Oh my dear creative friend! Would that I could write the copacetic journey of your collaborating fibers -- but that will have to wait for another time. Thanks so much for sharing your days!
Stunning display of milkweed ,paper and wool..so mystical..again so much fun to see you do shadow weaving! Dancing in the shadows with your fingers! Hope you had a happy holiday..
One could blather on about a blithering idiot, but I don't know the word "blether." You made some CHOICE connections today in this illustrated missive. My hat is off to you!
so the gusset landed in my inbox and with all of the little somethings that have arrived today, my birthday, it brought joy. to be as old as i am and be able to walk a few miles daily and use hands and brain is more joy, but best of all may be that we got to talk togehter about paper and fiber and all the things. give beryl a hug for me.
Well happy happy belated birthday dear Velma. Hurrah for knees and hands and brains and paper and wool and milkweed and walking outside taking deep breaths of winter air.
Blithering is part of a phrase describing incompetence, so no, not that. Blethering sounds like a lost sheep. Nope. How about great narrative sweep with an onrushing cadence, carrying the reader along in its torrent, in her little coracle? That's much closer to this reader's experience.
Well I'll take that for sure! Ever thrilled to be in a wee coracle (and invite others to join me in theirs). And yes-- when the thing starts to flow, it is a wild current indeed and all I can do is try to keep the coracle from capsizing or getting trapped in an eddy. Thank you!
You remind that we are all connected. There is the calming joy of it. As when I re-read Braiding Sweetgrass. I absolutely love the tapestry of your sweater directions/notes. I am always loathe to throw those slips of paper away, and now I won’t be able to!
Gosh so sorry-- actually not-- about you savoring/ saving your collection of sweater notes. They are such treasure. Some I've even referenced and reused. Thanks for the reminder that they are the best of collections. And don't take up that much space:-)
Love it that Beryl got to pick the code for the Fringeless class. Or I assume so. You're convincing me to try nontraditional materials and I haven't even mastered the traditional ones yet? Or is there mastery...or just never-ending learning?
Never ending learning is absolutely the way of it. I'd say "alas" except that learning and curiosity are what keep it all so compelling, eh? Of course I didn't start on my "cellulosic explorations" until a good 25 years into my practice -- so no need to rush if you're not feeling it. Unless, that is, you ARE feeling it!
And what is that fantastic contraption that spins and looks as though it easily folds into a handy case?
You describe the pull of many facets of life. I feel this as well.
I spent the better part of the day in my studio- organizing, rearranging, finding, making space. No weaving happened but it felt nourishing to be in the presence of wool and cotton and linen and those lovely looms with works on them or not.
Logan, it looks like a bobbin winder. A very elegant bobbin winder. I'd venture to guess that it might be an older model as it has that beautiful and functional aspect that seemed to permeate from "back in the day".
That Fantastic Contraption is a Book Charkha Spinning Wheel. A portable version of a traditional Indian Charkha designed (and used for centuries) for spinning cotton. Mahatma Gandhi spun on one every day. I put mine to less traditional uses, but GOLLY is it fast. Also deliciously portable as you can see. https://learn.longthreadmedia.com/courses/how-to-spin-on-a-charkha
Terrific, indeed! Your shared meanderings are many things, delightful or serious, with the occasional loose moose for excitement, but I'm not sure blathering is the right word (or blithering or blethering) as fun as it is to say. I think of blather as foolish and boring, like certain blithering idiots who've even gotten themselves elected to public office! .... But some particulars: I wonder how the coffee filter "net" at the end of your charkha spinning video becomes the long strip you spun. Do you snip alternating sides? .... And have you already finished knitting those brightly colored commercial yarn sweaters for your peeps? Will we see them? .... Fun peering through the warp veil at you weaving. ... Thanks, as always, and cheers to you and Beryl.
Exactly! I actually tear the alternating sides when the cut filter is damp, but yes--it just kind of zig zags out. Hard to describe though I have drawings of it in the Coffee Filter zine. But it sounds like you already get it.
knitting away on the sweaters -- miles to go yet. Two at once is a lot for my poor hands...
I like that word, blathering, too! It reminds me of meandering. Of purposely looking (or talking) about some contemplative thing. As to connections... well, I was delighted to read your meandering thoughts on that! I'm reading a book called Your Brain on Art and in one of the early chapters, they talked about how our eyes take in information - all the various bits of anatomy that work together so we can see. When I read that, I was taken with so much delight! What a marvel of engineering we are. What a marvel of brilliant engineering our ecosystem is. Our universe. The creative energy that built us and everything and made everything work in harmony so beautifully. What a miraculous marvel! I get positively giddy when I think of such things. It makes me feel like we and all there is IS connected. And maybe that is a fanciful collection of thoughts. But they make me feel... well... connected! So I wholeheartedly adopt those thoughts because why not?
A marvel of engineering for sure--inside and out. It feels so good to make those connections, doesn't it? Just to imagine the eye--and then my eye connecting to your eye--and on out from there. As you say, how not to relish it!
Oh my dear creative friend! Would that I could write the copacetic journey of your collaborating fibers -- but that will have to wait for another time. Thanks so much for sharing your days!
Stunning display of milkweed ,paper and wool..so mystical..again so much fun to see you do shadow weaving! Dancing in the shadows with your fingers! Hope you had a happy holiday..
Thank you.
And to you
One could blather on about a blithering idiot, but I don't know the word "blether." You made some CHOICE connections today in this illustrated missive. My hat is off to you!
oooooh, thanks darlin'! Illustrated missive. I like that.
