Balance.

I've been meaning to update the blog for ages....ever since the beginning of the year in fact...but life kept getting in the way. 

The last two opportunities got used up doing boat jobs, turning her round so we are facing the right way to get water and then the actual travelling down to do the boat services (an adverse weather forcast bought the need for that job forward!). I do love that aspect of boat life, chugging along at snails pace, watching the wildlife. I always get to do the driving and Boat mate Val does the tricky jumping off and balancing on narrow gunnels, (I definitely get the better end of the deal)...I LOVE driving my boat :-)

Anyway, thats what I was doing instead of blogging....as well as doing a bit of avoiding...blogging is a bit like work, if I'm writing about doing Stuff with Fluff then I'm not DOING Stuff with Fluff.

Oooo ...what's this going to be?

 On Instagram I've been doing a January challenge, each day you post a picture as a response to a prompt. I thought it would be a good way to Focus My Mind and prepare myself for a relaunch of Woollycraft Workshops!! (I wonder if it's been a bit of a distraction).

Well today's prompt is Balance....and that got me a thinking....

My life is a constant search for balance, equilibrium, harmony. I'm usually juggling the need to live, work, take care of a family with a need to create and make. To spin or card, knit or crochet, anything fibery, anything fluffy, if I'm not doing life I want to be making... something...anything...out of wool.  

Oh....nothing!

Recently, I've been at a bit of a loss as to what to 'make'.  I'm currently working on a very nice jumper made from pure alpaca that I still need to spin more yarn for, but carding black and white fibre when you want to play with colour can be a little dull. I've also been crocheting flowers and things with some rather fabulous sparkly wool which is kind of satifying and fun but I don't know what they are meant to be yet, so really it's just playing.

 

 I kind of want to get stuck into a big, interesting project, a big blanket or an amazing technicolour garment and get lost in the process of planning and making...

But.... then I remember I've got that big, interesting varied project going on already, it's called Woollycraft! I'm meant to be Healing the World with Wool. I'm meant to be building my website and writing letters to people. I'm meant to be putting myself out there!! 

My creativity of late is expressing itself as either a bit bland but necessary or directionless and without an end purpose in sight and feels a bit unsatisfactory.  I've tried making other yarn but felt disatisfied with that too.  All this kind of tells me that maybe I should be directing my 'creativity' into something else.

 And so back to balance...sometimes the need to make and create can be a distraction, an avoidance tactic and the trick is to notice when. My need to make needs to take a step back and support another creative process, website design, admin, letter writing and self promotion.

Anyway, saying that I'm now going to card some black and white for my new jumper and at least start to THINK about the future...I may even write some lists!!

I would dearly love to share some decent photo's but the light is sooooooo poor...roll on Spring!! 

 

Flower garland