First Post

A fiber, according to Wikipedia, is a class of material that is made of continuous filaments or is in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread. Although it can range in size, an individual natural fiber is generally very small, or at least very thin and weak, at least for humans.

The flimsy base of this material, though, provides virtually unlimited possibility. Something as simple as a sweater, a table cloth or a blanket hold an immense ability to control and manipulate this material to create form, pattern, color and function. Each of these objects and so many more like them move far beyond the functional form to become a form of expression for the producer; from the wisps of cotton, wool, silk, and countless plants and animals comes art.

As an art form, though, these techniques that we collectively call fiber arts differ essentially from some more well-known forms, such as painting or sculpting. Whereas a painter will create a vision of a finished work that is isolated in time--either reflecting external reality or his or her mental construction--and proceeds to capture this vision in a particular place, a fiber artist does no such thing. He or she works, instead, in a linear context. The repeated use of yarns in knitting and weaving lends itself to repetition, both in action (moving back and forth when knitting square, or in spirals for in the round) and in form. The medium lends itself to pattern and repetition, which is something that is necessarily experienced over time.

The fiber arts are closer, in a sense, to the literary arts. In both cases, the artist draws the reader through the piece in a progressive fashion. One cannot help but read a novel by progressively turning a page, and in the same way, one cannot understand a woven pattern without understanding the context of what comes before and after it.

It is almost cliche at this point to refer to the storyteller who weaves a tale or spins a yarn, but these are the basis of much of our understanding of narrative. The word "text" itself comes from the same root as "textile" and refers to the creation of strength through combining of components. A good work of literature will be stronger than its component words because of the skill that goes into creating it. In the same way, a fiber product, be it hand-spun yarn or a knit sock, will create a strong and beautfiul piece out of nothing more than fluff.

Moreover, both writing and fiberwork use the most basic, primitive tools to create complex and advanced products. We may have word processors and knitting machines, but the basic tools of a writer are paper and pen, as some sticks and string are for knitters. Weaving can be done with holes punched in cards. Even spinning can be done with nothing more than a stick, a hook and a disc (or if you're crafy about it, a pencil and a couple CD's).

My goal in this blog is to keep a log of my fiber arts projects and to record my reflections on them, and on the craft as a whole. You will soon see that for me, the boundaries between craft and art, utility and asthetic, and fiction and reality become blurred. I hope you enjoy the read.