Y Is For… Yarn! – Of course!

I love yarn, (which is probably obvious, since I wrote about the joys of a yarn stash on my main blog today, too).  But I do love the stuff – I adore digging my hands into it, squeezing it, feeling it reflect the heat of my hands back to me.  I relax when I feel yarn – it\’s a very tactile sense of calm.  Sometimes, when I\’m working on a new design project and don\’t yet see the pattern in my mind, I will walk around the house holding a ball or skein of the yarn.  Doing that lets me meditate with it, commune with it, and let it speak to me.

I know that probably sounds a little wooly-bully (or, let\’s face it, a little nuts), but it\’s true.  Designing for me is a very tactile process.  I think it has to do with the fact that I don\’t translate 2D to 3D in my head, so my design process is physical and not conceptual.  By holding the yarn, I literally \”get a feel for it\” and am able to see what kind of textile I want to create with it.  Is it light and airy?  Do I want to make something lacy?  Is it heavy and chunky, with a strong body?  Cables might be more the ticket.  This particular yarn in the picture is a Merino wool and alpaca blend with a little bit of silk I think, if memory serves.  It doesn\’t have a whole lot of bounce to it, so it\’s not very springy; but it\’s very soft.  The shine that it has, which isn\’t all that visible in this picture due to the lighting, says \”sparkle\” to me – and I plan to use beads in the lace.

What about you, Dear Reader?
Do you think in words, images, sensations, or something else?