Autumn Days

 

A few years ago I worked with indie dyers to create painted warps for scarves.  I had resisted doing this for a long time, but realized I worked with commercially dyed yarns all the time.  So much better to work with a dyer personally, to get yarns I wanted instead of working with something much more anonymous.

Opening my mind and attitude towards such a collaboration was kind of, well, mind blowing.  It was an awakening of sorts, insofar as I realized, yet again, that no, I do not need to Do It All, All By Myself.

If my role, my life, is defined as being a weaver, it is fine for me to understand the other textile arts, but I don't need to become proficient at all of them.  Just having the understanding of how they work is enough.  I can respect what they do more deeply, but I don't need to have the full blown studio and equipment required.  I can support other textile artists by paying them to provide my materials.

But it took me some time to come that understanding and realization!  I'm nothing if not stubborn.  Or persistent.

Right now I am beginning to percolate my thoughts and ideas for the Zoom presentation I am booked to give in November.  I had to think about what I wanted to say, and how I wanted to say it.  Yesterday I came up with an over all 'theme' and I think it fits in with what they have asked me to talk about.  Essentially what it is like to be a professional/production weaver.

It is half way through October, and the leaves here are past their peak in terms of autumn finery.  Sn*w is officially in the forecast for this week.  Autumn is nearly done.  The seasons of the year continue to roll through, no matter what we humans are dealing with.  

Soon enough it will be winter.  Hopefully progress will be made re: the pandemic but in the meantime, it may mean that we will have to isolate for the winter months before we see a true 'beginning of the end'.  Health officials here remain optimistic but warn that we must not become complacent.

My way of coping with it all is to turn to the internet.  I message with friends.  I blog, something that seems to have become a daily occurrence, not just when I have something 'important' to share.  I truly did not have 'pandemic diarist' on my Life Bingo Card.   And yet...

On a personal level, the next warp is ready to weave.  I might get two towels done yet today.  Or I might not.  When I look at the shelves I see dozens and dozens of tea towels ready to go.  We are hoping that people will come to the guild room sale.  It would be nice to sell some of those tea towels.  I know other guild members have things to sell - hand spun yarn, woven, knitted, felted items.  If nothing else, staying home and away from social events means some of us have made a bunch of things.

I am hoping that we get this pandemic under control well enough that the Olds classes can go ahead in Cape Breton - still the lowest case numbers in Canada.  But it means those of us outside the Maritime Bubble need to also be free of the disease in order to go there.  I am NOT complaining about that - just hoping that the rest of the country can it's act together, too.

Stay home if you can.  Wear a mask if you need to go out.  Maintain safe social distance.  Wash your hands.