December Dawn

 

Dawn this morning.  

The sun has nearly finished its slow stately march across the sky and will soon swing back.  A regular reminder of the passing days, weeks, months.  And seasons.

Today is my last shift at the guild room for our annual guild room sale.  In spite of road construction out front of the building we have had people come in and look, some even finding things they want to take home or give.  A number of our guild members make a lot of textiles.  We each do so for our own reasons.  For me it is about using up my stash - as much as I can.  But it is also soothing, to take string and turn it into something.  Something useful.  Something that will function well.  Something that - I  hope - will add pleasure to everyday tasks.  Or just brighten a day.

Weaving has always been an exercise in problem solving.  A puzzle.  A mystery.  To be unravelled.  Teased apart.  Then perhaps woven or knitted together again, with a better understanding of how it all works.

The guild sale is a celebration of creativity.  Each person comes with things that they have thought about, puzzled over, then made, each with their own personality.  

Some of us make utilitarian things, others more whimsical.  Some do everything!  

We have had a wide range of textile crafts represented, covering pretty much the spectrum of what can be done, sometimes with just a ball of yarn and a couple of sticks (knitting), or even just one (crochet).  One member made knitted gnomes (tomten), another cute hats for children.  Fingerless gloves to keep hands warm in the winter, scarves for necks, shawls to wrap around shoulders.  Towels to dry dishes or hands.  Table runners to brighten the room and protect the table from hot pots.  There have been stuffed toys, cushions and pet coats and beds.

We tend to forget that without textiles, our world would be a much colder and harder place.

As I sat in my chair greeting the dawn, I thought about the dire climate events that happened overnight.  The big snow storms in the southern part of the province - again - but also the chain of tornadoes that ripped through the US mid-west, causing chaos and loss of life.  I am grateful for my current safety, but know that we really do need to do something about climate change.  

While it may be true that these weather events are not caused by climate change, they are most certainly made worse by it.

In the meantime, I will give thanks for another lovely dawn, and the chance to keep weaving, keep helping others learn the craft.