Historic Fibers

Elements

I've finished a few hats, which are going off to the Artery today. I started a season based on the theme, the Four Elements. It turned out that the most inspiring element was fire, and I had no trouble at all coming up with ideas. The only issue with these hats is that the colors do not work on me at all. I'm sure they will look great on someone else, but they make me look pale, and not in a romantic, ethereal way. Oh well. The hats are the point, not me.

Here we have Flame, which is a really great shape:

 
Next, we have Ember, which is a nice hat that I truly cannot do justice:

I love orange. I wish I could wear it. The last of the fire hats is Torch, and it is an incredibly beautiful hat. The felt is topped with a piece of hand dyed silk, which gives it an amazing texture:

Another shot of Torch: The Hat:

I also dabbled a bit with Earth and here we have Moss:

One more shot of Moss:

And finally, we have Sunlight on Water:

Now off to get these tagged and out the door. Have a great weekend!

Bailing as Fast as I Can

I'm in the midst of the typical end-of-semester gradefest. I'm finishing up the last batch of term papers in preparation for receiving final exams tomorrow and the next day. The goal is to have the finals graded and overall grades submitted by Friday so I can have a clear conscience to enjoy some spinning with the crew on Friday night. And all of this means that other, more interesting projects are on hold.

But I did manage to spare a few minutes to check out the latest Knitty, which was up yesterday. I was pleased to see that two of my friends are featured. Tactile's glorious alpaca/tussah silk blend got a glowing review in Knittyspin, and my friend, Marlowe Crawford, one of my partners in crime from the Deep Color days, has a wonderful new sock pattern.

I was taken with a couple of sweater patterns as well, especially the King of Confidence cardigan that uses odd bits and pieces of handspun mixed with commercial yarns. It just so happens that I have a whole basket full of appropriate handspun odds and ends:

Some of these are finer, but I could have a good time cable plying the sport and fingering to make it work. I think that will be my next project, after the Scotland sweater of course. But until then, I'll be focused on grading, and bailing as fast as I can to get to the point where I can forget about school for a few weeks!

The Last Word

I picked up an interesting item yesterday, and even though I ordered it, knew what it would look like, and got exactly what I expected, it still took my breath away:

I had a copy of my dissertation bound for myself. I had not originally intended to do so, but it turns out that I had a spare copy and didn't want to just scrap it, and now I'm very glad I had it bound.

I have never discussed my dissertation topic on the blog before, partly because it has nothing to do with fiber or textiles, and partly because while in the throes of the psychic bloodletting that is dissertation writing, I really haven't wanted to talk about it. But I'll fill you in now. I am a 20th century historian, and my research focus is gender and sexuality. I do not personally self-identify as a lesbian, but the research going on in LGBT history is some of the most interesting on the topic, and it allows researchers all sorts of options to look at human relationships in new ways. Although human sexual behaviors and practices have not really changed much in recorded history, the ways various cultures at different times have valued those practices and behaviors have changed radically over time, and a historical inquiry into these changes can be illuminating.

My dissertation looked at the Gay Games from 1982 to 1994 to trace the shift in the narratives promoted by the Gay Rights Movement from one that propounded that gay and lesbian sexuality was healthy to an argument that promoted civil rights based on the fact that gays and lesbians were a strong niche consumer market. I'm sure those of you in California and other states where gay marriage has been a ballot measure have heard the rhetoric that equal rights for gays and lesbians would bring an economic windfall, and I wanted to know how and why that particular argument got started, since it hasn't really existed to any significant extent in other American civil rights movements.

The reason for this change, in a nutshell, was the AIDS epidemic. As more and more members of the gay community began dying from AIDS and the U.S. government failed to respond directly to the epidemic, gay and lesbian activists started grass roots AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs). They increasingly applied for and were granted government-based funding to provide care that other health-related entities were unwilling to give. What started out as small groups with shoestring budgets quickly turned into large, sophisticated, professional organizations that had money to spend on providing education and treatment for People with AIDS (PWAs). This did not go unnoticed by mainstream corporations, who began marketing to the gay and lesbian population, oftentimes in ways that masked their target demographic to mainstream viewers.

The dissertation traces this shift by looking at the relationship between sports and social movements, and begins with an overview of other marginalized groups that have used sporting events to integrate into American society - African Americans, women, and people with disabilities. I then move on to closely examine the first four Gay Games, to contrast the difference in approaches, and the changes in narrative and representation that resulted from the AIDS epidemic.

This wasn't a happy topic. The chapter on the AIDS epidemic itself was one of the hardest things I've ever written, because it made me terribly sad, angry, and emotional to research and remember that terrifying time. At the same time, the ways that a group of people who had been persecuted and discriminated against banded together to care for the fallen left me awestruck and humbled. I'm still not exactly sure what to think about the ways their actions were recast and interpreted for capitalist gain, since they were often willing participants in that process, but the whole thing is pretty fascinating nonetheless.

