Light as a feather, Alba's breathtaking butterflies appear as though they may actually take flight. A closer look and you begin to take in a miniature masterpiece.
Alba Rosa Sepúlueda Japia has been weaving sculptures out of horse hair since the age of seven. She is now one of the foremost weavers in Chile with more than 50 years of experience and countless recognitions.
She was born into a family of artisans in the town of Rari which is known for horse hair weaving. Alba has recently started a cooperative, "Arte en Crin," comprised of 14 artisans from Rari. They use local agave fiber along with horse hair to create their works of art.
I knew before entering the Folk Art Market, that Alba's booth was one I had to see. I was lucky to arrive early on Saturday morning before the crowds. The sculptures all looked so delicate. I had that childlike feeling of wanted to touch them, but thinking I shouldn't. That's when I saw Alba for the first time. She was putting the final touches on her display. I watched as she picked up butterflies one at a time and stretched their wings. This is when I realized that perhaps these creations were more rugged than I expected. I allowed myself to pick up a butterfly and admire it up close.
This is when Alba noticed me and quickly put a little shopping basket into my hands. Not only a fine artist, but a savvy saleswoman, she began to pick up pieces and give them to me. She made sure that I missed nothing. She also noticed the colors I was wearing and brought me necklaces and earrings to match. It was hard to put any of it back down because each and every piece was beautiful.
I wish I could conjure the right words to describe this weaving to you. If you look at the necklaces in the picture at the top of this post, they measure about 34". They each have 20 woven beads that look like perfect little baskets. When you press on these baskets between two fingers, they feel malleable and strong. I weighed a necklace and it barely came to 1/10 of an ounce. Incredible! They have an ethereal quality, but are so well constructed, they can be worn with confidence.
As I write this post, I'm sitting at my desk with a small butterfly pinned to my vest. I feel like she's keeping me company, this little treasure from Chile. Thank you Alba for this charming friend!
Here's my latest spinning for the Tour de Fleece 2010. I was in my studio and became inspired to make an organic novelty yarn. I started off by making a ply combining lace weight jute with ginned cotton. I allowed the jute to show through because I wanted a little of that color contrast. I also made the cotton just a little nubby to give it some texture. What's a novelty yarn without texture?
For the next ply, I simply spun some lace weight Tussah Silk. Then I plied my ginned cotton jute and silk together. The result is unlike anything I've ever made before. The outside of the yarn is soft and the silk gives it that luster. The jute core gives the yarn a more structural feel making it a good choice for things like hats or purses. This is a yarn that will hold shape well. It's would be very cool in a fiber sculpture.
Well, sometimes I don't really know where my inspiration will lead. This time I'm really happy with my end result. I'm always trying to come up with something different that I've never done or seen before. This Silk, Cotton & Jute Novelty Yarn definitely fits that description. I also like how organic it is. I think it would be well suited for anyone who creates primitive or folk art.
This is the first of several posts I'll be making to share art from the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market 2010. Today I have woven baskets from The Kingdom of Swaziland.
These beautiful baskets are made by the women of the Buhle Betfu Cooperative located in the Manzini region of Swaziland. This co-op, consisting of 108 members, weaves these colorful baskets from sisal; a tradition passed down from generation to generation. The cooperative helps to support women who have lost their husbands to HIV/AIDS. It also helps families in which the husband has lost work due to the collapse of the sugar industry. Sitsembiso Simelane represents the co-op and oversees quality control.
As I entered the booth, I passed a young woman in the process of weaving a basket. I had little time to take in my surroundings before Sitsembiso Simelane (I believe it was Sitsembiso. He wore no name tag.) placed a basket in my hands. "Smell it," he urged, "it's all natural." I put my nose close to the basket and took a deep breath. "It smells really nice," I told him. He started telling me about how they use berries to dye the sisal. I asked if they used anything to make the colors last or if they simply soaked it for a long time. He quickly replied that the process is very, very long.
I could tell that I was mostly getting his usual pitch and I wanted to delve a little deeper. It being Tour de Fleece time, I had a drop spindle in my shoulder bag. I took it out and showed him how I spin my wool. His face changed from that of a salesman to more personal in appearance. I was in!
