Suddenly September

next painted warp scarf....

The last couple of weeks, trees have slowly begun turning colour - so why was I so surprised when the little maple tree in my front yard showed a glowing golden crown this morning?

It feels like the summer whizzed by too fast to see it go. :( There is a Bonnie Raitt song where the lyric goes something like- time becomes more precious the less of it you have. Seems to me that the last 3 years have zoomed by while I was focussed on issues of health. I'm really hoping that we've got a handle on things now!

That feeling of precious time is one of the reasons I have always been so aware of issues of efficiency. I don't want to waste any of my alloted amount fighting with equipment, techniques or yarns. When one or other of them starts fighting back, I try to figure out why and how they can be tamed.

I've said this before but it bears repeating - working efficiently is not hurrying. Working efficiently generally means using ergonomic physical motions that put the least amount of wear and tear on the body. Streamlining those motions so that the least amount of physical effort is required to achieve the greatest amount of result.

And when people are living busy lives, time for recreational pursuits is limited. Working efficiently means that more can be accomplished in the amount of time available.

Yes, this is a plug for my upcoming workshops and seminars in 2011 - the workshop at John C. Campbell Folk School is taking registrations now, and NEWS will have seminars at which I'll demo what I do and how I do it. Hopefully people will find something of value to take home to their own studios. But ultimately we all have to work within our own limitations.

I have also been in discussion with the guilds in Sarasota and Orlando, Florida. I don't yet know which topics they will choose, but as soon as details are worked out I'll post info to the Schedule page on my website.

Last but not least, I took the pictures of the scarf above because it is a perfect example of Michelle Whipplinger's mantra: white dilutes, grey muddies, black intensifies.

In the area where the four picks of natural white weft are, you can clearly see that the light value is washing out the colours in the warp. In that area, all you really see is the white weft with specks of darker colours showing through.

Where I've changed to the dark blue, however, the warp is now dominant. When working with a varigated yarn, I always try to choose a weft colour that at least matches the darkest colour for value if not a little darker.

Currently reading All That Lives Must Die by Eric Nylund