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Looking Into It

3/31/2020

 
Picture
Nowhere To Hide; Hand Woven Tapestry; 4 1/2" x 5" x 4" ; hemp, hand spun coffee filter paper, natural pigments ©Sarah C Swett 2020
Well, if I hadn't just spent
half the morning
(and a good portion of yesterday evening)
​with my iPad camera 
pointed at this little tapestry,
Picture
Nowhere To Hide; Hand Woven Tapestry (detail); 4 1/2" x 5" x 4" ; hemp, hand spun coffee filter paper, natural pigments ©Sarah C Swett 2020
​I might have gotten
to writing to you
​a while ago.
Picture
As it happened, however
I got just the teensiest bit--
well perhaps the best word

would be involved--
Picture
Nowhere To Hide; Hand Woven Tapestry; 4 1/2" x 5" x 4" ; hemp, hand spun coffee filter paper, natural pigments ©Sarah C Swett 2020
marveling at the light playing with its facets,
and noticing
how a slight shift of angle
could render it
 statuesque ​from one direction, 
Picture
and  positively shy
from another.
Picture
Outside the frame of the camera
it is actually somewhat diminutive--
here is my friend Poppy for scale--
and though I made the darned thing,
the relative power of framing and angle
is still a surprise. 
Picture
(Poppy, by the way, is mostly made from some men's underwear my mother bought in France about 40 years ago that I adopted as very short shorts until I wore through the butt,
her leotard is from a fat quarter,
her skirt a swatch from a hand spun sweater I made for my son,
and her hat custom knit for her by my dear friend Nicole.
​Her basic shape came from a pattern by
 Mimi Kirshner, available at Purl Soho)
Picture
At any rate,
I had a lovely time weaving this tapestry 
(on a PVC pipe loom as you can see--
one of my all time faves for some weird reason)
 though what I actually made
​turned out to be not at all
what I imagined when I began.
Picture
The original point
was to let each facet
explore some color theory idea
​and see what happened.
Picture
I planned to
mess around with
hue, saturation, triads,
split compliments,
or relative warmth--
whatever grabbed my fancy.
Picture
But as so often happens these days,
after only a few little squares
I was the one that was saturated
and almost unwove
those first busy reddish-orange shapes--
even though I loved them--
as it felt like it was going to be
just too much in no time at all.

Picture
But before I could begin undoing though,
I remembered a thing Archie Brennan once said,
about changing your perception of yesterday's red,
by adjusting the colors you weave with today.
Unfortunately, I can't remember the exact quote
(Archie was a supremely quotable fellow
and I'm sure he said it with with perfect pith and pointedness 
so if you read/heard him say it, please let me know his real words),
but the principle was just what I needed.
Picture
So on I went.

And now that I think about it,
my variations on a theme of cream
actually has a little analogous/value stuff going on,
so I guess I got in a bit of inadvertent
​color theory practice after all.
Picture
At any rate,
since Marjorie asked
for more filter cutting/spinning info
in last week's comments,
​choosing these colors 
gave me a chance to try
to film a few of the steps.
Picture
Naturally, I got totally involved in that idea
but not being a video gal,
 had to cut quite a few attempts at filming
before I had something that made sense. 
And then,
even though I deleted a lot of footage,
 realized it would take forever
to upload all the video onto this post
so put them into the
"highlights" of my Instagram page.
You can see them by clicking
the three little circles under my name.
(Start with the circle on the right).
Below are two snippets  to give you an idea
of what I was about.
At the very least, the sound of hte scissors
​is weirdly soothing.

For those who would prefer still photos
this blog post  also has some how-to-cut pix
that cover essentially the same territory.

And now I've gone on and on as usual,
but before I close 
I do once again want to say
how VERY much I appreciate 
your supportive, kind, and heartwarming comments
which are more helpful than you can imagine
in the midst of this double  (or maybe quadruple?)
c-word moment:
cancer/chemo/coronavirus/Covid19.
And to show you that for the time being
we're well protected (after a fashion),
I'll end with a photo of the freshly blocked
Somewhat Slanted  Suit of Armor
I just finished for Dan--
(huge though it is, at 2 sts/in the knitting flew along).
As you might gather,
he's a teensy bit taller than me --like a foot, actually--
but suddenly, I'm thinking
that with slightly shorter arms,
I could sure do with
​ a Somewhat Slanted Dress)

I hope you are well
and staying safe
(at home if you can be there,
at work if you cannot),
and send a silent cheer to you/us  all.
Picture
Picture
Velma Bolyard
3/31/2020 01:58:44 pm

and it's a beautiful thing...

liz link
3/31/2020 02:12:10 pm

Your need to know the upshot in order to tolerate the telling is exactly right. I rarely watch a movie or TV drama for this reason. Can't bear what the heroine has to go through!

Ive been spinning coffee filters happily and weaving the results into miniature book covers. And showing other people on my blog, usually referring them right back to you when I get them all baffled. You are such a bright light to me. Thank you. #artistlivingaloneinthetimeofcoronavirus

Eileen Van Bronkhorst
3/31/2020 02:16:32 pm

What an uplifting blog. I admire all that you create. And yes this time is one of angst, and yet we can turn this time into deep reflection and really let the creativity blossom. Thank you for sharing and creating and inspiring! And we had a zoom call with Patti and Jenny and a few others from the Monday Night Tap group. 2 hours just hanging out. It was really fun to have a virtual chat room.

