January

At the beginning of the year most of my crafting time was taken up with preparing for the rigid heddle workshop. Which went well and had great feedback.

I attended the Rug Weaving workshop with Gerlinde Binning, which was fun and covered many kinds of weaving.

A high pressure cooker and copper tubing enabled me to distil lavender oil. then eucalyptus.

February

I gave myself rsi using the circular knitting machine to make possum pouches and charity beanies.

March

Some refashioning happened: a scarf added to a cardigan, old caftans turned into shorts and a top, a dress turned into a skirt.

A trip overseas cancelled. The first lockdown. A tea towel warp finished.

Lots and lots and lots of fabric strip preparation ready for weaving rag rugs

April

A shadow weave jacket project that failed, but also stitched doubleweave dishcloths that succeeded.

May

My last (maybe literally) book was published and the publicity shifted to live video.

So did socialising. I tried temari during the first Sweary Stitchers Zoom Sessions.

So did the 4-shaft certificate course. In many ways, it was better that way. With everything else cancelled I put my creative time into exploring the subjects we covered beyond the class requirements, really expanding my knowledge of lace and doubleweave in particular.

June

I finished the Country Rug:

And I wove the Little Fluffy Clouds fabric. The weaving yarns were culled. I bought an old 16 shaft table loom that I decided I would remake.

July

I bought a much newer 16 shaft Leclerc Voyageur loom, bring my loom count to double digits. The second lockdown started.

August

The pain in my thumb was diagnosed as de Quervain’s tenosynovitis and I had to wear a splint for six weeks.

I wove my first deflected doubleweave piece, using the warp I painted at one of Kay’s classes.

And I wove the Seta Soie Silk into twill fabric for a top.

September

Finally I was ready to warp up and weave two more flannelette rag rugs.

I sewed two pairs of pants, one from an old hemp sheet and the other from a tablecloth. The hemp one will be dyed.

I sold the Voyageur and Osbourne looms. Back to single digits!

October

The splint came off ready to do a Echo and Jin workshop.

I was also working out the draft for the Decoded Dishcloths.

November

The second lockdown slowly came to an end, mostly.

I did a Deflected Doubleweave as Collapse workshop.

December

Another stash cull, only this time the knitting yarns.

I finished the Decoded Dishcloths.

I began the year with the intention of it being all about weaving education, from my own to moving into teaching. While I was successful at expanding upon my own knowledge and experience, I eventually set aside ambitions of teaching on a regular basis. It wasn’t the pandemic, which would have only put things off or directed me to teaching online, but a handful of situations and comments that chipped way at my resolve and certainty. By the end of the year I concluded that if such things made me doubt myself so deeply, then I wasn’t cut out for it. I don’t need another source of stress in my life. I’ll stick to what I’m good at.