My mojo came back to me last week at a moment when I was feeling pretty tired and bleak, right in the middle of working 12 straight days. Suddenly, I had a craving for something warm and cheery. Remembering some bright yarn I spun last January, I cast on for a triangular shawl-ish object. I have no pattern and no idea how big it will be (or how I'm going to wear it for that matter), but I don't care because it makes me happy.
Also helping on the inspiration front are two awesome books that came into my possession recently, courtesy of my mother and my mother-in-law. My mother gave me a copy of The Intentional Spinner by Judith MacKenzie McCuin. So far I have read the background on the different types of fiber (protein, cellulose, and manufactured), which is written in enough detail to let you understand the processing and the structure/characteristics of the fiber, without being overwhelming. The author also gets bonus points for her detailed table on identifying fibers by burn test. I'm not even to the chapters on spinning and I can already tell this is a great book.
The other book I'm drooling over at the moment is Martha Stewart's new Encyclopedia of Crafts. Kudos to my mother-in-law for knowing how much I would enjoy having a copy. I've skimmed through the book's wide range of covered crafts, from etching glass, to making wreaths, to crepe paper flowers, and making candles, and found many new things that I want to try out (and a few old ones from her magazine or website). There is not a lot of fiber content here--no knitting or crocheting and minimal sewing--but it still provides plenty of inspiration to craft. Which is exactly what I need right now.
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