Try, Try, Try Again

 

samples prepped to be cut apart

One of the best ways to learn is to weave samples.  

I know, I know.  Folk want to cut to the good part - making perfect textiles.

Heh.

At times people will express frustration.  Things go wrong.  Things don't turn out.  Their best laid plans don't end up 'perfect'.

I love new weavers that exclaim that they can hardly wait until they don't mistakes.

I bite my lip and try not to say anything, but the truth is - if you keep pushing the boundaries of what you know?  You'll make 'mistakes'.

Or you feel unwell, your concentration is shot and oops.  You make threading and/or sleying errors.

Or don't look closely enough at your stash and you mix some 2/8 yarn into your 2/16 warp.

(looking at you, loom, right now)

So, yes, I *still* make mistakes.  Even more since I haven't been feeling well.  But I'm also experienced enough to figure out a work around.  So that warp that was supposed to be all 2/16 cotton and is half 2/8?  It's not 'perfect' but it's close enough and they will still dry dishes.

Still reading that ms and still learning lots.   Some things are confirmation of my own observations and it is affirming to see that my ah-ha moments seem to be a universal effect.  Sometimes that confirmation is just a lovely gift.  

I'm reading the ms, in part because the author has reached the stage when they have lost all perspective on what they have written.  I learned early to find that perspective from another set of (experienced) eyes.  In my case, it was asking Tom Beaudet to look at my thesis.  And he was kind enough to agree, and then give me his perspective.  And even to comment, positively, on one of the examples/metaphors I used to illustrate the phenomenon.

So when this student asked me for my opinion, I was happy to agree.  

I'm still struggling with a body that isn't very happy with me.  I have one more week until I talk to the pain doc and find out what is next.  Reading the ms in between weaving (as much as I can) has been just the tonic I needed.

Thank you to the person (I can't call them a 'student' anymore, colleague seems more appropriate!) for giving me this opportunity.  

As usual, my books are available at blurb and one on my ko-fi shop.