After reading so many wonderful and inspiring crafting blogs, I’m adding a blog of my own to the world. (Hi, Mom!)
The online community has taught me so much. I might have managed knitting without Ravelry and the bloggers and video postings, but I probably wouldn’t have been as versatile or had the range of projects that I do. Thanks to online help, I learned to knit things like this:
After knitting, the next fiber craft I added was spinning. After a trip to the county fair where there was a spinning demonstration in the sheep barn, I casually commented to a friend how fun it looked. She pulled her mom’s spinning wheel out of the attic and I was off!
Spinning soon became dyeing and spinning. I started on a wheel, and later learned to spin on a spindle as well.
Next came weaving. I’ve kept this part of my fiber hobbies low key. I use a 24″ rigid heddle loom, and don’t get too fancy with the weaves. But it is a great way to use all that yarn!
For some years, this was enough fiber crafting for me. Spinning and then knitting or weaving the yarn filled a lot of spare time! And with work (as a middle school librarian) and family (two little boys and a husband) there wasn’t a lot of spare time.
And then, a year and a half ago, we moved, from Washington to Oregon. And my job didn’t. Suddenly, there was a lot more free time. More crafts were needed.
So I added a new sewing machine and took up quilting. Lots of blogs and online videos and Craftsy classes later, I make both fused fabric quilted wall hangings and full out blanket sized quilts. With the move I got a small but mighty dedicated craft room, so I can keep the fiber and fabric from taking over the rest of the household. (Insert sound of family laughing hysterically here.)
That’s my fiber journey so far. It definitely isn’t finished. There is a never ending list of patterns and fibers and fabrics to try. I can’t wait to see what comes along next.
Yellow Bird Stitches 