Being a Weaver

For well over a year now I've considered myself a full-time weaver. But what does that really mean? Here are some of the things I've noticed:

1. Being a weaver means that I prefer to start my work day at the loom. This gets my mind working the way I want, and it gives me a feeling of accomplishment early in the day. It also allows me to start taking short breaks and weave more - in other words, I can spread out the physical part of weaving to be as productive as possible.
   
   
2. Being a weaver requires that my daily routine include a fairly long break during the day for a change of scenery and some exercise - or rather, some different exercise. During the winter, that time is usually in the afternoon when it's warmer outside, but soon I will be weaving in the afternoon after the cool part of the day is over.  I'll be sweltering in my studio on hot days, but I'll know I have that other important part of my day taken care of when it was coolest out.
   
   
3. Being a weaver means that my official employment is "weaver" when asked for it at the bank, for example. I've had nothing but positive responses from the individuals on the other side of the counter or desk.
   
   
4. Being a weaver creates different seasonal cycles for me.  Sales are generally highest during the late fall and early winter, so instead of having a lighter workload then, followed by a busy end of the fiscal year (January to March), my busiest time is now September to December to gear up for fall sales leading to the Christmas season. Then, early in the next calendar year I'm finalizing the previous year's financial summaries as well as my upcoming year's business plan.
   
   
5. Being a weaver means that planning requires different perspectives and approaches. My next six months of projects are roughly planned out, but I need to ensure I have the necessary fibres on hand. I also require the budget to buy them. As each project comes closer on the calendar, I finalize the design, colours and other details so that I can begin right away after a suitable incubation period.
   
   My five blogs about how long it takes to make a blanket (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5) show some of the variations required to my usual system of planning back from a target date to know the latest I can begin. So, while I'm weaving a series of blankets, I'm looking ahead to the next series to make sure I can move on to that project - and often while twisting fringes in evenings for the previous project. The phases of different blanket projects often overlap, which creates interesting mental and physical variety for me, too.

There are probably more interesting facets about being a weaver that I will learn. I enjoy finding and contemplating them all.