Already an energetic character, he kicked up a notch and his eyes widened. He told me that now the women have to spin the sisal against their thighs and he illustrated the motion they use to twist the fiber. He said he wasn't sure that sisal could be spun with a spindle or on a wheel. I told him that it takes a little practice, but that I have spun similar fibers such as hemp and agave. This seemed to relieve him.
He then shared that on Monday, the day after the festival and before they return home, they were being given lessons on how to spin the sisal on a spinning wheel. I'm assuming this means that someone has donated a wheel or two to the co-op. He said they only had one day to learn and then they would have to know enough to take it back and teach the rest of their community. I assured him it would be okay and that the women could learn enough in a day. After all, these women are expert spinners without a single tool. Once they understand how a spinning wheel works, there will be no stopping them!
This seemed to make him happy, but then he noticed he was neglecting his other customers. I turned my attention to picking out a few baskets to bring home. They were all so nice that I found myself going back and forth between equally lovely specimens in my effort to make a decision. Sitsembiso came to my rescue. He explained that the baskets with the sun symbol stood for energy and that the spiral design was for life. This helped as I was feeling drawn to life that day. I selected two life baskets a little "energy".
I'm back from a wonderful weekend in Santa Fe, New Mexico where I visited the International Folk Art Market. I put some of my photographs together so you can get an idea of just how colorful and vibrant this festival is.
I can't wait to share some of my art purchases with you as well as what my kids picked out. Our shopping took us from Peru to Swaziland and on to Morrocco, Chile and Kyrgyzstan. You feel as though you are walking the globe as you pass from one booth to the next. Your mind struggles to keep up with your senses as you take in the embroidery, weaving, metalsmithing, painting and bead work. I have to get myself organized and then I'll be back with more pictures and information. I can't wait to share it all with you!
I had to post this picture because I had fun making this collage. I'm happy that I thought to take pictures from the carder to the roving, then on to the spinning wheel and finally the finished yarn. It would have been even sweeter if I had photographed the dyeing process.
I've started making these collections of pictures since joining in the Ravelry Tour de Fleece prize threads. You're only allowed one picture and it wasn't long before collages started to appear. I said to myself, "Hey, I want to do that too!" I'm like a kid. If I see someone else has a lollipop, I want one!
I use a Mac so I have employed pages to bring my pictures together. I could also overlap them if I wanted to and add text. After I have my page how I want it, I save it as a pdf. Then I toss it into Skitch because it's an easy way to save it and get a jpg version. Afterward, I can load it up to Facebook or Flickr, you name it.
One more quick note on the Tour de Fleece. It warms my heart to see all of the spinning out there. When people find out I spin yarn I often get raised eyebrows and comments like, "Not too many people do that, do they?" Well maybe we are a smaller group, but not that small! The Ravelry Tour de Fleece group alone has 2,801 spinners and new ones joining every day. I think that is so awesome! The best thing about this event is being in the fabulous company of my fellow spinners!
This is a photograph of downtown Santa Fe from my last visit. I think I'm even more excited about my upcoming trip because I'll be attending the International Folk Art Market! Art and Santa Fe seem to go hand in hand, but on one special weekend, artists come from all over the world to share their work.
This weekend, 170 artists will gather from over 50 countries creating a marketplace like no other. It will take some 1,500 volunteers to make the event happen and over 20,000 (last year 23,000+) people will likely attend. Artists retain 90% of their sales and the money they make helps to support their families, cooperatives and communities back home. Shopping at this global market means supporting individuals and groups from all over the world.
I'm an art enthusiast, so for me, the more than eight hour drive to Santa Fe is worth the effort. I simply can't wait. My family is coming too and I'm very excited for my kids to have this international experience. My husband and I have decided to try something new. Our kids are getting a little older now, so we plan to give each of them some real spending money. It's one thing to admire art, but you start to look at it differently when you become a consumer. It will be interesting to see how being buyers will change their perspectives and even more interesting to see what they buy.
Next week I'll be sharing pictures of the event as well as some of our treasures. Whenever possible, I'll look to provide artist information. Nothing makes me happier than to support other artisans and their work!
