Inspiration

Working with fibre and fabric is therapy for me, but I didn't have a lot of time for sewing and crocheting over the summer. Part of me shrivels when I can't work with my hands away from the keyboard. I think it's facing two-dimensional black words on a white page day in and day out. I become starved for color and texture.

During the last hurricane, I taught myself to knit. I've always wanted to learn, and you can learn anything from a book. Knitting School A Complete Course (ISBN 1-4027-0519-0) helped, as did the Tibetan recycled silk I'm using to make my first scarf.

I love working with silk, but this yarn is something special. The skeins I ordered from Patterworks print catalog are hand spun from every jewel-tone color you can think of, in no particular order or consistent thickness, so the ombre and texture change with every inch. The feel of the silk fibre is very different from silk fabric; it dances on the needles. Not something I'd recommend for knitters who like even, smooth or uniform knits, but if you're seeking inspiration, the colors and textures will take your head on some interesting jaunts.