Decisions/Directions

I'm pretty sure I've made up my mind to take the easy route as regards the gray warp and weave three fussy twill pieces, possibly one in clasped weft. The reasons are, 1) I'm lazy; 2) we don't see too many in that style around here, 3) they are easy, 4) I want to weave a gift for Mom before our Japan trip and need to free up the big loom, and 5) I want to take the gray series to a possible new outlet that told me they're happy to trial a few, perhaps a year ago, maybe even two, but I hadn't because developing new outlets is unnerving; and that style suits the mood of the place.

This was Thursday late afternoon. I worked a little more last night under artificial light. See the darkest "mustard" to the right? Not wishing to create a great value leap, I put two taupes next to it and immediately regretted as it destroyed the soft harmony of mustard yellows amidst different, soft but nondescript natural-y colors.

Goodness, it's changed the mood. That yellow looks more distinctly curry-colored, and those three darker colors are lovely, but those three together are striking. Now I'm not sure whether to let the darker bits stand as anomaly or echo them in other areas.

Mom's been weaving a many-grays scarf on a warp she asked me to make. She's had a hard time choosing the weft grays and how much to weave in each. So I told her to live with them; put them in see-though bags and have them on the table as she eats; put them on her lap as she watches the telly; or talk to them just before she goes to sleep and during the long insomnia hours. She assumed the "right" answer would pop up. What I didn't say, what I didn't know I knew, were: 1) there is no right or wrong, only what she liked; 2) this is how her taste in colors, (or values in case of grays,) shows up; but 3) there is seldom just the one answer!

It's been interesting how the needlepoint is progressing. I look at what I've done, thread a color, and then just stab in the general area of where I want to work next, and make up a shape. It's conscious, but I watch myself work from an out-of-body place.

Onward.