Osborn Fiber Studio

I’d gotten so into the habit of looking forward to writing this post that it didn’t even occur to me yesterday to write it. One guess as to why:

That accounts for yesterday’s distraction, but this counts for the whole month’s distraction:

Homemaking

Our sea can arrived about mid-month. We have been unloading it in fits and starts. You know at the beginning of the first Incredibles movie when the mom announces she has unpacked the last box, three years after they moved in? Yeah, I finally get that. That’s going to be us.

We have the essentials squared away. I’m super thankful to have my kitchen appliances back, to have our sealift room put together, to have the kids playroom and bedroom all set up. We are making liberal use of the crawlspace, so hopefully we don’t always feel overwhelmed by our stuff.

This week I put pictures on the wall.

Many issues and projects remain: things to mount on walls, things to store, things to unload. The office is a very slow work in progress. But I can tidy up now.

Weaving

Of course the big exciting change is that my loom arrived! My Glimakra Susanna came early in October. I’ve finished a couple of projects, which you can read/watch about here:

And here.

I watched some Taking Back Friday episodes this month, and I completely agree with what Felicia said here about “seasons” of making. I like to have something on the go in all areas at most times, but it makes sense to me to focus on one craft as it fits into my life. This is a weaving season: it fits into how I need to care for myself right now. The planning, the learning, and above all the workflow – it works in this stage of my life.

I’ve started another series of weaves already, but they’re Christmas presents so you can’t see them.

Knitting

I’m plugging away on the girls’ sweaters, which I told you all about here. I’m into the last fair isle section on the last and largest sweater. I still have all the steeking and button bands and finishing to do, and that’s the task for this month.

Sewing

My repair pile is untouched and getting mountainous. The knees keep going on my jeans. I need to face it soon or it will become an Intractable Problem that gets ignored until next time we move.

Spinning

I haven’t spun an inch all October, but I did get all my singles yarns from the 51 Yarns SAL blogged. You can read about soft singles here, thick and thin here, and energized singles here. It’s a lot of work to do the reflection on these pieces, but gives the process the meaning I need from it.

I have the fiber all prepped for the October and part of the November spins, but I’m experiencing a bit of blockage getting back to me wheel. Overwhelm at the number of projects/crafts going, I think. And with baby’s naps on the fritz, kids staying up late, and general unpacking chaos, I’m not surprised. It’ll happen when I’m ready for it.

We’re in an interesting stage for the kids, with lots of energy and big feelings and small transitions adding up. It’s a lot! Writing this was helpful to notice just how much we’ve done this month, and that I need to be extra kind to myself so I can be extra kind to my family and neighbors. It will ease up. Then Christmas will happen!

How do you take care of yourself during crazy seasons? How are you going to take care of yourself this Holiday season?