Advice from Picaso

I don't need to tell anyone that I've spent this year learning new things.  We got the boys and have had to learn so much to keep them healthy and safe and build a trust relationship with them.  I decided I wanted to process their fleece myself and so I got a drum carder and started learning how to card fiber.  Next was my spinning wheel and class and as you've all seen lots of unbalanced yarn!  I then decided I should learn to dye it and knit it - all of which I've now done, but none of them well!  The advantage of felting your knitted piece is that it hides all flaws!!! I've had lots of fun and I know my pieces are the end result of my practice, however, I need lots more practice and I really need to concentrate on the basics of spinning and knitting and it came to a crux today when I read the following quote from Picasso in a magazine today.  It was an aha moment of why I need to learn the basics!

Learn the rules like a Pro, 

so you can break them like an Artist!  

                                      Picasso

This is why I needed to take a basic sewing course and why although I quilted some little pieces they weren't as good as they could be - why, because I didn't spend enough time learning the basics before I got bored and quit!  Same with my art - yes I love painting, but I've not learned the basics and so often my pieces are lacking something - a depth, a dimension that is just simply missing.  I'm breaking a rule that I don't even know!  And now we come to fiber - carding, spinning, dyeing and knitting!  I need the basics in all of these and  I need practice, so I can eventually move into real art yarn and art batts and express myself within the yarns - but I really can't break the rules until I know them! Well, I've proven you can , but not with the result I desire.  

Most of  you who know me, also know, that I like to start at A and run as fast as I can to Z!  I would prefer to skip over all of the steps in between. This creates a "Jill" of all trades, but a master of none! I'm hoping that keeping this in front of me as I continue on this fiber journey will help me focus on  the rules, so I really can break them later!  Not even hinting that I will become a master, but I will be better than if I just keep plunging in and jumping ahead without learning step 1, 2 and 3 . . .

So off to the carder to process some of the boys fiber and on to the wheel to practice spinning yarn - we will see if I can really slow down and enjoy the journey to a balanced yarn!

Happy Labor Day everyone!