The Weaving Doldrums
Doldrums: A state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression. An equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean with calms, sudden storms, and light unpredictable winds. No matter which definition is used, I think the word doldrums applies in my life lately, even if I am far closer to the Pacific, rather than the Atlantic Ocean. I cannot say I have been inactive; just that the weaving part of my life has been inactive. That would […]
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Fiber Arts and Life: It’s A Process
Process. So it seems for weaving, knitting, spinning, and life. For most things, I enjoy the process. At the beginning of February, in honor of Imbolc, also known as Brigid’s Feast, I decided to begin knitting a black lace shawl. I had been contemplating knitting such a thing for a good while and had the yarn in my stash. I wanted to incorporate knitting mindfully, beginning something new at this time of year, and at […]
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Redwood Weaving
Growing up in the Midwest long before the age of the internet, I was stunned by the magnificent Sequoias I encountered on my first trip to California when I was in my very early 20s. I was completely gobsmacked! Not only was I in love with the Sierra Nevada, I was also in love with these awesome giants and completely enamored with the orchestra of pine and fir in the breeze. As a young woman […]
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Onward
Winter Solstice 2020 As the wheel of the year turned to Autumn, we lost our beloved RBG. It felt like an important and comforting point of connection to participate in some KALs that raised money for causes she believed in. As Autumn began, I completed a color gamp based on Lunatic Fringe’s Tints and Tones. This was the next step in my series of Altar Cloths that I plan to finish in early 2021. A […]
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From a Pause to a Transition
August 2020 When I last wrote we were just over a month into sheltering at home. Well, here we are, still sheltering at home four months later and no doubt the longer haul is yet to come. One transition I am experiencing relates to the kinesthetic knowing that we are in this for the very long haul. I’m not talking about the logical brain sort of knowing; I refer to the inner, cellular knowing. Of […]
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When a Pause is Progress
April 2020 This is how my three floor looms looked at the beginning of the year. Stark naked. After an intense flurry of holiday gift weaving, it was time for a bit of a break and my annual preventive maintenance on the looms. However, I can’t stand to be without weaving in my head so you can be sure my head was full of drafts, plans, and some actual progress with finishing my samples from […]
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The Family Farm in Sweden – A Textile Adventure
Late January 2020 I’ve said it before, and I will say it many times more. I am a very lucky person! There are many reasons for me to say that but since this is being written for my fiber arts website, I will stick to some of the fiber related reasons for my gratitude and appreciation of what is: I have been warmly welcomed and embraced by my husband’s Swedish relatives who maintain the family […]
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Getting the Most Out of Your Yarn
January 2020 I believe I have found a way to extract the most enjoyment out of a yarn purchase. Some years ago, probably at least five years ago, I was on a brief respite from the very hot and dry foothill summer. There is a place my fiber enabling husband and I like to visit on the Mendocino coast. We always take the cottage with the view of the ocean and we usually manage to […]
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Tools
August 2019 Fiber enthusiasts often become tool enthusiasts. It doesn’t happen overnight, however. I had only one pair of knitting needles for decades. I still have them. Susan Bates straight needles in a US size 8. They are pink and were given to me by a neighbor who taught me to knit when I was in grade school. When I returned to knitting in the late 80s and early 90s, I complained about buying two […]
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A Meditation in Lace and Cables
July 2019 I have often talked about how healing knitting can be. It is therapeutic. In fact, I have a project bag that says, “Cheaper than Therapy.” I’m not sure that is accurate, given the very low therapy reimbursement rates and the very high cost of good yarn, but knitting is good therapy. Knitting builds community, reinforces efficacy and agency of an individual, distracts one from challenging issues, and there is absolutely NOTHING else […]
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