It Has Taken Ages to Re-Find This....

A friend posted this on Facebook a while back, and I thought it was worth sharing, as well as taking to heart and putting into practice.

I have had two exhibition days; on Tuesday 'David Hockney - A Bigger Picture' at the Royal Academy, and then yesterday to Tate Britain for 'Picasso and Modern British Art'.  Both excellent.  Also spent time with friends; it was the words of Pilar which echoed what I knew I had read, and prompted me to find this quotation again.  I am going to create a little space in my little flat to 'draw, paint and think' as a complement to my studio weaving which is a fairly public activity some of the time, and often interrupted.  I also need to get back to my reflective journalling, revisiting old thoughts and asking new questions of myself and my work.

Just to Prove that I HAVE been Weaving

It's a bit fiddly doing the starting knots in such narrow sections, but I have got as far as some of the text.  I am waiting for the jpeg of the Hebrew text to complete the cartoon on the right hand side.  What you cannot see are the delightfully fat bobbins for each section.  Brilliant to have plenty of yarn!  The blue of the text now includes the dyed-to-order 18/2 from Weavers' Bazaar - lovely handle, and excellent colour matching.  I recommend them highly.  'My' colours are now in their permanent palette, so you too can work with blue!

February is 'Fun-a-Day' month.  I missed out last year because of Dissertation writing (most definitely NOT fun-a-day!) but want to do it this time around.  I went taking photos in the woods on my daily walk with Doglet, but also thought that a haiku diary of the days would be good.  May be possible to combine the ideas.  I fancy making a book too, possibly the groovy envelope folded one in the Pentland book of bookmaking.  We shall see; the world is, after all, my lobster.

Woody Gorgeousness I and II

Weaving again, and despite visitors, did quite a bit.  What a relief to have yarn and be able to get on!

I heard on Saturday that Curvaceous has not been accepted for ATB9, which is a bit of a disappointment, but does mean that I have a large piece to show in a gallery later in the year, so not all bad.

I have an interview on Wednesday for a part-time job at the Cathedral, which would be a great complement to studio time.  Spare a thought for me at 12noon GMT.

Happy LouLou!

Look what came in the post this morning.  Jubilate!!

Flo joins in the general rejoicing.

Where Am I?

I ran out of the pale grey Shetland yarn on Wednesday, and am waiting for a parcel with fresh supplies.  "Curses and naughty words"* about my failure to plan ahead! No progress on hayyah as a result, which is a tad worrying, but I will catch up.  I have filled the time with walking, admin. and other making (two little coats in progress; one knitted and one stitched, a customized jacket for me also in progress).

Tonight is Burn's Night and we are having Haggis, Tatties and Neeps (and maybe a wee dram) in the seminar room at WD, sharing the cooking.  The original plan was to meet here and for me to cook, but numbers grew.  Think there will be Lamingtons too, for Australia Day.

Tomorrow I am going 'home' for a few days - a family funeral on Friday and then a couple of days with Mum and Dad, which will be lovely.  We are hoping that Flo and Chester (M&D's Poodle / Crested cross) will be friends and play together...  I am taking my mini tapestry frame with me to work on a small piece.

Monday will be back to studio weaving full time, and keeping up the pace.  Yeehah!!

*a line from The Goon Show

Weaver's Dog (and Log): Stardate 150112

I made her this little coat from a 50s remnant (I have a few of these!) and cut up an old fleece of mine to line and edge it.  I took the pattern from a waterproof coat that I picked up in a sale for her (her semi-hairlessness means that she does need protection from cold and wet - not just me being silly, honest injun!).

She is settling in well, both at home and in the studio, where she occasionally ventures out into the garden without me.  We have a dog love triangle; she is enamoured of Henry the live-in standard poodle, and she is adored by Beano the visiting Jack Russell.  What fun.

And I have been doing some work.  nefesh is complete, and I have begun the next.  I decided that neshamah needs a wider warp, so am working on hayyah (= life) instead.  Yesterday I finished the selvedge, made the cartoon and stitched it in place, all ready to start weaving properly tomorrow.

This afternoon we (Flo and I) are off on a long walk, taking a flask and a sandwich.  It is a beautiful day - cold, crisp, sunny and blue skies - ideal for blowing away cobwebs.

And the flask has tea in it, not gin.

Finished!

(apart from the soumak, selvedge and half hitches...

..which I will do tomorrow)  Funny how it has taken me so long to get it finished; the last few days have been like walking through treacle in many respects.  Hopefully I will now have the energy and will to speed on with the next one.  And the next, and the....