I am proud of most of the work that I did on this project (not all, but most), and I'm positively giddy that it is done. And that's really all I want to say about it, for the time being anyway.

First Spin

I've finished a skein of the alpaca silk that I have been spinning on the new wheel, and here's what that looks like:

This is a 3-ply yarn, and it came out around 17-18 wpi, which according to Ravelry makes it lighter than a fingering weight (14 wpi). Doesn't that sound wrong? I was fairly certain this was closer to a sport weight. Plus, I spun 2 ounces and only ended up with 147 yards, meaning I'm getting about 1200 yards per pound, which puts it at sport weight. Anyone else questioning Ravelry's wraps classifications? And if so, do you have a more accurate source, or a better method of classifying handspun?

In any event, choosing an alpaca silk for my first trial on the Schacht Matchless was a good thing. Both alpaca and silk will take more twist than wool, and I needed that leeway while getting to know this wheel. If I had been spinning wool, this would have been hopelessly overplied, but as it stands, it's pretty nice. I'll spin another 2 ounces of this same blend, and then move on to something else. Since alpaca is so much warmer than wool, I'm thinking gloves.

Angst Over Scotland

You may have been wondering what happened to the Scotland sweater, because of course the state of my knitting projects is of deep and lasting concern to the entire universe. The short answer is, not much has been happening aside from prolonged rumination and angst. This is kind of annoying, since I was fairly well convinced that Scotland and the dissertation would be done at approximately the same time. The dissertation is done, but the sweater is still hanging around. It has been so cold here lately that I have really been wishing for an extra warm sweater, and I could put it good use right about now. So what's the hold up?

I got to a point where I *thought* I had completed one sleeve, and had started the next. But that little voice in the back of my mind - you know the one - kept saying "the first sleeve isn't long enough." Experience has taught me that woe will befall me if I do not listen to that little voice, so I've been stalled trying to decide what to do.

The issue here is that the first sleeve has all the decreases done, so if I just made the sleeve longer, it would be loose-fitting at the top (as it should be) and then tight from about the middle of the forearm down. I wasn't really going for a leg o' mutton effect on this sweater. I thought about making the ribbing longer, but it seems like an unacceptable compromise. I am slowly, slowly facing the reality that I'm going to have to rip back at least part of the way and add an extra plain round between decreases to end up with the length I need. Acceptance, in this case, is not coming easily.

I may need to resort to my time-tested method of breaking through this type of resistance: a glass of wine, a favorite DVD, a deep breath, and go. We'll see how it works.

Celebrating Bites Back

I am regrettably late in posting this week, mainly because I got into celebration mode last weekend and haven't been able to shake the persistent feeling that goofing off should be the norm rather than a special occasion activity. This should probably be two blog posts, in fact, but I have managed to scrape up a modicum of momentum, so I'm just going to do it all in one whack.

So! Thanksgiving! Not one of my favorite holidays, mainly because I have issues with state-mandated gratitude (and also patriotism, which is why I don't care for 4th of July either). My personal approach to The Day involves stubbornly refusing all invitations, staying in my pajamas and making cheese fondue. It was perfect.

The weekend dawned with a trip to Berkeley to visit Claudia, who was holding a felting open house. When I arrived, I had to wait for some real estate to free up at the felting tables, since the event is always very well-attended:

The project du jour was a merino scarf, and here is how mine turned out:

This is a little bit short, and I may use it as something other than a scarf, perhaps to make journal covers. There was also fiber acquisition in the form of merino and hand-dyed silk:

But wait! There's more! Next I headed over to Maia's to revel in a little more fiber appreciation, and also for a whiskey tasting. We had arranged for me to spend the night there, and I brought along a special bottle of scotch (Talisker's limited edition 175th anniversary release, in case you're interested) that I had been saving for some post-dissertation hoopla.

First, there was more fiber acquisition:

This is one of Tactile's new products, an Ancient Breeds sampler. Here we have one ounce each of Finn, Gotland, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Shetland, all thoughtfully labeled so you can tell what you are spinning. Brilliant. There are also alpaca samplers, camelid samplers, and silk samplers to allow spinners, dyers, and felters to try various fibers at a reasonable price.

I also scored a red and purple grab bag of various fibers that will blend well in felt. I love how these are packaged:

This is really the perfect thing for felters, since often it is helpful to mix lots of little bits of various colored wool into projects.

Finally, the piece de resistance - a new cocobolo Spindlewood spindle and some yak/merino:

 
In the past, I have more or less restricted myself to serviceable spindles, because I have an apalling habit of stepping on them and breaking the shaft. I will be very, very careful with this spindle, because it is beautiful, perfectly balanced, and spins better than any spindle I have ever used. I am smitten, and I now completely understand why people become so attached to their spindles.

