March 2nd. Another round of book edits were due and I had sent them the night before. The new material for the Design Solutions online course was also up and everything seemed to be working in technology world.
March 2nd. Before the world changed so quickly and drastically.
The Loopy Ewe in Fort Collins, CO. I love this place—the staff, the way they organize their yarn, the fact that they have every color in every yarn they carry. And mostly that they let me come in and pet the yarn (when life is normal anyway) and don’t tell me to stop.
March 2nd. I went to the yarn store because yarn makes me feel better. I ostensibly was looking for yarn for my nieces to learn to crochet with. But we all know the truth. I had met two huge deadlines which happened to fall on the same day and I was tired. And a little dreary. And petting the yarn always cheers me up. I try hard not to stop at yarn stores and when I’m tired or down is the most dangerous time (because who knows how much yarn I’ll add to my already large knitting yarn stash). But March 2nd, I visited. The Loopy Ewe.*
It was great.
I bought three skeins of US-made wool for the kid projects and I bought one skein just for me.
Because it made me happy to hold it and the color is fantastic. The colorway is Hibiscus (by Julie Spins).
This is it. It is way outside the colorways I usually buy or dye myself. But I loved it and it has been sitting on my desk every since and it makes me smile. I do intend to knit a scarf out of it. And maybe I’ll do it soon because now is the time we need some cheering on the regular. And wearing these colors or gifting them to someone who would love them is definitely something cheering.
A few days later I decided I wanted to use Frid, a great Norwegian yarn sold by Norsk Fjord Fibers for the first tapestry workshop I was taking in many years from Robbie LaFleur on traditional Norwegian billedev tapestry weaving. The workshop was to start this coming Sunday, but of course COVID-19 won on that one. Here is the stash of Frid I currently have. A little of it I dyed myself, but most of it I purchased this month. I was going to weave chickens. Robbie said we should choose a subject and after looking at some of the traditional subjects and weavings, there weren’t a lot of chickens, but Robbie had woven some and it seemed like the best choice for me.
I’m not complaining. The workshop absolutely should have been cancelled. Most of us didn’t realize two weeks ago that there was a big freight train of a pandemic roaring down upon us. Maybe I’ll soon have some time to go back and read all of Robbie’s blog and weave those chickens in billedev style as best I can.
The point is that now I’m at home with lots of yarn. And I even have sort of a plan for it… but without Robbie’s help it seems a little lackluster.
And in case you were afraid I would run out of yarn…
(Like you’d be afraid of that! But it does make my list of things I fear in life: being stuck without fiber projects for any length of time. I carry a Turkish spindle in my bag because of this fear and it has come in handy!)
Dye project which does include some yarn that was commissioned and some for teaching… but much of this is still hanging around waiting for me to have time to weave some big tapestries.
This yarn shelf used to be organized by hue… maybe I’ll put it back in order this week. Lots of this is for workshops, but I’m not above using it myself if I get desperate.
This shelf is the yarn for my next big tapestry.
Also, I can make yarn. I have a couple fleeces, a couple bags of top, and these braids. A spinning wheel and a few spindles… that should keep me busy for awhile.
Braids waiting to be spun hanging on my Leclerc Gobelin tapestry loom.
I am just celebrating the joy of yarn here. Much of this stash is actually for teaching, but in a pinch, I’d use it ya’all. Now is the time to dig into your stash and see what is there. And if there isn’t much, there are many small yarn shops that desperately need us to order from them. If you have the resources, you have my permission to purchase more yarn in support of a good cause. Take advantage of shops that are scrambling to go online. If they offer delivery or curb drop-off, consider that (maybe wear sunglasses and pretend it is a drug deal just for fun). Or just purchase a gift certificate online to use later if you really don’t need any more yarn right now (HOW could that be?).
What we can’t make light of is this coronavirus situation. The global severity of this thing we suddenly find ourselves in is stunning. I am alternately petrified by the news and heartened by the outpouring of support in the fiber community. I hope that weaving is something that can help those of us who need to stay home to do our part stay grounded and occupied. And to all my friends and family who work in essential industries, especially healthcare, I love you and your dedication and if yarn will help, please let me know. You are the people who are doing the most important work under increasingly impossible circumstances. There aren’t enough ways to express gratitude for that.**
Upcoming tapestry weaving programming online
In the comings days I’ll have more information about some online programing around tapestry weaving. If you do have to stay home and have time on your hands, let’s weave some tapestry. I think it helps in a very real way. It improves our mental health which can keep us out of the medical system and allows us to help those around us. And making art is always an important thing to do in crisis situations. Sharing via online platforms is a powerful way to stay connected, inspired, and out of the inevitable depression we are all starting to feel. I’ll post about it here once I figure out the details.
And if you need something right this minute, I have online courses that are full of people weaving away. THIS video will help you choose if you’re new here.
If you need two minutes of crazy yarn fun, revisit THIS video.
I never ever run out of yarn.
*It should be noted that we have fantastic yarn shops on the front range of Colorado. There are FOUR in Fort Collins. But when I need a calming respite, it is The Loopy Ewe for me every time. I think it is the way the yarn is perfectly organized. When I’m stressed I don’t want baskets of artfully displayed products. I want everything lined up and hung by size and color. I know exactly what is there even though there is a ton to choose from. I’m a “know all options before deciding” kind of gal when it comes to yarn. Also they don’t look at me funny when I wander up and down the aisles a hundred times.
**I have asked myself over the last few days if I still had a license, would I go back to help? Would I jump back into it and try to save the people who will most need help very soon? I like to think so, but it is such a hard question. What I can say is that the one thing I would ask is for PPE. Personal Protective Equipment. Our health system in situations like this uses unbelievable amounts of this stuff and it is in desperately short supply. Imagine trying to care for people without appropriate masks and gloves and gowns. This is why they’re asking us not to buy that stuff. Our medical staff needs it. If they are sick, they can’t do their jobs and we will need them to do their jobs at unbelievable levels very soon.
The last ball… when I finished prepping for Convergence 2014.