Up and Running

In between preparing for classes, trying to weave or at least do something productive in the studio each day, running back and forth trying to get the new cpu on line...it's been a week.

However, here she is!  Thank you to those folk who helped by contributing my my ko-fi account.

I bought my first computer in, um, 1988?  I took the system requirements for Fiberworks in to the computer store, handed the sheet of paper to the sales person and said "Sell me a system that will run this software program."

I think they thought they'd died and gone to heaven (there were two on duty and I was the only customer.)

Since then I have looked at other programs but because I learned Fiberworks first, pretty much know how to make it do most of what I want it to do, one way or another, I've stuck with it.  Also, excellent customer service, Canadian product, I see no reason to switch.  Other programs are equal to and may have different features, try the free demo versions and decide which is best for you - if you choose to use weaving software.  Not everyone wants - or needs - to do that.

The political climate is very negative right now.  I am a left leaning liberal (small 'l' because I do not belong to the Liberal party) and my religion taught me to be kind - do unto others, and all that.

I do not understand the current trend to 'othering' folk.  I worry about the climate, the way some people want to deny services based on their perceived 'worthiness'.

I find it difficult first of all to ask for help, then, when it comes, I am humbled by the good will of people.

My ko-fi account was started because some people had specifically asked if I was going to be ok in my retirement (it will be challenging), some wanted to express their thanks in a more concrete way for the help/assistance I give freely on line, some wanted to help but didn't know how or couldn't afford much.

I heard about ko-fi on Twitter, looked at their site over several days and decided that it seemed like a good thing that would meet the needs of people who wanted to give and those that didn't could easily ignore.

Patreon was also looked at but I had heard that they had been changing their terms of service, plus I didn't want the obligation to provide material exclusively for Patreon supporters.  I'm supposed to be 'retired', not setting myself up with a new set of deadlines/obligations.

So I started the ko-fi account.  And then my cpu started to die.  So I asked for help with the desktop computer on which I do the majority of my teaching on line.  And people helped.

I am so grateful, saying thank you seems completely inadequate.

Now I am learning how Win 10 is different and figuring out where my files have gone, how to move files between programs, etc.  It's another learning curve, but it is early enough that I will have time to do that before I need to begin lesson prep for Cape Breton the end of March when I get word if the level four class will go ahead (it most likely will) and level two.

The manuals for the classes were updated last year so all I need for level two is to review the manual - except it looks like I might have lost the file that was sent due to the computer transfer.  All my previous emails were wiped out!  Well, that's one way of cleaning out your inbox!!!

OTOH, I have email stored on my ipad, so before I panic about that I will scroll through and forward the file to me to pick up on the desktop, then print out the homework pages so I can see if those parameters have changed, and if so, print out the entire manual to make sure I'm prepared for the class - in hopes that it will run.  Still looking for a few more folk to ensure that it runs.

I know I said I wanted to retire, but that was just from producing to sell my textiles, not the teaching!

So - THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU   I am back up and running again.

Balancing Act

The towels actually look more green in real life than in this photo, but the warp is cut off, the towels cut apart and serged.  I forgot I'd woven dish cloths at the front of the warp in order to use up the previous lots of linen so my friend will wind up with four new ones.  I don't know if she has worn any of her old ones out yet, but she may well wind up with a lifetime supply!  However, I am almost done with the fine single linen yarns I inherited so there may not be very many more heading her way.

Of course there are other linen yarns, I even have some single 12s - and know where to get more...  :D

While I wove today I ruminated on the classes coming up.  They were billed as being an introduction to weaving, no previous experience necessary.  As such I thought long and hard about how to make the experience as valuable as possible to the students and finally decided on the 'give them the fun part' to hopefully hook them on learning the 'hard' part (dressing the loom).  I will demonstrate getting the warp into the loom Saturday morning so they at least know the steps involved.

So the looms have been dressed for them with natural 4/8 cotton, with the threading being half straight and half (approximately) point progression.

The weekend will focus on teaching weaving terms so that future communication will (hopefully) go smoothly.  Everyone speaking the same language helps in getting information conveyed.

I couldn't find my glossary that I drew up when I routinely taught beginning classes, and rather than re-invent the wheel, I pulled up the 'definitions' that were included in Magic in the Water - two pages worth - and printed them out.  Not all the terms are there, but we will also go over a loom and point at and name the parts.

Then I thought about the things I feel are important - position and posture at the loom.  I will do the presentation I have done for years, both for guilds (at their request) and for the Olds program (part of the curriculum).  It is a lot easier to learn the ergonomic positions than try to unlearn unergonomic ones later.

Once that is done, I will demonstrate on one of the looms including hemstitching.  I might photocopy the diagram out of Shirley Held's Weaving to hand out on Sunday, but I'm hoping that everyone will be able to begin weaving before end of day tomorrow.

I did print outs of a draft with plain weave, then 12 twill variations.  Just one repeat of each, with a divider between each and then will suggest to people that they weave at least 6" of each so that they can get a feel for what the cloth will look like, how to read the draft, and get comfortable throwing the shuttle and beating as consistently as possible.

Sunday I will discuss wet finishing.

And I think that might be enough to plan for, leaving time for questions and further demos as needed.

