Weaving silk and memories

I've taken a break recently from my other wonderful time consuming distractions to finish a weaving project for a much loved friend. While visiting with her in Boulder late last year my friend asked me to weave her something. Usually I beaver away for a while and then bestow a gift on someone with a ..."here, have some of my hand made crafts." So it was wonderful to be asked to make something. I also (happily) got to drag my friend along to the yarn shop I had been eyeing off but avoiding because like most knitters I am drowning in yarn and really don't need any more...although beautiful, it can start to become a bit of a burden. So, off to Gypsy Wools we went. I am so glad we did, Gypsy Wools has a glorious array of all hand dyed yarns.... and I really can't resist what I call gourmet yarn from a local crafter/artist!


It took a while to get into this project, but with the help of lots of cups of tea and a lovely crafternoon I managed to get into the swing. I do love these colours, and when the silk yarn catches the light it is truly beautiful...a little like spun gold. So now, after a brief stint in the southern hemisphere, this yarn is returning to its place of creation...I really quite like that.







I had really enjoyed the weaving again, and we are coming into the autumn here in Canberra, so I straight away warped up the loom with a scarf for myself...with all my favourite colours. One thing I love about the knitters loom is that I can use all the ends of balls from finished knitted goods. For me all the yarn in my stash has a little history and that is woven (literally and figuratively) into the new project. My autumnal colours scarf has some hand spun yarn from an amazing spinner in Tasmania, some boucle and cashmere left over from a baby wrap jacket for a friend in the UK, some gold silk given to me from a friend in Alaska, and some of the lovely wool chosen by my friend in Colorado. And I think that makes it extra special.


Thanks to brown paper bunny for these lovely photos : )

Illustration Friday: Cultivate

I've been lurking around Illustration Friday for a while now - I have discovered some incredible artists and really enjoyed the many many ways different people interpret the same theme. This weeks theme is Cultivate....and I could lurk no longer, I felt compelled to contribute.


I am a mad keen gardener, particularly vegies! Unfortunately due to townhouse living in Canberra the last two years my gardens have been restricted to mostly pots, and consequently my fingernails have been a bit clean. Sad state of affairs, I know. The cultivate theme make me reminisce of my days in the community garden in Fairbanks. Talk about incredible...my first 'proper' gardening experience was amazing....600 sq feet of my own to cultivate and always an interesting soul poking about to chat to during weeding breaks.


A little like the different ways artists interpret the IF theme it was interesting to see the way different gardeners designed and worked their gardens. I think mine really was more about aesthetics than function. And to boot, a minimum of bugs (too cold) and almost 24 hours sunshine meant my vegies were huge and my efforts hugely rewarding...ahh, happy days. Most of my friends contributed to my garden too.... digging, planting, weeding or harvesting....I remember them and our time together in the garden very very fondly.



So, my drawing....a cabbage leaf. Doesn't nature come up with THE very best colour combinations! What is not to love about the sun shining through a leaf so you can appreciate all the more the complexity and beauty of the ..... not so humble cabbage.

Colouring in This Love

A friend recently got me onto a great project called Drawing this love. The band is creating a video clip for one of their songs by getting people to colour in individual frames.... some 3500 thousand in total. No small undertaking. Below is my small contribution to the effort - can't wait to see the finished product!