After all the fiber appreciation, it was time to move on to the main event: whiskey tasting. Maia's husband, Roger, has a group of friends who do whiskey tastings once per month, and it was pretty fascinating to participate and listen to them discuss the various samples. They were very pleased to have a chance to try the Talisker that I brought along, and I really enjoyed getting to try the bourbons, ryes, and scotches that they pulled out to compare and contrast. I should note that the tasting was just that - I only had a tiny little sip of each sample, because I would have been face down in the corner otherwise. Here is what the aftermath of a whiskey tasting looks like:

A good time was had by all. To cap off the evening, here is where I got to sleep:

In the Tactile fiber storage room! I suppose that explains why they got me all liquored up - I couldn't very well make off with the goods after tasting all that whiskey!

Maia and Roger were the perfect hosts, and they spoiled me rotten. They wouldn't let me help with the dishes, or make up my own bed, or unmake my own bed, or really lift a finger to do anything useful. It was rather disconcerting, since I'm usually the caretaker. It took a little mental adjustment to allow myself to be coddled. And one thing especially touched me - they cooked for me. Roger made an amazing Jambalaya, and the next morning, Maia made me waffles! It's been ages since anyone cooked just for me (without being paid for it), so that was truly special.

I had a wonderful time and I have lots of new fiber and a new spindle to show for it, so what's the problem? Well, I had such a good time that I don't want it to end! I'm having a terrible time this week getting back to the daily grind, which is the downside to celebrating.

Celebrating Past, Present, and Future

There has been a lot of post-dissertation celebrating going on around here. It all started with a trip to see a film, a visit to the art supply store where I picked up all kinds of goodies to play with, and an epic journey to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Not to mention the purchase of a special spinning wheel that I have been lusting after for years. These were instances where I celebrated alone, a little "good job, have a cookie," moment of encouragement from me to me.

The latest episode involved Actual Other People. I gave my spinning friends the heads up that I would be venturing to Berkeley to attend our spinning group, and that there had been major accomplishments that needed serious acknowledgment. I ordered cupcakes and bought wine. My spinning friends brought even more wine, and I came home with more than I took. I have great friends, and all of them are trying to get me hopelessly drunk. (Perhaps not surprisingly, friends, family members, and academic advisors have all been encouraging me to drink heavily for a couple of years now. I suspect I have been a bit tense.)

Maia took me out to dinner before spinning, and we had a really great talk about all things business-ey, because Maia is brilliant when it comes to taking care of business. She is also full of great ideas. Then we wandered back to Knit-One-One and met up with the gang, letting the wool, cupcakes, and wine corks fly. The usual suspects were there - Kira, Mrs. Pie, Jill, a half-dozen others who I'm failing to mention, and of course, Maia. We had a guest appearance by the most excellent WonderMike, who has a new podcast, Fiber Beat. Michael collaborated on the Y Knit podcast previously, so he is an old hand. His new podcast will be branching out and tackling all forms of fiber art rather than focusing only on knitting, he is also doing video supplements for the podcasts, and he has contests with each new episode, so be sure to check him out. He is funny and charming, and your iPod will approve.

I managed to resist the temptation to overimbibe and dance on the table tops, since I did have a bit of a drive to get home, but another celebration is in the works for the coming weekend. I'm heading off to attend Claudia's felting open house, followed by another session of plotting world domination with Maia. I didn't realize that somehow Maia has managed to avoid seeing the 19th century knitting journal in person, and since she knits lace and I don't, I really need her input on that project. We'll take care of that in a couple of days. There will be more celebrating on that occasion, since I have a rather special bottle of scotch that needs to be opened with friends. In fact, I'm having such a good time that I may be celebrating for the rest of my life!

Dyeing From Curiousity

When Meg-the-spinner came to pick up Julia-the-wheel, we had a fascinating conversation about natural dyeing. Meg is one of the old school natural dyers, the kind that makes her own dyes from things hanging around in her environment. I, on the other hand, am one of the "save time, buy prepared extracts" kind of dyers, but I've always been curious about the other approach.

Meg was the first person I have encountered to make that old school style sound accessible. Whereas I had heard the process described as acquiring huge quantities of raw dyestuffs and laboriously processing them into dye, Meg described peeling an avocado for dinner, chopping up the peel, tossing it in a jar with some liquid, then waiting a couple of days for dye to develop. Or using the water leftover from steaming beets. Of course, I couldn't dye a huge quantity of fiber using this method, and some of the dyes might not be extremely lightfast, but for the purpose of experimentation, it is completely doable.

