Back to the museum

One thing my SO and I have learned is that curator's tours or opening nights are not the best time to view art at a museum or gallery. Sometimes we skip the evening events since we know we will have to return. And back we went to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art to view Paper Made II again.

This piece intrigued me, maybe because it is something I could duplicate. I removed the sheers from one of the patio doors, but there needs to be *something* there. Perhaps my version of this weaving?

I remembered to photograph the information card this time.

"The Blue Route" refers to the blue stripe through the work (I assume).

The FWMoA has a LOT of glass work, which I am not a fan of, but I like this William Morris piece (which happens to have been donated by my ex-sister-in-law).

We also attended an opening at Kinhouse Gallery last night. No pics because crowded. But I met someone new who told me about another local art guild that has been in existance for 50 years, yet I had never heard of it. Their online presence is practically non-existant. This new friend also runs a gallery, so we will have to visit it post-Thanksgiving.

Knitting: On the cuffs of the zebra socks, which is good because I am itching to knit something - anything! - besides socks.
Spinning: The last of the Romney is chain-plied, so *that* is finished... except for setting the twist, labeling the skeins, etc. Someday I will dye it as well.
Weaving: I ordered some supplies from Wawak so I can finish the tote bag.

I'm getting the itch to weave more. Maybe towels? And a scarf for my SO because he lost the last one I wove for him. I was really proud of it and never had a chance to share it with the weaving guild. Wah!

Out and about

This past weekend, we had a family gathering in Michigan City (where my son lives), as we do every year around this time of year. Usually, we bring bad weather with us, but this time it wasn't too bad. We hike a bit and sightsee a bit and eat a lot. We do this instead of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

My SO and I visited the Lubeznik Center for the Arts. One of the current exhibits is called "Healers and Dreamers". Savneet K. Talwar is (among other things) a fiber artist and art therapist. These two pieces (one a smaller study of the other) are about the partitioning of Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan in 1947 after the British left. The red line represents the Radcliff Line, an arbitrary border between the emerging states. The top piece was woven on a Jacquard loom.

One of the interactive elements of the exhibit was created by Rita Grendze. During the pandemic, she sifted through her recently deceased mother's yarn stash and unfinished objects. She created Collective Comfort from these materials.

When I hugged the piece below, I choked up, overcome with emotion. Whether they were internal feelings brought to the surface or the traumas absorbed by the piece itself, I don't know. I just found it a very moving experience.

We also visited the La Porte County Historical Society Museum. Like most local museums, there is a treasure trove of memorabilia, some of it nostalgic for my SO and me.

From farther into the past were uses for human hair.

It used to be nothing went to waste.

Crochet: While the knit version of the Emotional Support Chicken has yet to be assembled, I started on a crochet version.
Knitting: I was hoping to get some knitting done on our trip, but we were rather busy (and I drove). I'm on the toes of Big Foot's socks.

Every holiday season, my daughter requests more slouchy hats. I've noticed that the previous ones have pilled a lot, so I decided to knit some this year from Jamieson and Smith Shetland wool. Shetland wool has many qualities: it doesn't irritate because the fiber lacks guard hairs; it wears well; and it doesn't pill like so many other fibers (merino, I'm looking at you!) A good source for this wool is The Woolly Thistle. Requested colors were "neutral", so I purchased 'Flugga White', 'Shetland Light Grey', and 'Shetland Black'.

The program at last week's spinning guild meeting was about Tunisian crochet. It produces a lovely fabric. This book was the recommended one.

Per usual, I got a little excited about taking on yet another fiber craft. I've calmed down a bit now, but will probably check the book out from the local library to see just what it's all about.