The Olds level one is geared towards people who already have the basics, so they get blasted with a great deal of 'it depends' scenarios.  I warn them they will feel like they are trying to drink from a fire hose - and I am not wrong.

I think I'm about as ready as I can be.  Much of teaching this is being flexible and reacting to the needs of the students.  And those can be very difficult to anticipate.  Part of the fun of teaching.  

In Praise of 'Routine'

I like 'routine'.

I like having a certain structure to my days.  I like having a schedule to keep.  Or not.  My choice, but having that structure gives me something to work towards.  Routine defines my goals and deadlines.

Being someone who is highly self-motivated, I jumped into the life of a professional weaver with enthusiasm.  In the late 1970s it was assumed that if you were a woman and worked at home, you were available for any beck and call on your time.  I had to become very protective of my time.  I had learned early that we only get so much time on this earth and best to not squander it.

So I had a work schedule and I tended to stick pretty closely to it and any exceptions to my work getting done had to be caught up later.   There was no one but me to do it.

Some people made fun of me because I routinely turned out the light at midnight and would get up with the alarm at 9 am.  They would give me a bad time for being a 'sleepy head' and sleeping in so late.  Every time one friend would do that, I would ask her what time she went to bed in order to be up at 5 am?  Because I was still working at 11 pm.

She had her routine, I had mine.

And that's the thing about being self-employed.  We get to set our own schedules, craft our own routines.

Retirement has, for the most part, been an exercise in finding the 'routine' of being retired.  Of getting comfortable with a much reduced level of productivity.

My mornings were always my quiet time.  I'm slow to wake up, slow to get moving.  So my retirement routine of sitting in the easy chair in the window is not much different from my old routine.  What is new is that generally I'm done in the studio by 4 and I may only get to the loom once or twice instead of three or four times.  Or not at all.

The Megado is also slower to weave on than the AVL so while I am weaving, it's at a slower pace.

However, since I am supposed to be 'retired' much of the adjustment has been me, learning how to get comfortable at the new pace, in the new routine.

Tuesday I had the fourth pain treatment.  Today I woke up with minimal pain, even after weaving two towels yesterday.  Now that my pain levels are going down, I realize just how much pain I have lived with for - well - all of my life.  Injuries contributed to pain levels (two whiplash injuries) but also repetitive stress.  The final straw was the adverse effects of the cancer medication and then finding out there were local doctors doing something about muscle pain.  Two people I knew had had the treatments and urged me to try it.  Since beginning I've encountered two others also taking this treatment.

It is NOT for everyone.  You definitely need to be able to handle pain because it is very much a short term pain, long term gain scenario.  It's called 'needling' and I'm getting the dry version - just the mechanical breaking of the fibrous material in the muscles preventing them from functioning properly.  There is also a version where a saline solution is injected.

No it is not like acupuncture.  I've had acupuncture and that doesn't hurt.  This hurts.  But I am willing to go through it because even after the first treatment there was improvement.  After the fourth, I am feeling remarkably better.

I may never be pain free - I have too many other things going on in my body to hope for that.  But I no longer feel crushed by the pain, all of the enjoyment of life squeezed out of me.

And I have hope that I can continue to weave, even on into retirement and yes, 'old' age.  How much longer I will teach I have no idea.  With an overall reduction in pain, I might carry on for that long ago envisioned age 75.

Speaking of teaching, if you missed the announcement, I will be returning to Cape Breton to teach level four and two the end of April, beginning of May, and have agreed to teach level one at Olds College Fibre Week.

Even if someone only takes level one, that level alone is well worth the class (yes, in my not-so-humble opinion).

The program is not a learning how to weave class - they offer a beginning weaving workshop as a prequel to the master weaving course.  But it is a how to weave better program.  It delves into the principles of the craft, encourages analytical thinking, and problem solving.

People sometimes say they would love to learn from me.  Olds Fibre Week, June 21-25.  And if you can't make the class, think about buying my book The Intentional Weaver.  One of the reasons I am so supportive of the Olds program is that it covers many of the things I have been ranting about since, well, feels like forever.  

Marking

One of the things I find challenging, yet very satisfying, is to mark the homework for the Olds College master weaving program.

Have I done a good enough job explaining things?  Have I given them good information?

Of course there are times when very experienced weavers take the class(es) and I don't feel like I offer them very much.  But perhaps they, like me, wanted to 'test' themselves to see if they really know what they think they know.

I have been blessed to follow one group through two levels.  Now many of this group were already very well established weavers and it was a challenge to discuss principles with them on a much deeper level.  But that forced me to dig deeper into my own foundation of knowledge/experience.

After teaching this program for a number of years I feel that I have grown, not just as a teacher, but as a weaver.

This year is especially challenging because I'm also flailing about the conference.  Finding time to do both things has been stressful, and as mentioned previously, I have discovered that there very much is a bottom to my well of energy.  :(

When I look back (hindsight is so accurate?) I feel that my health issues began to become critical in 2006.  That's almost 15 years (more because I only became aware of the symptoms then - when I think back they were there for at least another 5 years, just weren't really adversely impacting me) of a slow leak of energy.

