Gardening and Visiting

We have been keeping pretty busy in the last week! Kristen and I went to a local nursery and loaded up the back of her car with vegetable and herb plants. It smelled so good.

Since Friday we’ve planted the herbs and are ready to put the tomatoes and peppers in the ground.

On Sunday I met up with my friend, April, and we had a lovely lunch in Moorestown. April and I shared the position of president of the South Jersey Guild of Spinners and Handweavers for a bit, years ago, and have remained close. It was great to see her!

Other than that, we have been dealing with doctor and hearing aid appointments and such, plus spending time with family. Our visit in NJ is always too short.

Weaving on the Red PVC Loom

I wanted to post an update on the red PVC loom. I’m weaving a little hearts pickup band and am finding that this loom weaves very well. I have decorated the white pipes with red and white polka dotted napkins (from Walmart) using glitter Mod Podge. One of the joys of building a loom out of PVC is the freedom to decorate it any way you want, so if you build one, go wild.

I’m also finding that I can increase the tension a little more after advancing the warp by tucking one of Auggie’s stuffed animals under the front tension rod. It’s a simple solution to needing to make very small tension adjustments.

Sometimes simple is best!

I like to weave with this loom on my lap and it’s a quite comfortable size to do so.

Red PVC Loom Plans

I have designed a loom suitable for scarf or band weaving using a rigid heddle or weaving tablets/cards and thought I’d share the plans with you. You’ll note that the side rails of this loom are made of white PVC rather than the furniture grade Formufit. That’s because I apparently don’t know how to measure twice and cut once.  I’ll be replacing the white pipe with red after I order another piece.

I first made it without the (white) support pieces but it was not sturdy enough to handle the tension of a warp. This one is very sturdy.

The loom measures 21” x 12” x 8.25” high with a weaving width of 7 3/4” and requires the following components:
(3) 5 foot 3/4” PVC pipes, Formufit
(2) 1/4” threaded rods 13” long
(4) 1/4” nuts
(4) internal PVC dome caps, 3/4”
(1 package of 8) 90 degree PVC elbows, 3/4”
(1 package of 8) standard PVC tee, 3/4”
(2) 7.75” piece of wood, 1/4” x 1/2” for warp sticks
(2) metal rods, 3/16” diameter for brakes, each 6 1/4” long
String or texsolv to attach warp sticks to warp and cloth beams
An 8” rigid heddle, or up to a 13 pattern thread Sunna heddle, or weaving tablets
Rubber mallet for pounding in the pieces

You may find this article on cutting PVC pipe helpful.

The width may easily be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the length of  parts D, E, and F.

Cut the PVC pipe into the following lengths:
A. 18.75” x 2
B. 9” x 2
C. 3” x 2
D & E. 9.5” x 4
F. 9 7/8” x 2
G. 2.25” x 8

Assemble loom as per photo. Drill 5/16” holes in the dome caps, put caps on ends of F pieces to make warp (back) and cloth (front) beams.
Drill 3/16” holes through beams to hold string or texsolv.
Drill (4) holes through warp beam, about 1/2” from end of pipe, for back brake.
Drill (8) holes through cloth beam, about 1/2” from end of pipe, for front brake.
Drill 5/16” holes through sides of tee connectors and slide threaded rods through tee, through beams with caps, and through tee on other side.
Place nuts on ends of threaded rods to hold beams in place.
Thread string or texsolv through holes in beams to attach warp sticks.
Insert metal rods into brake holes, one on each beam.

To advance warp, remove rear brake rods, advance warp, replace rear brake rod,  remove front brake rod, wind warp to front, replace front brake rod. I did try and use a wing nut on the end of the threaded rod to act as a brake but it didn’t hold, so the metal rod brakes are what I went for (in the photo it shows wooden dowels but they tended to snap with tension.)  If anyone comes up with a better idea for a brake I would love to hear about it.

Furniture grade Formufit comes in multiple colors, by the way, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, and clear. The least expensive is the non-furniture-grade type of PVC with the printing on it, and if the look of the loom isn't important to you, that would work fine.

For more information on this loom please go to this post...and this post describes further loom features as well as the method used for getting sheds using weaving tablets as a two harness loom.

Back in NJ

On Monday Bob and I drove to northern VA, passing more lovely scenery (can you tell I love driving through this state?)

Our destination was the town of Centreville where we stayed in Bull Run Regional Park. BRRP has a very nice campground with trails, a water park (not open until Memorial Day) and both pull through and back in sites. We found a water/electric pull through that, although very pricey at $65, was clean, quiet, and convenient. Being so close to Washington DC the options are limited and expensive. We chose to break up our travel this way, however, because the final leg of this journey is fairly stressful with congested highways, construction zones, and a lot of people who show their annoyance for a large RV by darting in front of us constantly. We only drove 185 miles but it felt like much farther.

