Working with fibers, spinning thread from sheep’s wool and making garments with it…it’s something that soothes my soul and gives me a sense of connection with all those who did these ancient gestures before me.
I spin on a one hundred year old spinning wheel that I restored and made functional again, and on the spindles I make myself out of mostly recycled or salvaged materials.
There is something comforting about the slow, rythmic gestures.
There is something akin to meditation and prayer.
I wind the thread up in balls the way my beloved Grandma Luisa taught me.
Inside each ball I put a slip of paper with a word written on it – words like love, peace, calm, belonging. I like to think the power of the words is soaked up by the thread – the LoveThread.
I like to imagine the owners of my garments to feel the soft embrace of the wool and of all the prayers and intentions I wove into them.
I work almost completely with undyed sheep wool, using the natural colors to create new images and suggestions. I like to use fibers that are not necessarily so soft, sheep that have grown a resistent wool to survive in extreme conditions. This not only
offers me a variety of tactile experiences, but also serves as a reminder of resilience and of how we can adapt to the most testing situations.
It’s a way to honour Nature in all its beauty and hardships.