Major surgery, then a recurrence of the cancer the past few years, has just served to drain my reserves even further.

If I can do one thing in this life, I hope it is to encourage weavers to learn more.  To change their minds when they find that is appropriate.  To explore.  To expand their horizons.

I do my best to support those who are less experienced and to challenge those who already are, to do better.  Aim higher.  Dig deeper.

I have caught up on the current harvest of boxes of homework.  I know there are more to come.  Several have had Life Happen and they are either changing which class they go to next or taking a gap year to continue to work on what they have learned.

If nothing else, I hope that people feel that they have benefited from the class(es) and feel more confident in proceeding.

Each one...teach one...(or more)

Each One, Teach One

Interest in weaving as a craft waxes and wanes.  I started weaving in the mid-70s when weaving was in an upsurge.  I found myself in the midst of a group of (mostly) women who were intrigued by the craft and the unexpected nuances that could be discovered in the exploration of the craft.

I quickly got to know several of these women who became role models and mentors.  (I was 25 when I started - they were in their mid-30s to mid-40s)

Four of them dove into the Guild of Canadian Weavers master weaver certificate and with the excitement of discovery and challenge the program provided I was inspired to begin the program myself a few years later.

Three of the four continued on to achieve the final level and certificate and all were supportive of me as I started the program myself.  When I flagged they encouraged me to get back at it.  They wanted to see my explorations and when I passed a level, they oo'd and ah'd.  When I finally(!) passed, they gifted me with a lovely book by Jack Lenor Larson "Material Wealth".

I always taught, right from the beginning.  Weavers who had kept the craft alive during the down part encouraged me and others to pass the knowledge of the craft along.  For those too shy to teach classes, the encouraging phrase was 'each one, teach one'.

Today I spent another couple of hours at a local high school.  The teacher said she had 6 or 8 students on her list but only three showed up.  Two could only stay for one hour and then had to leave.  The third one?  I left her with the guild table loom and a warp she had wound for a scarf.  In the two hours we talked a bit about tapestry, then I showed #3 how to wind her warp, then we beamed the warp together and I showed her how to thread.

There weren't enough heddles on the first four shafts so instead of just using four shafts, I showed her how to thread a straight draw over all eight.  When you are new, there are no preconceptions that 8 shafts are any more difficult than 4.  It's all just a mysterious blur no matter how many shafts are there!  So I don't tell beginning weavers that they shouldn't use 8, I just get the loom set up and get them started.

There wasn't time for her to finish threading before next class, so we talked about when she would be available and it turned out that Friday morning she didn't have any classes so her homework is to finish threading the 200 ends by 10 am Friday.

She says she likes the detail of the process and we talked about weaving being a working meditation.   That frequently I go to the loom precisely because I'm frustrated with the way Life is Happening and I go to the loom to centre myself.

If we can get her equipment, I think we may have found one more.  Maybe she will teach one, too.

And On We Go...

The conference registration is ticking along (we'd love to see more people sign up - it's gonna be a time!) and it is time to lift my head up out of that particular deep well and start looking beyond mid-June and to what comes next.

Now that I'm beginning to feel better - for however long that lasts - I am looking forward to possibly teaching at Olds Fibre Week (to be confirmed - or not - depends on registration - as do all events, including the conference).  Fibre Week has been moved to July which means that if I'm there I will be celebrating my birthday with fibre friends. 

In August I'm booked to teach level two and one (in that order) at the Yadkin Arts Centre which is in North Carolina, then back to the John C. Campbell Folk School in September.

In the meantime there is marking from last years students to be done.  There is a flock of boxes en route so I will be checking the mail box daily to make sure I grab them as they arrive.  I will mark in order of arrival.

Feedback from students is that level one is challenging but the lessons learned are significant.  If anyone is thinking of doing the program, consider the fact that it is a college level certificate course and that with the increase in satellite programming you can take it on either coast now.  This year level one was presented on the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver, level two is scheduled at Tenino, WA (near Olympia), Cape Breton is offering levels 1-3, North Carolina is offering all four levels in August and of course, at Olds, AB during Fibre Week.  Even if you only ever take level one, you will learn a lot of stuff - things that don't normally get addressed in workshops because there just isn't time.  (If you can't take the program, I suggest my book which covers some of the curriculum - it's why I love teaching level one because I've been preaching this level of knowledge for years and finally got it down on paper...)

The other advantage of a core curriculum is that students can move from campus to campus - for example the level one class here launched a couple of people over to Olds for level two.  Level one at Olds launched someone over to Cape Breton and to Yadkin.  And so on. 

Here, spring is coming along with all the rites of spring - the woodpecker hammering away on the metal cover of the street lamp, the dust advisories, the flooded streets.  Spring Break Up - the season that lasts too long...

Next!

Today the last of the padded envelopes will be taken to the post office.  Tomorrow the multiple copy orders will be mailed.  They don't qualify for the small packet rate and require different customs forms, so it is just easier to deal with those last.

Once the 'dust' of dealing with the books is over, the next things on my priority list will be Olds College master weaving marking.  I'm working on one student's work now, with another box waiting for me to pick up at the post office when I drop the books off.

