Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Cleaning House

I'm trying to get the rhythm of not having to go to work. I'm also trying to not be over-
whelmed with the monumental partially completed projects that I initiated but didn't have time to complete. They nag me. I've finished up the last of my bags. I do believe that I'll set them aside, as much as I love how they turn out. They were great for knitting in between things when I only had minutes to knit and didn't have time for complicated instructions.

I've been spinning for the last couple of months a variety of wools with the plan to dye them with natural dyes, then make hats for the Artisans store with the softer wools and more bags with the luster longwools. Ever since Linda showed me her workbook from CNCH (Conference of Northern California Handweavers) on double weave, I've been rethinking everything.
The bags are great, they sell quite well and I love the compli-
ments I get, but I think I'm done. Those were my therapy knitting. I've been looking at my weaving books and think a dougle weave wall hanging from natural dyed wools is just what our entry is waiting for.


First I need to learn how to double weave, and I'll get started on that just as soon as I finish weaving off the ancient project on the loom in the guest room.

I read an interview in the December issue of American Style this morning. I am just as backed up in my magazines and I am in my projects. The subtitle was "Nancy Jurs and Wendell Castle are married, but not melded." They met in art school and have carried out parallel but independent art careers for 35 years. He headed the furniture department at the School of American Crafts and has "10 Adopted rules of Thumb." Here are two: If you do not expect the unexpected, you will not find it and If you hit the bulls-eye every time the target is too near.

She is an installation ceramicist and raku potter. I loved a quip from her most expecially, "My life has gotten so busy that it now takes up all of my time." Right on!

8 comments:

MiniKat said...

I hope you get more time to play soon. Cleaning can be so boring. ;-)

Life Looms Large said...

Those are great quotes....reminding me to take creative risks and not to be so afraid of missing the mark!!

I meant to tell you that in shopping for camera lenses, Jim has had great luck buying and selling on ebay. Since we don't really have stores around here that carry the stuff he wanted, he just gave himself permission to buy a lens and then if it didn't work out, he sold it. That worked out fine, even financially. And now he's really happy with the lenses he ended up with.

When I left my engineering job, we'd just finished building our house - so there were a lot of unfinished projects. I had the idea I could tackle them all since I didn't have that job taking all my time any more. What I didn't realize is that I'd always have a lot of unfinished projects - the list of unfinished projects would just change over time!

Love the bags you've knit! Sorry for this epic comment!!

Sue

Theresa said...

Oh wonderful quotes! Thank you so much for passing them along. I love your bags! They are just so pretty and fun. As to unfinished projects...well, the list is long and that's an understatement but it no longer bothers me as it once did. And some of the projects have evolved while waiting in a good way.

Purple Fuzzy Mittens said...

How are the toe-up socks coming along?

vlb5757 said...

The bags are great. I like the color changes and how they kind of melt one into the other. I especially love the brown bag. You will settle into retiring wonder how you used to do fiber and then work full-time too. It's been nearly a month and I feel very settled into the routine of not having a routine. I feel like a ton of strees has been lifted off my shoulders. Now about that cooking dinner thing every night-ugh!

bspinner said...

My list of unfinished projects keeps growing. As long as there aren't any "unfinished police" around I'm not to worried about it. Things get done when they get done.
Love the quotes!!!
I'm so jealous of your bags. I just felted my second one this morning. You sure do have an eye for color!

Janet said...

Those bags are very attractive. I'm not surprised that they sell well. Do you have photos of them before they were felted?

Hilary said...

Love the bags....they are sweet!