The internet is slow today, so I will try working bit by bit on a post about bindings (for the robe openings) Tomorrow.
2006. I found this photo again, that I posted on Flickr, when I announced the creation of this blog. Me. "I will call my blog SpiritCloth." How I appeared, wrapped in woven and patched wool, now somehow imagining that I may disappear in the same manner. I do believe the Wool Robe will be some special kind of Big Cloth project. For the winter of 2020.
For now, I will wrap up the general robe lessons with some binding ideas. And continue to work on and talk about the bird robe and the wind robe now and then through summer. With the arrival of May I will get back to considering quilt/blanket ideas. Maybe one robe post and one blanket post per week. With some life and thought catching in between. It will all run together anyway. As we try to stay sane.
This old painting says it, pretty much. With maybe the addition of a big laugh in between. The state of the world isn't helping.
I do have this lovely photo of the sea, by my son, I will hang it today. We talked about it. How much I miss her, Old Sea. Maybe we can't won't stay here. The thing is, if we do, if we need to, it is colder in winter. Winter is longer.
I looked at Mom's lamp, Hi Mom, and the old weaving of earth beast on the wall, and I thought gee, probably because we are in robe mode and one thing leads to another, why not consider a wool robe ?, one that might give me an opportunity to use all the stray wool and woolen weavings around here. And the sun is out! OK, mood swing!
Holes might be a symbol. Might serve as way to express space. And time.
I collected holes over the years. Holes in cloth. And paper. I like to think about it now, like I have been saving space and time. Collecting nothing. Or at least less.
As I recalled, I did work a bit with holes in the first run of SunMoonStars. Yes I did...as I looked back this morning. Let me bring that back tomorrow. This cloth is probably familiar if you've been coming here. Here , one time from way back, 2008. Among others.
Meanwhile, today. I simply just did this.
I pinned that little nine base onto a larger cloth. An old linen, dyed blue. Indigo(my first ever vat). From a while back. Just that. A little place(time)keeping in space. And I thought...
Time is space, on some personal level, space to just go. Freedom to roam and ramble. Continue.
My mind was roaming last night. I wondered if that worn out vat was dreaming too. Still a little more to give? It was chilly, the warmth of the wood stove, where it was sitting close, yes, the warmth.
And the chill. Said wool. And I did. I dyed wool bits. Old felted wool bits. Nine of course. Over some pom and walnut from last year.
There are a few more component ideas in here. Especially the Ring. Let's wait. I'm gathering too many things at once.
The man likes to read at night. He's got this tiny LED clip on.
I've been using it for night stitching while he's away. I should get one too.
It's cold. I will sit by the fire today. Chicken likes the window seat. He keeps an eye on things. All night he is on watch. And through the morning until Fred finishes breakfast outside the window.
I wish I could let him in . But I don't think it would work out.
After last night's chill, this morning's 14 degrees feels like a heatwave. I poured balsamic vinegar on my oatmeal this morning instead of the intended maple syrup. There are seasons of the mind as well I thought to myself. Have I reached winter?
Wool is warm. I pulled out this old needle-punch thing I made to use up some weaving ends. I am thinking I will add to it. Not needle-punch. But perhaps some wool scrap. A Soul-O bed perhaps or maybe a hugging pillow. Wool is warm. Just looking at it helps.
It is going to be the coldest it has been here this year. Tonight.
Practicing. On wool. With gifted dried madder root. Thank you Elizabeth.
Because the madder I planted here did not mature yet. Some newly gained knowledge being tested I'll share when I know how it goes and why. Turkey red indeed. If you want to weave carpets, this color is a must. For me anyway. Also, hey, I can still spin! Drop spindle. Spin as I go is how it works best for me. A little here, a little there.
For black wool, I find it's best to find a black sheep.
27 degrees here this morning. Wool is nice.
The sun did this early this morning. Sun painting.
Inspired now, I am off to paint . It's Doodle Wednesday.
On the right, the Magic Cloth still in progress. On the left, big kilim form Turkey. In the middle a space to imagine some new journey. Because in this coming year, the year after I became old, while traveling here and there, I will be cloth whispering, inspired by weave. Weaving . Across moons and mind and anything else that crosses my path. Redefining cloth as I know it.
There will be a shop update, if I can manage it, at the end of November. It's going to be Very cold soon and I will be spending a lot of time in this chair.
Which is clothed in a nice old ikat from Indonesia and an old wool weaving from days gone by. I was thinking sewing chairs might get cold too. We will stay warm together.
The one thing about having too much is that you have to store it away. Save it. Protect it from harm but also hide it from view. I had my hand dyed (and mostly handspun) tapestry wool in plastic bins. Moths and more moths here. Well. it is back in the baskets, Either I will use it or it can become food. As I clear more space, I have room for what is most important. What I really love and can make use of. My basket sense is returning. A shallow basket is like cupped hands.
I did this small weaving , maybe , well, too many years ago to remember. And it was a little cloth made to be what I imagined home to be like... some place out in the middle of no where. Some where, where living a simple life and breathing clean air and growing food would just be the way it is. I gave it to Mom and Dad long ago, because they imagined that too. Although they never really got there. They made the place they lived in as close to it as possible. Built a life on a dream. That worked for them.
I live in a nice place, but I know I will leave. Mostly about the cost of living but also other things too. I am thinking of doing a series of little tapestries depicting this place. Keepers of the sense of it. Before I go. I still have a lot of bits of hand dyed wool. Going grows closer. I figure, if I live long enough, maybe a few more of these with a sense of where I end up might be nice as well. Because weaving has a bit of home built into it for me. And weaving yourself into a place really says a lot about Home . Woven right in, Unraveling, Reweaving. Holding together in the most basic way. I hope that when I go, I will have sheep. Or find them nearby. That would work out real fine.
I am planning some Weave Whisperings.
Imagining that.
Meanwhile, do you know Nancy? She has the most beautiful sheep. I want to meet them someday.
