Loom 'Waste'

This is the loom 'waste' left over after weaving 10 towels.  It is less than 2 ounces.  Add the 'waste' at the beginning where I tied on, and the loom waste comes to about 2 ounces, or about $2.

I don't fuss too much about the amount of 'waste' involved in weaving.  As I've said before, the biggest investment in making hand woven textiles is time.  By the time I design the warp, wind it, get it into the loom, then weave it off, cut/serge the towels apart, wet finish them, hem them and give them a final press before tagging/pricing, that $2 is a drop in the bucket of what has been invested in making these towels.

So I focus instead on how to work more efficiently rather than spend my time saving these thrums and then trying to make something useful out of them.  I could have woven another 3 or maybe 4 inches on this warp, but why?  

Instead I send the 'waste' off to be recycled, just like I do my paper, glass, cans and plastic 'waste'.

We all get to decide how to invest our time.  I prefer not to use it trying to save $2 worth of yarn.  YMMV.

Multi-pronged

There has been conversation on one of the internet groups I belong to about what it takes to be a professional in the leisure/hobby textile profession.  An oxymoron, of sorts, but not really.  

Because there are many people who follow the profession of teaching or producing textiles to a greater or lesser extent.

There are people who practice the craft, designing and making textiles for sale.  There are people who research and write about the creation of textiles.  There are people who teach the craft.  And mostly?  There are people who do all of the above.

There are also people who provide the supplies for the crafts, from growing the fibre, to importing it from other countries, to dyeing unique colours, to having local yarn shops, to selling supplies on line.

For me, I did all of that including weaving cloth for others.  I made a great deal of my income for 9 years weaving for a fashion designer, which I discussed previously, but also for other textile artists.  Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn't.  Sometimes an international border stood in the way, like the time I wove 'samples' for a designer in New York.  Getting materials across the border and back again was a pain - for both of us.

Right from the beginning I taught.  My very first workshop was a (gasp!) spinning workshop.  No, I wasn't very good at it.  But I was better than those people who came who knew nothing at all - and wanted to.

Right from the beginning I wrote - first the local guild newsletter, then bravely sending articles off to magazines.  The very first one that accepted one of my articles was The Weaver's Journal.  

As soon as I could create enough inventory I took a booth at the local craft fair, plus I sold my textiles on consignment at a local shop.

And I learned.  Boy howdy, did I learn!  I knew very little about retails sales, but I did know how to set up a double entry ledger and how to balance it, reconciling it to my chequebook.  I knew enough that I'd rather pay an accountant than do my year end and file my taxes, so I wove enough to pay for those services.

Eventually we were both working in the studio - Doug was my studio assistant, winding warps on a 'spare' beam while I wove, doing the wet finishing, hitting the road and selling what we were making.  At one point I was weaving 240 yards per month - 200 for the fashion designer, 40 of my own design.  We had 28 shops in western Canada buying place mats, table runners, napkins.

Then everything came crashing to a halt.  Instead of 28 shops, suddenly there were three.  There wasn't enough work for two so Doug got a job elsewhere while I tried to figure out how to continue.

I worked on the Guild of Canadian Weavers master weaver certificate, writing, teaching, scrambling to bring in enough money to keep going.  And I saw the need for a book on wet finishing, so I worked on that, eventually self-publishing so I could include before and after samples.

The book launched in time for Convergence in Vancouver 2002, but taking a booth to just sell a book wasn't going to pay for the booth, let alone anything else so I had started importing yarns and selling them.  From there I started selling yarns at other fibre events, but most of the vendors were all pretty much selling the same things so I started importing yarns from China and dyeing them so sell.

And in between, I wrote and taught, and wove.

I gave up weaving for the fashion designer when I spent more time away teaching one year than I was home.

But that sort of teaching schedule wasn't sustainable, especially when I started having health issues.  Something had to give and I pared back on the teaching.  And then the dyeing.  Because dyeing is actually harder physically than weaving (for me).  And of course I never seemed to have the 'right' colour in the right yarn in the right quantity.  Eventually I just wove up whatever yarn was left over from those days.

Because I had essentially three stashes - the yarn I actually used for weaving my textiles, my teaching yarn stash, and my re-sale yarn stash...

I've been in this business for 40+ years now.  I have pretty much tried everything.  I have pretty much enjoyed a lot of it - some of it not so much.

Bottom line?  If you want to be a professional in this line of work?  It's hard.  You have to show up.  Every day.  You have to be self-motivated.  You have to either do it yourself, or make enough money to hire someone else to do it.  But most of all?  You have to just do it.  Nike got that part right.

Slowly

I forget how many towels are in this stack - 70?  80?  Doug went pressing yesterday so there are 20 more waiting for me to hem while these wait for Doug to have time to go pressing again.

Plus all the ones that are in the later stages of production - some already tagged, some just needing tagging.  

Let's just say I have more than enough of this style of tea towels*, probably for several years to come.