Here I have picture of my completed Jacob Swirl Yarn (black & white) from yesterday. It's now been cleaned and allowed to dry. I had such a good time making this yarn, that I'm planning a similar style with the roving I carded this morning. The roving on the left, Bottle Green and Sea Spray, will be the main ply and the plain Sea Spray will be spun into a lace weight that will allow the first ply to stand out. This time I'm going for a bulkier yarn. I just think it will be pretty.
Changing topics, I'm very excited to share this book with you today. I don't nearly get enough time to weave these days, but when I saw that Mary Walker, Liz Munk and Jennie Slick were combining their knowledge and expertise, I immediately pre-ordered a copy!
The Weaver's Book offers us an amazing step-by-step tutorial on "How to Weave the Navajo Way". It takes you from building the loom to spinning the yarn and carefully walks you through technique after technique. It's full of color photographs to help you along your journey. This book is quite simply, a treasure!
You can learn more about The Weaver's Book at Weaving in Beauty, by Mary Walker. You can take a sneak peek inside the book and order one for yourself through her website. It's also available to download. Books like this one do not come around everyday, so I needed to share this special publication with you!
Okay, this may be a bit girlie. I took my freshly spun skein of Jacob Swirl yarn off of my niddy noddy and set in on the red couch in my studio. This little folk doll was sitting nearby and I had the impulse to sit her on top as though she is nesting in my yarn. I live in a house with all males, so when I do something like this, I'm particularly aware of it being feminine and therefore strange in my surroundings.
My little Jacob Swirl Girl does make me happy and I love the black and white against the red. So what am I doing? I'm spinning! Spinning, spinning and more spinning! It is the Tour de Fleece after all and today is day three.
This is my second skein of the tour. One ply is Jacob Swirl roving spun at a medium weight. Then I spun a lace weight Merino in jet black. When I plied the two, I gave the yarn a little texture by over plying. There is probably a better term for it, but the effect is a lightly textured surface. I've always liked this look and it feels soft too because you are removing a lot of the twist.
I'm sure I'll be sharing more yarns this month from the Tour de Fleece. Go Team of Wonder!
Before I say a final farewell to this crochet-along, I just wanted to share the other miser's purse I made while I was writing up this pattern. Green and purple are happy colors for me so I really like the way this one made up. You'll also notice that I mixed in some fun fibers to add a little sparkle to the tassel. It's a small touch, but it adds a bit of pizazz. The bottom of the pouch on this one is also different in that it comes to more of a point. This is accomplished simply by increasing the tension of your stitches. I didn't alter the pattern in any way.
I've only received feedback from one friend so far. She said Part II was a toughy, but she made it through. This pattern does have some confusing aspects to it. It doesn't help that it likes to twist and turn while your are working the top portion, which is perhaps the most complicated part. The first time I ever made a miser's purse, it was from a late 1800's pattern. I probably started over half a dozen times before it began to make sense to me. I just want you to know, that if you're frustrated, you are not alone. Even so, it's such a neat little bag. I hope you feel, in the end, that it was worth the effort.
PS ~ I'll continue to check for comments, so if you need help, I'm still here!
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Today we will be completing the Tasseled Miser's Purse by working the lower portion of the pouch and by making and attaching a tassel. We will also sew on our beads as a finishing touch.
We are going to pick up right where we left off on Part III.
Part IV
Rnd 20: with Yarn B, sc dec over first 2 sts, sc in next st, *sc dec over next 2 sts, sc in next st*, repeat (*) around ∆ to Yarn A in the last st. total = 42 sc. finish off Yarn B
*Note - when weaving in tail end of Yarn B, tack down the longer piece of Yarn A that runs from Row 16 to Row 21
Rnds 21-30 are all worked in Yarn A
Rnd 21: sc dec over first 2 sts, sc in next st, *sc dec over next 2 sts, sc in next st*, repeat (*) around. Total = 28 sc
Rnd 22: sc around
Rnd 23: repeat Row 21, sc in last st. Total = 19 sc
Rnd 24: sc around
Rnd 25: repeat Row 21, sc in last st. Total = 13 sc
Rnd 26: sc around
Rnd 27: repeat Row 21, sc in last st. Total = 9 sc
Rnd 28: sc around
Rnd 29: *sc dec over the next 3 sts*, repeat (*) 2 times
Rnd 30: sc dec over the next 3 sts, finish off
Making the Tassel
Using a DVD case or a book 5 to 6 inches wide, wrap Yarn B around the width 16 times. Cut your yarn and then cut off another shorter piece, around 12", and slide it under the wrapped yarn. Tie the wrapped yarn together with your 12" strand and then slide the loops off of the DVD case or book.
