Whenever I try to imagine what a trip is going to be like (and I always spend a little time trying to imagine--especially a teaching trip), it is always a surprise--nothing like my imaginings. This trip is proving to be surprising in the depth and breadth of the surprises.
One of the ONLY challenging parts has been the lack of computer access. I guess it will continue to get worse until I have a laptop. The computer I was expecting to use: first refused to let me post on the blog and second would not let me view and answer my emails. I'm sure as I think about this inconvenience I will come to see the blessing in it because I have had amazing interactions with family and friends. It is probably due to getting older---something they never tell you about. When you are older you become aware that every interaction with a cherished friend could easily be the last. Instead of making me sad or anxious, it has made me much more grateful for every minute I have with that person--every day a celebration!
My time with Tall Pines Guild in Houston was truly inspiring. I had totally revamped my Color Horoscope Weaving Workshop and tested out my expanded concept. The focus of the workshop was on color and yarn selection and methods of using the color horoscope draft as a personal color gamp for in depth color study in weaving. You really have to see and experience the interplay of color directly in the woven cloth to begin to understand the evanescent blending. Of course, I haven't written this up in a proposal format (one of the things on my "to do" list that I didn't get around to doing before I left Seattle). I told myself I would do this while I had a free moment. This moment hasn't come up yet.
I met many wonderful women in the Tall Pines Guild and hope to introduce them to you on the blog as soon as I get back to Seattle. I told them I would publish pictures of them weaving their shawls if they would send me their picture of them in their completed shawl. I always ask students to do this, but very few of them ever do. Some that did are in my gallery, click here.
Yesterday I taught a small workshop right here in my mother's apartment. A few of the women who were in my class back in April, wanted to come and learn how to make the drafts for Color Horoscope Weaving. I don't teach this aspect of the process anymore, but they presented a good case, so I decided to share this part of the process with them. Then we got to the really fun part a second workshop---wrapped silk jewelry. As I am now writing, I think I forgot to take pictures of the wonderful things that we made. This is really the first time I have taught anyone the wrapped silk jewelry although it has been listed on my website for quite some time as an available workshop. One of the most interesting parts of the process for me was going through my jewelry supplies and putting together the supplies that I shipped out here. I had collected and kept bits and pieces of things for over 20 years. These are not yarns that I assembled to use in a class. They are all silk yarns
used in projects over the past 20 years. I have talked about the "power of gathering over time". I sometimes wonder what other people gather over time.
Speaking of gathering, I shipped my latest batch of cashmere sweaters to Baltimore so I would have a project to work on with my mother (also known as my "unknitting factory). First we laundered all the sweaters. One was so perfect and looked so right on my mother's significant other that I gave him the sweater on the spot. He hasn't taken it off. It was the perfect gift. After washing, I took apart the remaining 9 sweaters and my mother is unknitting them like crazy. I have a shawl commission to work on as soon as I return to Seattle (Do you notice how many things I am going to do the minute I return to Seattle?) This will be a horoscope shawl in bamboo with a recycled cashmere weft. I will probably use the 2 burgundy cashmeres from this batch. I wish I had more purple though.
Once again I will repeat my cashmere request. Actually now that I think of it, I may never have made my cashmere request. Ten cashmere sweaters (in any condition, spots and holes welcome) equals one bamboo/cashmere scarf woven by me. Purples and magenta (jewel tones), one sweater counts as two sweaters. A sweater with a Pringle of Scotland or Dalton label also counts as two sweaters. I just made up these last two rules, but I like them.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I will try to get to a computer again.....
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