Hi everyone

Happy New Year!!!  My New Year's Resolution??  To reduce my yarn stash before purchasing any more yarn....lol  Just how long I'll keep that resolution is anyone's guess...lol

It's that time of year again too...time to sign up for TTT (Teeny Tiny Treasure) challenges through our Markman_Knitting_Looms-Knitting_Without_Needles Yahoo group.  I've signed up for another 100 preemie baby hats, 20 preemie blankies and 30 pairs of preemie sized baby booties.  That ought to keep me busy for a while...lol  They're all due in the States by the end of March, so I guess I'll be taking a loom or two with me when I go home to visit Mum and Dad next month.  Can't loom on the plane over or back which is a big waste of 5 hours each way  :(  so I supposed I'll just have to pack a book or something as well.  At least I should be able to loom while I'm waiting around Sydney Airport for connecting flights...providing I can find something I can use as a loom tool that airport security won't take from me.  Maybe the plastic needle I use for removing my hats from the looms will work.

We had a wonderful online looming party today for the first anniversary of Lynn Markman's Yahoo looming group.  We had lots of fun...played looming bingo, had some trivia quizes, did a word hunt puzzle and generally had a great time with everyone.    Congratulions Lynn on starting a terrific group that is so helpful and supportive of everyone, and in particular for your incentives and support of our charity work for TTT.

I received a wonderful parcel in the mail a day or two before Christmas.  It was my latest loom order from Lynn, along with a number of extra goodies that weren't ordered.      It was a wonderful, wonderful surprise!!  Thank you so much Lynn, from the bottom of my heart.  You can be assured that they'll all be put to excellent use for charity work.  And thank you so very much for the looms you put in the box for Jazz...she was thrilled to bits to get them and started waxing them with bee balm straight away.  She'll be over again this weekend and she's already asked me to teach her how to make a flat piece on the looms....that lovely scarf rake you sent her will be just perfect for that.  If any of you are interested in purchasing any of Lynn's fantastic looms, check out her new website at http://markmanfarm.com

I also received another fabulous parcel in the mail today.  Penny had Farmer Dan build me my very own "broken rug rake".  I know it sounds strange....lol...but postal restrictions prevent me from being able to order any of the 48 inch rakes from America (USPS won't let them post parcels that long).  So Farmer Dan got out his loom making tools and made me a 48" rug rake that comes in two pieces.  One piece is about 36" long and has two holes at one end, the other piece is about 12" long and has two pieces of dowel in one end.  All I have to do is slot the two pieces together and make sure the dowels are securely pushed in the holes.  It's just so wonderful...and it's a real one of a kind!!  Thank you so very much Farmer Dan and Penny...now I don't have to miss out on the January KAL where we're making rag rugs using this terrific loom.  There was also another wonderful "one of a kind" loom in the box....a beautiful walnut, fine gauge loom with 52 pegs that was made by Loom Maker Wes.  It's so beautiful, but I now have a dilemma....where on earth do I put the tack in??  It feels like sacrilege to push a tack into such a beautifully finished loom...lol  I'll post pics of all my new looms later, but if you want to look at my lovely walnut loom, go to http://aloomyplace.com and you can see it there.  It's the rectangular loom made of the darker wood with the multicoloured pegs.  Check out the other looms Penny has for sale there...they are all beautiful and you'll get fantastic service.

I went to the fabric store today to buy the fabric needed for our rag rug classes this month on the looms.  I thought I had enough here already, but none of the pieces I had were long enough or wide enough...lol  I got three lengths of cotton...one is black, one is kermit (lime green) and the final piece is black with some purple and yellow.  They might sound odd, but I think they'll knit up nicely into a mat for the floor.  I'll post pics as I go along with it.  I'm really excited about starting this project...it's going to be something completely new for me.  I just have to cut all my fabric into strips tomorrow so I'm ready to go first thing Friday morning, Oz time.

Well, time for me to head off to bed I think.  I've been up since 4:30 this morning and it's now almost 10:15pm.  I'm getting old and can't handle these super long days....lol  Plus it was much warmer today and very humid...forecast is only going to be worse...30 degrees today (86F) and 34 (94F) for the next three days with warm nights thrown in.  I know it's late for summer to be starting here, but a nice easing into it would have been good....lol  Oh well, they're saying it won't last...lol...famous last words I'd say.

Happy looming everyone.

Hugs
Jane in Australia