Advancing the Warp #2 or Shaft Switching
This blog entry was going to be about knots. Not a lot that I could put together. So, I froze up. I will most likely have to return to that topic at another time, but not today.
Last month I mentioned how “my first choice is to set up a workbook”, which means that my second choice should be to keep it up. Often with the latest workbook or weaving project my Stop and Think Moment is when I have to decide if I stick with the plan or embrace the new reality that I see.
The plan was to follow Jason Collingwood’s newest book Block Weave Technique and practice some of his rug weaving techniques. However, before I got 
very far I decided to set the loom up for a shaft switching exercise at the same time. Then I set the loom up with a universal tie-up. Now I was weaving with two feet.
The Three Birds With One Stone approach.
Now I could try adapting the book project. Which meant that my black, white and red geometric exercise morphed into a multi-colored flower project with shaft switching.
His book did give me another perspective/skill set on how to do something that I’ve been doing for years. A great gift for any of us. It also confirmed that I’ve never been very good about coloring in the lines.
The way that this has played out in my workbook is a lot of lines through words and sentences with some cut and paste entries. Workbooks are books that have to work. That means that as I work in them, pretty and neat lose ground to “gotta get this down” moments.
Which brought me to another insight, along with not coloring in the lines: I don’t always follow directions.
Mike
