creativity in the face of the dismals

well, what have you been up to anastasia? hmm, maybe not as much as i thought. you'd think being jobless would free up a lot of time to just focus. but then you want to buy the materials with which you've envisioned a piece, and find that there is a downside to being without a job; a serious lack of funds. then you think, "what about that stock of stuff i've been building up for the last few years?", and you find that your tastes have changed somewhat.

or perhaps, i just like the thrill of ordering something, the suppressed excitement of knowing that something is in the mail, the joy of finding a package waiting for you on the doorstep, the exhilaration of opening a box, and admiration, which lasts ever so slightly in the passage of time, of your new acquisition before the urge to order something else takes hold of your senses. ugh. i think i have a problem. or, rather, an addiction. join the club.

then, there's other things which arrive in the mail which aren't so welcome; bills. with the lovely bit of financial reality i receive in the mail every month, i'm beginning to realize that i can't be as free with my heart's desires, that the old piggy bank ain't giving out one more dime. i could be over come with bleakness and dive into a deep pit of despair and depression, or, i could start looking closer to home for material to work with. you know, *cough* the cats, or something.

which brings me to my latest undertaking, spinning cat fiber yarn! i'm calling it turkish van fiber. sounds fancy, huh? well, they are decadently soft, these two kitties of mine. and they really love getting combed, plus they come in three colorways, auburn, black, and white, which mixes up to a greyish yarn color once carded. so, i've spun the cat hair onto a bobbin, and plied it with wool left over from my felting days (which weren't all that many now that i'm being honest with myself), and created a lovely mottled french grey yarn which is surprisingly soft.

i'll admit it though, i really enjoy spinning, and keep wistfully gazing at the pages of ox, alpaca, linen, peace silk, vicuna, qivuit, and guanaco fiber available these days on the internet. but, thankfully for my sagging wallet, i haven't pressed the purchase button yet. sigh. i want a job. a workroom assistant to a costume designer would be nice, or to work in a couture house sewing by hand for hours, or attaching sequins to a stage outfit, any of those would cause me to hyperventilate with happiness. oh, i don't know, one can dream i guess.

finding that perfect coat

living in the south, especially in savannah, you wouldn't think finding a coat would be much of a priority. and for the most part, it isn't. never is it cold enough to actually wear one; with the exception of one or two days a year when it would be nice, but not necessary.

i tell myself this, but there remains a yearning. to have a coat one could wear forever, a coat where one could have an adventure in. there's this thinking that goes on in my head that sounds like a plan; obtain coat, move to the north, start to live the life you want, find your happiness. you know, a starting plan, a goal. if i could create a coat from wishes these would be ones i thought first of:living in the south, especially in savannah, you wouldn't think finding a coat would be much of a priority. and for the most part, it isn't. never is it cold enough to actually wear one; with the exception of one or two days a year when it would be nice, but not necessary.

i tell myself this, but there remains a yearning. to have a coat one could wear forever, a coat where one could have an adventure in. there's this thinking that goes on in my head that sounds like a plan; obtain coat, move to the north, start to live the life you want, find your happiness. you know, a starting plan, a goal. if i could create a coat from wishes these would be ones i thought first of:

photos from the sartorialist.