Sun, 27 March 2011
Media Link: Anna-archy for Knitters (47:16)  There's a million crafters in Fiber City and we've all got a yarn to spin.  This episode of Fiber Beat is underwritten by Bobbin's Nest Studio, from Santa Clara, CA. Bobbin's Nest is a fabric and yarn store specializing in: knitting, sewing, crochet, and hand embroidery. Coming in April, be sure to check out the new Po Campo bicycle bags (which also make great knitting bags) as well as new yarns from Sweet Georgia! Fiber Beat, Episode 17: "Anna-archy for Knitters" featuring Anna Zilboorg & Lucy Kaplan In this episode of Fiber Beat, I sat down with knitter, designer, dyer, teacher, author & everyone’s favorite knitting anarchist - Anna Zilboorg. Her book Magnificent Mittens has just been lovingly reworked by Anna and re-issued by XRX Publishing. We talk about breaking the knitting rules, the magnificence of mittens and whether or not knitting is a spiritual or meditative practice. Next on the episode, I had a conversation with my friend, Lucy Kaplan, who is a practicing Buddhist and an avid practitioner and teacher of meditation. We spoke about whether crafty pursuits can be similar to meditation. The following people, places and things were mentioned:
Fiber Beat CONTEST for Episode No. 17 I have a signed copy of Anna's original hard copy edition of Magnificent Mittens for one lucky listener. All you have to do to enter is tell us what is it about your fiber craft that brings you bliss. One of my favorite things about knitting is the elegance and simplicity of stockinette. I love how it looks, how it drapes and how it grows from my needles. Now, it's your turn. To enter the drawing, please leave your comment on fiberbeat.com or on the Fiber Beat Ravelry forum. One winner will be randomly selected from all the entries. DEADLINE FOR ENTERING IS April 15, 2011. The winner of the Fiber Beat CONTEST for Episode No. 16 is Dawna. Her signed copy of Respect the Spindle is on its way to her home. Thank you to everyone who participated and congratulations to Dawna. I would like to thank sponsor Bobbin's Nest for their continued support and to thank you our awesome listeners for downloading and listening to our first TWENTY-FOUR episodes (audio/video) of Fiber Beat! Finally, I'd like to extend a anarchic armload of thanks to Anna Zilboorg and a contemplative word of gratitude to Lucy Kaplan. We used snippets of the songs below in this episode. If you like the music, please support the artists (links provided for your convenience):
My name is WonderMike and I'll see YOU on the Fiber Beat!! Comments[8]
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- Fiber work - spinning, knitting, weaving, quilting - helps me focus on the colors, textures, repetition, creativity of whatever I'm working on. I lose track of time and stress. I can choose the stage of many ongoing projects, depending on how much time and energy I have at the moment. I like both the process and the product.
- When I'm knitting I'm not thinking about anything else. Sometimes I'm not even "seeing" my work. My fingers get into a rhythm and I go off into the ether. Other times I'm so focused on my work that next to nothing can break my concentration. It's that focus and calm that keeps me coming back. That and the feelings of accomplishment I get from creating. Thanks for a terrific show. Anna is a real gem.
- For me it's how the tiniest thing, the single stitch, repeated over and over again, makes a completed project. Sometimes I have to slow myself down to appreciate how the knitting feels, the wonderful yarn I'm working with or just how perfect and sharp my needles are! I also love how a pattern gets memorized and how I'm able to read my knitting like a book. I don't remember when I was able to just pick it up and know exactly where I was, but I know I wasn't always able to do so. Sometimes I am somewhere in a pattern, and I sing to myself, "row 2, row 2, row 2", and yes, it is not meditating, but puts me in a whole other place!