So not me

I had an idea for a second piece for the Structures show. It was based on some enjoyable experiences I had in a class many years ago and was also somewhat influenced by the work of a quilt artist whose work I have only seen on-line. What appealed to me about my idea was that it would let me use colour and that I would be intrigued and entertained by the construction process. I really love piecing and the puzzle of constructing multi-layered pieces with appliqué. As soon as I finished the first sample I knew this was not me. I will finish it in an attempt to make it more mine - principally by getting a lot of physical texture on the surface. But I won't pursue this path. Part of finding out who I am is finding out who I am not.

I went back to the drawing board. I have some ideas about mitochondria with texture in whites and greys. This concept kept me awake last night with thoughts about how to sample to create the effect I have in mind. I will get to play with cording and also some hand stitching. It might also be time to finally do some discharging.

I will also give some thought to other ways in which in I can indulge my love of piecing and my genuine interest in colour. What I really need is a group of open-minded friends who would welcome odd baby quilts.

Time = 2 hr, 17 min

Edited to add:

The sample is now complete and hidden away in the closet with the pile of other unsatisfactory experiment. I learned a lot, though, and got this really neat texture in one place. Photo to follow - camera won't let me download right now.

Finished #7 - Shell Tank and Finished #8 - Lost in the Mists of Time

I finished two UFOs yesterday.

The first is the Shell Tank from Norah Gaughan's wonderful book Knitting Nature. Here is the Ravelry link. I loved knitting this. I'm not sure why I didn't finish it - likely it was the fact that the back is (deliberately) shorter than the front. That doesn't bother me now. I can't wait until summer to wear it. Note: The colour in the detail photo is most accurate.

The other project looks dreadful on the hanger but I tried it on this morning and it is surprisingly flattering. I like that the sleeves come down over the backs of my hands. I knit it from some fairly cheap wool so that I could wear it around the house and not worry about pilling on the surface. That's all I remember about this project. I can't locate the pattern so am calling it Lost in the Mists of Time. I will post a photo in a Ravelry forum and see if someone can help me dredge up the original name. Note: the sleeves are the same length - this is just a lousy photo.

Time = 1 hr, 33 min

Productive day

The day did not start well. Early on I ran out of yarn on my current knitting project. I turned my yarn supply upside down and then found the notes I had made when I placed my order for the project. I figured out that I had mixed up two colours so I have too much of one and not enough of another. I went on-line and ordered what I needed. I will tell the story of this project when it is complete but it is enough for now to say that I am struggling against the inclination to let it be a UFO.

That struggle turned my thoughts to other UFOs so I did a complete inventory today. I found two sweaters that just needed the ends woven in. That was done by 10:30 am and I am now waiting for them to dry after the wet blocking process. Pictures tomorrow.

I found four incomplete sweaters which no longer appeal to me. So I have ripped those back and will spend the next few weeks thinking about more suitable uses for the yarn.

I also picked up a sweater which just needs one and a half sleeves. It was something that I was doing along with a friend who was learning to knit. I remember why I stopped working on this one. I got to the point where I had to pick up stitches for the sleeves and knit down from the shoulder. I was using two long circular needles and they were driving me crazy. In addition, I was annoyed by having to turn the whole sweater in my lap several times each round. My friend didn't even get as far as the sleeves before she ran out of steam so I didn't have any incentive to keep working.

Today I put the sleeve stitches on one short circular needle and will only switch to two when absolutely necessary. I also wove in all the loose ends so they wouldn't catch on the working yarn. I will now finish up in a day or so. Beth - do you want to pick up yours again?

Word of the Year

A few years ago I was introduced to a concept on Lisa Call's blog. It made some sense to me so I tried it and was pleased by the results. I now use the last two weeks of each year to decide on my approach for the following year. Last December I wrote a class profile (script and music) about the concept for the Indoor Cycling Association. It was well-received and I enjoyed teaching it. While I might not offer similar advice to someone outside of class I feel comfortable doing so for the people with whom I have created meaningful relationships. I taught it again last Saturday to a group who weren't in classes at this time last year.

The concept is described in my intro and extro remarks, drawn from the script. The actual cycling work is related and gives me the opportunity to suggest about forty words by embedding them in my script. My actual delivery is more relaxed than this but the scripts need to be more formal.

During warm-up:

There is something about this time of year - with the lengthening days and the opportunity to turn the page on our calendars - that inspires people to make changes in their lives. In the Western world this often takes the form of New Year’s resolutions. You know what I am talking about - “I will quit smoking.” “I will spend more time with my family.” “I will lose weight.”