About 3/4" down from your tie, wrap Yarn A around the strands 12 to 14 times to make a band. Tie the two ends of Yarn A together and then with your tapestry needle, weave the ends under the band so that the knot does not show. Trim off excess yarn.
Finally, trim the bottom of your tassel to remove the loops and make the fibers even in length. A 5 inch tassel looks nice.
Your Tasseled Miser's Purse is almost complete. Take a couple more minutes to sew on your beads.
With a beading needle and thread, start by centering one of the large 8mm beads on your opening flap. Then continue to one side with one 4mm, then one 8mm and then 3 more 4mm beads. Work the other side in the same fashion.
You have just finished your first Tasseled Miser's Purse! Hooray! I hope you have enjoyed this project. Miser's Purses are a part of our cultural heritage and one worth preserving. Your friends' eyes will widen as they see how the purse opens and closes to reveal the hidden pouch. Now that you have made one, you can experiment with new colors and fancier beadwork. Please enjoy all of the possibilities that this design has to offer!
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Hello. It's been a busy Friday here at the house of Wind Rose. By this afternoon I was ready for a nap, but instead I curled up with a crochet hook, a notepad and a camera. The picture to the right shows just about how far I'll be taking you today on Part III of the Tasseled Miser's Purse.
We'll start off by introducing Yarn B (black) and working in the end rows of the completed top portion of our purse.
*Note - I will be using the ∆ (change symbol) throughout this part of the pattern. It means you will be changing yarn colors. To ∆ from one yarn color to another, begin your single crochet as you normally would by inserting your hook into the next st and drawing up a loop. You now have 2 loops on your hook. With the new color, yo and draw through both loops on hook.
Part III ~ The Pouch
With Yarn B, join with sl st to the end row just to the left of your joining seam (where you joined rows 1 & 21).
Rnd 1: 2 sc in same st as joining, sc in next st, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat (*) around ending with 63 total sc. (picture 23)
*note - from this point we will begin working in the round. Use a stitch marker or a different colored piece of yarn to mark the first st of each row. It is important to keep your place. I'm using a simple yellow paper clip. It isn't fancy, but it does the job. (picture 24)
Rnd 2: with Yarn B, sc in 1st st from Rnd 1 and in each st around.
Rnd 3: with Yarn B, sc in each stitch around until you reach the last st. sc in the last st ∆ to Yarn A
Rnd 4: with Yarn A, sc in the first st ∆ to Yarn B, sc in next 2 sts, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A, *with Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B, with Yarn B, sc in next 2 sts, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A*, repeat (*) around until you reach the end of row (last st will be in black)
*Note - Now that you are working with Yarn A and Yarn B simultaneously, it's nice to keep them from twisting. I keep one skein to my right and one to my left to help with this. Picture 25 shows the inside of the purse after Row 4 has been completed. You can see how neatly the blue yarn has been carried along.
