In "The Lady of Shalott", what does the Lady spend her time doing?

The lady spends her time weaving a tapestry.  She cannot look directly out the window, so instead she looks at the reflection of the items outside in a mirror.  Eventually she sees Sir Lancelot, and falls in love with him, but he does not know who she is. When she realizes that she cannot look out the window, she decides to put herself in a boat and float to her death.

On a side note, if you like this poem, you should read Meg Cabot's novel, Avalon High.