Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Spinning in Louisiana - Part I

As I travel around southwest Louisiana, I am noticing colors combinations in the swamps, the trees, the birds, the crops, and the houses. They are different from western North Carolina.  It is hot here too, and I can't ignore the humidity, two things I'm not so used to in high caliber, but I feel rejuvenated by the signs that autumn (my favorite season) is coming.  September 1st is my self designated holiday-just-because.  These aren't ideal knitting conditions per se but they are perfect for getting out the bicycles and cruising down country roads, to paths under the shade of the trees in the swamp; for hopping off to walk to a waters edge. I was warned not to dip my toes in the water like I would in a mountain creek - unless I was comfortable offering my toes to the tree-trunk sized alligators.


Back at the house, sitting at my spinning wheel, I am thinking about that scene: mother nature a la Louisiana. I wonder as I take tufts of wool from the basket on the floor, "Can I make a combination too that will put a sense of place in these yarns I make here?"  By working on small projects, I am able to test out different combinations.  I fill up a bobbin and knit it into a soft cozy scarf, spin up another bobbin and knit it again.