Wednesday, January 31, 2007

My First Art Yarn

For Christmas my mom bought me this:
I first heard about Lexi at my spinning class. My very traditional teacher used her as an example of the many possibilities of what you can create with a spinning wheel. But she wouldn't show us the techniques - too strange for her tastes. Pluckyfluff had a place in the back of my mind until my last visit with my mom who lives in Placerville, CA. I visited the local yarn shop in search of some parts for my spinning wheel. I saw the book and it reminded me of the reference in my spinning class a few months before. The women working in the shop noticed me looking at the book and told me that Pluckyfluff lived down the street. Excuse me?!?!? The enigma of a spinner lived in Placerville? She also told me her family owned the winery on the hill. I knew the winery so I hopped in my car and went into the tasting room. No one there knew where she was so I left a message. I got in contact with her later that day and made an date to see her spin. I was so excited to learn all about the rouge ideas that my teacher dismissed. When I met her I was shocked - she is the same age as me, and has two kids - a daughter the same age as mine! I watched her spin some sushi yarn and was totally inspired. I could do this! So, my mom got me the book - and even had her sign it (how embarrassing - but sweet). And this is my first attempt at art yarn:


It has coils and wrapped-up knots and stick-out squiggly things. It is soooo against all I learned in my first class, but I loved it! I can't wait to knit something out of it to see how it looks in action. Lexi also made me think about some of the first spun yarn I made on my own wheel at home (I had put all the bad spins in a bag to use as stuffing for animals or something). She talks about how no yarn is bad. Everything is unique and beautiful. Every bump and lump is meant to be. It is hard to remember this when you are first taught to spin straight and narrow. So I untangled some of the crappy stuff and it really is great! It has character. Thanks Lexi! I really appreciate your work and how it has changed my view on "craft". I'll have to look you up again when I come to Placerville this summer. Happy spinning!

Tiger Tales


Another birthday gift. B's friend M loves tigers. So we got him tigers. But tigers need a home so I dyed and wet/needle felted a habitat for them. They needed a pond to drink from and a bit of greens to munch. And of course a cave. I hope they like their new home.

I haven't been all that great at blogging lately. I get too caught up in reading other people's blogs. Other people seem so much more crafty and prolific. So much more interesting. I wish I knew how those other moms do it - two or more kids and they still create so many wonderful things. I really have to just do it. Not worry about what other people think and just type.

I have to go back and photograph the gifts I made for B for Christmas. Right now I am working on a big project for her birthday which is in a few weeks. Photographing it will be tough as I don't want to let the cat out of the bag (literally) before the big day. And she happens to be around all day long when the great sunlight is too. I'll have to set up my lights and dress up the meow.

And...in the works in an oolawoola logo. A very talented friend is drawing an amazing logo for me. Maybe that is holding me back. To me the blog doesn't seem official until it has a pretty design up top. Silly, but a mental block is a mental block.