Onward to Rapid City

Today's weather forecast was for rain; it started off sunny and cool in Sioux Falls but the clouds followed us as we headed west. By the time we stopped for lunch and some antiquing in Kadoka (Dick found another cool tool and I got my kitty fix. The resident cat took a liking to me and let me carry her around the store, purring and cuddling into my neck the entire time. I was in heaven), it was cloudy, windy and cold. Another thing that followed us across the plains were the billboards. I've never seen so many; at times they were so thick, on both sides of the Interstate, we couldn't even read them. 'World Famous' Wall Drug had the most, hands down. They started as soon as we left Sioux Falls and continued almost 250 miles across the state.

Our goal today was seeing the Badlands. Dick and I had both heard of them, but had no idea what they were. You're driving across flat prairie grasslands - and suddenly you almost drop off the edge of a cliff, into an alien landscape. The change is startling and dramatic. Beautiful sand and rock formations that go on for miles and miles. The visitor's center didn't really explain why the area is like this - the area was a sea bed during the dinosaur age, but so were a lot of other areas and they don't look like this. The wind - a constant, blasting force - continues to carve the dunes at an incredible rate. One of our favorite vistas was the Yellow Dunes - it's hard to capture the red and yellow hues, and the immensity of the entire area. Although the Badlands look barren, they are anything but. We saw more wildlife here than anywhere we've ever been. From cute bunnies that were inches from the pedestrian walkway - to mule deer - antelope - and want to guess what these are? Prairie dog dens. There were hundreds of the little guys running around. Including Fat Fred, who kept getting closer and closer to the car as I took pictures. I have absolutely no idea how those two cheez-its got out of the car and into his paws. But from the looks of Fred, it's not the first time something like that has happened.

The rain held off until we were back on the Interstate, headed for Rapid City. There are still patches of snow along the roadway, the first we've seen on this trip, which I take to mean it can still get pretty cold here at night.

Tomorrow we're off to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and more. The forecast is more rain. We're hoping for a repeat of today's weather but are prepared, just in case. On the down side, we'll be cold and wet. On the plus side, there will be fewer tourists around. Either way, I'm really looking forward to it.

Lawrence to Sioux Falls

Gray skies and flat countryside pretty much describes today's journey. Nice and green though. We stopped for lunch in Percival Iowa and spent some time walking around an antique mall. Dick found an old woodworking tool to add to his collection; I saw some really nice crocheted and embroidered table scarves - all of which stayed at the mall.

This is what I saw during the 7-hour drive - handsome hubby (who's driven the entire 2800 miles) - South Dakota farmhouses - and knitting. The log cabin blankie is coming right along. Which will end first, the blanket or the trip? I'm betting on the trip . . .

Weaving Workshop

The workshop is over and my sample is off the loom. It's about 9" by 24" and has a bit of almost every technique Jason taught. I have some usable warp still on the loom, but I couldn't wait to cut this off and see what it looked like. I'm going to try to tie the remaining warp back on and weave another small sample. Linen warp is fairly expensive; don't want to waste it if I can help it.

This morning we learned Meet and Separate and Compensated Inlay. The sample I made of Compensated Inlay (above) is based on a piece Jason showed us. I love the optical illusion and geometric elements. I'm going to try this again when I get back home.

The afternoon was devoted to finishing techniques. I practiced more twining - a decorative method of starting and ending a woven piece - and watched Jason demonstrate at least 15 different methods of weft/warp protection and finishing. None of which I'll probably remember tomorrow (except the Half Damascus - that was the first one and the one I liked best). My brain was definitely in overload by that point. But now I know the possibilities and can look up the techniques when I'm ready to use them.

Here are pictures of some of the samples I want to remember and/or try to duplicate. Various decorative twinings - another compensated inlay with crossed wefts in contrary motion - and cross stripes with aligned dots and solid borders. This one's tricky but not hard once you see how it's done. Tomorrow we're sleeping in - this getting up at what would be 5 a.m. California time is a pain - and then we're off to S. Dakota. Hooray!

Collingwood Workshop

Today's workshop with Jason was much easier and more fun than yesterday's. We started with crossed wefts in contrary motion (the bottom section of the purple & pink weaving), then moved to crossed wefts in parallel motion (the top section). In contrary motion, the 2 wefts (one purple and one pink) start one on each side, met and cross somewhere in the weaving, then continue on to the opposite side. In parallel motion, the wefts start on the same side and can cross more than one time before continuing on. Parallel is much harder to learn; lots of opening and closing of sheds and worrying about selvages.

The afternoon was devoted to clasped wefts, which is also a tapestry weaving technique. Clasped wefts give the most design opportunities and is an easy concept to learn. At least on the basic level. We used only 2 shuttles, but using 3 or 4 shuttles is also a possibility.

