Year End Playtime

The time between Christmas and New Year's day is generally a relaxing "playtime" for me.  There is no rush to make or finish anything.

The day after Christmas, I went with my nephew and his girlfriend to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  (no spoilers here -so read on.)
I enjoyed it a lot.  The online opinions range from great to they ruined it.  Since I went in with no expectations except to enjoy myself and the wild ride that it was sure to be - that is what I did.

I have also been spinning some bamboo fiber - with a bit of faux alpaca (I think it is a nylon fiber) to make some year for weaving with later.  I love spinning wool, but when I weave, I want easy care fabric that I can wash in the machine and toss in the dryer.  So I have a lot of spun wool that I don't use regularly. 
Here is some of the fiber and the bamboo yarn on the spinning wheel..

I make the fiber into a preparation called "rolags" prior to spinning.  

Fiber that is spun in to yarn singles still on the bobbin of the spinning wheel. 

I am planning to attempt making blended roving from my fibers like I watched in a class on Craftsy. The class is Fiber Preparation for Spinning by Esther Rodgers.  Esther is also a weaving enthusiast, but she is a great teacher of spinning and fiber prep. 

The colorful warp that I put on the loom a few days before Christmas called to me a bit.  So I did a section of weaving on it.

The multicolor  warp is a delight to weave on.

The next photo is a close-up of some of the inlaid pattern work I did with some "scrap" yarn.

Notice the aqua line running through the lighter (yellow/orange) section.   I had pieces of excess yarns when I tied on the warp - due to a mistake I made.  That stuff will not go to waste, but rather, I will use it for added interest in the fabric.

Here is a quote that I will not give credit for (I have my reasons.)  "The greatest teacher, failure is."   
Every mistake you make is a learning experience.  The point is not to despair, but to take that failure and use it to be smarter and stronger.  Do you remember the questions you got right on a test?  The ones you remember best are the ones you missed - at least that is my experience.  I missed one word in a spelling bee - I will never forget how to spell that word!


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