Wikipedia

two of the books on auction 

A few months ago, doing some research on weavers who had sadly gone on to where ever we go when we leave this plane of existence, I was checking Wikipedia for biographical info on people like Peter Collingwood, Mary Black, Allen Fannin, etc.  And found precisely nothing on Wikipedia.  The only weavers I could find listed there were Anni Albers and Jack Lenor Larsen.

It occurred to me that one way to improve the profile of weaving and weavers was to start pages on the internet 'encyclopedia' and link them to the subjects 'weaving', 'hand weaving' etc.

Not being particularly savvy when it comes to the internet, nor knowing any of these people particularly well, I have approached several people who might be in a position to begin such a project.  But it also occurred to me that anyone can start a page, not just someone who knows anything about the internet.

And so I am challenging the weaving community - we have been complaining for years about weaving getting no respect.  About the greying of the guilds.  About how we need to attract new, younger weavers to the warped side.  The gauntlet has been thrown down.  Who will pick it up?

RIP

My friend quietly slipped from this mortal plane to the next during the night.  Whatever there is beyond this existence, I hope that she has found peace...and maybe a spinning wheel and loom with every yarn/fibre imaginable at her disposal.  Warm the loom bench for me, Jean.  

Going Once, Going Twice....

Peter Collingwood Macro-gauze, full view

Detail of finishing

A friend came today and helped get all the auction items listed on eBay.

The auction will run for 7 days beginning today around 1 pm when she hit 'publish' on the books.  The Peter Collingwood pieces will end around 9 am in 7 days time.

This has been a very 'strange' year with all the critical deadlines, traveling, friends facing health issues - and in some cases losing.  A reminder that life is precious and sometimes all too short.

Today is American Thanksgiving.  We have never made too much of holidays, partly because we don't have kids, partly because the autumn has always been so stressful.  Holidays like Thanksgiving were just another day to work and get ready for the upcoming sales.

So today I spent time with friends.  Lunch with one, a couple hours visiting with another and two more hours visiting with a third.  I even managed to weave a little.

Today was a good day.  A day to give thanks, regardless of how socially sanctioned it is.  A day to appreciate laughter - and a few tears.  To remember those who aren't still here to hug and share joy and laughter.  A day to be grateful for still being here.  Still able to play with string.  A day for thanksgiving.  Just like every day should be.

Volunteering

Where would we be without people willing to give freely of their time and energies?  A lot poorer, I'm sure.

On the other hand, it seems like the same few people always step up to the plate when something needs doing....

I seem to have a lot of 'volunteer' obligations going on at the minute.  Not that I'm doing as much as I ought to, time being a rather precious commodity around here, this time of year....

It was especially appreciated that two of the guild members pitched in last night and worked on recording the details of the books that are going up for eBay auction in the next few days.  Instead of doing their own work, they took the time to assess the condition of the books, set down title, author and rate them so that once I start entering the items on eBay I won't have to take the time to do it.

In fact, I called on another friend who said she was willing to come tomorrow and get started on doing that part of the job, which will allow me to dig into what needs doing in the studio.

eBay has changed their format so I will go through it with her tomorrow morning, then hopefully she can go ahead and do the auction stuff for me without any further input, but if needed I will only be a call away.

The auction came about because the guild had a Collingwood rug that needed to be sold.  A re-arrangement of the room meant we no longer had wall space to hang it.  At the same time a weaving friend in another community entered hospice.  Her son needed to put his mom in hospice and his dad in care.  A mutual friend started by helping him find homes for her many spinning wheels, looms, yarns and books.  And a Peter Collingwood rug AND macro-gauze.  Since I was going to do an auction for the guild rug, I offered to do hers as well.  Then when the guild received her books, many were duplicates to what the guild already had, some of which are out of print and still sought after.  So, what the heck - why not auction them, too.

What I forgot was how much time doing an auction was going to be.  Not to mention the sudden acquisition of my other friend's yarn stash!

But I was able to get photos of everything last night, today they were edited and saved for the listings.  I am not sure when the auction will go 'live'.  I have to review the eBay auction format, etc., but I am hoping to get everything dealt with before Christmas.

Here is a sampling of what will be coming up:

guild's rug - I believe it has horse hair and wool

Jean's rug - I believe it has mohair and wool

macro-gauze 

macro-gauze detail - beautifully finished, of course

How we spent Tuesday

It took three of us 90 minutes to clear the basement of tools, wood, bits and bobs of wooden parts for various fibre crafts.

Doug will finish what tools can be finished and sell them. Possibly at Fibres West next March.

We may have to make a second trip as there is much more than anticipated (there always is!). Some of Dougs wood turning buddies will be gifted the hard woods as he doesn't turn wood. Perhaps they will turn some parts in return.

Tonight I will begin photographing the Peter Collingwood items and books that will be auctioned off.

I'd like to have the auctions done before Christmas so I can at least get this commitment completed by year end. There will be the yarn that is coming home in December to sort as well.

So far no plates have dropped. We will keep on juggling!
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Time Lapse

Set up took us from 5 pm to not quite 7 Pm. We are as ready as we can be for morning.

This show is smaller and no booth drapes are provided.

The weather is supposed to be good. Cold enough that outdoors will be chilly, not so cold to prevent people from coming. If they are so inclined, that is.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Critical Mass

In many ways I feel as though my calendar commitments reached critical mass with the closing of Art Market.  It's not that my calendar isn't full to bursting but the last two shows of the season are small, closer to home, and should prove to be a lot easier than the last few shows have been.

I also realized that I was overly optimistic that I could actually have the last place mat warp finished in time for the show in Williams Lake so today I just cut them apart and serged them.  They will go into next year's inventory.

One of the reasons I wanted to get them done was so that I could begin weaving the samples for the Handwoven article.  The deadline isn't until Feb. 28, but with all that needs doing between then and now, the trips I have to make, decided that I'd at least get the weaving done now.  The intention is that I will do the experiments and write them up (while still fresh in my mind!) and send them off as soon as I possibly can.  Then I don't have to think or worry about them anymore until it comes time to do the final edits for publication.

In the next two weeks I still have to photograph the guild books for sale - although a friend has offered to help and I asked if she would do the entering on eBay.  If I can get the auction started by Dec. 1 or 2 I won't have to think about that until after I get home from sorting through my 'inheritance'.

Once we get the boxes of yarn home they will just get put in storage until much later as there will be zero time to even look in them for several months.

I should also know by then if the class at John C. Campbell Folk School will be going ahead, although the numbers looked promising.  Which means I have to get the warps for the two day workshop on Block Weaves ready and mailed off before Christmas.

We need to plan our trip - Doug will join me for a few days 'holiday' in Florida - the first holiday we've had in I can't remember how long.  A friend asked if this would truly be a holiday or a working trip in disguise.  I told her it was a bit of both....

March we are planning a Beginning Weaving workshop here in Prince George, plus we may be doing a fibre festival in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver area) as well.  I have to double check dates to make sure they don't conflict.  April I'm teaching in Tacoma, then giving the guild program to Vancouver guild.  And then, ta-DAH!  The project that cannot be named!  For which I have a whole lot of weaving to do in preparation for it.

In June I will be at Olds Fibre Week teaching the Level 2 weaving class, jumping into the truck and heading back to Tacoma where I will do a seminar at Complex Weavers.  If anyone signs up for it.  All of these teaching dates are subject to cancellation.

And that's just the first 6 months of 2014.  I still have to weave new inventory for the fall season, so it looks like I'll be slamming the warps through the loom(s) like mad all through July and August.

It's my life.  Obviously I love it or I wouldn't be booking all these things!