Illusion

 

Yesterday I was able to carefully (very VERY carefully) begin trimming the scarves.  As I worked I studied the various colour combinations and this one was one that I had been hesitant to use, but after wet finishing was very pleased with.

I tried to get a photo that would do it justice, but this was the best I could manage.  And it is a very poor representation of how the scarf looks in real life.

The warp is the Brassard 2/16 bamboo and the weft a commercially dyed variegated 2/8 Tencel.

The Tencel can finish quite 'stiff', depending on a variety of factors (weave structure, density, how wet the cloth was while pressing - the wetter it is when starting to press, the stiffer it seems to 'finish') but in terms of colours, I was actually quite pleased.  I am disappointed this is the best I can do right now to get a photo.

Tencel can press up to be very shiny and so those really pale areas?  That is not the colour, but pure shine being reflected back into the camera lens.

The warp colours were black and a dark green.  The weft variegation was dark blue, purple and green, all about the same value.  There were no very light values in the yarn.

So what you see here?  Is an illusion.

I won't be putting the scarves up for sale on line because if someone bought this scarf thinking it looked like this?  They would be disappointed.  Unless they discovered that the real thing was so much better than this image.  

So much of life is like this.  We have our perceptions and think that is all there is.  We live in our own personal reality 'bubble', not understanding that we are seeing a  fraction of what is actually happening outside of that bubble.

I know I disappointed a bunch of people, cancelling or postponing some events.  But the reality is, I could not perform to my best.  The reality is, I was (still am, but not quite as) sick as can be.  I'm still far from 'well', still in danger of losing the sight in my left eye.  If I do that, life will become infinitely more difficult than it has been.  

So I am entirely concentrating on getting through this time.  I am trying to distract myself with jigsaw puzzles, reading (as I can), and puttering in the studio for a few minutes now and then.  Whatever energy I have left I keep for answering weaving questions.  Which is what is really keeping me going right now.  The fact that as awful as I was (and still am, although not quite as) feeling, I could still help someone else.  Still light a candle.

If you are struggling, feeling that you are going through really tough times, don't be afraid to talk to someone - a friend who will listen without judgement but encourage you to see all the value you bring into this world.  If you want to share with me, I can listen right now.  I can sympathize.  I can send gentle virtual hugs.  This is how we get through hard times - by helping and supporting each other.