The college is working on Fibre Week and the satellite classes.  Hopefully there will be news about the Cape Breton classes soon.  The Gaelic College wants to run them a wee bit earlier in the year - May, not June.  Olds Fibre Week will be in July.  In between?  The conference.

Which - if you haven't heard - opens for registration on Jan. 27.

The conference website has the scheduled workshops and seminars listed.  Do go and look, make a list of your #1, 2 and 3 choices and be prepared when you go to register on the 27th.  :)

The website also has links to the hotels where we have block booked rooms, links to entry forms for the exhibits, fashion show and for any authors attending, registration for the author signing event.

There are also codes for those planning on flying, either by Air Canada or WestJet.

Currently reading The Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

Asking Questions

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, 

but don't tell you what to see.”

― Alexandra K.Trenfor

When you don't know something, but want to, the best way to learn 
is to ask questions.  But when you don't know what you don't know, 
you don't know that you don't know it.

This is where a good teacher is invaluable.

After teaching for over 40 years I have come to have a new
understanding and appreciation for the role of good teachers
 in my life.  The ones who were open minded.  Who asked questions
and let me wrestle with finding the answers.  The ones who didn't
 judge me when I got it wrong, but encouraged me to keep looking. 
Who lifted me up, not tore me down.

All of these things have informed me in terms of teaching.  Which
is not to say that I am the best teacher for everyone.  I have made
mistakes and not been 100% on the ball every day.  Each time I
recognize I've not served a student well, I try to determine where
I went wrong and how to do better.

The fact of the matter is that we all process information in a way
that works best for us.  I know recent articles have questioned
that, but in my experience, in a group of 20 people there will be
some who learn by listening to an explanation, some who need
 a demonstration, others who need to do it themselves.  Aural,
 visual, kinetic.  Still others can winkle out meaning from reading.

We live in very interesting times with the rise of the internet.
 Instead of books or an in-person teaching experience, we also
now have on line classes, dvds, chat groups.

For people wanting to learn how to weave, there are a variety
of ways of obtaining information.  I have contributed video clips
to You Tube, done dvds, presented power point 'lessons'.  But
mostly I have written.  It really is my preferred method of
communication.  

Regardless of how someone learns, the gathering of information
begins with questions.  When not enough is known, finding a
good teacher who will help guide you by asking those questions
then assisting you to find answers is the first step on the road
to understanding.

Was just talking with someone about how our personal journey
informs who we become.  As I look back on my life I was blessed
with a majority of really good teachers.  Teachers who made me
 think.  Who taught me how to recognize things like emotional
trigger words, editorial bias, and think critically.  I took lots of
science classes, assuming I would go on to university, so I learned
how to set up experiments, analyze data, adjust procedures and
not be afraid of 'failure' because that was how to figure out what
didn't work and make changes to my processes to come closer to
success.

Taking English, English Literature and other classes like Social
Studies taught me how to write essays.  How to research topics
and come to conclusions.  How to write with clarity.

When I look back on my early years as a weaver, I see how my
music classes, dance classes, sports, all informed the physical
skills and how I could self coach myself through the ergonomics
of weaving.  I also asked professionals - physiotherapists, massage
therapists, dance instructors who had taken degrees in movement
- if my posture and processes were good or would lead to injury. 
Their feedback confirmed that I was doing things in a way to
reduce repetitive motion injuries.

Teaching workshops I learned how to interact with people and
how to communicate in ways which - hopefully - would help
them understand.  As mentioned, I didn't always succeed, but I
 tried.  And always - I learned.

So my philosophy is pretty much as above, both the meme and
the quote.  Good teachers lift their students up, not tear them
down.  (I've had both kinds, I know the difference.)  Good teachers
help guide their students, not dictate to them.  Best teachers
applaud  when their students go on to eclipse them.  Because
learning is not a competition.

We stand on the shoulders of giants.  We build on what has
gone before.  We help others become the best they can be.

For those people wanting to learn?  Find a good teacher.  Become
a good student.  Learn as much as you can.  Learn how to apply
what you learn to achieve your goals.  

Then pass it on.  That is how we keep this craft alive and vital.

I'm Aiming for a Masters! - Dianne Q

Value gamp by Barbara S

I’m aiming for a Masters.....not in golf or after getting my Baccalaureate....no, I’m working on the Master Weavers Certificate Program. The program comes from Olds College in Alberta but I’m able to get instruction at the Gaelic College (GC). Last June, eight otherwise experienced weavers took the leap into the 5 year program being held in Cape Breton for the first time. We lived for one week at the GC with our instructor, Laura Fry. Most of us had experience with Laura as an instructor before - her tour de force called Magic in the Water and a workshop about Lace Weaves - so her style of practical tips and in depth instructing was not new but, as always, welcome. 

I am a teacher myself. I am the weaving instructor at the GC where the busy summer classes demand an efficiency of style not unlike Laura’s. I’ve incorporated several of her techniques in my practice (using a weaving trapeze/valet, using my hand as a ‘claw’ to thread and sley). The Master Weavers program would, I assumed, test my proficiency to a new level. It didn’t fail.

The week at the GC was jam packed with weaving exercises, lecture time, practice communicating with others, weaving samples, group discussions, weaving colour value samples and, of course, wet finishing. 