Studies show that about 50% of Americans set some sort of New Year’s resolution. Unfortunately about 88% of them fail to complete their resolutions. Why is that? There are many reasons and most of you can probably identify one of the major problems with the resolutions I quoted earlier. Most resolutions are vague. There are no clearly stated and achievable goals and very few people go on to create a plan which will help them achieve what they desire. On the other hand, I find that resolutions are problematic because they are so specific. They are not structured so that the success, if you have any, on one resolution can leak into and influence other areas of your life. 

You are faced with an uncountable number of choices each day. Some of those are consequential, some less so. What if you had a guiding principle for those choices? Would it help you become more aware of your path through life and how each little thing you do either removes or installs obstacles on that path?
I want to introduce you to another way to approach the New Year. This was made popular by business coach Christine Kane starting in 2006. She suggests choosing one word which will guide your actions throughout the year. Each time you are faced with a choice you invoke your word and evaluate your decisions in the context of the word. http://christinekane.com/resolution-revolution-a-better-way-to-start-your-year/ Any word will work if it is right for you. It can be a noun, verb, adjective or adverb. (Note: This link contains a long list of suggested words.) 

During cooldown: 

The experts tell us that one of the reasons that people fail to execute their New Year’s resolutions is that the format of the resolutions is not conducive to forming a habit. In contrast, after a year spent evaluating your choices in the context of a single word you will have formed a habit. When you choose a new word the following year you will be adding a new habit but not losing the previous one. Your decision-making will become more refined and your goals more attainable. 

As I said earlier, the words I used today are just suggestions. I used words which had a direct application to indoor and outdoor cycling because that’s where your experience and mine intersect. You may want to choose something which is more relevant to another aspect of your life or which you judge will be more useful to you. You might also want to choose a phrase; it is your life so you get to make the rules. 

If this approach appeals to you and you would like some help choosing your word Christine Kane has a worksheet which can guide you through the process. http://www.christinekane.com/word/WordoftheYearWorksheet.pdf. You don’t have to use the worksheet because there are no rights and wrongs to this process. If you choose something that doesn’t work you can always choose again. Christine Kane recommends that you reveal your word to one or two of your closest friends. As you discuss choices with them they will be able to remind you to use your word. That will increase the chance that you will form a robust new habit.

This November I realized that my word had changed in mid-year, around the time of my cancer diagnosis. It wasn't a conscious choice on my part but in hindsight the change was very clear. On reflection, I have decided to formally adopt that word for 2015. It certainly served me well over the last few months. I look forward to creating an even stronger habit in the next year.

Time = 1 hr, 43 min

Behaviour change, part two

It seems to make a lot of sense at the end of the work day to leave out the tools and other materials that I will use the next time I return to the studio. After all, it took a finite amount of time to get those things out. Why spend the time to put them away when they might be needed just a few hours later.

I have discovered that I am much more motivated to return to work on a project when the decks are clear - no tools, no loose pins, no bits of thread, fabric stacked back where I found it. So I am going to tidy at the end of each day. It won't be an afterthought - it will actually count against working time. I think this will be an easy habit to form. There is the proximate reinforcement of returning things to their places and then there will be the ultimate satisfaction of starting anew in a neat work space.

Time = 1 hr, 25 mins   (not bad for a day of five indoor cycling classes)

Behaviour change

The gifts are made and the party is over. It is time to get back to work. I haven't pursued art quilting with any vigour in seven to eight months. I suddenly am interested again and ready to do some serious work. I'm not sure why I feel the urgency right now - perhaps it is the brush with mortality, or the advent of a new year, or a looming deadline for a show I must enter.  

I want to take advantage of the motivation I feel now to make a permanent change in my behaviour. In the fitness/wellness industry it is well known that behaviour changes as soon as you start to monitor it. For example, once you are asked to keep a food diary you start to edit the choices you make every day. If you wear a Fitbit or similar device your daily step count increases simply because you can observe a number.

I have decided to take a measure/monitor approach. The only realistic metric is 'time spent'. So today I started the timer on my iPad and turned it off each time I was interrupted. I intend to keep a record of my daily investment of time. I am sure that just knowing the timer is running will change my behaviour and cause me to focus more intensely on the work at hand. In a few months I will also have developed the habit of incorporating that work into my days.  

At 2:30 am this morning I got up and drafted a design for an idea that has been niggling me, related to the 'Structures' show. This morning I had to go to Staples to pick up an order so I had them enlarge it for me, just to 18x18 for now. I will probably make several and then toss the pattern and use what I have learned to do a final piece. 

At home I began the construction. My time total includes some research I did on construction methods, transfer of the pattern to my working materials and some piecing.

Time = 2 hrs, 35 min

Party day

There's nothing better than the sound of a group of people talking and eating and drinking.