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

Great Towel Warp of 2012

There are things in life that I'm afraid to try for fear of failure. 

Oddly, when I sat down to weave for the first time, I did not have that fear. I approached it with a general attitude of "Eh. It will work, or it won't. Let's try." And so far, with the exception of one project, that attitude has maintained throughout my weaving education.

Its something Erin and I continue to giggle at. She is very structured - I am not. We both absorb a little of the other's attitude; I'm a little more structured and picky, she's a little more "who cares."
I love how we've both slid to a more centered view of life and fiber-art. Its lovely to find that friend that helps to balance you out.

After Thanksgiving, I came home from the holiday and wound a 12 yard warp - known in my mind as "the epic warp" - of 8/2 cotton and started making towels.

This is the same project that required about 2 million string heddles because I'm an idiot and didn't count heddles.  (PS: I'm now an EXPERT at string heddles.)

It became 1/2 overshot towels and 1/2 waffle weave towels - the unintentional split was due to my boredom and frustration. I think I have a 6 yard limit per project.



This is the first 1/2 of the towels before I rethreaded for waffle weave. Erin was kind enough to snap a photo after I did my "OMG I MADE FABRIC" dance of dorky joy. I had lots of fun playing with colors and learning overshot. There's also a towel in there that is cotton and linen weft, which I'm sorely tempted to keep for myself because its just yummy.

The remaining yardage of warp was used for Waffle Weave towels.



The red white and blue towel and the yellow towel became x-mas gifts for mom. My sister received a Red/Black overshot towel and a white/Black overshot towel, while my brother in law received the butt-ugly blue/orange overshot towel in honor of his beloved Miami Dolphins.

Nothing against the Dolphins specifically, however after weaving that atrocious towel in those particular colors, I am a firm believer that a design consultant should be hired by the NFL before team colors are selected. 


So that's the great towel warp of 2012 and how it ended up.

All towels got finished. The warp got used - every bit of the 12 yards!

The remaining woven Xmas Gifts need more pictures before they should be mentioned in a blog. So pics and details to follow.

I'm so pleased with the towels. They are not error free. They are not perfect by any means. There are "oopsies" in each one. But I'm still proud of them. One towel contains some of my handspun cotton. The rest are fun colorful experiments of "this yarn looks good with that yarn." And they all are just plain neat.

Weaving is not 'hard' in that I do not feel I need a degree in applied physics to attempt it. But it is entirely different from spinning. Or knitting. Or crocheting. Or any of the other arts I've tried. Without Erin's patient help -and copious reference library and book addiction - I would have given up and walked away.

I'm glad Erin stuck it out with me. I'm glad I powered through the 12 yard warp. I'm glad I had several hand made gifts to give this year. And I'm really glad I didn't approaching weaving with a fear of failure. :)