Rnds 5-6: with Yarn B, sc in each stitch around
Rnd 7: *sc in next 2 sts, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B*, repeat (*) around (pattern = BBB A BBB A), in last st of Row 7 ∆ to Yarn A (picture 26)Rnd 8: sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B, with Yarn B sc around (picture 27)
Rnd 9: with Yarn B sc around
Rnd 10: sc in first 5 sts, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B, *sc in next 2 sts, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B*, repeat (*) around
Rnd 11: repeat (*) from Row 10 one more time, with Yarn B sc around
Rnd 12: with Yarn B sc around
Rnd 13: sc in first 8 sts, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B, *sc in next 2 sts, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B*, repeat (*) around
Rnd 14: continuing with Yarn B, sc in first st, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B, repeat (*) from Row 13 one more time, with Yarn B sc around
Rnd 15: with Yarn B sc around
Rnd 16: sc in first 11 sts, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B, *sc in next 2 sts, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B*, repeat (*) around
Rnd 17: continuing with Yarn B, sc in first st ∆ to Yarn A, sc in next st ∆ to Yarn B, repeat (*) from Row 16 two more times, with Yarn B sc around
Rnds 18-19: with Yarn B, sc in each stitch around
Weave in your beg tails of yarn from the start of this section. We have now completed Part III! One more to go!
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Good evening. I'm sorry Part II is being posted so late in the day. I just had to spend a little time cleaning house and buying groceries. My two boys were also in need of haircuts, particularly the older one. He was very much starting to resemble one of the Beatles only more "Let It Be" than "Please Please Me".
Today we will be completing the top portion of our Tasseled Miser's Purse. This includes the ring, drawstrings and the opening flap. This is the most challenging part of the pattern. It helps to just go ahead and work a few rows. Once you see it start to take shape, it will make sense to you.
*Special Note ~ This pattern is worked with a size H hook. Please disregard the G hook pictured in the photographs.
Part II
Row 8: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, remove the loop from hook and take 1st drawstring and lift it over the loop (picture 15), place the loop back on the hook and ch 4 (beginning of flap), turn, sc in 2nd st from hook and in next 2 sts, continue by working 7 sc back down the row of sc just made.
Row 9: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining 3 sts of the row (picture 16), sc in next 3 sts, ch 1 turn, sc in next 3 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Row 10: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 2 sts, sc inc in last st, ch 1 turn, sc in next 4 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Row 11: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 3 sts, sc inc in last st, ch 1 turn, sc in next 5 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Row 12: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 4 sts, sc inc in last st, ch 1 turn, sc in next 6 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Row 13: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 5 sts, sc inc in last st, ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Rows 14-16: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
*Note - Pictures 17 and 18 show the opening flap half completed. Notice that the front of your piece is now becoming the back. The flap is forming on the back side of the drawstrings.
Row 17: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1 turn, sc dec in next st, sc in next 5 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Row 18: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 6 sts, ch 1 turn, sc dec in next st, sc in next 4 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Row 19: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 5 sts, ch 1 turn, sc dec in next st, sc in next 3 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Row 20: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 4 sts, ch 1 turn, sc dec in next st, sc in next 2 sts, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Row 21: ch 1 turn, sc in next 7 sts, ch 1, without removing loop from hook, lift next drawstring over the remaining sts of the row, sc in next 3 sts, ch 1 turn, sc in next 3 sts, remove the loop from hook and take the last drawstring and lift it over the loop, place the loop back on the hook, skip ch 1 space, sc in remaining 7 sts.
Join your two edges (rows 1 & 21) on the inside of your piece. Sc the first 7 sts together going through both rows 1 and 21. The seam will not show on the outside of your purse. (picture 19) finish off.
Now it's a good time to give the top portion of your miser's purse another light ironing. Note that the flap edges appear wider the the purse. (picture 20) We will fix this when we make our flap edging.
Flap EdgingTo create a nice finished look and to help shape the flap, we will work one row of sc across the end rows of the flap.
With right side facing, join Yarn A with sl st to the right corner. Work 4 sc dec, 5 sc, and 4 sc dec for a total of 13 sts evenly across the end rows of the flap. Picture 21 shows this in detail. You can click on the picture to see a larger image. Finish off and weave in your ends on the under side of the flap.
That's it for Part II. I know it's a little tricky. Comment if you need any help. I'm here for you!Related Posts:
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Tasseled Miser's Purse - Part II Help
This is when Alba noticed me and quickly put a little shopping basket into my hands. Not only a fine artist, but a savvy saleswoman, she began to pick up pieces and give them to me. She made sure that I missed nothing. She also noticed the colors I was wearing and brought me necklaces and earrings to match. It was hard to put any of it back down because each and every piece was beautiful.
