Contingency Plans

Warp at about the half way mark - it's slow going with needing a temple and trying to catch the weft loops that bubble up in the shed.  However, I am at the half way mark!

I'm doing four different weft colours and weaving them in rotation so that I have an equal number of each colour.  Or at least as close to an equal number as I can get.  I 'sacrificed' a yard or so weaving colour samples for the designer so I may or may not wind up with an equal number of colours.  I'm actually hoping to get 21 towels from this warp, not just 20, but we'll see.  It will also depend on whether or not I have sufficient weft because I didn't order any 'extra' of the yarn, not knowing if they were going to sell and I'd be making more, or not.  My stash of yarn is quite large enough without my buying more on spec.

I have also been doing a lot of thinking about the future.  I will turn 64 this year - I am no longer in my mid-30's - and have to face the fact that I am slowing down.  This body that I wear has sustained injury and suffered ill health - and that isn't over.  Nothing to regret, I've used my body and it has served me well.  But I cannot continue as I have been - that's just not on.

Over the past few years I have gradually discontinued doing some of the myriad things I had been doing.  Each of them brought in a small amount of income; each was necessary for me in order to pay the bills and keep home and hearth together.  But next year, well next year I can start collecting my pension.  It won't be much, but it will be every single month.  No more scrambling, watching the balance in the chequing account dwindle, wondering what I could do next to bring in a little cash flow.

So I have stopped dyeing yarn to sell.  I have stopped producing my own publications.  I have stopped (after Olds) doing yarn shows.  What is next?  Perhaps traveling to teach - that depends on my health continuing to be reasonably good.

I am throwing more effort into 'remote' teaching - blogging on Craftsy, the seminar on the Weaving Today website (link in yesterday's post), done the latest Big Project.  I have an article due to appear in Handwoven and Fibre Focus (Ontario Guild magazine) this fall.

The towels above are for a designer who hopes to market them through her store.  I will continue to do four craft fairs - until they aren't lucrative enough - in the autumn and therefore need to produce inventory for those.

And I continue to look for other ways to teach remotely via the internet.

But I still have publications to sell, so once I get home from the next trip, stay tuned for an announcement about that.

Ultimately I want to simplify my life.  All of those things I did required tools, equipment and materials, not to mention the shipping stuff in order to mail them away.  I'd really like to get rid of some of that stuff.

Anyone want an electric stapler, for instance?