tell you that lucet cord making is fun, but I do miss all those crosses... :-)
Happy Stitching and talk with you in a bit,