Jason's samples are amazing. This one shows various techniques with yesterday's cross stripes, vertical stripes, aligned and staggered dots. I've got all but the staggered dots in my sample rug. It's the most difficult technique; I'm hoping to try it tomorrow afternoon before class ends. This is another example of the same techniques. The brown one shows crossed wefts techniques. I love these two, both the colors and the designs. Jason lives in the UK but teaches workshops in the States; he also does rugs on commission. His teaching schedule is here and examples of his big rugs are here. I really, really want one of his rugs. Hmmmm, maybe a Christmas present . . . .

Loveland to Lawrence

The drive from Loveland to Lawrence Kansas was looooooong - 10 hours worth. Fortunately, we had clear skies, not the rain and wind that was predicted. We drove straight through, stopping only for lunch and gas.

Kansas is surprisingly beautiful. We weren't sure what to expect - I thought it would be flat and monotonous. Wrong. Lots of rolling hills, trees, cattle, and green everywhere you look. Coming from brown, dry California, it's gorgeous. I didn't get a lot of knitting done once we got over the border from Colorado; the scenery was too pretty to ignore.

We made only one side trip, to Eisenhower's Presidential Library and boyhood home in Abilene. Dick and I have been reading a series of WEB Griffin's books about the OSS in WWII. It's made us more conscious of Ike and his era. The library was closed by the time we got there Friday evening, but we stretched our legs and took a few photos - including spring flowers - before getting back on the road.We pulled in to Lawrence a little after 8 pm. Our hotel was another pleasant surprise. It's right on the Kansas River; our room's 10' high, 20' wide expanse of windows overlooks the water. And the "suite" is almost as large as our first apartment, with kitchenette, living room, bedroom, a giant SPA TUB where we can sit and look out at the river (yep, tried it the first night!), and a separate shower/bathroom. Not sure how we lucked into this suite (most of the others on our floor are about half the size) but we love it.

Lawrence is a college town with an active downtown. Lots of restaurants, galleries, and fun shops within a block or so of the hotel. We had dinner the first night at a BBQ joint - when in Kansas, one must eat red meat right? - and it was great. And inexpensive; under $20 for more food than we could eat.

My weaving class is in an office building adjacent to Yarn Barn of Kansas, which is on the main drag in downtown (Massachusetts St.). The instructor, Jason Collingwood, is very good. His father wrote the book (literally) on rug weaving and Jason has been teaching the techniques for a number of years.

Today was a bit frustrating - my loom wasn't set up correctly and I ended up redoing the warp 3 or 4 times before getting it right. Partly user error; partly a problem with the loom. Mostly user error. Once that was corrected and I got caught up with the rest of the class, the day flew.I have 2 more days in the workshop. After that, we're heading north to Mt. Rushmore - something I've always wanted to see - and then home, probably through Utah. I miss the kids and the kitties, but this has been a great trip so far.

Santa Fe to Loveland

Monday morning we spent a few hours in Santa Fe's Plaza before heading for Loveland. Santa Fe is beautiful. Lots of history and art everywhere you look. It's not every city that has a carved checker board just waiting for someone to sit down and play. And sopapillas. Yum! We'll definitely be back here. We arrived at Addy's house Monday night and have done little but stare at the baby ever since. Only, she's not a baby anymore. She's the first to tell you that she's a Big Girl now. And she still loves grandma's yarn and crochet hooks.

The borrowed loom is ready for the rug weaving class and yes, Addy was a big help with the warping. She found all the strings and levers fascinating. We'll be on the road bright and early tomorrow morning for Lawrence, Kansas, with thunder showers supposed to accompany us most of the way. Should be a sloooooooow drive.

Flagstaff to Santa Fe

Good news: I can knit in the car. This is a big deal because reading and crocheting both make me car sick. I'm working on a log cabin blanket from the Mason Dixon knitting book, using Lion Brand Wool-ease left over from previous projects, and these - Knit Picks Harmony Needles. I bought them because they're beautiful. It's a pleasant surprise that they're wonderful to use.

Bad news: I can't get the Slingbox to work. *#^%.

Today's travels included the Meteor Crater near Winslow Arizona: This is the best preserved crater in the world and has been used by NASA for astronaut training. I think this was Dick's favorite stop of the day.

Petrified Forest: My favorite stop of the day. I remember stopping here when my family moved from Georgia to California in 1967, and taking our kids here when Gary was about 6. He says he still remembers this place; it does make an impression. And the Painted Desert: parts are desolate and gray; others are overwhelmingly beautiful, colorful and vast. And there are tiny signs of life, even in the desert. Beautiful

Tomorrow, we'll hit old town Santa Fe before bombing up Hwy 25 to Loveland and ADDISON! Can't wait.