The group got to know each other better. Five of us came from the island of Cape Breton, one from the Annapolis Valley on the “mainland” of NS, one from the west side of Newfoundland and one from southern Ontario. 

We were all experienced weavers but it wasn’t crucial to take the course. Indeed, the way the course is set up, a nearly new weaver would gain yards of practical knowledge. You need to know a loom, you need to have dressed looms in the past, you need to be able to work within a time constraint getting those samples done. It was fun, a bit challenging, while reinforcing skills. 

At the end of the week, we went home a bit weary, inspired, focused and ready to take on the homework. Homework! For the next while, the “homework” was frequently on my mind while I did my usual....teaching at the college, preparing for my guild’s fibre festival, attending a workshop on tapestry, selling at market, preparing for Christmas and then finally.....the time slot was there for the homework.

The homework is laid out in a way that takes you step by step through the entire process of making one handwoven piece: tell us how you dress your loom, which of these authors books is good for what you are doing, show a study of colour and your skill at plotting to get what you want when you weave, take a yarn and weave it at several setts to see how it works, look at plain weave and straight twill and how they respond to different finishing techniques, make a scarf or shawl to show how well you have learned all these lessons.

It’s trial and error, it’s stimulating, it’s frustrating, it’s running out of the one yarn you thought would do the job, it’s challenging, it means you have to communicate in writing what you do without thought after years of weaving, it means you have to stay focused....watch every weft shot, make it fit just like all the other weft shots, drive the family a bit off the rails while you natter on and on about tiny incidentals of your work, it makes you want to do the absolute best, it’s disheartening when the washing machine won’t open at 10 minutes, it’s exciting when the samples and records are all gathered together ready to send for marking....it’s even a bit fearful when the package goes into the mail - did I remember everything, did I do it well enough? And then you wait to hear - did I pass?? 

For now I am ready and waiting for next year...1 down and 4 to go.....I’m aiming for my Masters!

 Dianne's final project

The Last Box

Today the 'last' box of homework arrived.  I think this year may have been a bit of an anomaly.  I would have to check my class list, but I think that every student in both level one classes I taught last year submitted (or will) their homework for marking.  Even though Life Happened in a big way for several people they stuck to it and managed to get their homework to me.  Even if it was just in time!  (One has asked for an extension, but is working away on submitting later in the year.)

It is not unusual for one or two people to drop out along the way.  Things happen.  Jobs change.  Life circumstances change.  Some people move.  Others have health issues suddenly crop up.  Some take a 'gap' year to work on what they learned in level one.

One of the most important lessons some of them have learned is that level one may look 'simple' but the nuances of the craft need to be understood and skills perfected.  And that doesn't happen right away.  Even people who are experienced sometimes find that the level one exercises are more difficult than might first appear.  That there is complexity in simplicity as one student put it.  (Search for Carol M's guest blog post for more on that.)

The Cape Breton class was unusual in that there was such a very high level of experience and knowledge.  As expected they pulled off getting it done, even if it was just under the wire for a couple.  This year all of the original students in level one at CB are continuing one to level two, plus this morning I found out that there will be seven in level one.  Dianne wants to continue to grow the program at the Gaelic College and we will be discussing that while I am out there.

Next year is going to be busy for me.  Four classes of homework to mark, plus the conference.  I may need to infuse coffee directly into my veins...

Change One Thing

Change one thing and everything can change.

Such a simple sentence.  Such a complex concept.

This is one of the principles that are explored in the Olds Master Weaving (level one) class.  I say this over and over.  Usually after saying "It depends."

The best short answer to almost every question in weaving is "It depends.  Because change one thing and everything can change."

So, this scarf.

It's 2/20 silk, most commonly set at 20 epi for plain weave (using 2/20 silk for weft - or other yarn of the same thickness).  But I wanted to put the emphasis on the warp, which is hand dyed.  One way to do that is to make the cloth slightly warp emphasis.

Silk is a fibre with lots of drape, and the weft I had decided to use is rayon from bamboo, so also high in drape.  I knew that a denser warp would not negatively impact the drape of the finished cloth with such flexible warp and weft.

To make things a bit easier for myself (I thought) I started with 32 epi.

However, when I started weaving it wasn't a huge surprise when the weft would not beat in nicely.  Instead it got 'trapped' in the dense selvedge creating loose bubbles.  This is a sure sign that the warp is just too dense.

Of course I had enough warp to sample.  (Of course I did!  Sometimes I do work with full sized 'sample' warps.)

So I cut off the inch or so that I'd woven, resleyed to 30 epi and started over.

Voila.  No problems with the weft not beating in nicely.

I'm still getting the warp emphasis I wanted.  At 30 epi it will drape and behave nicely.

We're good to go.

And registrations are open for level one classes in Tenino, WA (sponsored by the Olympia Weavers Guild), and in Cape Breton (at the Gaelic College).  Registration for Olds College opens on March 1

Regrets, I've Had a Few

No one gets to be my age without making some mistakes, having some regrets.  And yes, I have.

Mostly those mistakes were errors in judgement - how much I was actually capable of accomplishing.  Hanging onto something that wasn't working for too long.

