On using good materials, shawl knitting and weaving on a small rigid heddle
This week I've been thinking about the materials I used in my fibre crafts, my knitting, the yarn I use for weaving.
The materials we use can hold a poetic significance. I like wool, and linen, and wood and stone, and all type of materials that tend to age beautifully, tend to be of good quality, sometimes the more sustainable choice. But not always. In the end, the most sustainable choice is to use what we already have.
And here is the conundrum. I've realized in these last few days, that my idea to use weaving as a way to destash the yarn I don't like any more won't work. For you, it might be obvious, but for me, it was not. That I cannot make a beautiful weaving, in colours that speak to my heart and are soft to my eyes, if I use yarn in colours and textures I don't like.
I like to use what I have, and sometimes, that restriction actually helps me be creative and delight myself with my ingenuity. Other times, I get in the same situation as the one I'm in today, and wonder what was I thinking.
I was reading through another of the inspiring and amazing Kerstin Neumüller's books, Simple Weave, and I saw this paragraph in the first few pages of her book:
“A rule of thumb that becomes more important to me as the years pass is to not use ugly craft materials when trying to make something beautiful. As an example, I wouldn’t make a dress from a faded sheet covered in lint, because it doesn’t matter how well you sew, the material will always speak for itself. This piece of advice I also give when it comes to weaving – don’t spend time making a project with material that doesn’t feel completely right. Don’t be tempted by a ball of cotton yarn with a lot of knots in it, thinking ‘it doesn’t matter, it will still make a good warp’. No, it won’t. It can also be about a colour that is almost the one you want, but not quite. Think about whether you will be happy with the result before you start!”
This makes a lot of sense to me. I do want to make beautiful objects that are useful and last a long time. And for that, materials have to be carefully chosen, just like everything else in the project.
Quality in fibre arts is not merely about the durability or the brand of the yarn; it's about how the fibre feels running through your fingers, how it lays in a stitch, in a cable, how it weaves into the fabric of our creation and our imagination.
On the other hand, I also value frugality. Frugality is not about being cheap; it's about being wise, resourceful, respectful with resources. It is the art of making do, a celebration of the creativity that blooms within constraints. It's that challenge that invites us to be more inventive, more original.
It is sometimes tricky to balance these two, even though the value of a material lies not in its price, but in its potential to transform into something uniquely beautiful.
And what to do then with those ugly skeins in our stash? Advice and words of wisdom are more than welcome.
What I am making
I am still knitting on my Satellite shawl, the rows are getting longer and my cord is too short, but I'm still enjoying and two thirds done (I think!). Slow progress and more thinking about knitting than actual knitting this week, but that's still ok. I am loving every stitch.
Book of the week
Simple Weave by Kerstin Neumüller
I am a big fan of Kerstin Neumüller and her work. I've talked here before about her mending book, Mend and Patch, and she has written a third book about growing and working with indigo.
When I first saw the small rigid heddle looms that she makes, on Instagram, I fell in love even before knowing what they were. Her book tells the story of how she started to work with them, while waiting for her table loom to arrive (something I can definitely relate to!) ;and then how she started making them herself to weave bands and other strips of fabric. The book is inspiring, beautifully photographed, beautifully written, yet instructional, with hand-drawn illustrations. If you're not afraid of yet another fibre-related rabbit hole and maybe a new hobby, I suggest having a look at her work. But consider yourself warned : )
May your days be filled with mindful moments. Until next time, be present.
Sky
If you really dislike the yarns and know you won’t use them then give them away to a charity store. Keeping them will only stress you out. There maybe someone out there that will love them and give them a good home at a price they can afford. At the end of the day the money you paid for them is accounted for and a charity will benefit too
My local public library has a Maker Space that includes a yarn library. They happily accept my donations of leftover or unwanted yarn.
Another possibility is to donate the yarn to a creative re-use center. Your ugly yarn may be the perfect material for someone else's art project!