But this fiber is Polypay,
a breed developed at the USA Experimentation Station in Dubois. Idaho.
the breed, like so many of us who live in the United States,
is an incomer
a hybrid,
an adaptor
bred to thrive in the west.
a combination of Rambouillet, Corriadale, and Lincoln/Rambouillet X
was also developed in Dubois, in 1926.
(Targhee appears in various well-known commercial yarn blends:
Brooklyn Tweed,www.brooklyntweed.com/yarn/ for instance, and Cestari )
-- some weird regional combination--
as I like to get my hands into every step of yarn production,
is heavenly to spin and I couldn't resist diving into a couple of pounds.
the kind of fiber that pours off a wrist distaff and onto a spindle,
and an excellent companion for last week's tapestry retreat in Garden Valley, Idaho,
my goal to explore the effect that
sett, beat, and materials (weight and fiber content of warp and weft),
have on the physical objects that we make.
You know how easy it is to get into habits
-- this warp, this sett, this weft, this loom--
and sometimes it is useful to ask why,
to shake ourselves up a little.,
to get messy.
What if this tapestry doesn't want to be stitched into a frame?
What if it wants some linen in it?
What if it longs to sway in mid air?
What if it is more like a blanket?
but four selvedge warps came on and off of looms,
the company was fantastic,
we made glorious color,
ate delicious food
and soaked out any weaving aches
in the geothermal pool.
of how little one actually needs to make fabric
and how much beauty (and really nice fiber)
can be found out my back door.
but Highway 95, the only North-South highway in the state,
passes two blocks from my back door.
It two lanes for most of the drive
and every wide spot in the road is worthy of a photo, or a quick tune,
so it all feels pretty darned local.
a couple million acres of wilderness,
and, after four hours of driving,
a coffee shop that serves Landgrove Coffee, roasted by the family of the kids with whom I sometimes play tunes.
(The Foglifter Cafe is in McCall Idaho, and doesn't seem to have a website of its own)
right here, and not too shabby.
This morning, back home, I made a warp
but I don't actually know yet.
Guess I'll have to post this bundle of nonsense
(my little Idaho advertisement),
and get back to threading.