Foray into the fibers along your way and also for no notes I find it overwhelming as if aren’t on overload and I love your stories with the delicate illustrations
It is such a thing isn't it--to find our way through, revel in the connections and flow of ideas without overload. So love that this gets to be part of the pleasurable part for you.
While several days later than when you wrote this, I hope your mother was able to sleep into sleep - and you too whenever it was your turn. Your words, and the picture they evoke, bring a lovely sense of gentle relaxation to me too, so thank you.
Sarah, I have winter retted milkweed. Why do you make cordage and not spin it? I’ve been thinking about spinning it. I’d love to hear your experiences with this. As always you are a delight and I look forward to Tuesdays because I hear from you!
Great question. I totally could spin it, and it could be more efficient --but also it would require a different kind of preparation and/ or more material to begin with. To spin, I'd want to separate out the varying lengths too. The really long ones could be separated out, combed/hackled and spun like flax on a distaff and the tow/shorter pieces either carded or combed and drawn out into a sliver of sorts. Its also possible that any combing would break them at the "nodes" so it'd all end up short. I've actually tried all three things with "un -retted" or summer/autumn milkweed which I think is as little stronger than the winter retted variety, with varying degrees of success and pleasure -- and different results than the cordage (less smooth and shiny except for the very long pieces spun like line flax). TOTALLY worth trying if you have plenty and I'd love to hear how it goes. I have been thinking about trying some preparation things with the short bits I have now, and might try to write about this soon. But do lets keep these experiments going and I totally would love to hear what you learn.
Your process is so familiar to me. “What does it want to be?” Letting the fiber guide is both comforting and scary. Trusting it will lead you not too far astray and if it does, hoping the adventure is at least enjoyable if not particularly fruitful. Thank you, Sarah!
Comforting and Scary at once -- that is totally it. The fiber has so much information it -- and so many opinions too -- that it can sometimes be way harder to really listen and let the wild thoughts that show up have a chance to be heard and tried. As you say, the adventure might not be fruitful, but it's usually fascinating-- and also can so inform later adventures. Which, of course is part of the joy and what keeps us going, eh?
I have been reading your blog and now the substack fo a while and love every single minute I get to spend with you. Just googled milkweed to find out its German name - woul I have it in my garden without knowing? No, I don't. But I learned it has been put on the black list of invasive neophyte species in Switzerland. Anyway - I would love to write an article you on you for the German National Patchwork Guild's magazine, for which I am the international editor. How could I get in touch with you? I will send you a direct message on Instagram with my email address so perhaps this can work out somehow. I am a big fan!
Well ya know, lots of spells or magic are based in the mundane. We just ascribed magic to some things because we didn't understand why things worked. And... yeah there's peace and "magic" surrounding various old timey domestic pursuits, such as making soup, weaving, knitting, sewing, foraging... these things are very special, and deserving of "magic" as a descriptor, regardless of whether magic is a thing.
I could not agree more. And to learn these skills and then get to make the soup and the cloth and the yarn and the jam as part of everyday life is a thing worthy of the title magic. Also joy. Also... life. Thanks for this.
Ah, the light shining though the beautiful milkweed fiber. You almost lost me to imagination at that point, your pictures take me into a world I can never inhabit…at least in the sense of spinning or plant fibers. But the world of light and beauty, the world which distracts us and instructs us and blesses us, that world I share. for me it is tapestry, weaving, creating a beauty that is inspired by nature. A world of sunlight on palm verde blooms, of balmy walks in the dark (4:30 Am ) when you notice a whole different kind of world. But your world is a blessing for us to share, and thank you. I especially love your notes!! A holt indeed. Who’d a thunk it. And the sweater? What a treasure. Thank you as always. Another gift of a morning inspired by your accounts of noticing and creating.
The world of light and beauty -- balmy morning walks in the dark, or early gloaming (starting to get light here by 5 now), fiber, image. All there for the noticing when we remember. As you say/ imply thought, it is a practice. And are we not fortunate to ever be embarking and going deeper (and lighter) at the same time?
ahhhh cordage, using something mother earth has given us, turning and twisting it into a lineage to create a little bowl/pouch to hold found treasures is joyfully spiritual!! Thank you . . . for the reminder to create wonder.