But they were just the balm for my soul that I needed for the past few months.  I have two more warps of this design in the pipeline and then it will be (past) time to deal with the rest of the warp on the AVL - 40 yards of fabric for the conference here in '19.  Some of that cloth will be used to decorate the hall(s) for the conference, some will be used in other ways and, once the conference is over, they can be turned into souvenir tea towels.  But first they have to get woven.

In other aspects of my life, things are also slowly progressing.  I have a workshop to teach in October so that needs to be dealt with.  This class has way more 8 shaft looms than usual and most of them floor looms, so that means an extreme 'tweaking' is needed for the drafts.  I have been reluctant to do such a deep editing of the workshop because it will be the last time I teach this topic and the time it takes will be significant.  On the other hand, why not go out in a blaze of 'glory'?  

I have managed to clear some things off my desk - the oral history mom did back in oh, 2005? - was kindly transcribed for me by a friend and I added some stories mom had typed out - single spaced, no paragraph breaks, ALL CAPS!  I really had to force myself to transcribe those, but I'm glad I did because I 'heard' some stories I'd forgotten, or never really knew.  I will likely print out the edited transcript because I prefer reading from a paper copy, not digital.

I am nearly 'done' with my obligations for Olds College for this year - just one more student who is scrambling to complete her last sample.  I really want to finish this so I can clear my head space of thinking about Olds for a while.

Because...next phase...craft fair season.  I pretty desperately need more table runners and shawls.  I sold out of the one and almost out of the other at Vancouver's Circle Craft last year.  It is beyond time for me to at least get some table runners done.  I'm not sure I can manage shawls, too.  There just aren't enough days left in the calendar...

*for anyone interested in the details for these towels, check out my article in the Sept/Oct 2017 issue of Handwoven

Invested

I'm waiting for an important delivery today, so instead of being at the loom where I might not hear the doorbell, I've been sitting plying the next yarn.  And thinking.  Lots of time to think when plying.

I started thinking about how we 'invest' in our lives.  So many ways to invest our time, our energy, our talents.

For me the investment for the past 40+ years has been primarily in weaving.  To that end I have invested some time in learning more about spinning.  But I'm not 'invested' in spinning the way I am in weaving.

Learning more about spinning, how yarns are created, is more about learning how to become a better weaver, understanding my materials at a deeper level.  I'm not invested in actually becoming an expert spinner, all I'm doing is playing, really.  My understanding of spinning is much more on an intellectual level, not a practical or skilled level.  And my play time feeds into my hobby of knitting.  Creating unique blends/yarns is a colour study in and of itself, watching how those blends spin up and then knitting with them is all grist for the creative mill.

Yesterday I was talking to a (much) younger friend and I commented that I had no clue when I chose weaving the experiences I would have, the people I would meet.  With all the challenges of being a self-employed artisan, trying to design, make and sell my textiles, this career has brought enrichment I never dreamed of.  Or only dreamed of.

In my secret thoughts I wanted to write.  Weaving has allowed me to do that.  In my secret thoughts I wanted respect.  I think I have earned that.  I certainly have an amazing circle of friends who support and encourage me when I falter, paralyzed by...fear.

As a teacher I am not so much interested in making mini-me's who will do exactly as I do but urge students to think for themselves.  "Become your own expert" I tell them.  And I mean it.

So when I mark the Olds homework, I am not looking for people to do the exercises by rote.  I am looking to see what lessons they have learned, what challenges they may have overcome.  I am looking to see if they are exhibiting critical thinking skills, increasing their physical skills (as shown in their samples), understand for themselves where they are weakest and need to invest their time.

The past while has been challenging for me on a personal level.  Trying to also write a book is proving to be one challenge too many right at the minute.  And so I am going to take a little more time before diving back into it, explore some options (I hear you when you say you want a 'real' - as in paper - book), think about the content I have generated so far and what I need to add.  I have not given up on it entirely.  I just want to stop and check I am on the right path before I invest more of my (and my friends) time in it.

Messy

My messy life...

I am trying to cross some long delayed chores off my task list, the primary one being getting my ledger entries done, balanced, reconciled to my cheque book and file my GST (sales tax) for the second quarter of the year.  I've got until the end of the month, but I'm due a refund and I really need the money.

My 'dining' room table has become my de facto office.  It is also the hold all for all manner of things.  

The spools of singles - because I ply on the table using a borrowed electric spinner.  Doug's ipad case.  A photo of my dad, brother and me, taken in oh, 1959?  It's a favourite of mine and I can't seem to put it somewhere.  I have another on display, but there is no accounting for emotions...

Contracts for upcoming craft fairs, partly because I need to send new photos to one of them.  And somehow the contracts haven't been filed 'properly' - yet.  Partly as a reminder to actually send the photos...

