Two Silky Summer Scarves

Lots of shimmery silk with just enough merino for a very soft drape, and rich floral colors…  To create the dot scarf (I call this motif “Bliss”) I alternated both the colors and the fibers along the edges, using a silk/merino blend in a deep shade of Concord grape along one edge; and a merino wool in a happy shade of apple green along the other edge.   For the second scarf, which I thought of as “Flower Dreams” as I worked on it, I crafted organic floral shapes by twirling layers of merino and silk around slender wooden skewers, then removed these fiber rolls and opened them up, arranging them on top of the layers of silk and merino, and coiling them all along the surface for movement and color to suggest flowers and vines.  I added curly wool locks at both ends of the scarf to further suggest lively vines.  A deep plum merino underside defines the edge and provides good contrast with the soft lavender silk/merino of the top layer, and white silk/merino of the mid-layer.  Luxurious, evocative —  fun to craft — and to wear.

Absolutely feeling at home, here I am at The Gallery Shop in the village of Lemont, Pennsylvania, demonstrating how to create art yarn using hand carders and a drop spindle.    Several dozen local artists, each of us juried in, exhibit our work at the shop: paintings, fiber art, glass, pottery, jewelry, metal, wood…