It’s All for the Yarn
I love when the yarn looks so cozy in it’s new home and sends me photos!!!
Hey Barb, do I still have visiting rights until it’s all knit up?
I’m Only Going to Do This Once ( A Season)
I feel strongly about the work I do, from the smallest pirate or apple hat to the largest free form piece. From one string of yarn I have hand spun to the largest pile of carded fibre, the work is uniquely mine. I do not find copying the sincerest form of flattery, but rather a sad comment on a life lacking in imagination and authenticity.
I have always believed that if your work is organically derived (if you feel it deeply) the work will speak to someone and be appreciated. Everything I do has my own personal stamp on it and it is distasteful to me that there are poorly constructed imitations out there that might be mistaken as mine.
I realize it is hard for a “maker” of things to find the balance between creativity and knocking out inventory, but really, cultivated consumers will look for quality. I would rather make less, and make it perfect than vomit up a booth full of “stuff” for sale.
Now saying this, I realize that what I make is not to everyone’s taste. I make things that resonate with me and I hope that I find like minded people who appreciate the work. However there is no one that can say that the execution of my work is not held to an incredibly high standard.
So here I sit, doomed to a life of making things I love, designing and executing them with the full inspiration and passion that evolved them in the first place and hoping that I am not alone in my respect for well constructed, inspired and elegant things.
Oh and I finished my hat and not so matchy scarf yesterday.
Little Bits and the Big Picture
I spend a lot of time spinning small samples of the hand dyed wool, for myself, for students, just so we can all see if it lives up to expectations. Selling rovings without knowing how they will spin up is something I just wouldn’t do.
I took one roving and spun it as a single, then plied it, then three plied it and navajho plied it as well and ended up with a beautiful sampler. I carried it around it my purse, played with it, stared at it, wondering why out of all the fibre I had I wanted to work this little bit so badly…
I think this is why.
I’m working on a not too matchy scarf now. There’s just enough of all my little bits to make it happen. It doesn’t seem like such a bad thing, carrying all that fibre around.
Note to self: Need a bigger purse……oh Jordana Paige, when will you start shipping to Canada?
Pirates on the High Seas
Sailing and knitting pirate hats……yippee and sunny days and warm breezes and what a great kick off to a great year of outdoor activities. I am definitely inclined to revisit my danger knitting of two years ago and make sure to be outdoors with my knitting and spinning as much as possible (weather permitting)
Jan, if you are reading this, when can we fit in the paragliding?
I won’t bore you with pics of the knitting as you have all seen the pirate hat before. However this is just the cutest ever….Roger, keeping an eye on the shoreline.
I will not be in the studio much this week. I am working on inventory and intending to enjoy this sunshine as much as I can.
Single, Again.
It’s been so long since I’ve spun singles and I don’t know why I don’t do it more often. One and done. Other than setting the twist (which is something I don’t always do on a plied yarn when it lands the right way). But it felt good and it occurred during much Buffy, StarTrek TNG and Deep Space Nine–at this point and time, the best way to spend an afternoon.
This morning I was keenly aware of the right side of my body and a gentle throbbing radiating from my tailbone up through my fingertips. At this point I concede –you can spend too many hours a day spinning. However, had I been paying attention, more long draw = less pain. Definitely a shift in the spinning today.
It’s a long day at the studio today, lots of organizing, fibre to put away and an armload of visitors coming in. Oh, and batts to be carded….I have some new colours that are demanding to be turned into pretty spring batts.
Oh, and not everything stayed single…
In answer to the few that knew my large fibre order was coming in…..No, I did not roll around in the order or in any way try to dive into the boxes…it was tempting, but I restrained myself.
Fake It, ‘Til you Make It……
Just found this on youtube and yes, I’m a bit blushy, but I’m still so pumped about the show this weekend. It was a great experience and I’m thrilled to realize that I’m not too old to do a show that has a deejay!
I met some very talented and positive people, had some great interactions with customers and overall enjoyed myself a bit more than I normally would while “working”.
Spinning Poetry
From sheep to shimmer
wrapped fibre and small knit orbs
I am in constant motion
not sure what I am creating
busy hands rather than
innovating
in all, I still move in the direction of
the wool,
less in control than I would like
interpreting
texture passing through hand
stolen moments of connection
Batting 1000
or how to try to dispurse a thousand batts.
When I am procrastinating in the studio, I make batts. Colour blending that you can change as you go is much more transformative and interesting to me than dyeing yarn. I also don’t need a mask, or gear of any kind. I can also walk away from it and think about it for a while. (often to go back to the wheel).
Yesterday I needed to make pirate hats, so I made batts. Lots of them, but instead of piling them up like I usually do, I made one and then spun it. Then another one shifting colours slightly and then it was time to teach my crochet class at Birkeland. This went on all afternoon and the time just flew.
I still didn’t add any pirate hats to my tally, but I do have these….
On another note, I was working on samples of Navajo plied, 3 ply and two ply from the same fibre to illustrate how the colour distribute based on the technique. For the record, three plying (while I understand the value, and even how pretty it is) completely sucks and is a technique I will only use when absolutely necessary, like when a family member is held hostage and three plying is the only way I can have them returned unharmed.
Or possibly, if I am holding someone hostage and I need to tie them with a rope that has integrity. Really, even a tensioned lazy kate would do little to easy my tension when the fibres start crawling up to the orifice only to land it a knotted pile of free form crappiness.
I relally love the resulting yarn, particularly the distribution of colour, the loftiness and bounce. Again, since I am a production gal, this will be a rare yarn and in my personal stash.
Yarn Watch 2010
Asia, self appointed watch cat of the new stash. I’m in a whirled of my own trying to get my inventory up for the show next weekend. I was not expecting to sell a good portion of it at the Wise Hall market on Saturday, so I’m a bit further behind than I thought.
This is all there is for now. I am out of raw materials! I’m hoping my fleece order is here soon. Last tracked in Montreal, I don’t know how much longer I can wait.
Ann, if you’re reading the blog today…….thank you so much for the lovely cards. What a wonderful surprise, right up there with receiving an order of fleece!
First Press of the Year
I’m still in hyper mode trying to get ready for my first show of the season and made the run downtown yesterday to Make It Production’s office to drop off a few samples for their segment on Urban Rush today.
Imagine my happy dance moment when I saw this photo posted on the Make It Facebook Page. I am setting up the wheel so that I can spin and watch the segment in a half hour. I will be spinning some lovely dyed merino, having a hot chocolate and just generally being thankful.
UPDATE- The cherry blossom scarf is a “statement piece” and right after that they featured the spring lavender baby pirate hat….Yippee.
Now back to my regularly scheduled programming….spinning and the space channel. I think I need to ramp up pirate production.