Days darker, nights long [Newsletter]

I've been busy, working and creating and getting out in the woods to find mushrooms every chance I get!

I released this knitting pattern in October as a fundraiser for Besan in Gaza, inspired by the motifs of the Palestinian keffiyeh. Make one for yourself or a friend (or both!) and help me get more funds to Besan to help them survive the winter and the occupation.

My hands have been wanting to weave lately: during breaks at work I'll walk around and twine little medallions or twist cordage from the different plants around me. To play with my surroundings, just because I am in them, unattached to outcomes, and then leave my creation along the roadside to perhaps be found by some other wanderer.

I took a class at the local fiber festival to increase my speed and efficiency in handspinning and nearly doubled my speed! I'm not sure if that's accurate or if I just really benefitted from some uninterrupted, focused spinning time. In The Golden Thread, Kassia St. Clair posits that women in 18th century England could spin 2.5-6 pounds of wool per week. While I don't expect to come even close to this speed, especially having to go to work many hours, I'm reinvigorated about spinning now, and I'm hoping to get a lot more time with my wheel in the coming months.

I'd love to know what you're doing creatively or just to stay cozy as the days get ever darker, let me know!

As always, I'm working on lots of quilts and quilty things. Last night I finished a quilt that can lay flat or lace up on itself to become a sleeping bag, and I'm almost finished with the second bag which will function similarly, and they'll be able to lace together too!

I've been thinking a lot about ancient clothing construction, the way people used cloth so efficiently with no waste, because it was such a precious resource, having been grown, processed and formed entirely within the household. The fashion industry is rife with waste and pollution-- how might we treat our clothes if we had to make them all with our own hands from plants we grew or sheep we tended?

I also finished some quilty tote bags recently and they are for sale in my online shop of various artsy items made for humans and homes. You can look here, and I will be donating 30% of sales through the end of the year to Besan in Gaza, so this is a great opportunity to buy a one of a kind gift for someone while giving direct support to a survivor of genocide.

What I’m enjoying:

Noticing: In a mixed forest do you wonder, do the deciduous trees feel self conscious, as the air becomes crisp and they bare their naked branches to the clear cold sky, or are they by slender needled neighbors, held softly in a warm embrace?

Reading: The Roma: A Traveling History by Madeline Potter.

Listening: Everything is Free by Gillian Welch, I've been hearing this EVERYWHERE lately.

Tasting: Apples in every way, shape, and form. I'm lucky to get a steady supply of heirlooms from a local orchard and I've been making apple fritter focaccia, apple butter, apple custard tarts and just eating them by the handful (some of the heirlooms are quite small, you can grab a handful of them)!

Where to find me / how to support:

• Being a subscriber to this newsletter is enough! Please share it with anyone you think may enjoy it too!
• Reply to this email if you’re interested in commissioning something quilty.
• Buy art for yourself or someone you love!
• Shop my small collection of project bags at Fiber Rhythm shop in SE PDX (in store only).
• Buy me a cup of tea.