It starts …

Mere days before welcoming my daughter into the world I noticed a fairly new shop in town.  Even with all the drama and excitement surrounding our new bundle of joy, that shop stuck in the back of my mind.  When I was ready to venture out with girlie in tow, we visited and found the most welcoming artilicious place full of color and texture.  Sadly, the shop is gone now, but the fabulous Nancy (http://fuzzarelly.blogspot.com/) is still a good friend.  She not only welcomed my art and us into her shop, but into her life, her world – teaching me to knit and spin.  Perhaps I adapted quickly, or perhaps Nancy is the best teacher ever, but both knitting and spinning came easy to me.  I know for sure it was her guidance that started me into the fiber world without fear.  When I started spinning fabric, or deconstructing thrift store sweaters for re-knit or plying materials no one said, “don’t”.  Mind you, I hadn’t seen these things at the hands of others yet, just what occurred to me to try.

Then came Ravelry where I found an online home in 2007.  I almost shouted (maybe did a happy dance) when Studioloo started the Art and Novelty Yarn Spinners Group … I found a whole new world of people with whom to share my passion.  I didn’t mind being the only one around here spinning weird yarn, but to have real feedback from people who spun like me was invaluable.

I enjoy sharing my passion, participating in demonstrations at a variety of venues.  I love to spin in public because I love to talk about spinning, especially art and novelty yarns.  To see faces of adults and children with quizzical looks, but a sparkle in the eye when they watch me spin beads or fabric into fiber making something they have never seen is very rewarding.  Especially when I am with friends who are spinning more traditional yarns.  I think it is a great way to show people how much variety and creativity is possible.

My true underlying joy in all my creative ventures is my girlie.  She is an active participant in almost everything I do.  If I paint, she paints, if I dye wool, she is involved in the process; when I spin, she helps or gets out her own spindle.  We have made spindles together several times and  wrote a story for which she designed an art yarn.  I love that she knows clothes don’t just come from the store, but even if they do, someone worked hard to get them there.

My other life in fiber arts includes being president of Fiber eXchange Guild (http://www.SouthernIndianaFiberArts.com).  We started this guild to present our region with an educational fiber art festival which will be celebrating its 5th year this October.  Southern Indiana FiberArts Festival is a place where whole families come to see what shearing sheep has to do with life.  Even if people don’t want to learn a fiber art, we want them to appreciate those that do and the products they create.  I love being a part of this event … encouraging and enabling more spinning in public!

Editor’s notes:

You can find more of the lovely Victoria here:

Ravelry: vloula
Blog – http://apps.followthestarstudio.com/blog/

Picture notes: In order of appearance:

Elanore: reclaimed dress fo various fibers
Spin in public
Grinny Possum Spin Out at the Great Steamboat Race
Lorikeet: various colors wool fiber, easter grass, sparkle, scrap handspun, scrap commercial yarn
Elvish night: striped roving, locks, fabric, beads (glass and wood), mini pom poms, mini flowers, multicolored thread Floral touch: wool felt flowers, glass beads, handdyed wool fiber
Spin in public: Grinny Possum Spin Out at the Great Steamboat Race (mzannie, digitaldurga and vloula)