When preparations matter

The other day when I crawled out of bed, I could hear a low rumble in the neighboring subdivision.  It was the sound of a lawn service cutting somebody's grass, probably while the lucky homeowner was drinking coffee in the kitchen.  It sounded so familiar, but not in the way that you'd think.  It sounded like the dredges in Mobile Bay clearing out the ship channel; a sound I grew up with.

The house where I grew up was so close to the waterfront that you could throw a rock from our front door to the beach.  (And if I was a boy, I could have made it all the way to the water.)   We would watch ships come in and out of the Gulf of Mexico, right in front of our house, on their way to load and unload cargo.  Mobile is a port city.  There were always sounds of tugboats pushing barges full of sand and silt, removing sandbars from the middle of the bay.  They had to make way for the ships to come through.  Preparation and planning was essential for things to go smoothly later on.

While I was spinning yesterday, I had a great revelation about this.  About the necessity for preparations.  I  was ready to embark on some military gray wool that I had blended with enough dark blue to give it a 'manly' look.

Military gray Shetland wool blend

I decided to make several adjustments to my wheel for spinning a finer strand of yarn.  While the details are exciting to me, I'll just provide a link, in case you're interested.

lace weight flyer bobbin

Anyway, the revelation hit me after I'd made all the adjustments and started spinning.  It was so much more enjoyable than any time I'd ever spun before.  It hit me that taking the time to make these preparations, specific to the task, were extremely valuable.  I couldn't blame a poor outcome on peripheral things like yukky wool or a cruddy wheel.  Number one, it was my job to make those preparations - to follow the manufacturer's directions.  Number two, it was a no-brainer to get my spinning area ready  if I wanted an enjoyable experience.  Bright light, sufficient leg room, chair height correct, etc.  I even put on some calm classical music and got my coffee close by so that I would be totally "in the moment".

Just like the way the barges clear the channel for ships to come through, my careful preparations make the process of spinning easier.  It takes time, but it's so worth it in the end!!