Untangled?
Well, you could say that. Getting close anyway.
I bought this pearl cotton at the thrift store.
It was all wadded up in a zip-lock bag. It was a nice antique tan color.
Yesterday, I found I needed some lavender thread for an on going project.
I didn't want to go out to the store, so I pulled out this thread,
dyed it with purple Kool-Aid (yes, I used grape but got rose) and then I had to unravel it.
Of course I didn't
have to (I heard you) but there is something about
a mass of threads that just begs me to do something about it.
It reminds me of my story about my Dad which is posted on this blog somewhere--the story about how he pulled the wad of threads out of his pocket and said,
"These would be good for fishing."
you probably remember me writing about that.
But I am getting distracted.
Literally and figuratively.
I need to get back to winding up these balls of thread.
I am thinking that the part of my brain that wants me to untangle these threads,
is the same part that wants me to tear everything up and put it back together
before I am happy with it.
Neurotic?
I heard you have to be neurotic to be an artist.
I never believed that but maybe it is true?
I want to unravel the sweater and put it back together in a different way,
or cut up the embroidery and rearrange it.
But I am too impatient to figure out why I want to do this.
It will come to me one day or it won't.
It doesn't really make any difference.
It turns out that I like challenges. Recently I did a spinning challenge using black and white. Perhaps you remember that post. I spun some tissue paper and some recycled silk. The invitation to another spinning challenge came yesterday, and is to spin something other then fiber--Anti-yarn. Goody. What to do. I remembered I had bought at the thrift store, a couple of packages of this sisal type stuff thinking I could mix it with something else and spin it. But it was a very unpleasant material, stiff and prickly, so I put it away and forgot about it. Now however, I should try it. What a mess. I would pick up small handfuls of it and "draft" it. Occasionally, I just had to cut into it to allow it to pull out. Every inch, the strands would lock onto the hooks and I would have to release it, but eventually I spun it all, both packages. I would like to say that I remained calm through the process, but that is not true. I few unpleasant words were spoken. I admit it. So then I had a ball of this stuff that just looked like hairy rope. Not too interesting really. I started looking around for something to ply with it--something that was not already fiber. I finally settled on a couple of Handi-Wipes, torn into strips. Here is the result: 
OK I told you I would be making socks again. My new book, New Pathways in Sock Knitting by Cat Bordhi, inspired me. I always like to learn different techniques. I had just finished the turquoise sock which I love because it is so bright and fun, but it was too late to try any of the techniques from the book. I tried them with the raspberry yarn I bought last week at Tuesday morning for $6. Too cool for school. I bought some in blue also but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) most of it was gone by the time I found it! I think this raspberry sock is just a tad big, but not so big that I can't wear it. Now I am knitting the other one. I guess it would be too weird to make it smaller. It was fun making the spiral on the pink sock and I added my own thing to the back of the ankle--a ribbed cable about 2" long. I should have started it sooner and therefore lower so it would cushion the back of the heel. Maybe next time. You can't see it in this picture. And by the way, both of these socks have been knit toe up.
My new design wall in my new studio. I need to finish stretching the fabric over it, but it is going to work. It is a layer of 1" foam stapled to a sheet of plywood, then covered with quilt batting and finally, a damask tablecloth. 
