House Study/Handmade

My winter artist-in-residence project at Wave Hill has begun. I am now in-residence each Tuesday and Saturday from (at least) 11 am to 3 pm and welcoming visitors during that time. Everyone is invited to come and stay awhile. I am spinning yarn made wool that I am dyeing from both plant dyes and from materials I am collecting from the staff - their tea bags and coffee ground, orange peels, onion skins, and so on. All the yarn I am spinning, I give away to visitors with the agreement that they knit a hat with it and bring the hat back. All the hats will be on display and, in the spring, we will have a hat party. Everyone who knits a hat, gets a hat. Extra hats will be donated to a worthy cause in the Bronx.

I started this past Tuesday and, amazingly enough, I have had a steady flow of visitors. I have been scrambling to keep up with the yarn. Most people leave with a slightly damp skein in hand. I tried to prep for today but again, I was scrambling. Right at 11 am a large group arrived expecting a workshop. I did my best to teach them the basics about wool, carding, and spinning all the while feeling a little panicked about how I was teaching, not spinning. And still people poured in. Fortunately everyone was happy and eager to learn, and happy to wait a little for their yarn.

Unexpectedly, people really love carding, so I have been taking advantage of this phenomena but having visitors card while I spin. Somehow it all works out and no one has gone away without yarn. It is very gratifying to see people, all ages, genders, ethnicities, deeply interested in how to make yarn.

Here is a view from Wave Hill - that little strip of blue is the mighty Hudson River. It is hard to believe we are still within city limits here.

This is the Glyndor Gallery - home to four artists this winter. As you can see, it is not exactly roughing it.

This is the view of my studio space from outside. I have the sunroom.

This is the sunroom from inside. It looks so lovely and peaceful, doesn't it? In a few minutes, it would be chaos. But a good kind of chaos.

Here are some photos of the yarn that has gone out the door.

This skein was carded by two brothers, I am guessing not older than six or so. They picked the most lovely colours. In fact, if I may generalize, boys love carding and spinning. Or so has been my experience so far.

This was the wool table by 3 pm. See, good chaos!

Join me, if you are around. We will have some fun together making good chaos.