sue orton

Learning the Bicycle

I’m home again after a teacher mentoring week at BIMM Manchester. I saw inspirational teaching by gifted folk in this organisation and trust I helped them along the way. This morning while weaving again I hear this poem and thought of them all…

Learning the Bicycle
for Heather

The older children pedal past
Stable as little gyros, spinning hard
To supper, bath, and bed, until at last
We also quit, silent and tired
Beside the darkening yard where trees
Now shadow up instead of down.
Their predictable lengths can only tease
Her as, head lowered, she walks her bike alone
Somewhere between her wanting to ride
And her certainty she will always fall.

Tomorrow, though I will run behind,
Arms out to catch her, she’ll tilt then balance wide
Of my reach, till distance makes her small,
Smaller, beyond the place I stop and know
That to teach her I had to follow
And when she learned I had to let her go.

Close run thing!

Today I was stressed! Warping on 1600 threads is no easy thing, and today I came very close to throwing the whole lot out of the window and going down the garden to eat worms! Confidence before the complexity caused a very difficult problem which too 4 hours untangling before the warp is now safely on my loom. Phew! I am not out of the woods yet, the winding on is tomorrow. Suffice to say that from the prospect of beginning winding warps again (where I was at lunchtime (+ worms on the menu) I am a happy soul tonight.

This weaving is difficult 🙂

The Peace of Wild Things

I’m in the thick of warping for my South Down’s tweed. It’s concentrated work with over 1600 threads to go on. I’m enjoying the systems and concentration required. I have not had time to walk my next section of the South Downs Way yet, so reading Wendell Berry’s poem this morning with my coffee was a lovely reminder.

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry

South Downs Way 7

My longest day on yet on 19th February, Botolphs to Amberley 13 miles; good preparation for the longer walks as I head West. I loved it. A clear cold morning with sunshine as I crossed the Adur to begin. Slow meanders then I was soon climbing out of the valley heading for the Bostal road crossing between Sompting and Steyning. Hat and gloves were on as I crested the ridge onto the tops and a bitter wind made finding a spot in the lee for coffee difficult. I sat by a patch of snowdrops nestled under a tree on the north side of Chanctonbury Ring. As I descended towards Washington and the A24 a wave of walkers or even rush of ramblers climbed past me. I opted for the short crossing of the road and was soon back on the ridge heading for Amberley. One surprise; the path stayed south of the ridge of the downs for most of the way, I had expected views north and south. Amberley came into view under the sound of skylarks. Tea and a cake filled the gap before the train via Ford home.

Twill colour explorations

I’m making progress with twill, yarn and colour explorations for South Down’s Winter Collection. I’ve worked on both my looms. I’m getting to grips with shed creation on Frances; I was trying to make it much too complicated! Colour and weave experiments were great fun on my table loom again too. The warp’s are so much easier to deal with and the colour mixing like magic. So to London last week end with my ideas and swatches for final items. Watch this space for progress. Here are a few of the colours that appeared.

South Downs Way 6

I had a wonderful early start at Poynings on Saturday morning; a short walk to the Adur Valley. Starting at a small courtyard with the village sign I retraced my steps, dodging sheep and puddles, back to the SDW at Saddlescombe Farm. Expecting a steep climb up to Devils Dyke the gentle incline was quite a surprise; sunglasses in January too. As I crested the Down a red-sailed para-glider was drifting across the line of the hill following the thermals, I could almost touch the sail as it traversed back and forth. It was cold on the tops despite the sunshine. Lunch in the lee of Truleigh Hill Radio Station before a strolling down into the Adur Valley before lunchtime. A delightful morning with time weaving too. My next section is Botolphs – Amberley.