Originally uploaded by yarnpunk

Loop's Spontaneous Spinning Club

I fell in love with the gorgeous colors and textures of the spinning batts produced by Loop. It was more or less an obsession at first sight, and even though I could card up similar batts of my own, I couldn't resist joining Loop's Spontaneous Spinning Club. I guess the allure is the anticipation of not knowing what's coming next, but knowing it will be something that inspires me. Each month a new and wondrous batt arrives in my mail box- an exquisite treat that has me running for my wheel as soon as I get home. I even forgot to take a photo of the batt for the last yarn I spun cause I couldn't wait to spin it! 

Goth Rave

Goth Rave
Originally uploaded by yarnpunk

Scrounging up Leftovers

Originally uploaded by yarnpunk

Sometimes when you are driven to spin something, and all you have at hand are leftovers from other projects, you create something quite wonderful and unexpected. I love how this yarn shifts from coils, to standard ply to crazy plied. The colors and textures are continually shifting throughout the yarn.

Silver Lining- The Yarns

Silver Lining- The Yarns
Originally uploaded by yarnpunk

Here are the yarns spun from my silver lining batts. You can see more details of these yarns on my flickr page.

Dyed & Printed Fabric

Dyed & Printed Fabric
Originally uploaded by yarnpunk

Worked on dying and printing a piece of fabric this week that I've cut into smaller sections for working into mixed-media art quilts, ATC's, Postcards, etc. This is only one section. To see more visit my flickr page.

Weaving Works in Seattle

Weaving Works in Seattle
Originally uploaded by yarnpunk

Check out Weaving Works next time you are in the Seattle area. They have an amazing selection of yarn and fiber. I had a very limited time when I was there and felt so overwhelmed. Make sure you have at least a couple of hours to kill, otherwise you are just torturing yourself.

Glen and Mar Rock Seattle

Two words for this show: Fucking Brilliant! I managed to video the first song before I got busted by one of the bouncers, so once I figure out how to upload video from my flip camera I'll get it posted somewhere online. Snapped one pic of the show, but was worried about getting kicked out for a second offense so didn't risk any more photos than that. Got to meet them afterwards, as I was staying in the same building, and have to say they are both very warm, amicable human beings. I wish them all the best and hope they make it up to Alaska some day...

The Swell Season

Tomorrow I'm heading for Seattle to catch The Swell Season perform at The Moore Theater. Irish singer/songwriter Glen Hansard of The Frames  and pianist Marketa Irglova (who make up the band The Swell Season) starred in  the movie Once together and also wrote the soundtrack. I caught this film last time I flew to Seattle for ArtFiberFest in October. I'm a huge Frames fan, so finding this movie on the inflight digi-player en-route to Seattle was AMAZING! 

Printed Matter

These are the prints I made in a block printing class I recently participated in... I've already sold one of the fish prints in our local Whale Fest art show this week. The star fish I plan to frame vertically in a series of prints matted together in one frame. I haven't decided if I'm going to put four prints together to make one long dramatic piece, or three and leave the fourth as a single print to sell.  I have two more prints where the starfish are darker in the middle. Those I plan to mount horizontal as shown above in a single frame.

Silver Lining

So... I went to the thrift store looking for inspiration and found some silver sparkle threads to deconstruct. The shirt I shredded and the sweater unraveled and brutally ripped apart...

which created this wonderful, glittering pile of crimped fiber that I love, love, love.

Combined with merino/silk, wool, angelina and novelty yarn...

and wildly carded on the drum carder...

creates these decadently soft metallic batts that I'm dying to get spinning on. I've got some bits to add in during the spinning process and some complimentary threads for plying.

Art + Yarn

I can't believe I forgot to blog this:

This is the amazing package that I received in a seasonal swap from Australian spinner Wooldancer in early February. I sent her my "Spring Eternal" yarn (the one with the branches and bird nest) in exchange for this autumn inspired work of art. This was so worth the wait!

Bling!

I fell in love with these and had to have. They got me thinking about textile peices I'd like to sew and embellish... I love the feel of natural stone.

