Sunday, April 23, 2017

Sunday Evening

April 23rd, 2017

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that

I get up reluctantly from my loom with just ten more inches left
before I finish the pretty new scarf that I am so anxious to take off and wash
and see if the gracefulness of the drape  is everything Jane said it would be
if I were only to concentrate on making the sett balance.
The same number of ends per inch in the reed as I throw picks per inch with the shuttle....
Jane is Jane Stafford, a whiz of a weaver who is conducting an online studio
that I am so happy to take part in.

I am a self taught weaver.  I developed the passion when we had sheep, and I learned to spin.
It was also an era when many of our helpers on the orchard
were hippies living the easy contented life.
Some of the girls had taken to old crafts and were doing odd, primitive weaving,
which inspired me to go further into fabric arts.

There were no teachers or Weaving Guilds nearby,
so we bought a small loom, a number of books
 and dozens of skeins of wool
 from the Canadian Cooperative Wool Growers, and I was off!!!

Soon I bought a floor loom, a spinning wheel,
and eventually a counter marche eight harness, which really challenged me.
But I was learning, and that really brings me to the thoughts I have been having lately,
 about learning something new every day!!

I am astonished at all the things I don't know!!!!

Even about weaving, although I have been involved with it for forty years or so.  
I knew a balanced sett was important, but I didn't know what an amazing difference
it made in the "hand" of the cloth.  Very exciting!

My children are teaching me oodles of things.  
Sometimes they tell me about mischief they indulged in while growing up,
all new to me!  
But more often they tell me of new ideas about the universe, 
about physics and sometimes different spirituality. 
or set me straight about technical tips and ancient
happenings.

One of my sons is reading Durant's History of the World's Civilizations,
all thirteen volumes.  
They sat on our bookshelves for many years, for research, 
- but now he tells me all sorts of amazing things
about the ancients Greeks and Romans and Byzantines, etc.
 I am content with reading Durant's Pleasures of Philosophy.

 The sons who live on the meadow in the Chilcotin are full of tales 
about the creatures that inhabit this lovely spot, 
and the great variety birds who come to visit in the summer, 
and the accommodation they provide for all the swallows 
who make the meadow their summer home.

When will it all end - this gathering of knowledge
(oh, some of which I forget, I must admit). 
 It makes life so interesting, and I realize how lucky I am 
to have the energy and interest to absorb it.

Tomorrow I will finish the nicely balanced scarf
and if it all falls in a gentle heap 
when I let it drop I will post a picture.


What I learned today was that if I spend more than an hour in the garden with trowel and snippers

my back will ache and my knee will freeze up!!!!

No matter how golden the daffodils are or how tenderly green the new leaves appear!!

3 comments:

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I think the willingness to learn new things is a big part of the secret for staying well and healthy. And the willingness to learn from your children (and, I would bet, now from your grandchildren) is a gift so many people don't give themselves. ... I too am amazed at what we learn from them. (Sometimes it is funny... I've had the same experience as you hearing about things our kids got up when they were children, without our knowledge). And some is technical expertise that I take advantage of but don't absorb (I will never be able to fix my computer problems alone).

But the great part is that each of our kids and grown grands seems to have interest in and knowledge about different fields ... it all amazes me and I love the discussions we have.

Hildred said...

Right, Sallie. Sometimes I wonder"how did these kids get so wise and gain so much knowledge" but then I remind myself of the generation thing and ours is just one in a long long line. Each one adding the wisdom and knowledge of their times. And some seeing into the future. Like you, I love our conversations and they do so much to assuage the loneliness and big empty space their dear dad left behind him....

Hill Top Post said...

It's an interesting story of how you were inspired to get into fabric arts. "Odd, primitive weaving" somehow appeals to me. Wonder if I could still learn something new...

A son, who is reading 13 volumes Of Durant's History of the World's Civilization, would surely have some stories to tell. One of my sons calls me every evening. I have become spoiled to that time and often have a list of questions to ask him.