Pages

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

Friday, January 25, 2013

Oops. No guild on Jan 26

After much soul-searching, our first guild meeting will NOT occur Saturday, January 26. Why? Would it be awful if I admit that I don't really think we have our ducks in a row? Not quite, anyway. The ducks are still a little scattered. We're still wrangling, and they're really quacking up over it.

So please stay tuned. I apologize to those who were looking forward to this.

Erin

p.s. Please drive safely and be watchful. The weather is going to get nasty tonight. Cuddle up with your significant other and/or a live/stuffed animal, something warm to drink, and watch a good movie. That's where you'll find me.

p.p.s Obviously this is specific to the SE Virginia area.

p.p.p.s One of our local stations, WAVY, has been doing a nice job with their weather blog with the details that go into forecasting a snow event such as this, at http://blogs.wavy.com/category/weather/. If you're a bit of a weather geek, check it out. If you're slightly more geeked about meteorology, try http://www.wunderground.com. Fewer ads, and for $5 a year, no ads at all. For the truly snobby, http://www.wunderground.com is still awesome. But the National Weather Service site is also good.



Friday, January 18, 2013

Twill I? Or Twon't I?

GUILD NOTE: Guild will meet at Erin's house Saturday January 26, from 11am until whenever. Bring your loom if it travels or your wheel if it travels. You can bring both, but really? Gonna do both? Bring show and tell - got a project you are particularly happy with? Proud of? Wanna show off? Bring it! Coffee, tea, water available. Not planning snacks but you are welcome to bring something if you are so inclined. Very informal at this point in our guild life, but on that day we will focus on learning to weave. Hopefully more hands on than not, because first things first: measure a warp. You'll be shocked at how much time some of these things take. Don't worry if you don't have yarn, or you don't think you have the right yarn. The guild has plenty and it will share.


I was reading a post on Weaving Today about twill and how the writer always imagines she'll do a huck lace or a bronson lace as her next project, but always finds just one more amazing twill pattern that is calling her name.

I can appreciate this.

I sought high and low for this one book of twill patterns. Set aside for a moment that I'm not content to merely search and acquire twill patterns online and that I must have a book. I was searching for this book which it turns out is out of print. I searched eBay. I search Amazon. I searched LibraryThing. For a year I looked for a copy of this book that wasn't more than $75. Because, let's face it, scarcity increases value. I emailed the editor of the book. She had no copies, and hoped the publisher would someday decide to do another printing. Finally Kerry said, well, have you contact the publisher?

Me? Email a publisher? Right, my email is going to go into some generic customer service email box and be lost forever. But a few weeks after she suggested it I thought, well, what have I got to lose?

It didn't get lost. It found a human who hunted through the office and found ONE copy of this book in a box under someone's desk. It's probably the last remaining unsold copy of this book in the world. And it had a bent corner so she charged a discounted rate and threw in free shipping.

That's how much I appreciate the siren song of twill.

I want to do every pattern in the book. All of them right now. Immediately. But dang, I only have three looms. Oh wait. I have three looms. Hehehe. Could this be my personal weaving challenge for 2013? Work my way through Twill Thrills on three looms? Two are eight shaft, one is four shaft, and there are only a couple of projects in the book requiring more than eight shafts. 36 projects. Uh. Maybe just chapter 1 in 2013. That's half the book and I have to time balance with band, flute choir, knitting, and sewing. And work.

Project 1: Blue Tick Hound. 4 Shafts. Adorable. 2/2 Twill. It wants a 16" weaving width, which means either Bam Bam or Minerva. Dot isn't wide enough (she's the 10" table loom). I don't have to make the stuffed toy but it would be fun to sew on my own handmade fabric. And It would make a nice gift for a certain little one in Maine.

The color in the photo SHOULD be blue and white, not blue and pink-ish. Except for that little doggie bed, which is mauve.


Happy New Year and Happy Weaving!
Erin