Issue 43, hitting restart on your daily fiber practice

getting back into the creative loop

hey everybody,

The new year is up and running at full speed, isn’t it? I’ve spent a fair amount of time out of town here and there in the past 6 weeks, and while I’ve done a lot of knitting, not much of that travel time has been spent on freeform. Finishing some pattern based works in progress has been satisfying, but I’m itching to get back into freeform projects.

I could stand to double down on my freeform daily practice goals, and this time of year seems like a good time to do it. What perfect timing to find this video from Austin Kleon in his January 30th newsletter, in which he claims that for artists, every day is Groundhog Day. In this four minute video, Austin makes a case for the daily practice of creative work, and his words really motivate me.

And that’s a good thing, because I find it difficult to drag out a freeform work in progress and jump right back into it. My mindset has to shift in a way that’s hard to identify, and it easy to procrastinate. I know that showing up at my work table every day is the way to encourage that shift, and it’s a commitment I enjoy making…over and over. Like eating healthy and getting enough exercise, it’s a easy to fall out of the habit of a daily fiber practice, but it’s comforting to know that we can redirect ourselves back to any of our daily practices an infinite number of times.

Right now, the project in question is this wrap. I love the colors and working with the spirals, but somewhere along the way I set it aside.

I’m excited about adding more curvy lines and fleshing out a shape, it’s time to make a decision about that. Crescent? Shallow triangle? Rectangle? I’m curious to see what happens as I get back into the daily habit.

artist for inspiration

Textile artist Amy Nguyen makes the most gorgeous textural garments and accessories. Her website shows photo after photo of beautiful shapes and designs. To my eye, it looks like she may use techniques similar to those shown in Layered Cloth, The Art of Fabric Manipulation by Ann Small for some of her pieces. Nugyen’s website and the Layered Cloth book are both worth a look.

coming up: carolina fiber fest

The 20th annual Carolina Fiber Fest in Raleigh, NC, is March 13-14, with classes on March 12-14. I’m so lucky to have this great festival in my community, and I encourage those close enough to this area to come and enjoy it. The vendor market is strong, and class offerings are extensive. I’ll be teaching three classes this year:

Leaf Motifs for Knitters and Crocheters on Friday afternoon, March 13

Swatch Your Vacation (knit and/or crochet) on Saturday morning, March 14

Wonky Freeform Spirals (crochet) on Saturday afternoon, March 14

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments here, or send me an email at lisadohertyfreeformanddesign@gmail.com.

also coming up: the 100 Day Project

February 22 is the starting date for this year’s 100 Day Project. I haven’t chosen my project yet, but I’m thinking about it and looking forward to it. If you’re considering doing a 100 Day Project, let me know in the comments. I’d love to follow along on your Instagram or your newsletter.

a few things you might like

What I’m watching: The Prom, the movie version of the musical that I’m playing in the next couple of weeks.

What I’m reading: Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon, yes, I’m still reading this book. It’s sooo long!

What I’m cooking: recipes from New Orleans. We spent a week there last month, and I enjoyed the roux class at the Mardi Gras School of Cooking with Chef Erika. Cooking the gumbo and shrimp etouffee recipes at home has been a great way to extend the vacation.

That’s it for today, thanks for reading!

Lisa

The Freeform Yarny Things newsletter is sent once or twice a month, and it’s free to everyone. Thank you for subscribing! For more information about the Study Group paid subscription, visit the Study Group tab on my website: ldoherty.substack.com/p/freeform-crochet-study-group

Happy Valentine’s Day to you!