Friday, October 30, 2009

HOW TO BUILD A WRAP: PT1

Yarns gathered in Santa Fe & Taos

Often my most successful wraps are launched by a single hank of yarn. I'll be foraging through my stash or a in yarn store of either the virtual or the original variety, and I'll spy a yarn in some incredible, breath-taking, color. That will be the defining moment. Suddenly, colors visions swirl in my head as I wander the shelves, skein in hand, in search of supporting players. This time blame Malibigio's silk/merino yarn in a shade fittingly called 'Archangel' set the tone. You'll see it mid center of the photo above, a simply divine mixed metaphor of tawny orange blending into a light, celestial, purple. The color so excited the knitters in Taos that we eached sailed into the local shop to purchase a hank. We decimated her shipment, leaving only memories behind.

Meanwhile, I couldn't stop stroking that yarn. For awhile, I took it everywhere as if it were a small pet too young to be left alone. Along it came to Weaving Southwest, the amazing yarn and weaving shop described last month, where the awe-inspiring display of hue upon hue of yarn offered ample opportunity to find supporting players. The soft reddy-oranges and deep, blackberry purples took flight with me as I imagined a wrap begining in an earthy brown tinged with purple and moving up into the heavens in flights of glorious, shimmering reds and oranges. Blue Heron's rayon metallics in pumpkin laced with Malibrigo bunny and Fleece Artist silks complete the wingspan and (they had been nesting in my stash at home all alomg). Since I also have a purply Dune mohair plus Great Adirondacks glimmering sequins, this heavenly wrap will unfurl from yarns both old and new.

To fly a wrap of your own, first begin with inspirational yarn adding bits from your stash as you go along. Add a little gleam, a little bit of mohair and small amounts of glitter for a truly stellar crean. Stay tuned for next posting as I continue expounding upon wrap compositions.