It is so wonderful to have Richard home from London, how strange it felt here without him…
We have been busy with our homeschooling, we start each morning at about 8:30 am and continue working for a few hours, I do have curriculums for our three oldest children, but there is still so much work to get through each day, now that they are older and Jenna will have to start writing exams from next year in preparation for her final matric exam certificate, in a few years time. I love our learning time and I am learning so much but but I have to admit I feel little tired at times and I know that this happens when I don’t take some time for myself here and there. I start to feel a little flat, know what I mean? So while Jen, Erin and Caiden went off to Kumon this afternoon, I went sorting through my roving cupboard and found a beautiful, soft alpaca roving to spin… Kye was busy happily playing nearby with his toys and I had a whole hour and a half just for me.
So I divided up the roving, this is the best part, the planning of the colours, where to make the breaks so that the colourway flows evenly. I laid all the pieces over a chair and started my spinning meditation, what bliss and the sound of the wheel gently spinning. I love spinning alpaca, it is so incredibly soft and I was able to spin with a long draw because of the lovely length of the fibres, just wonderful.
I managed to finish spinning before I went to fetch everyone and I felt refreshed and happy that I had taken a few moments for me. I used to feel almost guilty about taking time but now I realise how important it is as a mother to just ‘be’ sometimes…
What a lovely way to spend some me time Linda. I have to tell you that I am a wee bit envious of your beautiful spinning!
I have tried working with a drop spindle and lets just say the results were less than desirable. Maybe I should just make the leap and buy a wheel!
Glad your Richard is home, but I do hope you take some time each week for your creative side to be released too! Have a great week.
I find it so telling that when you have time for yourself, you choose to fill it with work. I know that makes it not work; but I also know that many people I know would have filled that time with something that would have cost money and yielded nothing but adornment or personal pleasure – just stuff that lasts only a little time. I don’t even like being faced with time like that – not knowing what to do with it. Like being given just enough money to spend that you can’t. But now I think of it, every day has become that for me – and I’m working harder than I ever have in my life – to preserve our family history for the kids, to learn new skills – and now that I think of it, I’m really having fun. How interesting.
such a beautiful post linda, i can almost hear your wheel spinning. and how lovely your new wool cake is. i wonder if i’ll ever learn to spin. i would love to learn by you.
and its so true that you must take time for you. only when you fill up are you able to give.
have a wonderful week dear,
xox lori
Linda do have issues with your hooks on your flyer catching the brake cable? I love spinning alpaca too!
Hi Artista,
Not at all, do yours catch, mine seem far away from any cables. Spinning is wonderful isn’t it:)
I just posted about how I take a bit of time each morning for me. I love the alone time and I find I need it to remain balanced.
Yes, I’m hearing you Linda! For many years I didn’t take any me time, except when I was at breaking point and then only with a lot of guilt and anger. Being older and I hope, a little wiser, I can see how very important it is to ‘fill up’ our own tanks with love and whatever makes us feel complete, before we give of ourselves day in day out.
I’m with you, I spend my ‘free’ time creating too!!
Good for your mama, we all need time for ourselves, and you picked the perfect way to spend it. I find, like you, I don’t get enough of it, but I do try to squeeze some in whenever I can. Here’s hoping you get more “me time” soon too.
Beautiful! Oh that looks so yummy
I was recently given a spinning wheel (!!!) by someone who knows I’m “crafty”…any suggestions on where to start?
Hi,
I found the Joy of Handspinning website really helpful and the Ravelry spinning groups wonderful when I started spinning.
I’m so glad to hear that you had some time just for you! Your spinning is very lovely….I’d really like to try a drop spindle. Maybe I should learn to use my loom first…hmmmmm…..
Personal time is so important!
Oh, I love this! I am also envious of the time to be able to spin. It seems today I keep running across spinners, so perhaps I should carve out a little time. I love your colourways, too!
xo Jules
Happy for your time to settle into you and your happy space!
Hi Linda,
My what beautiful things you always make!! You really are so naturally talented, it is wonderful to see what you get up to. Having all these sheep around, and the cost of wool here being what it is, I thought I would try my hand with the drop spindle. Have you ever used one, or did you start on the wheel?
xxooxx
Good for you for taking care of yourself, Linda. Me time is so important. Your yarn is so soft and lovely.
I find that as each homeschooling year passes I need this time to myself more and more. Like you, I feel guilty about it sometimes, but if you consider how much of our time we devote to the children (one on one, planning, cooking, everything!) it is not selfish of us to nurture our own wants and needs. I think I am much calmer and more enthusiastic when I have time to myself. Good on you for taking some time to spin, I hope you can make more time for yourself this week too.