Time Management

Even as I typed the title, I felt a little silly because I have tried for years to do better managing time but never seem to be able to achieve all that I would like to in any given space of time. I run out of day, the week is too short, etc. In the new summer issue of Spin-Off magazine, there is an article by Stephenie Gaustad titled "Time Warp". She writes of her experience spinning and weaving three museum replica pieces from the Hohokam people for the Pueblo Grande Museum which took over a year to complete. Her description is very interesting and probably is something that most weavers have thought about as we have worked...All the weavers who have come before us who had to do this to have clothing and bedding and still have all the happenings and pressures of life and families around them as they worked and yet they took the time to make beautiful fabric, not just adequate for the needs. At the end, she sums it up by saying that she had seen her goals scaled down as her time seemed in short supply. But after working on this project for the year, she said,"I changed my mind about work and time. Instead of making something that will fit into the time available, take the time to knit a sweater if that is what you need. At the close of the project you will have the sweater. Time will pass anyway. Change your perspective."

I've thought about this over the last few days. Most of my work is not quick. I prepare all my fiber from the raw fleece stage with washing, carding and spinning, then dye it, if needed. And then much of the weaving I do is also slow work so a typical project takes weeks, even months, working on it many hours of each day. So it is always nice to put a little perspective on it all and realize that it has always been so for all the generations of spinners and weavers. But time does pass and we have something tangible and beautiful to show for it.

The last few weeks, I have been working on bands and other woven bits and pieces to construct into my bags. The goal I had was to do 10 in a row so that I would really accomplish something and also to use it as a learning and growth experience. I'm nearing completion of bag #4 and because of this focus, I really feel like my ideas are expanding and I'm getting more deeply involved with the weaving. I used to sometimes dance around getting to work in the morning but now I can't wait to get going and just jump in. It is a very exciting feeling.