07.17.07

Creativity is an ongoing process

Posted in Redwood Living at 7:58 am by Lynette

I guess you could say

I am a compulsive creator. Ever since my Grand Mother taught me to crochet, then knit, then sew, I’ve almost always had something in my hands. It is just about impossible for me to be ‘just sitting’ doing nothing. I have a knitting project that rides in the car with me for those down times waiting for kids after lessons. I have a complicated lace project in the works (actually two lace projects) for those times I need knitting therapy. I have socks, always socks waiting to be finished and dying to do. I almost feel guilty just sitting.

As a result of this ongoing thought process of always ‘doing’ something I find my creativity is an ongoing process. My paternal Grandfather painted. He took it up when he was forced to retire at 50 and it provided him some extra spending $$’s by selling and then teaching oil painting. He tried to get me interested in the art of painting but I would sit at a canvas and draw a blank. I asked how he could finish a large canvas in only 3 days. He said his trick was he had a fine tuned bag of ’skills’. Things he knew how to paint really well like trees, creeks, hills and ocean waves. All he would do is ‘work’ on a painting during his down time (like while he was sleeping) so by the time he actually sat at the canvas the painting was complete in his mind.

This brings me to today’s post. My mind is always working. Thinking about how to improve the dying process for sock yarn. How to make the best use of the equipment I own. How to come up with that really unique product, a unique idea. (I’ve been working on the unique idea thing for 4 years now and am still waiting for that bolt from above!)

I settled on one idea, a purse. I am tired using my $9.99 purse from Wally World. It is ugly, too small and I almost curse every time I have to dig in it. So here is what my ‘mind’ came up with.

A felted purse, dyed after felting with beading on the flowers. What is so special about this? Everyone can felt…right?

Well mine is made on my flat bed knitter. Knit in 3 pieces. Yes, even the handle is made on the knitter. I actually made it in a wedge so I would have enough on the top ‘brim’ to cut out shapes. I dyed it with acid dyes, added the beads and handle. It is not what I had ‘worked out’ in my mind but I like it better then the original idea I had imagined.

From this purse concept came a happy mistake. I saw a purse at Black Sheep this year and it took me a while to figure out how it was made. I fooled around with ideas and finally it came to me.

I’d just received my shipment of Ah Kimono recycled silk and needed to get working on using up some of my silk stash. How about felted silk? This worked great!