Handcrafted with Love

When knitting became my job and was no longer a hobby, I began filling my hobby time with other fiber arts like weaving, spinning and felting. They're all practiced in my studio on a regular basis. It leads to a lot of multi-craftual crossover between my physical tools, as well as my attitudes about craftsmanship.

In my mind, anything worth doing is worth doing well. Maybe that's why I get annoyed when things don't turn out perfectly on my first attempt. But that's just part of the process isn't it? There's no need to get upset when a detail needs to be revisited or reworked. Unfortunately, it's sometimes easier said than done.

I chose to incorporate that mindset recently as I dressed my loom to weave some yardage. 830 warp threads that each measured 11 yards 8 inches.

As the warp was wound onto the beam, I inevitably broke a few of the fine threads along the way. Five to be exact. Instead of grumbling each time I heard a thread pop, I grabbed a locking heart stitch marker (a gift from a sweet fiber friend) from my knitting stash and clipped it onto the heddle that would require my attention and re-threading later.

When I went back, the hearts were a reminder that love is just an indicator of careful craftsmanship. They're the mark of care I put into every handmade project. Thinking of the repairs as an act of love instead of an aggravation made the repair process quicker and more enjoyable.