whisper your name


whisper your name on the things you find be~you~tiful . . .



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Jun 2, 2011

...artistically spun strands of beauty!

 
...oh dear!!

i'm a goner!
  
for you see, 
as of late ~
i've been collecting a few skeins of some ethereally "spun gold"!
 
 
    
   
i feel like rumpelstiltskin

more

spin me
m
o
r
e
!!!

 



i simply CAN'T get enough of them...

and little...
by
...little
i have a delightful, small collection of
the.  
most. 
  
BEAUTEOUS art yarns i have laid my eyes upon ~
 
  

 
EVER!!
 
each fiber has been carefully chosen,
cleaned,
and then spun into lovely yarns
   
  
    
with bits of silk 
  
   
   
     
or lace 
    
    
 
    
and other bits and bobs 
 
 
 
 
the gifted spinner of these art yarns
 describes these bits and bobs as dashes of colour
and beads are concentrated in certain areas
of this yarn to embellish your finished object here and there,
like jewelry, rather than distributed throughout the yarn.
     
  
and whom,
you may be wondering,
just is this enchanted spinner of these beauteous yarns???

hhhmmmmm...

 

well my dear, supportive blog friends,
her name is Drucilla Pettibone.
 she lives on a farm in North Carolina.

weeks ago,
when i discovered her etsy shop,
i knew then
 that i just had to share with you
 these little works of art,
and
that i wanted to learn more about them!

now,

right about now,
you may be saying to yourself

"self,
you don't even crochet or knit so this really doesn't interest you..."
  
and to that i would say dear readers ~
i don't knit or crochet either!!

BUT

 there is something soooo special about these yarns that i simply can NOT explain to you.

 
 

you have to see them with your own eyes,
and feel them upon your fingertips
and then,
THEN you will see what i mean!!

i was delighted when i inquired with Dru
to see if she would mind answering
just a few questions about her yarns
and she said absolutely :)
 
   

q:   i wonder if you could tell us a little about just who Dru, the fiber artist is?



Dru:  let's see... i'm a cancer girl, a married spinster, and a very process-oriented artisan. i'm in my early 40s and still have one foot in graduate school, but have been able to move with my husband to a little 1920s farmhouse in north carolina. my hub has two wonderful grownup daughters who live in the midwest, and i'm mom to our dogs, fiber rabbits and sheep, along with guard donkeys, an ancient mule and lots of roaming fowl.... i would love to truly homestead, but i still have so much to learn.

   


q:  do you spin your own yarns?


Dru:  yes! i learned to spin in the late 90s, and felt like i had done it before, many times.


 

 
q:  where do you seek/find your beautiful fibers to spin?

 Dru: i love to make yarn from the fiber of animals who i know and love! there's nothing more rewarding. i have a small spinner's flock, so i also seek fiber from small local farmers and their animal friends. i also have a group of close fiber artist friends, and we do swaps and collaborations.

   
 
q:   i'm curious, do you have a spinning wheel or two?
  
  Dru:  oh yes, you know i've become a wheel-hoarder!

    

  
q:   is is true that you have names for all of them?
and if so, what are their names and what does each one do??
 
Dru:  it's kind of normal among spinners to name their wheels! i named a couple of them, but the rest all came with their names! i find that (especially with the antique wheels) they each have their own quirks and personalities. i've had a number of wheels over the years, but these are my keepers. from left to right:
 

 

*  Sunny is an antique wheel from the North of Sweden. She has the year 1846 carved into her table. She arrived in many pieces, but I've been restoring her and she spins lace yarn beautifully.

  
*  Behind her is Clara, an antique Swiss production wheel. She is really interesting with her beautiful wood, huge flyer, and lateral treadle (so that you sit sideways to the wheel!) She is a very good, fast spinner and great for plying.
 
 
*  Big Bertha is a vintage Cowichan bulky spinning wheel. Her name says it all: she is all about spinning the bulkiest of bulkies. She is made of gorgeous black maple and has a big box shape. She's incredibly beautiful and easy to use.
 

*  Ilja is an antique Lithuanian wheel, marked 1888! She is very tiny, almost a child-sized wheel, and a little slow, but i love her painted details. She seems perfectly happy spinning angora all the day long.
 

*  Aunt Leonie, is a 1970s Louet S10. She is a very sturdy workhorse and easy-peasy spinner. She can handle most bulky yarns very well but is also great for finer yarns. A great all-around wheel.

 
*  In front is little Hattie, a vintage Louet hatbox wheel. She is an easy to use, fab spinner, and I love her styling. She is my travel wheel.

