Ups & Downs

It's been an upy downy sort of time lately. Lots of excitement and enthusiasm for my craft workshop due to happen today,  followed by despondency and disappointment as I started to realise I didn't have enough people for it to be viable and so reluctantly cancelled it :-(

 But I am nothing if not resilient. After a moment of feeling sorry for myself I dusted myself off, sought feedback from family, friends and anyone else who was willing to listen, and decided to take my concept back to drawing board.  I WILL bring wool into peoples lives and their lives WILL be enriched :-) I'm just not sure exactly how at the moment...so watch this space..

In the meantime I have Christmas Floating Market to prepare for and another workshop planned in collaboration with Kara of Herd Thyme.

All the recent planning I've been doing for workshops has had me thinking about my own crafting journey. When I am at my parents I sleep under this quilt.

I pieced and stitched this together as I was going through my Counselling training. It's lovely to have this reminder of such a rich and important stage of my life and I am very grateful.  To me it is a reminder of how I've got to this point, what has inspired and motivated me and how I'm still creating 10 years on. 

It also reminds me to have patience with the knowledge that it takes a lot of little individual stitches to make something special x

Attempting Mindfullness and a Request...

So things are hotting up and I'm starting to get quite busy with workshops and making for the Christmas Floating Market. 

This is the perfect opportunity for me to practice my 'Not Getting Stressed' pledge to myself. It's very easy during busy times, especially if there's lots of planning involved, to mentally 'rush ahead' and start ticking off days. To combat this every time I notice I'm starting to worry about 'Not Having Enough Time' or thinking about 'How Many Days Left Until' I stop and take note of my surroundings. With a deep breath I try to notice the beauty in the changing seasons or calm myself with spinning or other craft. 

This is my attempt at Mindfullness. Worrying and stressing doesn't give you more time (in fact it does the opposite) and it doesn't help in any way at all so I've decided to just not do it any more and instead Trust...there will be enough time and it will all be ok.

So, with that in mind today I am noticing the warmth of the burner and the sound of rain on the roof while I immerse myself in carding and spinning the softest alpaca, with extra sparkles for good cheer.  (Oh...and paying a teenager an extortionate rate to do the washing up gained me a couple of extra wool making hours)

I was meant to be posting some sneaky peaks of things that are made and ready for the market but the weather is just too gloomy for photography.  Instead I'd like to mention another project I'm working on which is a training course for professionals on the importance of crafting in people's lives, how it aid's wellbeing and contributes to recovery.  I'd really like to include people's own experiences of this so if any one would like to share their story with me I'd be ever so grateful.  You can email me on woollycraftwonders@gmail.com and all information will be confidential. 

So for now....don't worry, be happy....Happy Crafting x

Moon rise...a moment to be immersed in :-)

Busy On!

Today I really needed to get a busy on. In preparation for my next Woollycraft event Spin a Yarn & Weave a Tale I needed to make some drop spindles.

Now, a drop spindle is essentially a stick with a weight (a whorl) and is the simplest way to spin since time began. I made my whorls from air drying clay and decorated them with marks, beads and indentations.

The interesting thing I noticed today was how I sometimes 'put off' the creative process, distracting myself with my phone, the washing up, putting things away. 

It happens at other times, especially when I have lots of spinning on the go. There's different reasons for different times.  

Sometimes it's putting off the pleasure, deferring the enjoyment or reward. 

Sometimes I'm all scattered and distracted and need to sit down to spin to order my thoughts.  

Today I noticed I was reluctant to start out of nerves. It's not my usual method or material.  But also,  these will be used for a morning of spinning and story telling in the Thyme Herd Tipi field. I kept thinking will they work? will they be worthy? will what I'm making and putting my energy into stand the test of use?  The greatest pressure we ever face is the pressure we put on ourselves.

In the end I just had to get on and with some gentle background music I soon got into my groove.  

These now are drying by the fire then need a couple of coats of varnish and the sticks attached.

They were made with intent and care so I really hope they do inspire and encourage a new cohort of spinners. There can never really be enough.

The change of seasons....sometimes I start the worry of the onset of Winter in August. The cold, the mud, wet, dark months. Can I really do another? It's usually a fleeting moment and a reminder to most the most of the light.

The clocks have changed and the darkness is here. Out of all the inconviences of Winter the lack of light is probably the most difficult to bear. 

 But in reality, as Winter slowly creeps up on me I welcome the change and remember that the cold, the mud, wet, dark months are a time for blankets, and fires, and eating and staying in and anyway Mercy looks even more beautiful by candlelight.

So I wish you all a belated Sahmain and hope you feel warm and safe and fed where ever you are.

TTFN x