Sunday, June 05, 2011

A Need for Synthesis

Granted, this year I wanted to learn a bunch of new skills - spinning better, weaving on a rigid heddle, carding better on my drumcarder, continuous strand weaving, learning more about art yarn. All these things I've been delving into for several months now.

So what has happened recently is that I've sorta lost track of where I'm at. With every new interest that comes along, I have allowed myself to randomly pursue it. And now things are getting to be a little - or a LOT strung out and disorganized. I jump from one set of needles, or looms, to another without enough direction to really complete projects the way I used to do.

Even my daily spinning (i.e. sanity check) has fallen a bit by the wayside while I pursue an obsession with weaving. Though I love weaving, unlike spinning, it isn't always relaxing and instead of unwinding, sometimes it makes me more tense.

The result is that I very much feel at "loose ends" right now - starting many things but finishing very little. So maybe (probably) I'm feeling scattered.

So I've decided to get things back in check by:

Finishing the turquoise recentagular shawl I've been weaving for a birthday gift - it's getting fairly far along, but not quite finished.

Spinning more on some sock spinning that has been sitting idle for several weeks

Clean out and organize my fiber stash so I know what I have and can get ready for Tour de Fleece.

Finish knitting a Haruni shawl that I've been working on very sporadically and see if I can make some headway on that.

Pick out a project I want to work on for Tour de Fleece - probably preparing and spinning the Coopworth fleece I picked out a few months ago at the Jefferson City Fiber fair.

Hopefully this realization for the need to get organized and focus my energies will help me put a rein on myself a bit and lead to perhaps getting more accomplished.

Update on diet frustration: Guess what? Since doing my calorie counting plan all this week, I went from 154.0 on Monday to 150.4 today. So I have lost 4 lbs in one week. Realize that this is probably mostly "water" weight but I am quite happy to have finally made a big budge in the scale. I went out and bought a cute little journal today at Borders, it has an oriental theme and is narrow so it won't take up much room in my small purse. With the shoulder trouble and pain I'm having, the big monster purse was replaced last week with a very small bag that holds only my essentials.

Maybe this shoulder trouble is symbolic, telling me I've been shouldering too much, and needing to simpify and unburden myself of the heavy things that are weighing me down? Who knows!

2 comments:

Rebecca said...

"feel at "loose ends" "
love the pun! Know exactly how you feel! Been feeling that way too but i cleaned stash, organized, dwindled down my Q, planned for future projects... a lot of the things you're going to do - and i do feel better! Though it's also a constant struggle to remind myself to let go. Know you're not alone in your battle and i'm pulling for you!

WTG on the scales!!!!!!!!!! YEAH YOU!!!!!!!!!!! YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!

Great idea on minimizing the weight you're carrying around in your purse (and on your shoulders!!!!). Can you look into some PT and/or preventive movements/stretches for crafters on the web? Remember though that not all preventive stretches are necessarily good to do when you're actually in pain already. Do check with your doc.

Good luck with all your sythetic endeavors!
Hugs!

Elysbeth said...

Ooof on the shoulder pain. It is interesting all the things we "need" to carry with us, and how little we actually touch any of it.

Nice to see a big leap initially, remember that now it's the slow safe slog.