Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Left Leading the Right

Lots to do and nothing to photograph...so you photo hounds need read no further.

I thought I might take a moment and get myself organized by listing the various projects I am working on...this is a common technique I follow - allowing my left brain [the logical, rational and numerical side] to organize my right brain [the creative side]. I took a right-left brain test to see which side rules my life...I am 60% left and 40% right - this explains a lot about why I like some knitting books and not others...you should try the test...if you're not like me...well you probably won't love my choice in books nor the weaving techniques I use. Anyway, knowing what you are makes for some really good excuses....

I'm sorry- I can't do that...my right brain won't let me...

I'm sorry - my right brain made me do it!



On the weaving front:

1. Waiting for the results from Small Expressions,The Grand Yardage and one other exhibit to see if the pieces I submitted get by the jurors. The results are to be mailed today. If I get in, I have some 'finishing' to do. If I don't I have less finishing to do.

2. I still only have 7 of 20 bookmarks done for the bookmark exchange. My studio is a mess which makes it difficult to make progress. Is that the left brain thing?

3. I have a borrowed Varpapuu table loom with fifteen feet of sewing thread warp waiting to be threaded. I'm not excited about weaving on this loom again. I may take off the warp and put it on my Purrington when the bookmarks are done. I prefer my Purrington to the Varpapuu eight harness and by removing one table loom I will have more room and less clutter in my studio. I needed the Varpapuu since it had a 24 inch weaving width. While the Purrington has less width, it is smoother and so much more pleasant to weave on.

4. There still is some Christmas yardage on my floor loom which resides in the living room. Our entire family celebrates Christmas in our living room...that's where the tree is decorated, where the presents sit awaiting opening and stocking are hung by the fireplace with care. For decoration, I always like to put some colorful yardage in Christmas colors on the loom. I think I wove a yard or two in the Trudy Robert's California Rag technique. A couple more yards and I can make a Christmas jacket for next year. No hurry...its not even 4th of July yet.

On the tapestry front:

5. My Vintage TV is complete for the Small Format-Grand Ideas show. I am going to mail mine in with the others in my group. So its just waiting to be mailed.

6. There's the tapestry I started in the Lynda Brothers tapestry workshop this past weekend. I did make some progress on the rings. More is required.

7. My mom gave me her antique counterbalance loom. It's got a tapestry of Death Valley on it. My, my, my how many years has that been there?

8. My big Shannock is warped and ready to rock. I have an idea for the piece...just need to draw out a cartoon and get going. I think I'll finish my workshop tapestry first since it is on a similar theme.

9. Oh yes, and I have My Mom to weave. The rigid heddle loom is warped, the cartoon drawn and the yarn selected. I'm mulling over what I learned this weekend and need to decide how to incorporate those concepts into that piece. I'd say it's on hold until after the Big Shannock piece gets completed. Although if I push through the mulling I could weave this at our tapestry group meetings. Something to consider.

On the knitting front:

10. I picked up three quite exciting new books to look through from the library. Domino, shadow and modular knitting...sounds quite left brain don't you think?

11. I have that soft wonderful celery green scarf - my first knitting project. It seems to be taking forever since I am constantly making errors. I am on the second skein...it probably needs three.

12. I started a diagonal scarf similar in shape to a style I saw in one or two knitting books that I read. I am using some of that wiggly yarn that I used in the scarf I just finished. Except the yarn is green. I am using the woven stitch I discussed in a previous blog. That woven stitch really compresses the yarn. I have only done a couple of inches and might switch to bigger needles to make it a bit softer and wider.

13. Then, I have my TV knitting. Just a ball of off white chenille which I am knitting on circular with wild abandon. This is in preparation for dyeing in April. I plan to KDFroK (technique discussed here) a few pieces.

14. Oh, and I just got exercise #2 from ArtYarns. I am going to learn to square off a triangle. What fun - and from someone who liked algebra better than geometry!

Wow...that's an embarassing list! I've got to get some stuff done here. Think I'll go weave!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ahem, dear CFS (no names here),

Evidently my brain is 65:35. That must be why my current tapestry is going so slowly. Of course, I did say my desk was fairly organized; someone else might call it messy.

Notes from Nicki said...

I feel good. I have made some progress on this list and I have only started one other project not listed.