Monthly Archives: April 2014

Something Special…Do Not Wait for the Moment

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ScannedImageI had a moment of clarity and awaking the other day when going through my yarn stash; I treat special as something cherished and don’t indulge in it very often.

I actually have a couple of stashes around the house; one closet that houses most of the yarns I do work with, current yarns of large yarn companies, then I have a large tote that is filled with yarns that are discontinued of inherited from the stash of others that get used for charity projects (this is also the only stash the kids are allowed to go through to make their own projects). There is the little desk (that I can easily forget about) that houses yarns that I use for class instructions. Then there is last stash, a cabinet that houses those “special yarns”, ones that I have purchased of the years, ones that are beautiful to me, or one skein luxury gifts in a sense.

This cabinet is a little hodge podge of different fibers, some I have even hand dyed, some handspun, but they are all yarns that evoke some kind of memory or feeling. I keep them in a “special” category; someday I will find the right pattern for that “special” yarn. It always gets put off to tomorrow as I work on today.

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one corner of one shelf in my “special” cabinet

Yes, I attempt to save the best for last. A good bottle of wine can live decades in my house as I find the best moment to drink it, my strand of pearls gather dust in my jewelry box as I wait for events special enough to wear them to, heck even at a good dinner my favorite dish on the plate has to be my last bite saving it to be cherished longer before moving on to the next thing.

I have always been like this, but as I was going through my cabinet, I realized that some of my “special” yarn had not seen the light of day in years. A little collection of merino yarn that I created at a dying workshop that was…oh, at least 5 years ago, but no more then 8, has been sitting in little cake balls waiting to be made into anything. Some little skeins of silk I got at a show a few years ago, and a few skeins that I spun myself on my own wheel (considering that I have a layer of dust on my wheel, and it has not spun anything since 2011, I know those have been there a while) easily dance in the foreground.

Time does pass in odd ways like this, waiting, waiting for something special. I recognize its passing in everyday life, all the things I need to get done, the deadlines before me, but I seem to neglect the “special”, waiting for the moment.

I hope that with this epiphany that I can at least attempt to “make a moment “during the week to address something special. Bring more of the richness life has to offer into the every day, at least I hope that I can keep this as a conscience goal and that it does not get eaten up by time…but only time will tell.

 

 

A Review: The Fine Art of Crochet by Gwen Blakely Kinsler

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ScannedImageGwen Blakely Kinsler, has done much for the skill of crochet. Twenty years ago she began the Crochet Guild of America, creating a national, excuse me, international setting for crocheters of every level and area of interest to come together and share the love they have for a hook and the fabrics it creates. She continues bringing new life to crochet by highlighting those utilizing crochet in fine arts with her new book, The Fine Art of Crochet Innovative Works from 20 Contemporary Artists.

So I have an admiration of art, even fine art, but I will admit that contemporary art does not always speak to me. So reading through this new book was a revealing time for me. Just flipping through the pages I would see photos of various pieces of art, things that I would have to be in a different mindset to fully appreciate, but then I began to read. 51LhiyLx5ML

Each artist has a very different approach and message that they are expelling through works that involve crochet and this book allows you to enter the creative process and approach by each artist, as Gwen gives each a personal voice. It gave me a greater appreciation of the work that they do, I could see more in their art then I ever could on my own. It was interesting to see how each artist discovered crochet as a medium, as no one ever set out and imagined using crochet in their art, but came to it for different reasons and spoke different things.

Even days later, the work of some of the artists have remained in my mind. The way Jo Hamilton uses crochet as a form of paint, while “showing the brush strokes” was amazing to me, and I can vastly appreciate the skill involved to accomplish the “painting”. Soonran Youn work has such meaning that I may have over looked without understanding her theory of expression. The work of Carol Hummel feels like home, yet really is revolutionary in its approach and undertaking.  Jerry Bleem has such a message in his work by his materials used that it really is thought provoking. I have had the pleasure of taking a class from Dr. Carol Ventura, so I have appreciated her work up close, but her chapter allowed me to see more about her creative process and growth of her art.

The Fine Art of Crochet is more than just an outline of an artist’s life and how they use crochet in the art that they place in museums. It can speak to you, as it spoke to me, and allow of an awaking in a new approach that my crochet can take, and at very least provoke a new understanding of crochet elevated from a craft, a hobby, to fine art.

Double Limpets

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Double Limpet Ascot 2

Photo Courtesy of Annie’s

ScannedImageThe Double Limpet is another stitch that I have been playing with. I enjoy the technique to this stitch, probably because I like the “casting on” of loops and working them off to create this unique texture. It reminds me of little shells or fins that stand up and ask to be taken notice of on a fabric.

Double Limpet Ascot 1

Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The ascot scarf grew out of this whimsical approach. The double limpets create a fun texture at either end and also allow for the scarf to be slipped through a “bridge” of stitches to secure to itself.You can find a full description of the stitch technique, in three variations, as well as the ascot pattern in the Summer 2014 issue of Crochet! Magazine (currently available on news stands).  Sm2014 C!

The Crochet Difference

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ScannedImageWhen I was a kid I never thought that I would be making a career in crochet. My college degree really has nothing to do with fiber arts, and every professional in the crochet industry that I have met, had a former life (worked in other completely unrelated fields).

For me my former life involved helping others in community service related programs through local government. Whenever I was frustrated with my job, I would get a phone call from someone that needed assistance, and I could actually give practical answers and advice that make a difference, for the better, in their life. This actually was one of the hardest transitions for me to become a designer, not feeling like I am making a difference in my community. I had to frame it for myself in a different way, I know that crochet is considered a hobby, but research is proving, what many of us have already known, that it can reduce stress. So by encouraging and supporting crochet, I was helping people to reduce stress.

However, this last week, the really meaning of crochet came home to me, and reinforced itself this morning on my walk along one of my areas various bike trails. That crochet is a lasting tribute to love, caring, and importance. 49250

On my walk, I met an old friend. I had not seen her in a few years, and our history together dates back to my later youth. At that time she and her husband helped support me through some difficult family times as well as show me different opportunities life had to offer. Our paths separated and we met up again after I was married and beginning my family. It was at this time that I crocheted up a white lacy afghan and gave it to her as a gift, no particular reason for it, just to express my gratitude for her support in the past. After another span of time, our lives separated and didn’t cross again until this morning.  In our quick couple of minutes of catching up I told her of my career change, where she turned to the friends she was with to tell them of this “beautiful afghan” I had created for her years earlier. I must admit, I almost forgot about that afghan, but after she mentioned it, it came right back to me, and her comments about it, reinforced the sentiment that had been broached to me earlier in the week; crochet is really the act of sharing a piece of yourself.

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The white lacy afghan I made for my friend.

As the long time crocheter, it is easy to over look the impact of your handmade gift on another. We do not see the difference it makes in their heart, or in some cases their lives, but it does. Even in this day of technology, internet shopping, and ability to purchase just about anything, handmade still makes a difference, actually maybe even more of a difference then people realize. It does not have to be perfect, or the latest fashion trend, it just has to include the reality that you thought of someone else enough to create for them. When my friend spoke of the afghan I could see in her eyes how much that gesture meant to her, even nearly 15 years later. I can now say for certain, that I do make a difference, I may not see it, but my “hobby” shares the love in my heart, the caring in my spirit, and the importance of other in my life. Those simple stitches let others know they are special, and cared for, and that they make a difference.