Wednesday, August 18, 2021

More Progress

 


fresh off the loom

One of the things about getting older and living in a body damaged by time and, um, experience (a gentle way to say pushing it too hard for too many years) is coming to grips with new expectations of what can be accomplished in a day.

So even though it seemed to take 'forever' to get these two scarves off the loom, I did it.  And now the fringe twisting will begin.

I did a bit of a dive into my silk yarn stash and found the dark olive first and was ok with it.  It's definitely different and it works.  It just isn't to my personal taste.  But it looks good and I'm pleased enough with it.

The second scarf was woven in a mid-eggplant kind of purple, which went with the warp very well, although it isn't very 'exciting'.  But that's ok, too.  Again, I'm pleased enough with it.

I now turn to the last three new yarn samples I have.  The hope here is to get them all done by Friday.  But if I don't make it, that's fine, too.  I'm well ahead of where I wanted to be and quite enjoying the calm.  It's taken me a while to get used to not having RUSH deadlines and working by using the rush of adrenaline I used to count on to carry me through to a deadline.  

Instead I am working at a much slower pace and paying more attention to my body and it's need for rest.

Once I get these last yarn samples done, I will need a chunk of thinking time to block out the shooting schedule, manage the content so that it will be presented in smaller doses than I've been doing on Zoom.  I think a lot of people are finding the Zoom lectures difficult, in part because there is So Much information to absorb.  And with life returning to more 'normal' in many places, people are finding it difficult to set aside two hours to watch, either live or recorded.

So I'm looking for the possibility of doing the Zoom lectures with higher production values in smaller chunks as a 'class'.  I'm talking with the same team in part because I like their approach and the classes they have already been producing.  I like that they are flexible and encouraging and have the skill set I don't have - video production.

I am also a bit anxious at the growth of the fourth wave of covid, unsure if or how that might affect the schedule this autumn.  But if it does, I will swallow my disappointment and postpone until later - even into next year.

Because I now understand that progress is not to be made at all cost but only if it is safe.  I'm not doing in person presentations, but virtual.  And so I don't have to forge ahead willy-nilly.  I can hold back until it is safe.  I've always strived to be flexible, and so I am calling on my resources now to work on Plan b, c, all the way to z if I have to!  And so far the team is willing to work with me, support me and be there to pick up all the pre and post production that I cannot do myself, nor do I want to learn how.  I'm too old and too tired to learn all of that when I know enough about how it is done to realize that I don't have to do it all, by myself.

So, let's just say I am taking the time to enjoy the more relaxed pace and focusing on taking care of my body.  It's the only one I will get issued and it needs to last a few more years.

I still have way too much yarn to use up, after all!

No comments: