FROM TRASH TO TREASURES

Every year when I teach my Beginning 3-D class to spin their own yarn,

there are always bits and pieces of roving that fall to the floor,

or that the kids mess up on and give back to me.

So I collect these little bits and at the end of the spinning unit...

I drum card them into a big batt of fibery goodness.

Then I spin it up on my spinning wheel.

The ball above was spun and plied on itself,

but below I wanted to try to ply it up with another fiber,

so I chose a nubby speckled cotton.

Here is the skein off the bobbin in all it's glory...

ready to be knit, 

woven or crocheted into something fun.

Yarn Bombing a Branch

FREE FORM KNITTING

ADVANCED 3-D ART

handspun & dyed yarns, twigs, watercolored paper, wire, scrap fabric, tissue paper & misc. items

This was a new assignment that I tried out last school year with Karisma Dev

 when she was in 3rd year 3-D.  

It received so many raves that I wanted to bring it back again this year for senior Laarnie Barcelon, 

my sole Adv. 3-D student. 

The assignment really begin at the beginning of the school year when I gave Laarnie white roving to dye and spin up on the spinning wheel.

I encouraged her to make to spin as liberated as possible creating art yarns 

(We saw her earlier in the year on the blog spinning her brains out  :)

Then it was up to her to find something special to incorporate with the yarn for a mixed media effect.

She brought in a great looking branch that she cut into 3 pieces then reconfigured.

Working to the shapes in the branches she used a free form knitting technique to knit up her yarns

 so that she could stretch, 

weave and wrap them about the branches. 

She was also required to bring in additional media to compliment the work.

So when you look closely you see sheet music that's been watercolored,

some of it cut into butterflies.

I spy a stuffed felt bear head peeking out from a fabric nest,

coiled wire springs, and black rubber washers from the hardware store.

It's a perfect assignment for re-purposing. 

Art Yarn Rovings to Spin and Knit

I had an inquiry yesterday if the hand spun art yarns I knitted the triangle buntings from was dyed and carded by me.  Not this time.  I found this art yarn roving thru Cindy Monte's blog Handstories - Adventures with fiber and Life.  Here is the card below that came with these crazy wonderful rovings.  I'm planning on getting more, her selection is great!I 

Kevin & Nida, This Heart is for You!

When seniors Nida Fatima and Kevin Tang built these Twig Sculptures separately they honestly didn't like them very much, so both kids donated them to me to teach with this year.  Well over the summer I had stacked them on top of each other and when I pulled them out the other day I liked the way they fit together, like a big heart.  So I took some wire and laced them as one.  What do you think??

Here is the place I have displayed it;  over top my fresh new dye garden.  Sorry about the shady cast shadows.

Also this summer I spun up a bit of art yarn and made bunting triangles, then used the clothespins that we over-dyed in our Tye-Dye unit to hang them with.  Pretty clever, huh??

I've brought in some new dye plants to work with this year, a deep red African daisy, an ornamental chili plant, marigolds, begonias and basil.  so we'll see what happens.

In the meantime, I miss your infectious smile Nida, and your crazy wonderful laugh Kev.  

Can't wait for you two to visit and tell me all about college life  :)

Lots of love to you both!