March 2021

New pattern in VÄV, braids, exceptional drawing, scissors, & more...

Hello,

How are you? I am thrilled that the snowdrops are appearing in my favourite garden around the corner (hellebores too — and I know the bluebells are coming next). I love living somewhere with seasons, even if I do feel frozen to the bone half the year — it makes things that feel mundane in September (like leaves) feel miraculous in March.

I have a few things to share this month — somehow many more than I expected. I’ve taken to keeping a list of things I want to share with you; I really enjoy connecting people to things that I think they would like, and even though I don’t know every single subscriber personally, there’s enough folks with like minds on here that I know at least some of you will appreciate, for example, a video about scissor-making.

I’ve decided to shelve my Sunday Sample project for the time being. I waffle precariously between trying to make a living from my work and not wanting to monetize every single thing I do (or make). It was starting to feel too much like monetizing instead of the fun project that I initially envisioned, so I’ve put the idea away. Perhaps after some time in the cupboard it will come out again (there are a few projects guiltily hiding in there, so WHO KNOWS), but thank you to everyone who expressed interest anyway — I really appreciate it.

Now onto the fun stuff!

New Pattern

Subscribers to VÄV Magasinet have hopefully received their latest issue, which includes a pattern by me! This cushion project uses a draft you might recognize (Jämtlandsdräll, or crackle weave) and pairs the Portuguese yarn Mondim from Rosa Pomar with Bockens Nialin. Knitters might be familiar with the Rosa Pomar range (since it’s geared towards that audience), but it makes beautiful weaving yarn too; all of their yarns are created using the wool of heritage sheep breeds and support sheep farmers across the country. Mondim is a smooth three ply but this pattern would be flexible to many different materials! Subscribe to VÄV here.

Wool!

While we’re on the topic of wool, I’ve been doing some website photography for a local farmer here in Ontario. Twin Oaks Fibre Farm raises Romney and Rambouillet sheep (maybe others too??), and their yarn is exceptional! Most is naturally coloured and spun here in Ontario, and it’s been very difficult to give it all back to Laura, especially the wool/mohair sock yarn that you can see below… Please visit their web shop to order yarn or roving and support my fibreshed!

ਮੁਹਾਰਨੀ MUHAARNI

My friend Japneet Kaur is an incredible artist, and I love the series of paintings she’s been sharing on her Instagram account. I met Japneet when she had the booth across from mine at my first City of Craft show — I contemplated spending every penny I made on her ceramic pieces and eyed her across the aisle the whole weekend, and I feel so lucky to call her a friend. Muhaarni is, in Japneet’s words, “a compilation of 35 letters of an alphabet that knit a richly textured yarn of stories around me as a child, the first letters that danced sweetly in my ears. My tiny love letter to Punjabi, the language I am most at home in.”

(c) Japneet Kaur, used with permission

I think Hahaa, the 5th letter, is my favourite, mostly because I love Indian sweets-!! But really, the entire series is beautiful for both the eyes and the mind, since each of Japneet’s posts include a text about her childhood memories growing up. Having been to India I can vividly imagine her drawings come to life, but I don’t think you need to have been there to appreciate the colours and scents and sounds and pure energy — her amazing story-telling paintings really capture it. You can visit Japneet’s Instagram here, the Muhaarni blog here (it has line drawings that can be printed out for those who like colouring!), or visit her Etsy store here.

Scissors

My boyfriend sent me this YouTube video and it’s too good not to share, not in the least because of the job title “master putter-together.” I think it sums up a lot of what I feel about doing my own craft — that subtle touch that says so much but is almost impossible to articulate.

Click the image below or this link to watch.

Moeki Yamada

Some weaving inspiration for you: I love these azuma bags by Barcelona-based weaver Moeki Yamada. She explains, “traditionally people used furoshiki (a big square cloth) to carry around things in Japan. Azuma bag had been invented when the concept of occidental tridimensional bag arrived. Japanese people made their version by folding and sewing furoshiki with a few straight lines, and making knots at the top to create a handle.” I have an azuma bag that was a gift from my friends at Tsubamekobo, and it’s a wonderful and useful shape, but this dreamy madder red is really doing it for me. Visit her new website here or follow her on Instagram.

Photograph (c) Moeki Yamada, used with permission

Braiding

The latest in my Gist Yarn weaving how-to series is live — if you’ve ever wondered how to twist a fringe, this article will hopefully be very helpful for you! Read it here.

Thanks for reading through my newsletter! I am currently working on some small commissions (the extra pieces will be on my webshop… eventually) and trying to make space in my loom schedule to do some ‘fun’ weaving before I start working on my next pattern. If there’s something I’ve made that you’d like — please get in touch and let me know! I’m open to commissions and while sometimes it takes a while for me to get to it (there really is a loom schedule…), I do get there!

As always, please get in touch by hitting reply on this email or leaving a comment below.

be well,

amanda