Raheli Harper is a writer and textile artist who writes about the experience of being a creative person in a culture of toxic productivity. She is trying to tease apart the capitalist influences on personal creative play. Right now she is very interested in the way the a creative practice can balance burnout from being a woman in 21st century America.

She is the founder of the Wallkill Valley Fiber Arts Guild and a handwork teacher in Orange County and Dutchess County, NY. She was also a founder and the programming coordinator for the Rivertown Homeschool Co-op, where she has taught a wide variety of fiber arts to kids ages 4 to 14 (now closed). An avid sewer, knitter, spinner and mender, Raheli is focused on the textile waste stream — harvesting forgotten and discarded fabrics, threads and other supplies and turning them into rags dolls, functional art and fabric collages.

What are you knitting right now?

I am in the middle of Kate Davies Design’s Oa sweater, but I am adapting it into a cardigan. I am using yarn from my own sheep! This is my first project for myself using my own yarn!

What are you mending right now?

Ha — My mending pile is giant. But it’s safe to assume I am perpetually mending my kid’s pants.