You so seamlessly (yes...I do love textile metaphors)...illustrate to us readers, your beloved audience and partners on this journey -- that the innate understanding of one's material is at the core of GREAT work. Your patient listening to and respect for the fibers that make threads, your wisdom and experience in twisting/making thread and your skill in ultimately using (or not) these threads in a textile reminds is a reminder to us all....it is a practice. The thread here is gratitude for you, for your words your open humility, your wisdom and your humor.
Ah Sarah --to have your companionship on this is beyond anything --the innate understanding of material and process and light and time-- well you know. Bless you.
There's a place for long-form content, a place for short-form content. We already follow you, so you can be assured we enjoy your long, meandering blogs. If you think you can provide quality short-form content for Notes, then try it, but please don't think we're suddenly gonna leave you if you stick with normal blogging .
How did u know? That cordage is the thing i want to make for ply splitting? So my question is-have you tried ply splitting with any of these many lovely plant fibers you mention? I would want to have 4 plies if i could. And thinking from what you wrote that new fiber (green or not SO dried out) would be better to spin for this.
Again i say thanks b/c you inspire so many ideas with your writing.
Cordage is amazing, isn't it. I think it found me at the perfect moment -- infinite possibilities and even with hand troubles, it still feels utterly natural.
I have never tried ply splitting but from what little I've heard, I can't imagine it wouldn't work. Bet you've even tried it by now? Any luck?
Thank you Sarah! Your writing always inspires and informs my creative life and makes me smile......Sara
Whooot! Thank you! who could possibly ask for a single thing more than that?
Thank you for the delightful
Foray into the fibers along your way and also for no notes I find it overwhelming as if aren’t on overload and I love your stories with the delicate illustrations
It is such a thing isn't it--to find our way through, revel in the connections and flow of ideas without overload. So love that this gets to be part of the pleasurable part for you.
I so look forward to reading your words/ seeing your process/ engaging with your illustrations.
Right now, I’m sitting with my elderly mother while waiting for her slumber. Hoping it is as restful as making cordage.
Thank you.
While several days later than when you wrote this, I hope your mother was able to sleep into sleep - and you too whenever it was your turn. Your words, and the picture they evoke, bring a lovely sense of gentle relaxation to me too, so thank you.
Sarah, I have winter retted milkweed. Why do you make cordage and not spin it? I’ve been thinking about spinning it. I’d love to hear your experiences with this. As always you are a delight and I look forward to Tuesdays because I hear from you!
Great question. I totally could spin it, and it could be more efficient --but also it would require a different kind of preparation and/ or more material to begin with. To spin, I'd want to separate out the varying lengths too. The really long ones could be separated out, combed/hackled and spun like flax on a distaff and the tow/shorter pieces either carded or combed and drawn out into a sliver of sorts. Its also possible that any combing would break them at the "nodes" so it'd all end up short. I've actually tried all three things with "un -retted" or summer/autumn milkweed which I think is as little stronger than the winter retted variety, with varying degrees of success and pleasure -- and different results than the cordage (less smooth and shiny except for the very long pieces spun like line flax). TOTALLY worth trying if you have plenty and I'd love to hear how it goes. I have been thinking about trying some preparation things with the short bits I have now, and might try to write about this soon. But do lets keep these experiments going and I totally would love to hear what you learn.
Right now I don't have more than a few stalks, which is why I thought I'd experiment. But I will have more next year.
Your process is so familiar to me. “What does it want to be?” Letting the fiber guide is both comforting and scary. Trusting it will lead you not too far astray and if it does, hoping the adventure is at least enjoyable if not particularly fruitful. Thank you, Sarah!
Comforting and Scary at once -- that is totally it. The fiber has so much information it -- and so many opinions too -- that it can sometimes be way harder to really listen and let the wild thoughts that show up have a chance to be heard and tried. As you say, the adventure might not be fruitful, but it's usually fascinating-- and also can so inform later adventures. Which, of course is part of the joy and what keeps us going, eh?
I have always told new spinners that the fiber will let u know what it wants. Even the wheel it will be spun on
I think it is worth noting that "glen" is a four-letter word, like others that have found favor in your tapestry work.
It is indeed. And a lovely word that may well need to have its moment. What's not to love about weaving the letter g???
Sarah, you’ve made my day! Thank you!
