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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

What should I do next?

That's a question I ask myself frequently. I'm not just a weaver. I photograph. I play flute. I spin. I knit. I work with silver. And lately I've broken through some personal obstacles and can proudly say that I sew. I always have multiple projects going on. I know I'm not alone in this. Almost everyone I know who engages in multiple hobbies is in the same kind of boat.

Some would disagree, but my problem is not that I have too many hobbies. 

My problem is that there are so many great project ideas that I want to do them all. Right now. Tell me you haven't been there yourself. I dare you. 

This is not a situation of a weaving project competing with a sewing project. Oh no. This is multiple weaving projects competing with one another. 

I have a notebook (Kerry laughs at this point, face-palms, then gives me a mental hug) because I'm a planner. It's basically a project notebook because I really want to be that kind of organized. It contains projects I want to do, and projects completed. I photocopied or printed a project I want to do, made some notes about fiber, maybe even included fiber samples or swatches. Strangely, I also included a sewing project. Why not have a notebook that includes ALL the projects you want to do, not just the weaving ones? At least they are all in one place. I like kind of like that. It also includes some references about sett, reed substitution, weaving calculations, and a master yarn chart from Handwoven. Each project is in a clear page protector because they expand and you can stick samples and patterns in them, though I wish the clear protectors had a flap to prevent stuff from falling out. 

(Note to self: search for clear page protectors with envelope style flaps or something like it)

Bottom line: I have several projects in the notebook. Recently I said on this very blog that I wanted to work through the first chapter of Twill Thrills. But (whine) do I have to? What if this one project over here is just screaming at me to do it? What if I want to rag weave a textile to use for a tote bag? What about the projects I want to do to build inventory for an Etsy storefront or for the upcoming art/craft fairs and demos? I could have projects on multiple looms but I can still only physically weave one thing at a time. And then what if the only time you have to weave is a few hours on a weekend?

I know of people who have chained warps hanging around. The weaving version of a UFO (unfinished object). No, I'm not giving up the other hobbies. 

There's no answer and I don't really expect to find one, but I think I might start chaining some warps for future projects because, as they say, opportunity favors the prepared. That's always been my experience. And suddenly it's the end of January and I'm still threading the project I started right before we traveled for Christmas. 

I've always despised the phrase "promises were meant to be broken" but I think I won't hold myself too strenuously to the chapter 1 goal from Twill Thrills. It's a worthy goal, to be sure. If I only get a few completed, though, I think I can be totally okay with that, let myself off the hook, and just enjoy the weaving experience. 

Maybe that's my answer.

Weave on,
Erin

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