Meg came back the other day bearing gifts. She brought me a jar of in-progress copper blue:

This is just a couple of small pieces of copper pipe marinating in vinegar, and will eventually produce a blue/green dye. I had tried this process before, but apparently the copper pipe I used had anti-tarnish agents added to it, and I was soaking it in ammonia. It didn't work, and was a bad-smelling, frustrating experience. Meg brought old copper pipe, sans anti-tarnish ingredients, and it is already turning the vinegar a faint bluish shade. I can't wait to see what this is going to do.

Meg also brought samples of some of the things she has dyed:

Indigo, avocado, and beets (The pale green is from beets! Imagine that!). The fibers are silk, angora, and locks of some sort - possibly mohair?

I'm starting to consider this whole making-your-own-dyestuffs process, and found Felix talking about her own experiments on her blog today.

Perhaps it's a sign of things to come.

Art Appreciation 101

I've gotten used to having the dissertation finished with astonishing speed, even though it was a thorn in my side for literally years. I credit this quick adjustment to the fact that I have a substitute obligation with which to flagellate myself waiting in the wings. Instead of constantly feeling like "I should be working on the dissertation," that inner directive has been replaced by the constant feeling that "I should be making some felt."

The problem is that finishing the dissertation took a lot out of me. I am creatively drained. My inner landscape was starting to look a lot like the Lord of the Flies, with this constant struggle. I should be making art. But I can't. But I should. But I can't. Gah.

The only thing to do in such a situation is the most counterintuitive thing possible - goof off. Be frivolous. Be silly. Do nothing remotely productive. And so, with this in mind, I set off to spend the day at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I imagined skipping gleefully among the permanent collection, visiting old favorites and new treasures. Like all my museum visits, I started at the top.

You may remember my mentioning that the coffee place at the top of the museum makes one Mondrian cake per day, and I really wanted a piece of that cake. Here it is:

Pretty, isn't it? I actually wanted to take a picture of the cake sitting on top of Robert Arneson's head (or at least his statue's head) but the guard took umbrage. I found that to be particularly ironic, since Arneson was known for his irreverance and anarchism, and he would have absolutely approved of my photographing the cake on his head. No matter. As it turns out, the cake looks better than it tastes, but it was still a worthwhile endeavor.

I next went down to a special exhibit of Richard Avedon's photography, expecting to see a lot of his fashion work. There were a few iconic fashion images, but mostly there were portraits - amazing portraits. I was absolutely floored by a series taken of his father - from late middle age through two final photographs of his elderly father in a hospital gown. They were incredibly respectful and compassionate images, and they conveyed the human dignity underlying the indignity of aging. They were extremely powerful, absolutely devastating, and have stayed with me ever since.

I was then ready to refresh myself with the permanent collection - only to be disappointed. The entire second floor was closed to install the big 75th anniversary exhibit, and only a few paintings were available for viewing. But I had an epiphany about art appreciation that I thought I would pass along.

A lot of people are intimidated by contemporary art, and really, the thing you need to know about it is whatever you think and whatever you feel about it is valid. Most times, artists don't give you a lot of clues to tell you what their intentions were, and that is really the point. It's all about your reaction and figuring out what it means to you. And I suppose that lack of direction makes people uncomfortable, since so many of the images we are deluged with daily are specifically designed to be readily recognizable and understandable in less than 2 seconds.

So I've come up with a way to cheat and sound like you know what you're talking about when viewing contemporary art. If you are honestly flummoxed and have no idea what the heck that thing is supposed to be, just tell yourself "It's about the environment," and try to interpret it that way. It almost always works with modern art.

So, for example, here we have a Clifford Styll. This is actually one of my favorite paintings at the MOMA, and it is massive in scale. It is helpfully titled, "Untitled." It's about the environment:

And here we have a Phillippe Guston. Very different in style from the Styll, but also about the environment:

Finally, we have two Diebenkorns. Here is the first one - it's about the environment:

And finally, another Diebenkorn, also about the environment:

I hope that helps everyone feel better about contemporary art. It's all about the environment. Class dismissed.

Goodbye Old Friend

I found a happy new home for the Ashford spinning wheel. She is staying in the area, and I couldn't be more pleased about that. Even though I may never see her again, it's just nice to know she's there.

The new owner is another one of those people (like me) who names things. And in the course of our conversation about natural dyeing and spinning and all things fiber-related, she started referring to her new wheel as "Julia." Which is my name, and which totally freaked me out at first. Usually objects that want names sort of tell you what they would like to be called, and that wheel has never told me its name. So I asked the new owner about it, and she looked at me, somewhat surprised, and said "She has your spirit." Oh. Of course. Makes absolute sense to me, and once I got used to the idea, I really liked it.

Nice to know that somewhere in the world, there is a spinner named Meg and a wheel named Julia making beautiful yarn together.