Because More IS More! (And BETTER!)

When I manage to have even a few minutes of freedom close to the internet I tend to play on Ravelry. As I said the other day, I've been stumbling around to find out more about granny squares and crochet this week (in between all the other things I do) and I've joined all sorts of groups, but there are a few specific artists who have snagged my fancy in exactly the same way that the vintage travel trailers have (tho' perhaps, considering the yarn stash I already have, it won't set my pocketbook back quite as far as the vintage Shasta would do!) - and yes, you're right, I have the attention span of a 10 month-old kitten! *wink*

Somewhere freeform knitting and crocheting caught my fancy, and I surfed around, landing here at this Japanese artist's blog. I saw her name on Ravelry and clicked thru from there but, of course, I can't find that link now and I don't read Japanese.

...then, there are these two Australian women whose work is astonishingly gorgeous and makes me think of the 1970s (here I go back to my hippie days) when vibrant clashing of colors and textures - not to mention the cultures, back then anyway - was what it was ALL about! Both women have a style that makes me think happy thoughts as I look at their freeform artistry: Prudence Mapstone (you'll see several books on her site), and Jenny Dowde, the author of Freeform Knitting and Crochet, which I've just requested from my library. I've joined both women's groups on Ravelry...

I've never knit anything like this, but there was a day when I was totally enamoured of embellishment in other fiber media, too:

Crazy quilting, silk ribbon and embellishment embroidery excited me no end, and I filled my library with Judith Baker Montano's work, as well as a fabulous book by Thomasina Beck The Embroiderer's Flowers, which is now, sadly, out of print, even in paperback form. I have lots of other books on embroidery and antique lace and linens, too, as well as Quilting Arts and Pieceworks magazines, but you get the point...

I've mentioned before how much I adore Jude's small cloth art quilting?

And also that I tend to save everything? Yes. Like my Depression Era Mom and aunts before me, I have a treasure trove of stuff just in case I might need it someday...floss and lace trims, books, patterns, and on and on and on...well,

Earlier in the summer I started an organization project, to put all of my craft/sewing/art supplies in one spot, the studio:

(my landlord refers to the small room as "the dining room" but I've never eaten in here!)

It is Nana Sadie Rose's domain, of course, so I'm piling in every rose-strewn item in my possession (hmmm...layering and embellishing, even here!):
(the yarn however is Knitnana's, so will stay in the office/knitting room upstairs, because there's not enough space otherwise! Geesh, one would think I've a split personality or some such...)

Where will all this take me? Who knows? But on days when I can't run from the responsibilities of my work-a-day world to play with fiber in its many forms? At least I can be transported to a color-drenched world...Thanks, Ravelry!

btw...the kitten and I have made peace for now...he's too adorable and loving to stay mad at. But I have to tell you that this a.m. I asked The Meezer if she ever wished that I'd left him behind at the rescue center and her quick and impertinent reply was

Me-YUP!
(I swear! She did!)