Some of these errors wound up causing me grief, in one way or another.  No one enjoys making mistakes.  But we do.  It is how we deal with the results of our mistakes that make them valuable.  As in the "Well, I won't do that again" if nothing else.  But that is how we learn.  That is how we gain knowledge.  Even, at times, wisdom.

Some mistakes have much larger consequences than others.  Some carry more grief.  But there is always a lesson to be learned.

Students sometimes get so focused on the mistakes that they neglect to see the lesson.  My job as a teacher, I feel, is not to point out the mistakes but to help them come to see the lessons.

Teaching a workshop is a great deal different than teaching the Olds master weaving program.  The goal is different.  Teaching a workshop is an encapsulated very focused look at a particular aspect of weaving (usually).  The Olds program is meant to help students see the lesson.  Mistakes will be made.  Disappointments will happen.  Knowledge will increase if the student analyses what they have done so they learn from what they have done.  How has this warp not met expectations?  What needs to change to make it align more with the intent?

Rose bushes with beautiful white blossoms also have thorns.  When we stop to smell the roses, we need to appreciate the blossoms and avoid the thorns.  And we need to get past our regrets, our mistakes.  Absorb the lesson.

As one of my mentors would say - if you aren't making mistakes, you aren't learning anything new.

Crunchy

The above is a close up of wool fibre.  The scales are very apparent seen this close up.

Thinking about teaching the upcoming class while I dress the loom once again.  I like to leave a warp ready to go so that I can just jump on the loom as soon as I get home.  Especially after a glance at my calendar for the coming months.

I have dental surgery scheduled in July with additional work to repair teeth that have been stressed over the years.  Dry mouth from medication has taken it's toll as well as, well, age.

Then we are going on holiday for three weeks in September, I have a workshop that looks like it's a 'go' in October, a visit with a friend in TN plus a consultation with someone who will help with formatting and laying out The Book, returning home just in time for the craft fair season to start.

So time has gotten very crunchy.

The Olds program is much like the above magnified image - only under close examination can you see the 'bones' of the fibre.   In the same way, we look at the craft of weaving for the things that are not obvious, that need to be closely examined so that we can understand our materials, our equipment, our processes.

We frame this information within the context of our own abilities (and disabilities), our own environment, our own aims and objectives, our equipment and budget.

Because it all depends.  What do we want to do?  What do we want to make?  What kind of practice will satisfy our sense of creativity, our design aesthetic?  Are we more interested in an intuitive approach or a more intellectual one?  Do we want to revel in the colours/textures or explore the nuts and bolts of the craft?

There is room for everyone in the craft.  What I hope to accomplish is that everyone walks out on day 5 knowing more than when they walked in.  And if they don't, they probably had a really good grasp of the craft to begin with.  But sometimes it's just good to know that your observations and practice are in keeping with your goals.

For now I'm going to try to finish dressing the loom.  And then have a good long think to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

Stash-a-lanch

I am in the throes of finding my teaching aids for the two Olds classes I am teaching in June, which is a bit of a challenge because I also have all the samples for all the other workshops I've taught over the years.  Things have gotten shifted multiple times over the past year due to the renovation work we have been having done, plus studio production.  

Once I teach one last workshop (if it goes ahead) in October, I will sit down over the winter, sort through ALL my samples, decide which I need to keep for the Olds classes and the rest will get tossed into the recycle bin.

I told Doug yesterday that I am fed up to the back teeth with all the clutter.  Between each of us, then emptying out mom's apartment, living in the same house for over 40 years, running a business out of it, which included teaching as well as production, well...let's just say I might qualify for an episode of Hoarders!

I am turning 67 this year.  Many people I know retire from their professions in their 50's.  I am allowed to admit that I am getting tired.  I've had a lifetime of repetitive motion type of work and my body is wearing out.  I really don't want to be toting heavy boxes and suitcases around any more.

It is time to look at what I really actually need and get rid of the rest.  To that end, I have given myself five years to downsize, at least to the point of having only the yarns I really want to use instead of all the other stuff I have needed for teaching workshops.  So I am on a mission - weave as much as possible of the stuff I want to get rid of, finish The Book, concentrate on teaching the Olds class, spend more time doing what I enjoy instead of what I feel I must do.  Every job has stuff that isn't as enjoyable as the stuff you really love to do.  It's time for me to concentrate on moving towards the 'joy' and away from the things that aren't.

Prep Work

So Saturday was my mom's interment and everything that needs to be done for her has been done.  Now it is time to think about deadlines.  Which loom.  Threateningly.

It would seem that starting to panic a wee bit a month before a class might be a bit premature, but in reality, most of my prep work for a workshop is done 6 weeks ahead of a class because materials have to be prepared and mailed.

For the Olds Fibre Week program however, I get to drive so I can bring everything I need with me.  

For the level one class, I wind their first warp for them to save time during class.  The program is information dense.  During the five days of class I present approximately 12 hours (or more) of lectures, filled with information, most of which many weavers have never thought about, never mind considered.  Some who come are more experienced, but that doesn't mean they have been presented with some of the material that I include in my classes.  Like ergonomics.  Efficiency.  Which are not actually covered in the course content, but...well, I'm me and I cannot not discuss these issues to people who are expected to do some level of teaching.