Finally we crossed over the Delaware Memorial Bridge and were in NJ.

We enjoyed a fun time with daughter Kristen, her husband Jason, and their three boys, plus daughter Catherine, her husband Michael, and their son and daughter. Such a joy to see them after seven months away!

Dixie Caverns In VA

We have become more efficient in our morning routines and have been pulling out a few minutes ahead of our target departure time, even though it feels like we are moving slower. Bob and I are good and tired of these daily 4-5 hour drives and are looking forward to being stationary for a bit.

On Saturday we hit the rolling hills and mountains of Virginia, one of the most beautiful states in my opinion. Unlike our trip west last fall (where we had rain just about every day) we’ve had nothing but blue skies since we left San Antonio.

We arrived at Dixie Caverns Campground and I walked over to the antiques mall attached to the office where I spent a lovely hour perusing the stalls. Even though I didn’t buy anything I enjoyed looking.

Monday finds us heading to northern Virginia for our last night on the road. Getting close now!

A Night of Music and Wine

Friday night found us in Tuscaloosa, AL for a stay at a park devoted to sports fans in the area. Tuscaloosa is the home of Alabama State University and its fans apparently enjoy staying in a local RV park where everyone is there for the Crimson Tide football games. The rest of the year other people are welcome but in May the parks are usually fairly empty.

Crossing the Tennessee River

On Saturday morning we passed into the upper right corner of Georgia and into Tennessee to a Harvest Hosts site, at Tennessee Valley Winery in Loudon. Such great timing, because they had a night of entertainment planned.

Bob and I partook of a free wine tasting of the winery’s award-winning wines before selecting a few bottles for later enjoyment. Our parking spot was right behind the stage and so we had front row seats to hear the singer.

He was excellent, and it was a lovely evening. We even were able to hook up to 15 amp service so we didn’t worry about running our fans during the night.

Our view out the door

Our hops are getting shorter as we get near NJ. Roads are more congested and it just takes a lot more concentration for both of us. Only 655 miles left to go!

Hopping Along

The plan is for us to take one night hops until we reach NJ. We left Livingston, TX on Thursday and passed along winding roads for much of the drive, which bring us past pretty scenes but require a lot of attention for Bob to keep the motorhome on the road. We found ourselves wondering about the remote towns we passed, ghost towns really, and the stories behind them. What would it be like to live an hour from any kind of town?

We arrived in Monroe, LA mid afternoon in time for me to bake a loaf of bread for Bob’s sandwiches and put a pot of Cajun Red Beans and Rice in the Instant Pot. I tried out a nw recipe that looked good but the beans took too long to bake for some reason so we had the last of the lentil soup for dinner. That was Plan B. I think Plan C would have been cereal! The beans finally cooked and we’ll have them for dinner Friday night in Tuscaloosa, AL.

It’s lovebug season in the south. Which means that within minutes of getting on the road our windshield is covered in the splatted remains of mating insects. Here is a Wikipedia photo of two of them before going splat.

These critters remain connected for days, even when flying around. I can only imagine that this is not exactly conducive to good navigation, hence the bugs’ proclivity to fly in front of moving vehicles. Talk about having a backseat driver! Unfortunately, their body fluids are very acidic so every time we stop Bob has to wash the remains off not only the windshield but also the paint on the coach.

Livingston, TX

Bob and I had a lovely day yesterday; Gail and I went antiquing and Bob relaxed at the campground. Later, Gail and Mark picked up dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant (Nicha’s) and we enjoyed some of the best veggie fajitas we have found ANYWHERE! Lots of grilled portobello mushrooms, chunks of squash, onions, and peppers....yummmmm!

On Tuesday we said goodbye to San Antonio and our family and headed to East Texas to the town of Livingston, where we will be until Thursday morning. And our motorhome ran like a TOP! Bob will be getting the oil changed on the car tomorrow and on Thursday morning we’ll have our vehicles inspected before we move on to Louisiana. The plan is to be in NJ sometime next Tuesday.

Fun in San Antonio

It has been such fun spending time with my sister, Gail. On Thursday she and I took a drive to Hill Country African Violets and Nursery in Boerne, Texas (pronounced “Bernie.”) I found a very pretty Coleus plant and a tiny miniature African Violet to bring home. I love plant nurseries and this one was just a delight.

Afterwards, we walked around the historic part of Boerne and enjoyed perusing the shops before heading back for dinner with Gail and husband Mark.

On Friday Bob, Gail, and I visited the Witte, a museum of nature, science, and culture. Bob and I were able to get in without charge using our reciprocal pass from the Kern County Museum. The Witte is set in a lovely area overlooking the San Antonio River.

