Ready to Go

 

I was going to title this blog 'Raring to Go' but that wouldn't be quite right.  The warp is ready to go, and my goal today is to start weaving.  I have enough bobbins wound to weave one towel, and rather than go gung ho and wind a bunch more, I'm going to weave one towel using the black for weft and then see how I like it.  I do have other options for weft so if I'm not happy with the black, I can use something else.  But not if I have already filled my bobbins with black...

Yesterday Doug started tagging the towels that I've woven since, oh I don't know, February?  It was a good reminder that I have not been idle during the pandemic, nor do I have plans to stop.  

In addition to the warp on the loom, there are two more in the queue that will be woven in the same stripe design.  Not shown are the red/black towels I'm currently hemming.  

My chiropractor asked if I 'need' to weave, if I can't just take some time off.  I told her that right now my weaving is as much for my mental health as it is anything else.

I am well aware that my body is aging and injuries acquired over the years are piling up on me.  But while I can still weave, I intend to do so.

Over the past six months I have asked myself over and over why I continue to make handmade textiles.  Who am I doing it for?  Well, for myself, of course.  And for that small number of people who appreciate the designs I come up with, the colours I choose.  And who are willing to pay a premium for something hand made.

When life seems very dark and dismal, for whatever reason, being creative and focusing on the positive is my way - my only power, if you will - of keeping light and love to illuminate my little patch of this world.

At the guild meeting we agreed on having a sale in the guild room.  A number of our guild make things to sell and with craft fairs cancelled, we wanted to provide those members with a venue.  And the guild takes a small fee so it is a fund raiser to help pay the guild room rent and hire presenters.

I will not flood the room with my stuff, but I will have things for sale.  And yes, I will do mail order - but not to the US until they get their mail system functioning again.  I don't want to mail any more parcels to the US and have them disappear as one already has done.

So I am also holding onto the box of homework for the one US student, whose parcel actually arrived.  She has her mark and will wait to see how things go.  She may opt to use a courier but in the meantime, her box can join the other one from another US student who sent hers in Feb.  I actually have a few shelves with space on them to store their boxes!

Because that is also a priority for me.  I'm trying to use up my yarn stash and rather than hop, skip and jump around using different yarn for every warp, I chose to focus on using up the 2/16 cotton.  It's taking a long time, because I have a lot of yarn!  But it is going down.  Tubes are emptying.  Towels are materializing.  (pun intended)

Stay safe everyone.  Keep creating.  As Margaret Atwood (author of Handmaid's Tale) said recently, the future has not yet been written.