Who WAS it who helped us notice/learn to follow these winding narrative paths?
so the gusset landed in my inbox and with all of the little somethings that have arrived today, my birthday, it brought joy. to be as old as i am and be able to walk a few miles daily and use hands and brain is more joy, but best of all may be that we got to talk togehter about paper and fiber and all the things. give beryl a hug for me.
Well happy happy belated birthday dear Velma. Hurrah for knees and hands and brains and paper and wool and milkweed and walking outside taking deep breaths of winter air.
Blithering is part of a phrase describing incompetence, so no, not that. Blethering sounds like a lost sheep. Nope. How about great narrative sweep with an onrushing cadence, carrying the reader along in its torrent, in her little coracle? That's much closer to this reader's experience.
Well I'll take that for sure! Ever thrilled to be in a wee coracle (and invite others to join me in theirs). And yes-- when the thing starts to flow, it is a wild current indeed and all I can do is try to keep the coracle from capsizing or getting trapped in an eddy. Thank you!
I look forward to each and every post!
You remind that we are all connected. There is the calming joy of it. As when I re-read Braiding Sweetgrass. I absolutely love the tapestry of your sweater directions/notes. I am always loathe to throw those slips of paper away, and now I won’t be able to!
Gosh so sorry-- actually not-- about you savoring/ saving your collection of sweater notes. They are such treasure. Some I've even referenced and reused. Thanks for the reminder that they are the best of collections. And don't take up that much space:-)
Love it that Beryl got to pick the code for the Fringeless class. Or I assume so. You're convincing me to try nontraditional materials and I haven't even mastered the traditional ones yet? Or is there mastery...or just never-ending learning?
Never ending learning is absolutely the way of it. I'd say "alas" except that learning and curiosity are what keep it all so compelling, eh? Of course I didn't start on my "cellulosic explorations" until a good 25 years into my practice -- so no need to rush if you're not feeling it. Unless, that is, you ARE feeling it!
So fun for me to watch you working at your weaving...stay warm my friend 🥶
And what is that fantastic contraption that spins and looks as though it easily folds into a handy case?
You describe the pull of many facets of life. I feel this as well.
I spent the better part of the day in my studio- organizing, rearranging, finding, making space. No weaving happened but it felt nourishing to be in the presence of wool and cotton and linen and those lovely looms with works on them or not.
With joy I read your words each week.
Cheers
Logan, it looks like a bobbin winder. A very elegant bobbin winder. I'd venture to guess that it might be an older model as it has that beautiful and functional aspect that seemed to permeate from "back in the day".
That Fantastic Contraption is a Book Charkha Spinning Wheel. A portable version of a traditional Indian Charkha designed (and used for centuries) for spinning cotton. Mahatma Gandhi spun on one every day. I put mine to less traditional uses, but GOLLY is it fast. Also deliciously portable as you can see. https://learn.longthreadmedia.com/courses/how-to-spin-on-a-charkha
Wow! I'm so delighted to be incorrect. How wonderfully fascinating!
I am enlightened!
Oh for so many things still to learn- may it never end.
Terrific, indeed! Your shared meanderings are many things, delightful or serious, with the occasional loose moose for excitement, but I'm not sure blathering is the right word (or blithering or blethering) as fun as it is to say. I think of blather as foolish and boring, like certain blithering idiots who've even gotten themselves elected to public office! .... But some particulars: I wonder how the coffee filter "net" at the end of your charkha spinning video becomes the long strip you spun. Do you snip alternating sides? .... And have you already finished knitting those brightly colored commercial yarn sweaters for your peeps? Will we see them? .... Fun peering through the warp veil at you weaving. ... Thanks, as always, and cheers to you and Beryl.
Exactly! I actually tear the alternating sides when the cut filter is damp, but yes--it just kind of zig zags out. Hard to describe though I have drawings of it in the Coffee Filter zine. But it sounds like you already get it.
knitting away on the sweaters -- miles to go yet. Two at once is a lot for my poor hands...
Thanks, Sarah! Comrade in fibers....
Comrade indeed.
Speaking of which -- I found some cool banana fiber videos on Youtube--from India and Japan. Exciting stuff.
I guess I should get myself another batch and then we can spin alongside each other, you onnthe spindle an I on the wheel.
You are pure blessing- sending hugs from Oz
I like that word, blathering, too! It reminds me of meandering. Of purposely looking (or talking) about some contemplative thing. As to connections... well, I was delighted to read your meandering thoughts on that! I'm reading a book called Your Brain on Art and in one of the early chapters, they talked about how our eyes take in information - all the various bits of anatomy that work together so we can see. When I read that, I was taken with so much delight! What a marvel of engineering we are. What a marvel of brilliant engineering our ecosystem is. Our universe. The creative energy that built us and everything and made everything work in harmony so beautifully. What a miraculous marvel! I get positively giddy when I think of such things. It makes me feel like we and all there is IS connected. And maybe that is a fanciful collection of thoughts. But they make me feel... well... connected! So I wholeheartedly adopt those thoughts because why not?
A marvel of engineering for sure--inside and out. It feels so good to make those connections, doesn't it? Just to imagine the eye--and then my eye connecting to your eye--and on out from there. As you say, how not to relish it!
Thank you so much as always for your newsletter ♥️ it’s like an open window and cold fresh air on the face of my mind
Oh gosh Jessica. What a delicious image. Thank you.
Delightful! I'm glad I'm not the only one who has conversations with my art materials and other things surrounding me.
Well they are chatty, aren't they? Unless they're not, in which case I canend up dancing around trying to get them to say something....