Fiber Arts Demonstration

From Peggy:

I have always been a “maker” and am especially interested in how a finished object begins its life.  This curiosity has led me down several paths of my fiberarts journey beginning with sewing my own clothes to learning to crochet, knit, spin my own yarn, and weaving my own cloth.  I’m no expert by any means and continue to learn each and every time I pick up the needles, or sit behind my sewing machine, loom, circular sock machine, or spinning wheel.

Adding spinning to my repertoire in 2014 was particularly exciting, as it allowed me to take even more ownership over the entire process of creating something knitted, woven, sewn or crocheted. As an added bonus it is an earth grounding tool and is a great way to meditate.

When I’m sitting at my spinning wheel I have the opportunity to let my mind wander back in time when women spun yarn for the purpose of making clothing for the family, bedding, sail cloth, and much more.  Yes, Sail Cloth - I often stop and ponder here for a while.  Imagine the time and labor it took to not only grow and process the flax for spinning, but the time it took to spin it into a fine, strong linen thread for weaving. Women often possessed extensive knowledge and expertise in weaving techniques and knew how to create strong, durable fabrics suitable for sails, considering factors like thread count and weave structures.

Many times I have taken a fleece from sheep to garment which has given me a great appreciation for the textiles produced by women before my time. The main difference is that I do it for fun and they did it out of life necessity.

I am often asked what I have learned the most on my fiber journey.  My answer is always “Math and Engineering”.  So much Math!