After the storm....

....when I turn on the stove, open the refrigerator, or turn on the lights or tv, I say a little prayer of gratitude. I am overwhelmed by the damage done by Sandy and my heart goes out to all those who have lost so much. So many more prayers are being said for folks up and down the East Coast.  And many more thanks to all the officials who have been so present and caring.


I realized sometime in mid summer that I was going through a personal storm in the form of  depression.  Within the past year a very dear family member was admitted into a nursing home after a brain injury.  An older member of the family, it has been difficult to observe his slow fade.  It made me think about my mother when she became ill, watching her slow decline and eventual passing.  And, of course, these situations make me think of my own mortality and the possible events leading to that final earthly event.

I've lost my parents, siblings, dear aunts and uncles. My sons are grown up with lives of there own. The hustle and bustle of family life is a lot quieter now..in fits and starts during brief visits instead of the daily business of life.  I can't help but question what happens next and felt with so much behind me there was little in front of me. 

Wrong.

As if in answer to that nagging question "what if...or when?" or "what happens after" that has plagued me for the past year, I catch interviews on "Katie" with folks who have had near death experiences. While listening to their experiences on both sides of life, I felt a sense of calm wash over me and I felt the words, "It will be okay".  Wow.

To sum up, what had been a difficult year emotionally, I am now feeling at peace and a renewed sense of energy.  Instead of this past year's feeling of "why bother?", I am looking forward to the holidays and celebrating with family and friends who have become family, and daily life in general. I am now back in the studio and feeling the joy of creation.

Not up to par...

My goal this week was to begin weaving a lovely deep purple and plum wool/silk warp on the loom for  two scarves that will be on display at the Phila Guild of Handweaver's Annual exhibit opening March 23rd. I warped the loom last weekend and I was really looking forward to getting started on the actual weaving. However, the flu has kept me on the couch for the past few days. I am beginning to get really antsy so I must be on the mend but still have no energy to actually weave.  So I think a lot about weaving.

I don't consider this wasted time.  On the contrary, I have spent a good bit of time reading about weaving, color, and pattern. So, sitting next to me on the couch, aside from my dogs or the cat, is a stack of books.  I'm not bored but I am hoping to get back into the studio in the next day or so.

I'm also prepping for an upcoming felting workshop. I'm a novice felter but I do love the process.  We'll be focusing on creating felted vessels.  But more on that later..I'm heading back to the couch.

Anna's Scarf

A Valentine's gift from her husband.  It turned out lovely, if I may say so myself!  I don't often weave using only a single color and found it to be a challenge.  I'm glad I have really good lighting at the loom.

Winter - finally!

Moving in from the west - snow, sleet, and freezing rain.  Finally! A bit of white on the ground to make winter worthwhile!  Well, at least in my book!  Unlike many other folks, I like winter weather when it's full of the white stuff.  You have to admit; it brightens up the brown and grays of January days.

The wintery mix of precip encourages me to get into the studio and work with lovely warm luxurious yarns.  Earlier this week I wound a wool/silk warp in teal (Jaggerspun Zepher Teal) for a commissioned piece.  This is the perfect day to stay inside and warp the loom!

Meanwhile, the dogs can enjoy the snowy day!

Happy Snow Day!

A Period of Rest

It seems that I am often rushing from one thing to another.  This is especially true during the fall months when I'm prepping for craft shows. Creating, packing, setting up*, repacking, and unpacking when I return home, leaves me physically exhausted. Add the holidays into the mix and by January I'm just plain pooped!


The only thing I really want to do after the holidays is sit on the couch under a blanket, watch tv, and recoup.  And so I did just that.  Yet, while my body was tired,  my mind is still thinking (and needing) things to do! I usually catch up on some knitting projects, but this year I decided to return to my fiber roots.

 Project #1

It's been years since I used a crochet hook but I had recently come across lots of bits of left over worsted weight yarn and thought it would be fun to revisit that skill because I needed to create something fast. This small blanket will be giving some extra warmth to a dear relative who recently went to live in a nursing facility.  Hopefully, it will liven up his room as well.
.

Projects # 2-9


Like many other weavers, my first weaving projects as a kid were potholders.  While visiting Halcyon Yarn's website, I found a great potholder loom from Crazy as a Loom Weaving Studio) and decided to treat myself to a kit that included the loom and loopers. The loopers are left over from the production of
Solmate Socks - the socks that don't match.  The loom is made from recycled wood. A win-win!

Here's the result:

I had a great time playing around with the colors and plain weave patterns and I'm so glad that I also ordered extra loopers for future potholders. (Now the goal is to find white loopers so I can dye them!)

***

I'm feeling much better and I'm ready to move off the couch and back into the studio. Next up? A wool/silk scarf for...shhhhh!  Its a secret!

*Special thanks to my hubby for supporting me, for carting my stuff back and forth to shows, for packing/unpacking the car, and assisting at the shows.  I couldn't do it without you and it's so much fun doing it together!