The Kenny

 

We all need The Kenny in our lives.

The Kenny is familiar as a warm hug, but he also offers protection from the elements and a comfort zone.

The Kenny is one-hundred percent wool - soft and bouncy, yet resilient.

The warp is sport-weight Madelinetosh in Earl Grey, Composition Book, Azurite, and Cosmos with a little Cascade 220 sport for the stripes. The sett is 20 with a loose beat, except for the cut ends, which were beat tightly and finished with a hem stitch.

The weft is Cascade 200 sport in Camel. 

Under tension, two panels were woven 38-inches wide and 80-inchest long. 

To attach the panels together, I left a neck opening, then whip-stitched the sides together, reinforcing the seam on both sides of the neck using two strands of the Camel. 

In addition to The Kenny, we need a Kenny in our lives. 

Mostly legend, but occasionally we run into one of those guys. You know, the one who has a wise crack to offer, usually at the most inopportune times; the one who says exactly what everyone else is thinking but is too afraid to speak; the one who shows up to lend a hand, even when no one asked because he knew an assist was in order; the one who does the right thing, no matter what a contrarian he would have everyone believe, even though he is not...

The Kenny I know knows hunting, fishing, cooking, eating, and drinking, as well as raising kids right. 

He may not know a great deal about weaving or romance novels, but he has been quick to encourage  and support both. 

He was literally the first in line last year when I offered handwoven tea towels in exchange for donations to charity. 

When I published my first two romance novels, he was again at the front of the line. The instant each of them arrived, he sent me photos of him proudly holding them. 

That type of encouragement is priceless and much appreciated.

Sincerely, everyone needs a Kenny in his or her world.

At some point, Kenny made a sweet comment about my weaving. In response, I teased him and suggested a poncho might be in order.

He promptly supplied a photo of Clint Eastwood sporting his classic one from his Spaghetti Western days in the Dollars Trilogy ("A Fistful of Dollars," "For a Few Dollars More," and "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly").

With a moratorium on weaving-related purchases as I whittle down the stash, this poncho does not resemble the one from the movies, but the green, white, and red stripes symbolize the Italian flag as an homage to the spirit of the movies' genre. 

At the very least, dear Kenny has something to keep him warm while he enjoys a libation at the end of the day as he relaxes around the fire at the ranch. 



The Kenny may also be worn with the stripes running down the chest and back.


This is a large, man-sized poncho. 

Not only do Kenny and Clint Eastwood share an affinity for wool outer garments, they are both six-feet, four-inches tall. 

At five-foot, six-inches, this swamps me. 

I have made other ponchos with hoods to fit women better. 

Instead of weaving the panels 38-inches wide by 80-inches in length, those other ponchos were 31-inches wide and 65-inches long. 

Here is one I made using 8/2 tencel as warp (Sett of 24) with the very same Cascade 220 Sport in Camel as weft:






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