The power of the pause………..
Engaging writing as always…….
Oh how great is the day for finding this next epic in my inbox first thing this morning 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
OH thank you Mandy. Yes indeed -- the pause. Less gets "done" and yet -- more too. IT just looks different. xoxoxo
I have been reading your blog and now the substack fo a while and love every single minute I get to spend with you. Just googled milkweed to find out its German name - woul I have it in my garden without knowing? No, I don't. But I learned it has been put on the black list of invasive neophyte species in Switzerland. Anyway - I would love to write an article you on you for the German National Patchwork Guild's magazine, for which I am the international editor. How could I get in touch with you? I will send you a direct message on Instagram with my email address so perhaps this can work out somehow. I am a big fan!
I look forward to hearing more and chatting further. I sent you my email on Instagram? Hope it worked.
'Winter retted milkweed' sounds like part of a spell, or indeed magic in itself.
Doesn't it though. Perhaps it is. And if not, perhaps we need to compose it.
Well ya know, lots of spells or magic are based in the mundane. We just ascribed magic to some things because we didn't understand why things worked. And... yeah there's peace and "magic" surrounding various old timey domestic pursuits, such as making soup, weaving, knitting, sewing, foraging... these things are very special, and deserving of "magic" as a descriptor, regardless of whether magic is a thing.
I could not agree more. And to learn these skills and then get to make the soup and the cloth and the yarn and the jam as part of everyday life is a thing worthy of the title magic. Also joy. Also... life. Thanks for this.
Ah, the light shining though the beautiful milkweed fiber. You almost lost me to imagination at that point, your pictures take me into a world I can never inhabit…at least in the sense of spinning or plant fibers. But the world of light and beauty, the world which distracts us and instructs us and blesses us, that world I share. for me it is tapestry, weaving, creating a beauty that is inspired by nature. A world of sunlight on palm verde blooms, of balmy walks in the dark (4:30 Am ) when you notice a whole different kind of world. But your world is a blessing for us to share, and thank you. I especially love your notes!! A holt indeed. Who’d a thunk it. And the sweater? What a treasure. Thank you as always. Another gift of a morning inspired by your accounts of noticing and creating.
The world of light and beauty -- balmy morning walks in the dark, or early gloaming (starting to get light here by 5 now), fiber, image. All there for the noticing when we remember. As you say/ imply thought, it is a practice. And are we not fortunate to ever be embarking and going deeper (and lighter) at the same time?
ahhhh cordage, using something mother earth has given us, turning and twisting it into a lineage to create a little bowl/pouch to hold found treasures is joyfully spiritual!! Thank you . . . for the reminder to create wonder.
that's it exactly -- a gift from the earth, treasure and joy. Ahhhh.
Never mind what substack is saying, we all love you the way you are, that's why we are here with you listening, laughing enjoying your adveentures
Thank you so much Linda! I so so appreciate your words and support.
You so seamlessly (yes...I do love textile metaphors)...illustrate to us readers, your beloved audience and partners on this journey -- that the innate understanding of one's material is at the core of GREAT work. Your patient listening to and respect for the fibers that make threads, your wisdom and experience in twisting/making thread and your skill in ultimately using (or not) these threads in a textile reminds is a reminder to us all....it is a practice. The thread here is gratitude for you, for your words your open humility, your wisdom and your humor.
Ah Sarah --to have your companionship on this is beyond anything --the innate understanding of material and process and light and time-- well you know. Bless you.
There's a place for long-form content, a place for short-form content. We already follow you, so you can be assured we enjoy your long, meandering blogs. If you think you can provide quality short-form content for Notes, then try it, but please don't think we're suddenly gonna leave you if you stick with normal blogging .
How did u know? That cordage is the thing i want to make for ply splitting? So my question is-have you tried ply splitting with any of these many lovely plant fibers you mention? I would want to have 4 plies if i could. And thinking from what you wrote that new fiber (green or not SO dried out) would be better to spin for this.
Again i say thanks b/c you inspire so many ideas with your writing.
Cordage is amazing, isn't it. I think it found me at the perfect moment -- infinite possibilities and even with hand troubles, it still feels utterly natural.
I have never tried ply splitting but from what little I've heard, I can't imagine it wouldn't work. Bet you've even tried it by now? Any luck?