Fibers for My Health

I'll bet you thought I was going to post about eating fiber, huh!  Well, I'm finding fiber is good for my mental health, too.

Recently I dressed my loom for the 4th time.  It wasn't a fight this go-round, however.  Instead, I felt like I was finally doing it naturally and not faking it. It didn't take a whole day and the weaving is going much faster with less pull in at the sides.   I suspect any real Navajo weaver would take one look at my progressing rug and smile to herself at my obvious inexperience.

My project.  Taking the photo from above made it look narrow at the bottom, but the edges are very nearly straight up this time around.  Whew!

That's not what matters, though.  I have found that coming home after another crazy day and sitting down next to my loom soothes me.  My weaving fork has been quietly waiting, leaned against the frame, ready for my hand to pick it up and beat the weft into place, ready to make that satisfying 'whump, whump' as it pushes the yarn firmly into place.  The yarns accept my troubles and give me peace and a sense of quiet in return.  The repetition of passing my shuttle through the open shed is hypnotic, letting my mind work with emptiness until the swirling thoughts of the day have stopped and no longer affect me.  I am coming to love my loom and tools.

Fiber therapy.  Not only does it make me feel better, I'll have something that my hands have made at the end of the process, something I can look at and remember how it helped me through a hard spot along the road.  Now, that makes me happy.

Thanks for stopping by Whatercolorit today.  Come again,  Alice