    
*  Bedelia is an antique Canadian production wheel with tilt-tension. She is the fastest wheel I've ever used, and is best for long-draw, woolen spinning 
  
  



wow! i had no idea Dru!!
no wonder each skein is like a beautiful art piece
as each, is truly "one of a kind"

 
       
 
q:  i have NEVER seen or felt such ethereal yarns in my life!
Where oh where! do you get your inspiration??

 
you are so kind, rosemary! it has been said that fiber will tell you what it wants to become, and i try to listen to it. i am drawn to the many natural, subtle colours of wool and angora fibre. i tend to only add colour to decorate or embellish the natural colours rather than as a base. and to add colour, i much prefer natural dyes to synthetic. i also try to retain the natural texture of the fiber rather than change it in processing, so that contributes to the flyaway look of my yarns.

     



q:   can you please tell us where we can find your fanciful art yarns to purchase?

petit bones is my handmade etsy shoppe:
http://www.petitbones.etsy.com/
and Drucilla Pettibone is my storehouse of vintage goodies:
http://www.drucillapettibone.etsy.com/

q:  do you also have a blog so we can read all about you and your creative endeavors?

  
yes! please visit me at drucillapettibone.blogspot.com


 
 
  
thank you so much Dru,
for taking the time to share a little about yourself and your art yarns!
i have enjoyed learning a little more about them and you.

I invite all you fabulous, supportive readers
to stop by and visit Dru and all her wonders 
and discover what new delights await you :)


 



 all i can say is
beau-ti-ful!!!

 
 
  

and i can't wait to discover more!!
 
 

sharing this post with:
French Country Cottage's: Feathered Nest Friday


 
here's to discovering artistically spun strands of beauty!




15 comments:

  1. what a beautiful, generous post!! thank you so much for featuring me here, and for making my yarns look so lovely! your medals and lockets suit them so well! and is that a feather-boa hanger you have them displayed on?! gorgeous!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Rosemary, Oh, these do look lovely and I will have to visit her shop. I know nothing about spinning yarn, but now I am interested. I believe I have part of an antique spinner thing {??} that works with a spinning wheel. I was going to convert it to a display piece . . . but maybe not . . .
    Thanks for the beautiful post. Have a great weekend!
    ~ Julie

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is poetry in everything you do. Your are truly unique!

    ReplyDelete
  4. lovely your photos!
    ****
    happy weekend,
    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dru is an artist in every sense of the word, just like you my friend. I love how she said that fiber will tell us what it wants to be. I truly believe her.
    A gorgeous post!

    ROsemary you blessed me with your visit and your words. I just had to say it again.
    hugs from here...

    ReplyDelete
  6. These gorgeous strands are amazing. They look like beautiful locks of curls. All the sweet elements woven within make them small works of art. Thankyou, Rosemary for sharing this wonderful post. xoxo Debra

    ReplyDelete
  7. Quite fascinating and beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing. I will go visit this etsy shop and Drucilla Pettibone.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rosemary, each and every one of your Posts are delightful stories that take your readers on a journey. I loved seeing all of the stunning photos and learning more about Dru. What she does is unbelievable! Amazing, beautiful, extravagant...I just can't stop looking at all the eye candy!! Happy weekend friend! xo

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rosemary Rosemary Rosemary, some blogs inspire, some inform but you my darling, purely entertain all the senses.

    Lovely Post and I am off to check out Dru's shop. She is a fabulous artist, like yourself. Too bad you two couldn't hook up and create together.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Rosemary, I had to come back and say congrats on winning Dore's giveaway!!! What a beautiful piece that you'll love!
    ~ Julie

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rosemary...I think I just lost my last post but this whole experience is so lovely that I must try to repeat what I said. First of all, coming to your blog is like entering an oasis of calm. Such lovely colors and beautiful music.

    I loved reading about Dru and savoring the incredible pictures you have taken of her work. The yarns are breathtaking and I do long to touch them. I feel like I have entered a magic world where naming one's spinning wheel is expected! This is all so lovely and I thank you.

    Fondly,
    Suz

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Rosemary,
    There is just beauty in everything we see! its just in how we look at it!

    I mailed your shelter and it came back to me on Thursday short $1.25 in postage, those darn self calculated mailing stations, So on Thursday I placed a $1.50 on it to make sure there is no problems! :) I am sure you will get it by Monday :) (Hope)

    I am sure the other two that shipped out got to them from my etsy shop with not problem at all...Of all to happen, it has to be on my GiveAway! Ugh!!!

    I am so enjoying your play list, I may not leave for a while :)

    I will be back when I need to relax, Or I will play it while I am creating.
    xoxo
    Dore

    ReplyDelete
  13. es ist wunderschön, was Du alles machst.
    Viele liebe Grüße aus Leipzig!
    csilla

    ReplyDelete

be kind ~ be graceful ~ be beautiful ~ be you!

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