So I wind the skeins of wool onto cones, and then I wind their first warp for them.

In the past I have wound all of the skeins onto cones, but have not received all the cones back again.  So this time I am only winding the skeins that I am going to use, then enough skeins for them to wind their second warp.  Since each sample warp consists of one skein, I will be able to get all my cones back again.

I use the Silver Needles cone winder.  It is the 'best' cone winder I have found for the price.  I also have a large industrial cone winder, but it really doesn't like to pull/wind from a skein and I didn't have enough money to also buy an industrial swift that would wind off as the cone was winding on.

Eventually I will offer the industrial cone winder for sale because I am no longer buying large quantities of yarn, coning it off and re-selling it.  

The other reason for jumping on this class prep now is that I will be teaching the Olds level one in Cape Breton the first week of June, coming home with about 5 days to recover, then driving out to Olds to teach the class there.  I will then have about 5 days to recover from that, then drive to Victoria and the ANWG conference.  So I feel like I really need to do as much as I can now and not wait to the last minute.

Lessons Learned

Life is full of lessons.  You don't always get what you want (thank you Rolling Stones).  The customer isn't always right, even when the customer is...you.  A child has someone (one hopes) to look after them; an adult has to take care of themselves (with a little help from their friends {thank you Joe Cocker and the Beatles} - in other words, don't hesitate to ask for help when you need it).

I am well into my sixth decade and facing certain realities.  For one thing I am facing my next birthday without my father, my brother and my mother - all of the immediate members of my genetic family.  I am the last twig on that family tree limb.  It is sobering, in some ways - many ways.

Another reality?  I no longer have the body of a 35 year old even though inside I still think I am one.  The aches and pains increase every year, it seems like.  My activity horizon seems to shrink year by year.  Reality is...if there are things that I truly want to do, goals I want to achieve, I'd better damn well do them now.

I have also learned over the years to let go of stuff that I want to see happen, but which, for one reason or another, isn't going to happen.  Yes, I regret those, but sometimes?  Sometimes you just have to let go of those things and cast your energies in another direction.

When mom died on Dec. 31 it wasn't just the end of her life, it was an end to so many things.  While stress shoved me back and forth I couldn't really think clearly so I tried not to make any - shall we say - 'permanent' - decisions.

But spring is in the air (thank you woodpecker hammering on the metal lamp post at dawn!) and my energy and brain power are returning.

The deadline for the Olds classes in Prince George is April 15.  Right now it isn't looking good for either of them to go ahead.  So, while I would be over the moon if a sudden spurt of registrations appeared overnight, I'm not counting on it.

Instead I am turning to other things that need my attention - like the Olds classes in Cape Breton and Olds Fibre Week.  Cape Breton is full with 12, Olds needs two more to sign up for level one to go ahead.

I am anxiously waiting for a couple of friends to do their part in regards to The Book.  While I still find it challenging to try to write a weaving 'text', that is one of the huge items on my bucket list.  Having done it once before, I know I can do it again.  It is just that the scope of this one is much bigger and much more complex.  Which is why I need the help of friends to get it closer to completion.

Because last, but certainly not least, I have learned that I am not perfect.  I am just a human being, trying to do the best she can.  If I fail others, it is not for lack of trying.  But you cannot please everyone all of the time.

Currently reading The Hidden Man by Robin Blake

Your Mileage

I was going to use a quote from, I think, Rumi - something about we are all different because we walk different paths and stop to smell different flowers.  But either I'm not remembering the person who said it, or I'm not remembering the quote well enough to find it. 

So, I'm going with Your Mileage May Vary.

So far I've marked 5 of the Olds Fibre Week level one students.  Several have used the same yarn and it has been interesting to see how each person has interpreted the same requirement, using the same yarn.  Which just supports my pithy comment that when you change one thing, everything can change.  And usually does.

Looms are different, yarns are different (even within the same brand - a couple students have noticed that the darker colours behave differently than the natural or lightly coloured yarns), and of course, weavers are different.  Especially the weavers.

Perfection is always aimed for, but my primary concern in teaching this course is to help people develop critical thinking skills, building their personal database of knowledge and fine tune their physical skills.  Which processes they use are less important to me than that they work ergonomically.  Weaving is a craft of repetitive motions which can lead to injury if done in a way that stresses the body.  Since many people coming to the craft are in their (ahem) middle or older years, they may already have injuries that they need to be aware of so as to not cause further harm.  

We only get one body and while some joints can be replaced, muscles cannot.  At least not at this time or without a great deal of discomfort.  Since my surgery a little over two years ago, I find that at my current age it is harder and harder to regain the fitness level I had enjoyed.

To that end we have signed up at the Y.  I watched my mother get more and more frail as her health issues became more severe and she lost strength, then balance, stamina and energy.  I need to keep this body as fit and healthy as possible because I got a whole lot of stash that needs weaving!

A Student's Journey

Nancy T included this summary of the experience doing Olds Master Weaving class as part of her homework.  I asked if she would allow me to post it to my blog.

My Journey from Olds to Final Project

This has been a journey of learning, disappointment, achievement and frustration.  Weaving with wool was my first challenge as I had never woven with wool until I arrived in Olds.  I thought the comparative book report would be the death of me; I seemed to get over that hurdle, then there was the weaving. 