On Saturday Gail and I went shopping at Traders Village, a huge flea market with old and new items for sale. And later we met up with Bob, Mark, and our nieces Michelle and Caryn as well as Caryn’s children, for playtime at a nearby park and a walk along the Riverwalk. Auggie had a great time, too.

We are having tons of fun and are looking forward to two more days before it’s time to move on.

Try and Try Again

Bob and I spent Tuesday night in front of the Cummins repair shop in San Antonio. It was noisy from the highway steps from our door, and hot since we couldn’t plug into shore power, but we were in our own bed. On Wednesday morning the technician hooked us up to the computer and diagnosed the problem. Apparently, when an engine has had hose failures and coolant has sprayed all over the place, some coolant gets into the engine oil and contaminates it. We needed an oil change and a clean oil filter.

By about 1:00 the oil was changed, the engine was recharged, and we were ready for a test drive as the heavens opened and rain poured down. We drove around for 20 minutes or so and returned to be hooked up to the computer one last time. And we passed, the sun came out, and Bob hooked up the car and ran in to pay the bill. We were off to the campground, about 25 minutes away.

We are looking forward to the next six days in San Antonio, despite a lousy weather report showing rain just about every day. We don’t care; we will make the most of our visit. Unfortunately we won’t be able to get together with our friends, Ron and Kathy but we will plan on seeing them the next time our plans cross.

San Antonio

Ok, there’s good news and bad news. Good news: we made it to San Antonio! Bad news: we broke down 43 miles from our destination when the “Check Engine” light came on and then the “Stop Engine” warning sounded. So close! We exited the highway and found a nice spot to stop right off the ramp...

...called Coach-Net, and in a couple of hours the tow truck arrived and we headed off.

We are spending the night at a service station again. Sigh. But at least we are safe and will be sleeping in our own bed.

This breaking down stuff is really getting old. And expensive, too. Hopefully it will be something simple and we can get to the campground soon. And will have no more problems the rest of our trip.

Back in the Saddle

Today the final repairs were completed on the motorhome, we took it for a test drive, and the computer says we are in tip top shape! Hooray! It sure was a great feeling to drive off, even though we only drove 33 miles before stopping for the night. By the time we set up it was 7:45 and time for a bite to eat and then off to bed. Tomorrow we head for San Antonio, a mere 310 miles away. We’ll be there visiting family and friends for a week before continuing onward.

The engine sounds great now!

A Little Sewing

We have actually had a very nice weekend here in Odessa, TX, not that I wouldn’t rather be somewhere else rather than at a repair shop! On Saturday Bob and I took a drive to Midlands, TX, about a half hour away, to see an antiques mall. Unfortunately it was one of those places that has mostly new items mixed in with a few antiques. Lots of cutesy signs with cutesy sayings on them, shabby chic “antiqued” furniture, and very little of substance. The shop owner suggested that we ride a few miles further and visit an “antiques fair” but it turned out to be more of the same plus lots of t-shirts with cutesy sayings as well. It was a relaxing day, anyway, and we did end up eating lunch out so we had a good time.

Today Bob and I went to see the movie Avengers Endgame and thoroughly enjoyed it. And after we came back to the RV I finished sewing a purse I had started three days ago. I used the fabric I bought in Tucson and couldn’t be more pleased with it. I like that both sides are different. The pattern is the Evelyn Tote and Handbag by Swoon, found here.

Tomorrow we’ll find out if we can leave this place!

Still Here

It has been a loooooong week. We are still at the repair shop in Odessa and will be here through the weekend, unfortunately. Our hoses have been replaced, which is good. As has the SCR, and I still don’t know exactly what that is but I’m not interested enough to Google it. As it turns out, we also needed another part called an ECR valve, which the shop had in stock but did not carry the pipe that connects the ECR valve to the doohickey...I know, I’m getting awfully technical here so I won’t bore you with further details. Suffice it to say, the pipe should arrive Monday.

One good thing is that the shop moved us closer to the outlet where we plug in. And because of that, we no longer need to use an extension cord and our AC works. Yay! That makes me a wee bit happier. It doesn’t take much.

I’ve done a little exploring and discovered a great little quilt shop called Betty’s Bobbin Box, where I found some fabric that coordinates nicely with the piece I purchased in Tucson at SAS Fabrics. I’m sewing myself a new purse and hopefully I will have it finished soon and I can show y’all a photo. I also visited 3 thrift shops in the area and found the local H-E-B grocery store, a Texas institution. So I am keeping busy. Bob, of course, always finds projects to do. I think he’s changing air filters tomorrow.

So here we sit. The repair guys have gone home for the weekend and we are watching the weather since we had one tornado warning this afternoon and more storms are moving through the area tonight. And tomorrow. And the next day and the next. Ugh.