I have been in a bit of a creativity slump the past little while, between the stress of work, the stress of my contract ending in May and it being winter I haven't been feeling the urge to create. I finally started spinning again over the weekend, after cleaning and polishing my wheel (she is unfinished so I have to moisturise her on semi-annual basis). I am not loving the yarn I spun. It is too hard and picky, it is wensleydale combed top so it not surprising, but because my main style of spinning is inchworm, I have yarn that if woven could probably stop a bullet, never mind abrasion resistant, this stuff would abrade me if worn. I like rustic wools, wool that still feels a bit like the sheep it came off, but because I spun this stuff worsted instead of woolen it doesn't have any loft, whoops.
This all said I am in a bit of a spinning rut, so when I finally remembered to order Spin Art from Amazon it was a no brainer. I have Get Spun, another art yarn book from Interweave, but this one looked different and it has a DVD. While, I was there I picked up the Knitters Life List which I had seen a book store before Christmas. It seems to filled with inspiration and mountains to climb, with suggestions about techniques and yarns that every knitter should try.
In addition to my spinning slump I am totally stuck on my knitting projects, and I have been trying to use up some of the yarn that has been weighing on my mind and I the balls of yarn are the left overs from my crocheted blankets that I am thinking I am going to turn into Chubby Chirps, an adorable, free pattern from Rebecca Danger (who has the amazing monster patterns). However after a week I have yet to cast on, so I need to get kicked into gear as it will fill my need for a quick finishing pattern and also use up some stuffing I have lying around.
I am also looking for inspiration in my non-fiber life. My contract is up the first week in May and I don't have anything lined up for afterwards, I am applying for jobs but nothing yet. I am going to re-read the Sand Country Almanac because it inspires me so much and informs so much of my feelings on environment. Maybe that will inspire me to finish Understanding Ordinary Landscapes, a book I skim read (a common crime of mine) in school that deserves a closer read.
Hopefully the new books will help kick me into fiber inspiration that will in turn fuel my personal inspiration, because winter isn't over yet and having the blues during the winter just sucks.