august first

first splintless handwriting since april,

the quote is from leslie avon miller: paper has it's own language"

today i drove two hours to lake placid to see my orthopedic doctor.

i can now be splintless during the day, 

as long as i'm not being too rough. 

i wear the splint at night for another three months, until i next visit.

the tendon is healing, 

about 50 percent,

slowly but surely.

 a surprise awaited me in the mail, 

 a drop spindle made by kevin from a morgan kozo shaft, 

and an inscribed whorl

"expressly made for velma, ms. shifu"

and on the very bottom, the morgan logo

susan sent me her first shifu the other day. 

i was so very moved.

(it included a "map" of our workshop learning.)

a repeat today, of tears welling up,

when this lovely memento from the morgan arrived.

the enthusiasm for shifu and spinning kozo continues:

 in cleveland there is a shifu group.

~~~~~

this summer i have seen it happen: 

when someone is sparked by an idea, 

or an idea catches them, 

or something resonates and compels and needs to be explored.

~~~~~

so after lunch i slept deeply, 

adjusting to my finger's allowed mobility is strange

adjusting to being home and quiet for a time

also strange

adjusting to thinking about some books that are 

brewing, brings excitement.

august, indeed.

learning matsuo kozo

so this is what i did in toronto. a bamboo basket, with red lacquer paint. 

matsuo kozo, 1/2 sheet

ready to spin

i stayed in the place where my book becomes a journal for many others' thoughts.

my dear friend wendy and i had lovely conversations.

laughter, and caring.

i leave her grateful, challenged, and celebrated for being just myself. 

this is the amazing gift that mature friendship brings.

i worked with hiroko karuno to understand and expand my shifu education. 

i have far to go, but i must say that getting to this place was a huge victory for me. 

can you see the tiny arches formed between each "string"?

this step proved to be most difficult for me. 

my awkward hands fumbled as i sought to understand the work necessary to prepare 

kozo for spinning. eventually certain things "clicked".

i love that concrete blocks are just fine for this!

one half sheet (two quarters) of matsuo kozo, prepared for spinning.

this elegant wheel is perfect for the job. 

it has a wonderful flexibility in the "maidens" which are made from corded bamboo sheaths. 

(and i suspect also in the wheel adjustments for the drive band)

hiroko sent me home with my two small skeins wrapped around 

a plastic covered bobbin, still damp, 

with instructions to wind off while still a tiny bit damp. 

i forgot to photograph them in their damp state, i was so eager to skein them!

so at 10:30, after my train and car trips, 

i eagerly began to wind off my skeins.

89 yards.

i am ridiculously delighted with this spinning, this handwork, 

this almost meditation of making.

i honor hiroko, her kind husband, my dear wendy, and her husband.

i thank toronto, a city i'm learning to love.

i was made to feel very welcome, for this most exciting step in my textile education. 

when i prepare to make shifu, 

it seems like all the parts of my making are coming together.