cobalt & indigo

It’s getting to be that time of year again.  The weather is increasing beautiful (with the exception of today and tomorrow and their chilly greyness) and I’m stuck inside studying for finals and writing papers for school. 

I’m finding my thoughts drifting more and more to fibery pursuits lately.  I think a good part of it is my brain protesting the amount of information being shoved its way and dreaming of the meditative quietness of spinning as a reprieve.  In any case, I’m considering adding another wheel to the family – something quiet, (so I can spin while watching TV with the boyfriend), preferably double treadle (all my wheels now are single treadle) and I’m thinking an upright or castle-style wheel would balance out my collection nicely.  We’ll see about a new wheel after I get my plans for summer employment ironed out. 

This school stuff is worthwhile, I must remember.  And summer break isn’t too far away!

Back to work with me…

Tags: school, spinningwheel

I started this website a couple of years ago, when I was in a very different place, geographically and personally.  I have been living in this house and back in college for over a year now, and I am finding myself drawn back to the idea of having a blog – a way of documenting my path and sharing ideas.

My life has changed a lot in the past two or three years.  A series of events led us to move and to put the ceramics studio on hold for a while.  I have returned to school to get an education license, and Jesse has found himself drawn into the world of sustainable urban gardening as Sweetwater Organics Director of Horticulture.

I am still involved in fiber arts – I am honored to serve as President to the Whitewater Fiber Guild and I do regularly get inspired to work on a knitting or crochet project.  I bring a small spindle made from a toy wheel to my classes in my backpack, and occasionally I spin my way through lecture.  I have also added weaving (basic rigid-heddle) to my list of interests.  And I do have a 4-harness Dorothy loom just waiting for me to work up the courage to use it.

My love of fiber arts lead me to explore natural dyeing a couple of years ago – and since I no longer live where scavenging for materials is the adventure it was in the countryside, I’ve grown into a gardener.   Although I started wanting to simply grow dyeplants,  I’ve really come to value and appreciate the time spent cultivating and nurturing plant life.  I grow herbs and dyeplants as well as flowers and hope to put in a good vegetable garden as well this summer.

My four bunny rabbits (two angoras, two jersey woolies) live just outside of my house in a small shed.  They’re getting older – Spike and the girls are around 8, and Gus is just about 7.   They love Jesse’s job as an urban gardener, since he often has lettuce and herbs for them when he comes home in the evening.  Since we don’t use any chemical herbicides, I’m able to harvest huge dandelion leaf salads for them as I weed my lawn and garden in the summer.   I do my best to keep up with their grooming, but I must admit I’ve stopped focusing as much on fiber production from them – I have more angora than I could ever use already!

I’ve been exploring polymer clay as an art form lately – but that’s a post in itself, and my philosophy readings are still unread.  I look forward to sharing my journey with the polymer clay process in a near future post.