1 Feb 2017

Coming up in February

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There are a couple of events happening this month, and I’m pleased to report that I am well enough to look forward to them!

First up is the #FunADay exhibition – which includes my little hex weaves, as well as drawings, collages, marbling, patchwork, photographs and more – details as per the poster:

There’s a bit of a party planned for Friday night, with live music and general good cheer. BYOB!

And then for a complete change of pace, I’m half-delighted and half-terrified to be one of the speakers at Dundee’s Pecha Kucha Night Vol 17 on Tuesday 28th February. It’s hosted by Creative Dundee and is a very entertaining, very fast format event. Tickets tend to sell quickly too, so get one now. It’s a bargain at only five quid.

30 Jan 2017

Thinking and Acting

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The last couple of weeks have been most peculiar. In my feverish state, I’ve been having strange nightmarish dreams about the state of the world – except that they keep turning out not to be dreams after all. In my more lucid spells, the cloak of silence has granted me plenty of thinking time, so I have been thinking of steps I can take. Steps with which I can assert my respect for human rights and for our planet as part of my craft practice as well as part of my personal life. So today I signed up for the Green Crafts Initiative. This means that I commit to

  • Reduce my environmental impact each year,
  • Strive to improve my monitoring and management of environmental impacts each year,
  • Make a yearly informal report about my actions relating to the environment.

My practice may be small, but I can still hold myself accountable for my choices. If you are interested, there is an ongoing series of posts called Make It Green on the Craft Scotland blog.

“Thinking and Acting” was posted by Cally on 30 Jan 2017 at https://callybooker.co.uk

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21 Jan 2017

A Bit Quiet

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Has it been a bit quiet around here? Why yes, it has. In fact it is even quieter than you might imagine, since I am currently completely voiceless.

Alas, having got the studio to a state of perfect readiness for action, I was struck down by a particularly fiendish cold and have hardly done anything at all. I managed a couple of days at the beginning of the week, before the laryngitis got the better of me, but even now I am inclined to think that sawing off my own head would be the most desirable and effective treatment for my sinuses. On the plus side, I am confident that I don’t (yet) have a chest infection.

So… I have nothing much to show you, but this very beginning of a new warp going on to the Delta. I managed seven sections of the 31 I need, so there’s a way to go still…

I have at least managed to keep up my #FunADay hex weaves, for which I am grateful as it means the month isn’t a complete write-off. For now, though, I am concentrating on trying to recover my voice before teaching commitments resume.

“A Bit Quiet” was posted by Cally on 21 Jan 2017 at https://callybooker.co.uk

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7 Jan 2017

Easing in

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I’m taking the new year quite slowly and cautiously, trying to get myself into a more organised place before I emerge fully from my hibernation. The studio went through a hyper-disorganised period earlier in the week – that ‘it gets worse before it gets better’ stage, which is always so unnerving – but a mountain of filing has been accomplished and I have even made a daring rearrangement. I moved the kettle!

But I also signed up for #FunADay again, and have been recycling my Christmas cards into hex weaves. If you want to follow along, I am posting daily on Instagram (which then updates my Facebook page), but here is a round-up of the first week.

I hope you’re also finding time for a little bit of fun to ease the transition into the year.

“Easing in” was posted by Cally on 7 Jan 2017 at https://callybooker.co.uk

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24 Dec 2016

Christmas Eve

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If it isn’t done by now then it’ll have to wait!

But before I sign off for the feast, here are some memories from the second half of 2016.

In July I warped up the Delta – after a long hiatus – to weave colour gamps. This was a delightful project, and part of my preparation for visiting Highland Guild later in the year.

warp over back beam

In August I was topping up my Waterfront collection, and using the Magic Dobby to explore random walks.

zig zags underneath

So by September I had quite a few samples as well as some finished pieces.

linen-steel-lace-1

The dyepots came out in October so that I could create a limited edition of chocolate mint scarves.

dyeing-green

A real highlight in November was weaving in the Grand Gallery at the National Museum. (For those who couldn’t make it, there is now a chance to catch up by video.)

md-in-grand-gallery

And throughout December these joyful ‘patchwork’ scarves – and their siblings in the chocolate mint edition – have been heading out into the world via the Tea Green pop-up in Dundee, while I have been sampling for new work still to come.

patchwork-collection-4

Thank you for reading along with me this year, and may your feasting be merry!

“Christmas Eve” was posted by Cally on 24 Dec 2016 at http://callybooker.co.uk

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