Doug's tools because he's been getting to a pile of 'odd' jobs that have needed done for a long time, some just since the outside got renovated.  The renovation domino effect has meant that things that we were content to live with have now been affected, or in some cases, new stuff that needs doing.  Like the tile surround in the kitchen that had to be removed to fit the new, larger windows.  Some, like the garage door, needs to be painted, so there is a colour/chip card with our choice of new paint colour.

And on it goes.

I've had little income this year and the usual - indeed, extra - expenses so to add to everything else I'm having to 'finance' the business for the next few months.  All part of being a self-employed weaver - the mad scramble to make things, paying for materials up front but the income from their potential sales months down the road.  Having to pay for travel to events ahead of time, sometimes months before, but not getting paid until well after the event.  With cyclical income streams - in other words, out for months, in for about six weeks in the fall, with a dribble of income from teaching during the rest of the year.

The past year has had 'extra' stress due to the renovations to the house, disrupting my studio with having to make room for the trades to work, plus the noise, dust and general kerfuffle.  Plus mom dying.  I'm also older and not so resilient.

So I have finally embraced the concept of 'semi-retirement'.  But not quite yet.  Because now we start gearing up for the 2019 ANWG conference.  

To that end I have been in touch with instructors.  I have almost filled all the spots, just two more disciplines to find people for - quilting and knitting.  I have some leads, just need to find contact info.  Then, once I have everyone's topics, we will go through them and begin to design an event that will hopefully provide a quality experience, not just for the registrants, but for the instructors, vendors, etc.

In the meantime, I need to be an 'adult' and get my books done...

Mastering Spinning

I bang on about the Master Weaving program at Olds College, but I also want to tell people about the Master Spinning program.

I came to weaving via the orifice of a spinning wheel.  Once I discovered weaving, spinning got set aside because I simply had no time to do it.  Eventually I sold my spinning wheels and moved on.

But about 12 or so years ago, the universe began 'gifting' me with spinning wheels.  A phone call asking if I could come pick up a loom for free, which turned out to be a spinning wheel.  Another phone call asking if I could take a wheel.  And so on.

None of these 'gifts' was quite 'right' for me and eventually I wound up buying a Canadian Production Wheel.  I prefer to spin woollen (supported long draw) from rolags and I really needed a wheel with a higher ratio than most wheels on the market.

I have been happily spinning on 'Larry' for a few years now.

As the 'free' wheels began showing up in my life, I started taking workshops from spinning teachers, not because I particularly wanted to become a better spinner, but because I wanted to be a better weaver.  Having arrived at weaving with a basic level of understanding how yarn was made, and having investigated yarn and fibre properties on my own, I found myself wanting to know more, know my materials better.  I knew that the way to do that was to take spinning classes.

(Note - I always warn the instructor to ignore me because I am there to become a better weaver, not a spinner!)

And so over the past few years I've taken classes with Judith MacKenzie, Kim McKenna, and several from Mary Lessman.

Mary is a graduate of the Olds College Master Spinner program and has now begun teaching classes for that program.

If you are ever in a position to take a workshop from her, I highly recommend taking it.  She is teaching at several venues in the US (check out the off campus link on the college website above) plus she has agreed to be one of the instructors for the ANWG conference here in 2019.

I have lined up most of the instructors for our conference and the conference website should be up by the end of summer.  Stay tuned!

Eye Training

If you can't be perfect...be consistent...  Laura-ism #3(?)

Do you see it?  The inconsistency?  The flaw?  (Click on the photo to biggify it - sometimes Blogger cuts photos so you can't see the whole thing.)

Do I make mistakes?  Yes.  Am I perfect?  No.  Do I strive for perfection?  Yes.  But if you can't be perfect...

Over the years I have trained my eye to see inconsistencies.  Imperfections.  And then fix them.

As I worked with finer and finer yarns, those little inconsistencies became harder and harder to see.  Sometimes I don't catch them until I've woven a couple more picks.  Once the float is 'framed' by more correct picks, it shows up better.

But as quickly as I weave and using finer threads, sometimes I have to rely on other sensory input to realize something has gone wrong.

In addition to seeing the actual problem, I pay attention to other indicators.  I watch the top of the shed.  If it doesn't open consistently I look closely at that area.  Sometimes the shuttle will hit an end if the shed doesn't open cleanly, pulling more slack on that thread.  Then it is looser than the ends on either side and may not open all the way so that the next time the shuttle will go over instead of under it.  Which is what happened in the above example.

I pay attention to the working of the loom and shuttle.  If something feels different than the time(s) before, I look more closely.  I pay attention to how the loom and shuttle sound.  

Staying in focus, paying attention to what I am doing, not thinking about other things - weaving becomes a working meditation.  Staying in the now, setting aside the tensions, the stresses of life, help to relieve the stress.  Putting those stresses firmly outside the studio allows me to have relief from them.  I get aerobic exercise, produce endorphins, plus at the end of a weaving session I have produced cloth.

Mindful weaving - it's helpful, healthful - and brings me closer to 'perfection' than not being present in the moment.