Yarn art is a slow process. The sheep takes time to grow its fleece, then the steps required to make it into yarn are many and cannot be rushed. I love to reflect on the infinite amount of knowledge, skills and beings it has taken to produce the yarn I am working with. It brings such a sense of perspective and respect for this beautiful material which I am honoured to use.
Similarly, what I make with yarn cannot be hurried. Slowly, the work builds up, every millimeter of it passes through my hands and is shaped in my own time and space.
I describe my style of work as "yarn improvisation" because I never work from a pattern, and the design takes shape as the work progresses and grows. This free attitude to creating, for example a blanket, means that the finished piece will be a journey, visually, texturally, and creatively.
As the creator, I need many, many hours to make the blanket, stitch by stitch, at my own pace, and when it is complete, whatever has been going on for me, the inspiration that the work itself provides, the beauty of the things I have seen during that time of creation, all this will be embedded (pun intended!) in the finished piece.
Each row builds upon the previous ones and directly informs the next steps: choice of colour, choice of stitches, choice of yarn, choice of texture. I am really in love with this organic way to create, and it also means that everything I make is completely unique and will never be repeated. But, just like a recording of an improvised piece that you can play and again, the finished item is the recording of my improvised art which you can enjoy again and again.
People who use my yarn art often comment on the loving quality it exudes, like a warm hug. The thing I hear most often is how much pleasure it gives them to look at the piece, to touch it, and how much they enjoy wearing and using it, never wanting to take it off. Being in the business of enhancing quality of life with comfort, colours, textures and so much love of what I do, this is just about the highest compliment I could receive!