Farewell Yarn Shop

It's officially official: I have sold The Rookery to local fiber artist Chris Lynch. The deed was done on Monday March 31st. I would have blogged it sooner, but it took me awhile to get my laptop online at home, and as a result I have lots of pic's and stuff to share. At the moment I am still trying to settle in to a life without retail and make space at home for all my fiber and stuff I had stored at the shop. I am super excited for Chris- she's amazingly talented in so many mediums and I think she'll bring that energy and creativity to the shop and take it to the next level. I can't wait!
I know I could have used spell check when making that sign...

I neglected to take a pic of my favorite part of the shop: The fiber corner!

Sigh... I'm going to miss that couch. Best couch ever. So comfy...

Interviews with Lexi of Pluckyfluff

Just finished listening to this insightful and endearing podcast interview on CraftSanity with Lexi of Pluckyfluff. It's a meaty interview- so you might want to grab a coffee, beer- whatever you prefer- and get your wheel going. If you're an instant gratification sort of person, or just short on time right now and need a quick fix, you can check out Studioloo's online magazine for a printed interview with Lexi that covers similar ground...

We are trying to organize a Camp Pluckyfluff Alaska 2009 here on Kodiak Island. If you think you might be interested in partcicpating, please visit Lexi's website and email her. This has potential for being one seriously wicked weekend. BTW Lexi if you read this... you can swear like a sailor while you're here and no one will notice. Also: speaking your mind, or the first thing that pops into it, is socially exceptable... and... no one will hold it against you if you crack a beer with your breakfast.

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Find more photos like this on Handspun Collective

Shifting Gears...

Well.... a little update as to why I have not been blogging or posting any new work in awhile. I'm in the process of selling my fiber shop The Rookery, and if all goes well I should be handing over the keys on March 31st. People keep asking me if this is a good thing- yes yes yes!!! As much as I love the fiber shop and all the wonderful people who pass through its doors, I am ready to focus on full time art production. Spinning, felting, mixed media art, journaling...

With 2 small kids in grade school, running a retail business is becoming more of a challenge as they get older. Trying to stay on top of homework and find time for after school activities competes with running the shop- and having to have my kids at work with me after school everyday sucks all the way around. No fun trying to help a customer while you're prying your 5 year old son off his older sister as he tries to claw her eyes out for verbally taunting him.

In order that my children do not grow up hating me for keeping them imprisoned in a yarn store for their entire childhood, and so that I can make more time for what I really love, I'm giving up retail and will focus on studio work. Well, its actually more like closet work at the moment. My art room is a closet which my friend Liz thinks is really funny for some reason. Hey, you've got to work with what you've got. I will have a real studio though when our house is finished in about a year and hope to hold workshops. I've talked with Lexi about hosting Camp Pluckyfluff in July 2009 in my new studio- so anyone intrested in hanging with Lexi and I for a workshop weekend should visit www.pluckyfluff.com and email Lexi that you're intrested. If you've ever wanted to travel to Alaska this could be your excuse! Or if you live on the mainland and want to visit Kodiak Island for a weekend...

Knitting Guerrillas Rock the Yarn

Sabrina Gschwandtner of KnitKnit was recently featured on NPR in an 8 minute interview about knitting's new wave: Knitting Guerrillas Rock the Yarn You can also watch and listen to an Audio Slide Show that features artists from her new book.

Look Inside....

Here are some excerpts from Lexi's new book Intertwined. I'm over the moon to have been part of this project, even though my part seems so insignificant compared to all the work Lexi put into this. I can't even imagine the stress trying to meet the deadline for a book and make it all look so good. Lexi, you rock! The book is amazing...
I'm honored- all three of my yarns that Lexi chose made it into the book! Above on the top left page is Fire Bubble. On the left page featured below is Screamer and Punked!

The following are submissions from my creative co-conspiritor Liz. She designed the Antionette Skirt using Lexi's yarn. So pretty!!! And below that is her delectable Tossed Salad yarn that I featured here on my blog and on flickr last year...

I got a peek at Lexi's new book Intertwined : The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns & Creative Spinning. WOW!!! She stole my heart with her first book Handspun Revolution, but this... AMAZING! I'm waiting for the yarn shop copies to arrive so I can read it cover to cover!