Speak to Me

Ideas for my fiber projects come from many sources: from nature, from dreams, from my dog, from my friends, from science, and more.

Sometimes the fiber or yarn just speaks to me directly. I am at the beginning of a few projects right now that have started with the fiber talking to me. Let me share a few examples.

For my birthday this year, my friend Carol S. gave me a tiny jade plant in a pot that her son, Vince, had made. A lovely gift.


She wrapped it in tissue paper and tied it with a strand of a ribbon yarn. That tidbit of yarn Spoke To Me. Here’s a fuzzy picture of it. (My camera does not like close-ups.)


I put the yarn bit on my desk next to my computer and fondled it frequently, wishing I could have more of it. I wanted to knit it. Bad. I had developed quite a crush on that yarn. Ultimately I asked Carol if she could part with the yarn. And! She agreed! I now have the yarn sitting on my desk. I know I will knit some drapey, tunic length cardigan, with ¾ length sleeves. I don’t know when I’ll knit it, but I will.

Another example. Last weekend, at the Spring Fiber Fling, the fiber cupid struck. Joanne Dufour was one of the vendors. She raises alpacas. One of the fibers that she’d brought was a blend of true black alpaca with a goodly amount of multi-colored silk noil. I was smitten.


My plan is to create a marl yarn with one ply of this alpaca/silk and one ply of a light blue-to-light lavender Polwarth wool roving. I’ve already started the spinning. Mmmmm.

One more example. Many years ago, I bought some mohair boucle yarn at Personal Threads, a terrific yarn shop in Omaha, Nebraska. The yarn was being discontinued, so the shop had it in a sale bin. What luck for me. It’s a lovely raspberry color with splashes of many other vibrant colors including lime green, brown, many reds, turquoise, and peach.


I did not have to fondle the yarn for long before I bought it. This yarn has been maturing in my stash since then. On occasion I would open the drawer that contains the yarn and consider its future. At first I wanted to knit an oversized pullover with a dramatic cowl collar. But recently I got an idea for an afghan with an asymmetrical zigzag lace pattern. The swatching and designing are done, and I started knitting it last night. Oh, ah!