Janine
3/31/2020 02:22:48 pm

It gives me such great pleasure to know that you continue to follow your curiosity (a not-always-positive but never inconsequential C word!) through these days that require us to think/act outside the box. Love to you!

Nancy
3/31/2020 02:38:58 pm

Your blog posts, Instagram posts, and continuing sense of humor in the face of personal and universal struggles are more appreciated than you could ever know. Thank you. Please stay safe.

Deb
3/31/2020 02:57:02 pm

Thank you for hanging in there with us. My thoughts are for you and your husband. Chemo is awful I know. Take care and stay safe.

Marlena Rogers
3/31/2020 03:13:26 pm

Sarah - what an inspiring piece of woven art! Love the muted tones with little pops of brighter colors.
Curious to know you used to enable the piece to stand upright on its own?

Vicky
3/31/2020 03:14:03 pm

A somewhat slanted dress is a great idea! I am just now working my way through my first sweater because I am not a natural knitter and your directions made sense to me. Seemed like a good project to apply myself to during this time of C's. Let's add courage to our C list.

Marjorie McLaren
3/31/2020 03:15:09 pm

Thank you, Sarah, for the additional info on spinning/creating coffee filter yarn. Much appreciated! Stay cozy and safe. All those C's can be daunting - but cope, comfort, cherish and create also come to mind.

pat cooper
3/31/2020 04:06:12 pm

I LOVE that you look ahead, I was 30 before I made the momentous discovery that, if I did not like a book, I did not have to READ THE WHOLE BOOK, I could skip to the end! Radical! A gift of a positive C word, Community, which you certainly have here, who give you a Chorus of Cheers for a great blog.

Cheryl Donohew
3/31/2020 04:23:47 pm

These coffee filter weavings are so intriguing. I love the idea and want to try them now that I seem to have more available time. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us. Can you tell me what you use to dye your filters? Are they lightfast? Thanks so much.

Shishi
3/31/2020 05:13:20 pm

I love Tues...you always make me smile and give me something to think about! Thanks for it all❤️

gyln
3/31/2020 07:40:04 pm

I never remember it is Tuesday until I see your email and I am always glad to escape from my reality into yours. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your spinning, your weaving and your life with us. (I, too, have difficulty with the drama in films, often leaving the room when it gets too much to bear, reassuring that I am not the only one who finds it painful).

Soo fortune
3/31/2020 08:42:52 pm

Thank you so much.I'm reading your blog on Wednesday morning around 04 30,I usually get up this time as I so look forward to it.thanks for the inspiration and gentle thoughts at this scary time.best wishes to everyone.

Laney
3/31/2020 08:51:53 pm

How nice to see that there are lots of us who have to relieve the tension reading by skipping to the end. I almost never go to movies and don't own a TV. Guess I'm a bit obsessive about controlling my sensory input! I'm imaging a scrolling tapestry of one C word after another so maybe if I turn off the radio too my Creativity will creep out. Hope your husband isn't having too much trouble with his chemo.

Patti Kirch
3/31/2020 10:30:11 pm

So much to learn about viewing something from many points of view, arranging those somethings pleasingly or dramatically ... ooo your subtle lessons. To close with clothes is lovely with a Somewhat Slanted dress with hood twist. Love to your heart warming family😘

Juliann
3/31/2020 10:39:51 pm

Your tapestry photos remind me of window blinds. Depending on how much they are opened, one can peer out to watch the neighbors. Or perhaps to simply let in more light.

Freyalyn Close-Hainsworth
4/1/2020 12:35:53 am

It's very hard at the moment, for so many of us. Your posts share a bit of joy around.

Nancy B
4/1/2020 04:31:51 am

This little tapestry invites all sorts of questions, and the colours are magical, from all those angles. Isn't it interesting how these things tend to take on a life of their own, and not necessarily the one we imagined when we began?

Since we are pitting the Slightly Slanted Armour of Cs (courage, community, creativity) to counteract the Four Horsemen of the Cs, might I add Caritas?
All these things are found here in your blog posts, sent out into the ether every week. Keep as well as you both can.

Lu R
4/1/2020 12:29:35 pm

I love how this turned out! Windows into our souls, but only revealing the background. A Tabula Rasa

Susan
4/1/2020 07:53:58 pm

Your creative weaving is so inspirational! I continue to be emotionally, and positively uplifted.

I hope you are uplifted in these times of sorrow.

Quinn link
4/2/2020 05:45:53 am

As a frequent sock knitter, 2 stitches/inch boggles my mind - maybe I *could* knit a sweater after all ;) Also, thank you for sharing the details on Poppy. I've enjoyed Mimi Kirshner's creations for years, but never knew that she offers a pattern - thank you so much for mentioning this! Oh my!!

Harlan L Higgins
4/3/2020 04:54:06 am

Inspiring work. Subtleness in our very "over the top" world is much appreciated.

Did you use a pattern for your "Suit of Armour?" It is a garment that looks amenable to a top down knit.

SARAH
4/8/2020 06:05:40 am

The pattern is my Somewhat Slanted Sweater, available on Ravelry and my website. It’s got its own unique construction method that is sort of top down, sort of not...


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    ​Sarah C Swett 
    tells stories
    with
    ​ and about

     hand spun yarn. 


    Picture
    Click for info on
    my four selvedge
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    ​ Rebecca Mezoff  
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