I remember clearly the day Brandon and I found out we were going to be parents. It was May 6th 2006, I was just finishing my junior year at KCAI. I was sitting at a coffee shop, studying for semester tests and it dawned on me that period was a few days late. I was so consumed with my studio projects, dyeing pounds and pounds of cotton yarn for a color study, our end of semester show and studying for last exams for the semester, that I wasn't paying much attention to my body. I turned to Brandon and mentioned that I might be a few days late....actually nine days late (haha). I couldn't study any longer, totally distracted by my anxious thoughts that I might be pregnant. We packed up our bags and went across the street to buy a pregnancy test from CVS.

As soon as we got home we found out the truth, that yes in fact, I was PREGNANT!!!!! I remember that mix of emotions that we went through. Scared. Happy. Terrified. Thankful. Of course we did want to start a family....just after I was done with school.

Once I found out when we were due, December 31st, it didn't take long for me to come up with a plan. I still planned on graduating on time. I just needed to work a little harder before my babe would arrive. That summer I put in six hours of directed study. Perfect timing, that I had a bunch of yarn that I dyed and could use up during my first trimester.

Images below are from the three out of three large panels I wove that summer. I still had lots of yarn left over. Every time I take out the extra yarn from that time, I cannot help remembering all the hours I spent under my loom at school threading and weaving, praying and thinking about my new baby that was coming. And she, my Cora Louise, came three days early on December 28th. It of course all worked out perfectly. I finished my directed study that summer, had my senior show early in November, finished my first semester the second week of December, had Cora on the 28th. Thankfully KCAI has six weeks off for break, that I had a month home with her before I started my last semester.

For six years, I had these large panels stored away, not sure what to do with them. Finally last year, I hung them up in the girls room. The pink, orange and yellow one is Cora's and the pink, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple one is Emma's.

(these images came from a photo shoot of Emma in front of her piece. If you have never had the pleasure of meeting her, these photos tell you exactly who she is:)

With my RE-Create Project, that challenges me to use up all my yarn that I own before buying new yarn. I decided this past week to use up yarn from these panels. I call this round of wearables, For the Love of Spring. It is FREEZING in KC and I love for the warmth and color of spring. So, I guess weaving with these colors helps a little.

Here are all my scarves.