My next plan of attack was to wind one warp 8 yards long which would weave 2 yards of plain weave and two yards of twill along with the six sett samples.  I found a very nice Peruvian wool, which I enjoyed working with.  I was very pleased with the sett samples, and the 2 yards of plain weave.  With a square at my side I wove and measured and unwove and rewove and remeasured, cut off samples, washed samples, resleyed, wove, measured, unwove as I tried to achieve a 45 degree angle for the 2 yards of twill.  I was at the point of settling or declaring defeat and walking away from the remainder of the homework.  So I settled and that is what I submitted.

With my remaining warp I moved on to the weft faced sample which I wove 3 times and was satisfied with the third sample.  Finally I reached the warp faced sample; only to discover that I couldn’t get an open shed as the friction of the yarn that was sleyed and threaded so closely together was impossible to pry apart.  I tried this sample with a reed and without a reed and was unsuccessful.  I was very discouraged as I would have to start again with the sett sample exercise using a different yarn as the instructions indicated that the same yarn was to be used for all sett samples.

I had woven beautiful samples that I couldn’t use, I was disappointed.

I decided to change gears and weave the value gamp.  I thought the book report was bad, how hard can it be to weave a value gamp? It was as if I had never woven a thing in my life.  My edges were so bad, they were like nothing I have ever woven.  After weaving samples and finishing them it appeared I had figured out the sett and ppi and was ready to go.  Again I couldn’t master the final product to achieve 2 inch squares so I settled, not pleased with my work again it was decision time to continue or declare defeat.  I dusted myself off and thought I’d better see if I can achieve a warp faced sample using the remaining warp from my value gamp.  A true test to myself to achieve this weave structure would be to use the rust yarn for the weft in a warp that contained the six colors of my value gamp. I did it!! Finally there was something positive to build on so I would wind another warp to redo the sett samples along with the weft faced sample.

As I worked through the sett samples I liked what I saw with the colors which got me thinking of the final project which I had decided long ago, it would be a scarf.  Through the finishing of the sett samples I was pleased with the hand and drape of the 9 e.p.i. so I was quite sure that would be the sett I would use for my scarf.  One additional sample was woven at 10 e.p.i. just to confirm that 9 e.p.i. was what I wanted, and it was so I completed my final scarf project.

I’m very happy that I have become very proficient and oh so comfortable in threading, resleying and dressing looms. I have learned so much throughout this journey.  I’ve learned how to place yarn instead of beat it, how lightly dyed yarns have more spring than darker dyed yarns which was most likely the reason for the uneven tension in my value gamp; about keeping better records, what fibres can and can’t do and how they react when finished; what I can and cannot achieve, how determined I am to continue and hopefully succeed, and how important it is to weave with your heart.  Nothing that I have woven throughout this journey was done by my heart (with the exception of my final project) it was woven with a tape measure and square being used every ½ inch to see if I was on track and if not it was unwoven.  I’m sure I unwove just as much as I wove.

When it was time to weave my final project, and with the luxury of it being my own design, I put all that I learned into play but with no “rules” I wove the scarf with rhythm and enjoyment and most of all the way I like to weave, from my heart, it was a joy to weave and I am very pleased with my final product.

Without the support of a fellow classmate I’m not sure I would have made it to the end.  Through all of the trials and tribulations I was never turned off of weaving, to which I am thankful and happy.  I’m looking forward to weaving my next project using all that I have learned and once again weave from my heart.

At the end of it all I am looking forward to returning to Olds to take the Level 2 course.

Ready to Go!

The level one and two of the Master Weaver classes being held in Prince George, BC are now ready for registration on the Olds College website

It looks like interested students will have to create an 'account' before they can register.

Although the course description is not on the website, it differs only in that a) the class runs in Prince George for six days, not five, and b) the maximum is 10 not 12.

Questions?  Email me laura at laurafry dot com

Currently reading Red Bones by Anne Cleeves.  One of the characters is a fibre artist.  :)

Bear of Little Brain

Even at the best of times, my house is cluttered.  But this is the state of my dining room table.  A box of needles and crochet hooks from my mother's stash - anyone need some straight needles???

Piles of paper to do with her estate, funeral arrangements, condolence cards (which I haven't had the strength to open), Christmas cards (ditto) - both ours and hers - bills (both ours and hers) yet to be paid, a box of cards I purchased to send to distant friends and relatives, some of whom may not have heard the news, my year end...and on it goes.

I am drowning in paper and things that need to be done, sooner rather than later.  

Just to add to the chaos, the weather has warmed up and the siding guy has returned and is hammering on the walls.

There is also a firm deadline in the studio that needs to be met, but at least I was able to start the weaving.  I'm hoping Doug can go pressing next week so I can get the hemming done.

I am still not in a fit state to be making life changing decisions but I have confirmed a workshop in October, and just sent an email to Olds College asking when the satellite classes here in May will be up on the web site.  May and June of this year are going to be incredibly busy if all the classes scheduled go ahead, but it is very heartening to see the interest in the Olds Master Weaving program growing.

Stay tuned...