January 2024
A slow start to the new year
In this newsletter you’ll find:
Studio views.
Things to watch and see.
Save the date: Knotwork.
Choosing the right shuttle.
Housekeeping.
Studio Views
Last year I decided I would use Instagram less and instead share photographs from my studio life here, in my newsletter, because it felt more like writing letters to a friend and less like putting things out into the void.
In December I finished up my end-of-term grading and then I got the awful cold that was going around and spent two weeks feeling wiped out. I had been looking forward to time being in the studio but it didn’t happen how I expected it to. I still spent time in here, doing low-key projects, prep work and trying to play.
I was talking with a friend from my knitting group last week, and she shared the observation that when she pictured her friends as her audience, her writing/public speaking came much more naturally and she was better able to say what she wanted to, how she wanted to. I agree with this! I think my best work always comes when I make something for someone specific, not just to suit a random idea in my head.
Things to Watch and See
I enjoyed watching this video on nibutani attushi, a textile made by the Ainu people in Hokkaido, Japan, from a type of elm tree. The bark is stripped in long pieces and laboriously processed, spun, dyed, and woven into cloth.
I’m planning a visit to Genealogies of Sustenance, an exhibition at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto. Bringing together ceramic and film work that explores a range of themes around ancestry, the land, and sustenance, it’s curated by Gardiner Museum curatorial resident Sarah Edo, who I recently met.
Different Things in Different Scenes by Jasmine Gui in C Mag Issue 156: Craft. A look at the Ichigo-Ichie Tea project during Nuit Blanche 2022 (which I was very peripherally involved with, making one small textile for the evening).
Just in at the library, Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close, by Hannah Carlson.
Save the Date: Knotwork
Weaving pals Sandy Lamb (Montreal, Quebec) and Miriam Parkman (Stockholm, Sweden) are having an exhibition this spring at Craft Ontario in Toronto titled Knotwork. Their exhibition will be March 9-April 21, 2024, with an opening reception on Saturday March 9th.
Miriam and I have been cooking a few things up, including an opportunity to take a creative rya workshop with her in Toronto. If you’re interested in learning more about this workshop opportunity, put Saturday March 16th on hold, and please reply to this newsletter or leave a comment and I’ll make sure to let you know when details are finalized.
Which Shuttle When?
I wrote a short article about the many varieties of weaving shuttles for the Gist Yarn blog that’s just been published. If you’ve ever wondered what a rag shuttle is or if it’s time to upgrade to a boat shuttle, I hope this article will be helpful for you: read it here. I had a great time taking out all of the shuttles I’ve been given or collected over the years, but if I’m being honest… There’s only about 5 I use on a regular basis!
Housekeeping
It’s time to move some things on from my studio to yours. For sale is my ~1970s single treadle Ashford Traditional spinning wheel. Lovingly care for (if a bit dusty), this wheel comes with a lazy kate and three (small) bobbins. It’s a great wheel, I just don’t use it anymore and I’m keen on reclaiming the space it takes up. I’m open to offers; pickup in Hamilton or Toronto.
amanda
I desperately want to take the rya workshop...what a great idea! I think the date actually works for me, and I'm going to look into travel plans 🤞