12.16.2008

stored

A spun thread is a thing of energy. Each turn of the spindle is trapped in the fiber, it collapses the chaos of a puff, stills it, stores the turn. The spindle's weight holds the tension, the whorl's inertia carries through assisted occasionally by the flick of fingers, twist upon twist upon twist.

The wool fed to it lengthens the thread and the ever turning spindle lowers to the ground. When spun beyond the thread's capacity to store energy the spindle's whirling slows and the finished thread is raised to be wrapped around the shaft. If the thread is let loose it meets itself with glee, wrapping swiftly into a ply. Playful and new. An active line.

When newly spun and measured into a skein it twists in a hundred places, loopy and wild. Some tame it with hot water and soap, but sometimes it should just be.

Erin Curry spun photograph

*my first wheelspun, merino wool*

8 comments:

idyllicchick said...

I dreamt about spinning *again* last night. This has happened about every other night for two or three weeks now. Is it a sign? Am I being called to pick up the spindle? To follow the spinners around me and open myself to what they have to teach me? We'll see. It's probably just a matter of time.

mansuetude said...

what a beautiful random, a nest.

it makes a stunning photo, too, energy in it is what i am thinking, like it could fly on its own after being spun... if that makes any sense.

Liz said...

eeeeeeeeeeeee! :)

mesmerizing picture!

Anonymous said...

indeed.
a thing of great beauty.
[stunning photo]

Anonymous said...

As if a nest could breath life into itself? Luuuuuuuuv it! Where can I get a copy?

your friend
Jill

Erin Curry said...

Sharon, It's time. If you're dreaming about it, your mind is just begging to be allowed to wrap itself around the process. Let it.

manuetude, thank you. It does seem to hold that energy doesn't it, the potential for flight?

Hi Liz, I forgot to feed you tea as I promised today. Maybe Friday? Perhaps the proper spelling for Liz squeal is uooooooo, eeee!?

Kirsten, Thank you, I'm working on screen printing a very similar image, but the photo feels truer.

Jill! I need to figure out how to make prints of these and sell them online don't I? If/when I figure it out I'd love to trade with you.

Ritva said...

erin,
have a peaceful xmas!

Marjojo said...

That's a beautiful photo. It's a nest, it's an organ, a sea-creature, a bunch of worms a-coiling, a strange star in space, a flower, a strange organism under the microscope, a …

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