There are a lot of steps to a project that many (myself included) don’t actually recognize as being part of the process. They’re the boring stuff before you get to the good stuff. The REAL stuff. In my brain, I always seem to assume those will take just a blink and then I’ll get to the chunk of the project that I love.

Ahh ha ha ha ha. Yeah. Laugh. You probably should point as well. Really, that’s bloody delusional. Even I think that it’s ridiculous when I stop and think about it. Yet, I find myself resenting the time it takes to wind a warp, sley a reed, thread heddles. I find myself grumpy at waiting for fabric to be pre-washed, at the tests and trials and muslins. That’s just preamble, I can’t wait to get to The Actual Craft ™.

It took me three days (around work and social and sore and life) to measure out thread, wind it onto a niddy noddy (which irritatingly went missing and required a hardware store trip), tie all my figure 8 ties and get to where I could consider getting this thread wet. Make notes, do plenty of math. No colour yet, just ready to get wet.

Weigh out thread. Weigh out mordant. More notes, more math. Simmer and soak and rinse. No colour yet, just ready for colour.

Weigh out dyestuff, crush it, weigh it again, soak it. Simmer and filter and simmer again. Colour, but not on your thread yet.

Dunk in thread, simmer and wait and squeeze and dry and eventually wash and dry and admire. Colour! On thread!

Dear brain, those are a lot of steps that aren’t part of The Actual Craft ™, you are on crack. Enjoy the process!