June 2020 Newsletter

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.
--Martin Luther


After 25 years of “planning” to plant fruit trees on our small urban property, last fall we did. Two tiny apple trees in the front yard and one plum tree in the back (the neighboring yard also has a plum tree, (for pollinizing). My little “Florina” has 12 apples, each as big as a grape right now, but what a miracle! This is also a good year for strawberries. Still yellow-green, but lots of them. We are waiting to eat the crops, but marveling at the progress every day. Now I do mean every day, because right here is where I spend my time, every single day.

It can be hard to keep going, knowing others are hurting with illness, financial insecurity, loss of normal routines and support. Thought it doesn’t do any good to wallow in it, I have found myself dabbling around in some low feelings. The fact is, spring and summer are not cancelled, and those plants (and weeds!) are going to grow. A long-ago design instructor’s words were to “sit in nature when you get stuck” to provide some space and time for ideas or solutions to find you. Intention and action support more crops, (fewer weeds.) Connecting with fellow weavers, as well as family and friends, has had to become as intentional for me as keeping the garden going. Gardening is a connection with other spinners and weavers too. Jane and Yvonne planted the same seeds from my past years’ flax crop, and are growing flax now! The baby sprouts are tiny, but by mid-summer they should see waving tall flax, with tiny blue blossoms.

​Seemingly the opposite of Nature, the Internet has also become a means of keeping up with those connections and making new ones. WWG member Cathy M in California has joined me in a long-distance weave-along using a mix of yarns, in favorite colors to create a block twill scarf. Well, Cathy has finished hers while mine is still on the loom, but he process has been fun and gratifying. (See photos with this message). We planned carefully, making yarn wraps for warp planning to coordinate with our multi-colored weft yarns. Block twill is not just for towels, as you can see from Cathy’s lovely results! Another member’s connections have turned into an opportunity to send a floor loom to a master weaver in Africa, and support the start of a weaving school there. (See International Outreach in this newsletter.

Color, as always, feeds my weaving. The photo of iris you see here was taken by my niece outside her home. The lovely composition and unexpected color ​​combination soothe and inspire, like a beautiful painting. A source of information from the Internet, the idea of the Hong Kong Ballet (See Video You Might Enjoy in this newsletter) has me absolutely gobsmacked (!!) for the color, fun, grace and impact of the music, costumes and movement. I have watched it at least a dozen times, created more color wraps dreaming of more towels, runners and scarves to start and (eventually) to finish. Creativity can’t be canceled. May your creativity get you through the challenges.

Carol Berry,
2019-2020 WWG President

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