Just another Rock n Roll Artist

I had to laugh at myself this weekend, as I prepared to perform a live gig with my band. How many other singers in bands spend their days spinning yarn and creating floral hair clips, then get all gussied up to perform on stage? Here's the actual remark I posted to twitter:

@cayswann -- do laundry, clean room, make 3 floral hair clips, spin 2 skeins of yarn, apply makeup, go be a Rock Star singer in a band. #TypicalDay

The gig went really well,  and I was just as struck by the surreal nature of performing as being artsy beforehand.

So then, to the Arts!

I'd been making so many yarns based on commissions, that I finally decided just to make a yarn because the fiber looked interesting. I bought some blended fibers on a whim on etsy, and thought the bright orange blend would be the perfect shiny and exciting yarn to lift my creative spirits.

MARIGOLD SPARKS - listed on etsy
Full set of photos start here (12 total): http://www.cayswann.com/v/Projects/2011/etsy_yarn/marigold_001.JPG.html

In the early morning sunshine

In the mid-day sunshine

Several examples of wraps per inch

My favorite is a 3-part image of an extreme close-up photo of yarns wrapped around my new "wrap per inch" cedar tool. I really love the little wooden tool, and I had the perfect custom kumihimo cord to string it that Dayle made for me and gave me last weekend at King's Hunt.


I'm extremely thankful that I've been keeping extremely detailed records on where I purchased fiber, from whom, how much it weighed, how much it cost, etc. I was surprised when I figured the cost of materials into the finished yarn, because this orange yarn was deceptively soft and luxurious... lulling me into almost forgetting that I actually spent quite a bit on the luxury fiber before I spun the yarn. Recording keeping is going to save my sanity.


Then I assembled half a dozen commissioned small floral hair clips for a fundraiser, and one large hair clip for my store. I cannot show off the commissioned pieces yet, until their troupe store is in place. But here's the personal stock I created.

SPIRAL JOY - listed on etsy
Full set of photos start here (6 total): http://www.cayswann.com/v/Projects/2011/etsy_flowers/spiral_blk-red_001.JPG.html

Spiral Joy - such a fun hair clip

Easily the largest floral hair clip I've assembled to date, both in length and height

I've noticed that I want to buy additional feathers for my stock. My selection is far too limited. *grin*

This week I'll be working on two doll-hair yarn commissions, one personal-choice yarn (I've just passed the 50% mark on the fiber), and possibly building tassels. I need to check my home library for my tassel books. My friend Ellen has launched her henna business recently, and her booth at King's Hunt was decorated with some of her tassels. She spun and dyed the yarns (natural dyestuffs, of course), and then created the tassels. I was really inspired by the variety of tassel designs she had assembled, reminding me to do some research before working on Natalie's tassel belt (version 2.0).