Southern Highland Craft Guild

I have been to the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway a number of times in the past. I was lucky to get back in early September. The Folk Art Center is associated with the Southern Highland Craft Guild which represents many craftspeople in 9 southeastern states.

What was different during this visit was displays of antique textiles and handmade textile equipment

Flax working tools

 Would a spinning wheel builder consider himself an artist?  And on that subject, a note on the enduring subject of are and craft...

Biltmore Industries: Preservation of Handspinning and Weaving in Appalachia

I was lucky to visit Asheville during Labor Day weekend this year, and managed to find myself near the Grove Park Inn, now overtaken by big business (that would be Omni Hotels).

While there, I visited the museum dedicated to Biltmore Industries, a concern that produced handwoven fabrics circa 1905 until as late as 1981.  Why produce handwovens at that time, well past the textile industrial revolution?

Perhaps the founders were worried about the loss of skills for hand produced materials at the turn of the last century. However we do know that hand production of yarn and fabrics continued well into the 20th century, as a necessity for many people.   John C. Campell, an educator, surveyed the extreme poverty in the southern Appalachians prior to his death in 1919, from a cart that served as a "mobile home." His wife Olive Dame later founded John C. Campbell Folkschool, mentioned below.

The founders may have been influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, flourishing in England and the US between 1880 and 1920. (The influence of which is seen in the signage and furniture at Biltmore Estate).

Western North Carolina  and Appalachia hold hand crafting and artisan efforts in high regard, as seen in the Craft Schools founded at the beginning of the last century and still flourishing in the area (John C Campbell, Arrowmont, and Penland).

In 1905 Edith VanderBilt founded Biltmore Industries to "bring back" hand production of wool fabrics.

It was a joy to view this small museum.   If you have difficulty reading through my silhouette, this first sign reads

"America’s heritage of handwork, more than two centuries old, still thrives today within the Southern Appalachian Mountains. In recent years, however, thisz heritage has been influenced considerably by forces of modernism such as industrialization, increased travel, and a growing influx of new residents from all parts of the United States.

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Change has come to the mountains to stay, but the Southern Appalachian region still remains the nation’s principal stronghold of traditional handcrafts. The purpose of the North Carolina Homespun Museum is:

1.     To depict the history of Biltmore Industries, founded on the Biltmore Estate by r.s George W. Vanderbilt in 1901 and moved to it’s present site by Fred Seeley, Sr., in 1917.

2.     To exhibit outstanding examples of handwork, primarily by North Carolina natives."

This bit was lovely: in 2003 a woman returned a suit for benefit of the museum:

According to this nice blog post, people would go and purchase their wool handspun at the shop, then take it to Pack Square in downtown Asheville to a tailor to be made into bespoke clothing.

Hat, accomplished

I finished a hat last week for son R. It's from Malabrigo, the yarn is called Rios. This is my first project in Malabrigo and I can report that it is soft and springy and a delight to knit; the ladies at Yarn Paradise in Asheville (purchased this summer) reported that it is machine washable (?).

 The pattern is highly adapted from Robin Russo's Earflap hat in Interweave Knit and Spin, 2011.

Do you know this recording about Malabrigo? I first heard it on Brenda's Cast-On and I'm passing it on from there..."taste the rainbow now..."  synesthesia, yeah

More Vacation, blending fiber for graduated yarn color

After a week back at work, my friend Deb and I met in NC at my brother's.  Its still nice here. Here's the lace that's not knitted

There are some new animals

I suggested the names of "Midnight" and "Ink" but that was rejected.  They may wind up as "kitty 2" and "kitty 3".

Deb is helping me to improve my hand spindling techniques.   She is also teaching me how to make my own graduated color yarn.

HOW TO BLEND TOP TO SPIN GRADUATED COLOR YARN

Pick four colors of top, split in half

 Move half of each color to the side for later.

Pick the first two colors that you want to grade from one to the next, split in to five piles

1) 100% one color A

2) 75% color A, 25% color B

3) 50% color A, 50% color B

4) 25% color A, 75% color B

5) 100% color B

Repeat with all colors, making similar piles, steps 2 through 5.  You'll have some left over.

 Within each pile, pull apart and put back together gently to mix by hand. 

Put in baggies and label cause you'll soon be unable to recognize. Decide if you want to spin the left over at the  beginning and the end or wherever, or save for another project.

Spin the best you can.  IF YOU'RE ON VACATION you use a drop spindle. Repeat with the other halves and make two ply if you want.  If you do and you've spun evenly, the color sequences SHOULD match up.  

Admire your friend's spinning technique.

Deb also taught me how to spin from the fold. 

Decide that you REALLY need the other type of spindle that your friend has (top whorl). 

Get tired and go work on some knitting.

Have a glass of wine, get tired, go to bed to rest up for jewelry casting class (more on that later).