Sometimes things just all come together perfectly, and this issue has really culminated in such wonderful variety! We have so much here to inspire your fiber creativity, starting with weaving, and including knitting, a fiber breed study (and spinning) wet felting, needle felting, and history!
Firstly, the magnificent cover image is followed up gloriously in an article by the artist: Saar Snoek (Netherlands). Not only will you see more of her amazing sculptural felting, but you will gain a valuable insight into Saar’s process and be inspired by her ability to work outside the ‘rules’ with stunning results.
We have such a great article by Rasmus Valentino Mantel Larsen (Denmark) with some excellent tips and considerations when knitting for the family. Rasmus has a lovely approach to this, and shares insights into how to manage the very practical requirements in garment making for growing children, while still working with their own ideas about what they want to wear., there are many words of wisdom to be found here!
To continue with the Knitting theme, Arlene Thayer’s article is a discussion of personal growth over time as a knitter; there is always more to learn! Arlene shares her method for organizing a big stash of yarn in the most practical way that is sure to help you stay on top of what you have, how much you have, and gives you a simple way to reliably draw from stash for your new projects.
Some excellent Aotearoa New Zealand content is also included, firstly with the second part of the New Zealand rare sheep breeds article by Glynis Poad (Majacraft) and Pat Old. This time it is an overview of the fleece assessment process, washing, choosing how to best prepare and spin depending on the fleece, and recording the information gathered with each fleece in the study! This can create a valuable resource and Pat has some excellent samples to share how to get the most out of your own breed study.
Willow Wisteria has created a beautiful feature, you can learn about some behind the scenes with spindle making and spinning. Following this artists story will remind you of the connections we all have with our craft, and the benefits it brings into our lives.
It is lovely to meet new artists, and always great to welcome back artists we have already met and learned from! In this issue we welcome back Jennifer Smith. The weavings she shares with us in this issue cant fail to bring a smile, her use of pompoms and textures is fantastic, along with stunning colours and creativity, this is a fantastic article bursting with creativity!
We also have plenty of historical inspiration to get stuck into as well. The article by Kimberly Alexander , Director of Museum Studies and Senior Lecturer at the University of New Hampshire (USA) gives us the story behind a wonderful project in which students are growing flax to produce linen and study historic textiles and their production in the region. There is a fascinating historical case study and plenty of further reading suggestions if you want to follow this through history!
Matthew Wright is back with a look at the history of one of New Zealand’s oldest woolen Mills. Kaiapoi has been an iconic wool brand in this country, and the story of the Mill over from its earliest days to the end of this epic company is also a wider history of wool in this country. The rise and fall of these big processing mills is one of the influences on our sheep farming background and the state of our wool industry.
In this issue you will also find a superb article on needle felting, with some gorgeous projects and tips for getting started in this wonderful art form from the studio of Linda Facci!
There is much more in this issue, too much to include in a single post! I would like to also share however, the beautiful work once again by our friend Ineke De Brouwer (Netherlands), this time with a creative way to remember, with gratitude and respect, those who gave their lives in past wars to defend freedom and democracy around the world. The ‘Libertas’ shawl and story is sure to inspire you, and provide a moment to reflect on peace and togetherness. The ‘Libertas’ shawl and story is sure to inspire you, and provide a moment to reflect on peace and togetherness.
We also have our regular ‘Palette’ feature with a colour inspiration to try out, our regular ‘Wild Inspirations’ section with some fantastic image prompts and project ideas inspired by them (this issue is ‘The Pines of Rome), and there is also a circle weave project (Suzy) with step by step instructions to create your own custom neckwear.
I hope you will enjoy this issue and the fantastic amount of variety in crafts, ideas, and inspiration. This issue is available now in both print and digital!
As always, if you are a Digital Member you can head on over to the Subscriber only page and download your digital copy right now! You can also purchase a print copy with your members discount on that page too!
If you wish to purchase this as a single issue without needing to subscribe, you can make your choice right here below!
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