souvenirs

old and new monday

 

 

 

Angie (Kindred Threads) usually documents our monthly Monday weaving happenings on her blog; but I had a serious crush on two woven pieces last Monday, and I had also remembered my camera.

Elin, our Danish friend, made a new, wool roving wrapped, jute core, rug.  She had the yarn made for her by an Amish mill. It was simply a wonderful rug.

Angie brought out a new scarf she wove in creamy organic cotton and Habu tsumugi silk (brown). This is a classic gingham check  scarf design, which  I have woven a few times, using the Swedish mosquito net (myggtjall) gauze weave.  She took this design to a new level, I thought,  with perfect materials, sett, and texture. She added a thicker cotton yarn in the warp, and at the edge of each white weft stripe, to change the texture, and emphasize the stripe. Then she carried it along the edge, until it was needed again for the next weft stripe. I felt swept away by its simple perfection, proving that the things we think we know can always be new again.

fleeting

 

 

 

 

We have spring here, but it has been painfully slow to arrive.  At last, many of the song
birds are back, and the flowers, called ephemerals:  Spring Beauty (small pink clusters),
Dutchmen's Breeches, or Gentlemen's Pants, as my kids called them,  look like little white silk bloomers hanging along a fragile stem.

Blood Root, the stem bleeds on your hand when you pick it, Wild Ginger,  Trout Lilies, and others. Delicate, they soon disappear. I have seen no violets, yet.

This slow spring has been good weaving weather, no snow shoveling, no grass mowing. My paper

weaves are inspired by the suspended blossoms of wild cherry in the mostly gray trunked and leafless

understory of the hillside woods. There is moss, many shades of beautiful green, fresh moss. The scent is wonderful and earthy. 

 The wild hen-turkey has made her nest behind my store, on the other side of the creek. She has feathering the color and pattern of twigs, dead leaves, shadow, and earth. It's almost impossible to see her on her nest, even if you look directly at her. Her neck is so slender, it seems it would snap if she turns her head too quickly. Otherwise, she is big, like a goose. She sits motionless, undetected until  she rises to eat sunflower seeds at the birdfeeder.

Wind and birds, stripes and crosses

 To a query from a potential scarf customer:

Hi, Rachel.
 I keep feeling drawn by all the design and color possibilities, and textures of my favorite yarns--linen, hemp, cotton and silk. I like to start with the square cross, to ground the piece. Filling this square design with diagonal goose-eye pattern is weaving bliss, for me.

I'm so pleased you respond to it. I even like to wear these myself, sometimes. But usually don't for fear someone will ask "Did you weave this?" I don't know why that should be so intimidating. When I have worn it, I'm amazed at the random positive responses I hear, similar to the approval I remember feeling when I walked down a street pregnant.  (the long answer!)

Yes, there will be more.
Susan

mating season

People are suffering with this spring tease, but, I love the slow, cold melt.  I have new warps on my looms, and fresh yarn supplies. Spring peepers, the small frogs with the shrill high pitched call, have sounded from the river, Breed! Breed! Breed!  The poor, hen turkey is still hanging around my yard during the day, with no turkey-guy in sight. Raccoons squabble at night at the compost heap, and wild coyote whooping seems to surround me in the dark, as I hurry back to the house from the shop late at night.  I'm not actually afraid, but a little.

Amy Arnold and Kelsey Sauber Olds'  spring show is here, just around the corner in my workshop.  A rare treat to have this work to look at (until May 11) the wood figures seem to catch the buzz of all this sexy, and earthy restlessness.  I love the soft colors on wood, and the mysterious thoughts these carved beings seem to be keeping to themselves, as if, just when I enter the room, they all stopped talking.

Heartwood, Amy Arnold and Kelsey Sauber Olds carved wood figures, Wed - Sat, 10 - 5,
April 6 - May 11, 2013

To get to Avalanche Looms:  from Hwy 14 between Viroqua and Westby, take County Y east 6.5 miles to Avalanche Rd. Red building on right side of road 1/10 mi from intersection.  e / susan@avalanchelooms.com

heartwood: Amy Arnold & Kelsey Sauber Olds

Artists Amy Arnold and Kelsey Sauber Olds will show new carved wood figures here at Avalanche
Looms for the months of April - May 11, 2012.   Next Saturday, April 6,  Heartwood opens (with pastries and coffee) from 1 - 5 in the afternoon.  Please come.

I already posted a link to this photo essay about Amy and Kelsey, created by Ray and Kelly Siler, photographers, who are embarked on a project to create photo essays and interviews with artists who live in this area of Wisconsin. In case you missed seeing it, please look. It is a lovely portrait of the Arnold-Sauber Olds at home and work, and an interview!

To get to Avalanche Looms:  from Hwy 14 between Viroqua and Westby, take County Y east 6.5 miles to Avalanche Rd. Red building on right side of road 1/10 mi from intersection.
   

goin' back to my old gal Sue

Gathering my wits about me, with coffee cup and morning light, I just heard about an architect whose name is Mr. Swinghammer!  The day holds promise.  I have a newly made cushion to look upon, and freshly felted slippers. The slippers are a far cry from the Pia Wallen slippers I visualized while I vigorously felted, what seemed to be a bale of wool, for several hours. They're more paleo than Pia. When they had finally reduced in size to a pair of large bread loaves, I stopped to recuperate my strength. Felting requires persistence, and fortitude.  The next day, I started in again, and that they now fit on my feet is a (small) miracle.

 I made them in a  felt making workshop offered by artist, Amy Arnold, who usually carves and paints wood figures with her husband, Kelsey Sauber Olds. I've invited them to show their carvings here at Avalanche Looms for the month of April, starting with a coffee table 0pening on Saturday, April 6, from 1 - 5.  Everyone welcome to come, with or without felt shoes.