THINGS HAPPEN IN THE DARK.

Indeed, things do happen in the dark.  It's nearly midnight, and when I took the photograph below I realized that because I was punching without enough light, I am going to have to re-do this work tomorrow, when I have help from the sun. 

But that's ok.  I just wanted to get this rug underway, and I did!

What's wrong with it, you ask? 

This:

No worries.  Easy enough to correct when I can see better.  I freely admit this only reflects how desperate I was to get the piece started.  There is a deadline (3.5 months away!), and though I believe <hope> the work will go quickly, I want to GET GOING.

Yesterday I drove nearly 7 hours to finish collecting materials I'll need to complete the design.  Today I went into the studio and began punching on the edge.  But as I suspected, the studio is so freaking hot that it is not possible to be working there during July and August.  I took my frame apart and brought it home, setting it up in my air conditioned living room.  Thank the Goddess for air conditioning, since the rest of the week is projected to have high heat and high humidity.  Hardly an inspiration for working with wool!

Last night, when I got home after driving all those hours, I unpacked some of my swag (mixed in with my hand-dyed wool):

After breakfast with a good friend, I expect to repair what I did "in the dark" and I'm planning on making some real progress with the rug tomorrow.  I'm designing as I go, in terms of colors and techniques, and I can't wait to see how it will come together!