Fiber Arts


Is it a coincidence that I also spin yarn--real knit-'em-up yarn? Maybe, maybe not. I've often thought that women were storytellers for perhaps far longer than men have been. Why else would the term "spinning a yarn" have come to mean telling a story? I've often imagined women sitting together with their spindles, telling each other tales as they did their work. I also think it has a great deal to do with why fairy tales have predominantly female protagonists.

I love everything about yarn--spinning it from wool fleece and knitting it up into something warm and cozy. Then there's the soft lushness of silk tussah, or angora fur, or alpaca, or a combination of all of them. I've found a good Romney fleece will spin up into a soft but tough yarn that will felt nicely on the palms when you knit it up into gloves--my husband found out the hard way that it protected his hands quite nicely when he fell on ice when skiing. Some years ago, I knitted a soft, warm angora-nylon yarn ("Bunnette"--I wonder if they still have this yarn? It was a mill end when I found it long ago) into a lace head scarf--a "wimple" for my great-aunt Alice, and it served as a nice lap warmer as I worked on it. Two very different sorts of yarn, two very different projects, but the feel of the yarns as they feed through my hands is somehow soothing in a rush-and-hurry world.

So it was with real delight that I found some fiber and yarn sources on the web. I promised my dear hubby that I'd use up what I have first...unless I have to get more to finish up a project. Ah, well. Did I mention I'm a "yarn-a-holic"? It's true. I collect skeins and skeins of yarn, and sometimes do nothing but run my hands through them for the sheer feel of them. I used to think this was strange of me, but I have found most fiber artists also do this. I'll bet you never knew that your grandma who knitted you all those sweaters was a wanton sensualist, did you?

Spinning

For spinning, I used to have an Ashford Traditional, single drive. After a while my dear husband took me to Granite Falls, WA and he got me a Fricke multi-drive spinning wheel.  Yes, he is a darling.  Usually, spinning wheels cost around a few hundred dollars, but it's possible to get a perfectly good used one for less...and, if you happen to live in Germany or the Netherlands, REALLY inexpensively, something on the order of 25 euros (about $33), I kid you not.  I found three really lovely ones when I lived there, the best of which my friend Anna bought. The other two...I rather wish I had bought them and brought them back to the U.S.!

Whenever I get stuck writing--writer's block, stuck on revisions, whatever--I spin yarn. That usually gets me out of the bind and back into wrting. However, a good measure of how stuck I am is how much yardage I put out. After a while--months, or weeks, depending on "stuckness"--the skeins build up, and there is no way I can knit all of the yarn myself. So, every once in  a while I sell them at a place for hand crafters and artists, called Etsy. It helps clear out my office, which is now at the point of being taken over by tons of yarn.

If you want to see if I've put up anything for sale, check here at my Etsy page, or immediately below if you see any pictures of yarn.  :-)



Knitting
I have to say that between Etsy and eBay, that dastardly of all time-and-money sinks, I do have a wonderful time browsing the offerings, buying fiber and selling yarn there. I am trying very hard not to buy more, though!  Well, only enough to finish projects, right?  Right?

Also, I'd like to bring any knitters, crocheters, or fiber artists to the attention of "afghans for Afghan," a worthy effort to help clothe and educate Afghani refugees. "Afghans for Afghans" is a humanitarian and educational people-to-people project that sends hand-knit and crocheted blankets and garments to the beleaguered people of Afghanistan, and hopefully help women and girls rise up out of poverty and lack of education.

There are so many charities and relief efforts that can use fiber-artistic help. Click the below for more information on the following charities.


I'm also knitting up hats and such for the local teen shelter. It breaks my heart to think of kids on the streets with no where to go, freezing in the alleys, and trying desperately to stay in school. Yes, there are many places in your very community that would welcome something you create to help clothe those in need.  What's the best way to do this?  Check out some good advice here.

Resources
Of course, where would we be without supplies?


Knitting, Crocheting, and Spinning
Sewing

My mom was a professional tailor before she retired (seriously, the kind of tailor who could just look at a Vogue magazine picture and make a haute couture dress from scratch, pattern and all), and now she sews (and knits) for fun and charity. She is also a big believer in education, and has conducted her own sewing class in community centers and local libraries.  So, in her honor, I'm listing some irresistible sewing sites.

  • Sofas and Sectionals - How to Sew a Couch Stitch and More (shout out to a girl named Sophie from the W.B. Goodwin Community Center for finding this site. You would have been my mom's favorite person, because she would be all over this sewing information.)
  • Lily Abello's Sewing Resource (an amazing collection of sites)
  • Skye Reve Fabrics - A wickedly delicious fabric shop that my church friend Renee alerted me to.  Yes, a church friend that directed me to a place of temptation, I kid you not.
  • Spoonflower - OMG, a web site at which you can DESIGN YOUR OWN FABRIC AND HAVE IT SENT TO YOU. Is that totally blinded-by-the-light amazing or what? My friend Brooke, you are a fabric enabler for sending me to this site. That place is utter craziness for do-it-yourself-crafting.
Any favorite fiber arts site?  Let me know, and I'll share.

--Karen

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