little things
spinning blues – someone gave me this recycled blue jeans fibre
it was very roughly prepared compared to the fibre I had previously spun, I hand-carded it with silk roving making it easier to spin and then plied it with 22/2 cotton
a comment Velma left on my blog started me thinking about knitting with paper/shifu yarn
a small container knit with Japanese two ply yarn of paper and ramie, dyed with kakishibu
the second one has my shifu yarn of paper and silk, dyed with onion skins
kakishibu makes the yarn stiff and hard on the hands while knitting but holds the shape without starching
a video on Neki’s blog shows how kokeshi are made
don’t you think my seedling pot-maker is more friendly now?
if anyone is interested in a honeycomb pattern similar to my recent secondhand find
here is a four harness, four block pattern in Malin Selander’s book Weave a Weave
www.onesmallstitch.Wordpress.com u 
Oh and I meant to say… Recycled denim fibre – ALL KINDS OF DELCIOUS!!!
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Knitting and crocheting with my shifu/paper yarn is a big favourite thing to do! Although, now I have a loom, weaving with it has become a little addictive!
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Sammiam – I started spinning and weaving with shifu in Japan 26 years ago and love using good kozo washi.
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the kakishibu container!!! you can paint more on if you need extra stiffening.
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Neki – I thought about that when I use kaki in the summer. the second one is more onion skin and I don’t think I want to change that colour.
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interesting with the recycled jeans fiber! I wander how it’s done and I definitely like what you ‘ve made out of it and also- if one day I will start spinning paper into yarn – that would be because of you.
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Alfia-it must be put through some kind of machine that brutally tears it apart – this lot had a lot of short threads still in it and even some tiny squares of fabric.
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The kakishibu container is perfect! So many processes have gone into its making—makes me dizzy to think about it.
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thanks, Alice – it is rewarding to know when someone understands.
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i agree with alice…of course! i love this little shape, this little vessel. especially the second one! well done, layers of process, of meaning, of understanding.
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Velma – little things can be so meaning-ful. it has been a real pleasure making these.
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Thanks for the Kokeshi video, Jean. SO interesting. I will find a way of making them one day , I just hafta help with my new grandson for the next couple of months. He will be born on March 14 so VERY busy with baby stuff at the moment.
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Myra – how exciting, a new little one.they grow up so quickly, enjoy them while you can. let us know when he arrives. 🙂
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