As a weaver, I really value my shuttles. They make weaving easier and faster by carrying yarn or thread across the width of the cloth, and they can pack the yarn in place. But it strikes me that shuttles are a symbolic tool for change, not just in weaving, but also in life. Here’s why.

Organize colors. If a piece has many colors, shuttles keep each one neatly wound until it’s needed.

Like emotions, different colors can tangle easily. But when the shuttle holds them – when we step back and look at all our colors-emotions, then we can decide which one we want to weave-feel next. We can lift ourselves from one color, from one emotion to the next, until the cloth is as beautiful as we imagine it.

Carry threads. The shuttle carries threads back and forth through the warp, creating cloth. Back and forth, back and forth. Sometimes it’s monotonous, but with each pass of the shuttle, we’re moving upward. With each pass, another tiny amount of cloth is created.

In the same way, we sometimes feel like we’re experiencing the same things day after day after day, or year after year… But really, we’re moving upward. With each experience, we learn, grow and change, creating more life, adding to the tapestry of our own journey in this lifetime.

Beat cloth. There should really be another term for this… Beating is simply pressing threads into place after the shuttle carries them across the cloth. Though some looms have beaters just for this, shuttles can beat as well. When the beat is even, the cloth has a smooth, balanced texture and the same drape throughout. Otherwise, there may be thinner or thicker sections, unstable areas, or other differences.

It’s important to have a balanced life, like a balanced cloth. If we focus too much on career, for instance, we may not experience the fullness of a picnic, spending time with friends, or just learning something new. Balance isn’t always easy to achieve, but it’s worth the effort to create a fulfilling life – not just a few pleasant areas.

Who knew we could learn so much from a simple notched stick? Well, they don’t call it weaving for nothing. It’s called weaving because everything, in cloth and in life, is inter-connected. And whether we like it or not, it always will be. So use the shuttles of your thoughts, words, actions and choices to weave the best life you can right now.

“I weave.”

“I knit.”

“I crochet.”

“I spin.”

And even…

“I sew.”

These creative crafters have something in common, other than their penchant for making things. I should know – I weave. 😀

What do we have in common? A yarn stash.

This yarn stash gets used up, to a certain extent. But more often than not, we keep it around. We like to look at it. We enjoy touching the yarn. We love the way the fibers feel running through our fingers. And most of all, we relish the yarn’s untapped potential. What might we make with it? Our imaginations run wild with limitless possibilities!

We can learn a lot from yarn stash. Remember that limitless potential? It’s within each of us, just waiting for us to bring it forth into our lives! And here are 3 more truths. I call them BIG.

Begin!

A very good place to start… Acknowledge that you have a yarn stash. Enjoy it. Release any guilt you feel for having it. Don’t worry about what you’ll actually make with it, if you make anything visible at all. And while you’re at it, forget about what others think of the stash. Throw that right out the window, because only your thoughts create for you – someone else’s thoughts create for them, not for you. Just love the stash! I think we can all do that.

The hard part might be loving yourself. Everything you have, everything you do, everything you see is here for a purpose. Love it. You don’t have to like it, but begin by acknowledging where you are. Only then can you move forward and actually feel like you’re making progress.

Begin! Now!

Inspire!

How do you feel when you look at your yarn stash? I’m just guessing here… But I bet the word awesome isn’t awesome enough! Is it beautiful? Is it soft? Functional? Bright? DO you have lots of fibers, or maybe a few favorites? Get inspired! Because unless you feel that joyous wow feeling about something, your stash, and your life, will be boring to you. No one wants to create boring things… Or live a boring life.

Inspire! Today!

Give!

You thought I would say grow, didn’t you? Well, I’m not saying don’t grow, if that’s any consolation. You can “grow” all the stash you want! But to receive new yarn stash, whether it’s given to you or you buy it, spin it yourself or by some other means, you first need to give some away. And it doesn’t have to be yarn, either. You could give away something you’ve made. Or spend time teaching someone your craft. You could even buy yarn from a company whose ethical, business or recycling practices you admire.

The idea here is to give, with a cheerful heart. That feeling of inspiration we all seek? Feel it, then give from that place. The law of the Universe is flawless – when you give, you have no choice but to receive in return!

Begin, inspire, give – and you will be rewarded, in yarn stash and in life!