flax; willow distaff; 3D printed turkish spindle (11 grams);
Yesterday,
my drawing comrade and I
were talking about that feeling you get
when you are making
or designing
or working with
the 'right' thing.
my drawing comrade and I
were talking about that feeling you get
when you are making
or designing
or working with
the 'right' thing.
Hepty spindle (my primary spinning tool); wrist distaff; drum carded wool
It's the feeling you might already have
with long term projects
where decisions have been made
and inherent pleasure already built in
so (at least for the time being),
there is nothing to do
but enjoy the doing.
with long term projects
where decisions have been made
and inherent pleasure already built in
so (at least for the time being),
there is nothing to do
but enjoy the doing.
It is, however, a truth universally acknowledged
that in the midst of long term making projects
other ideas are given to showing up--
and you might find yourself
pulled off onto
a compelling but slightly foggy path,
that in the midst of long term making projects
other ideas are given to showing up--
and you might find yourself
pulled off onto
a compelling but slightly foggy path,
used coffee filter (brown); indigo (about to be spun into yarn)
enjoying the general direction,
not quite sure what you're doing,
but aware
(or at least hoping),
that pretty soon
there will be more information--
about material
texture
color
or even medium
that will shift things,
this way
or that.
It's important, at least for me,
to stay loose when walking this path --
to not analyze every step--
(it's usually too foggy for that anyway),
but rather to feel,
to listen,
to notice nuances--
to stay loose when walking this path --
to not analyze every step--
(it's usually too foggy for that anyway),
but rather to feel,
to listen,
to notice nuances--
kami-ito/ spun paper; indigo; coffee filter; variable annuity report; four selvedge tapestry; each 2 1/2" x 2"
alert and hopefully awake
(though sometimes not)
to the way that ideas,
processes,
hands,
feet,
eyes,
mixed metaphors
and materials
respond to one another.
(though sometimes not)
to the way that ideas,
processes,
hands,
feet,
eyes,
mixed metaphors
and materials
respond to one another.
Thistle (left) and Iris (right) cordage on linen warp
Eventually,
if you keep walking
(for minutes, hours, weeks, months).
you find yourself in that magical reciprocal relationship
where the stuff you are making
is also making you.
if you keep walking
(for minutes, hours, weeks, months).
you find yourself in that magical reciprocal relationship
where the stuff you are making
is also making you.
You never know what you have that will make the perfect pipe loom platform: a box my son hammered together when he was five, perched on a shipping box, kept from rocking by an ancient camping pad from a friend's basement.
I'm in the foggy part right now.
Full of hope and possibility.
Honing my nerve endings.
Meandering with intent.
It's interesting,
clearly compelling,
a teensy bit unnerving.
But so what?
There is much to be learned
even when I stumble.
Full of hope and possibility.
Honing my nerve endings.
Meandering with intent.
It's interesting,
clearly compelling,
a teensy bit unnerving.
But so what?
There is much to be learned
even when I stumble.
Glycerine soaked Iris cordage -- flexible even when dry.
Speaking of learning,
and to end on a practical note,
I've been doing some glycerine experiments.
Jillayne brought the idea to my attention.
and Sue mentioned it again in the comments a couple of weeks ago.
The point is to soak dry plant material in a glycerine solution
which keeps it permanently flexible even when dry again.
The point, for me, is to have cordage that doesn't need soaking before weaving
and which can be made into things that won't crack when bent.
Some internet sources talk about soaking the stems of fresh plants in the glycerine solution and letting the plant draw it up into the leaves and flowers,
but so far I've only worked with dry material --
both cordage and leaves -- to good effect.
We'll learn more if lots of us try.
Anyone up for some experiments?
and to end on a practical note,
I've been doing some glycerine experiments.
Jillayne brought the idea to my attention.
and Sue mentioned it again in the comments a couple of weeks ago.
The point is to soak dry plant material in a glycerine solution
which keeps it permanently flexible even when dry again.
The point, for me, is to have cordage that doesn't need soaking before weaving
and which can be made into things that won't crack when bent.
Some internet sources talk about soaking the stems of fresh plants in the glycerine solution and letting the plant draw it up into the leaves and flowers,
but so far I've only worked with dry material --
both cordage and leaves -- to good effect.
We'll learn more if lots of us try.
Anyone up for some experiments?
 Doesn't' have to be vegetable glycerine unless you're vegetarian or vegan. This is just what I found first. | Glycerine + Cordage + leaves -- |
