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Category: Mending

by raheli July 17, 2019

July 17, 2019

by raheli May 29, 2019

One Patch at a Time

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adventures bird builtenvironment busyhands creativefamily creativeprocess current dirt drawing eatlocal family farmtotable featured fruit garden grid growingfood handstitching harvest hunkerdown ideas inspiration iwonder knitting lost lunch map mapping meals music naturalforces nature preserving recipe seasonalkitchen slowstitching snacks stars storm storycloth summer travel trees veggies watercolors

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raheliharper

Hello #fiberuarychallenge - I am Raheli! I am a kn

Hello #fiberuarychallenge - I am Raheli! I am a knitter, spinner, and slow stitcher, mender and a bunch of other things. Almost 4 years ago I also became a shepherd, raising a small flock of cormo sheep (with some CVM mixed in). And this year I was finally able to have our fleeces spun, and am now plotting a sweater knit from my own yarn!

This is my favorite knit from 2022 - my #rhinebecksweater - it’s a @katiegreenbean pattern #beetlemagic - and I knit it with a group of friends from @beetleandfred (if you look at my right arm, you can see it’s a beetle & Fred sweater!) I also handspun the green yarns! The gray is from @hudsonandwestco

Enrollment is open for my online creativity worksh

The Snail’s Guide to Wandering opens for registr

The Snail’s Guide to Wandering opens for registration tomorrow! I can tell you it’s a workshop about creativity and time, but it’s also about tapping into what you want to be doing, matching your task to your energy, and lowering the pressure to produce. I am not sure I’ll ever be really good at selling these ideas I have, but I am loooove exploring the ways we block ourselves from our creativity and curiosity and delight. And happy to talk with you!

The participants from the last session have told me that the workshop inspired them to create accountability groups, new products, more space for exploration (and pleasure), and lots of beautiful things and moments. And also to be kinder to themselves when they feel uninspired or unmotivated.

#creativepractice #makesomethingeveryday #craftersgonnacraft #artistmom #artistmama #slowstitching #snailsguidetowandering #wanderingsnailpost

Let’s separate market logic from our creative pr

Let’s separate market logic from our creative practice!

When I expect constant growth from my creative work I end up dreading my work or ideas. When I prize the product over the process I put myself on arbitrary deadlines and always feel behind. When I try to find the value in my creations by putting prices on them, I stop valuing my pleasure and curiosity.

The Snail’s Guide to Wandering is opening for enrollment soon! Sign up for my newsletter to find out more 🐌🐌🐌

#snailsguidetowandering #wanderingsnailpost
#creativepractice #makerslife #creativefamily #artistmom #artistmama #hudsonvalleyartist #naptimecrafter #writersblocksucks #craftersgonnacraft #crafternoon

“Even if I manage to clear the time for creative

“Even if I manage to clear the time for creative play, I sit there and feel guilty. I end up hating the first thing I draw, so I get up to do something more productive.”

“It feels like I am being virtuous when I cut “sewing project” from my task list for the day”

“When get some free time, I feel like I need to ‘make it count’ and I try to start three projects while I finish another two, all while listening to a motivational podcast. I end up feeling more stressed than when I sat down to relax”

Making time for a creative practice is often more complicated than setting aside some time. We are awash in the Toxic Productivity culture, and Hustle Culture, and oh, hey, capitalism. All of which say that you are only as worthy as how much you produced today. But creativity needs some space that is divorced from the product.

Join me in this 4-week workshop where we’ll confront this together. We’ll play, rest, stare at the wall, and make some beautiful things. We can’t take on toxic productivity by sprinting towards the finished product, so yes, we’ll take a meandering route. And still, we’ll end up ready to dive into our creative work (and probably be really productive, but let’s not worry about that, ok?)

Enrollment opens soon, so sign up for my newsletter today!

I think about quitting projects - or ending them w

I think about quitting projects - or ending them without finishing them - a lot. Not just because I do this, but also because people have such intense reactions when I bring it up. They usually want to find a way for me to finish the project - they don’t want me to give up or they want to “fix” the problem of quitting? Like I said, I think about it a lot.

I think that having a way to take a break from or let go of a project helps me not get locked into avoidance mode (which is where I get stuck). Or I end up feeling like I am haunted by the ghosts of projects past - and those ghosts have strong opinions when they see me starting a new project.

I am hosting another round of The Snail’s Guide to Wandering next month! And we will definitely talk about beginning and ending creative projects there. It’s a 4-week workshop (with 2 bonus weeks for catch-up time) for people who feel disconnected from their creative drive. More info coming this week! 🐌

#snailsguidetowandering #wanderingsnailpost #creativepractice #everydaycreativity #draweverydamnday #artistmom #hudsonvalleyartist #creativemamas #busyhands #makearteveryday #craftersgonnacraft #handmadewardrobe

This sweater! It gave me some stress. And took nea

This sweater! It gave me some stress. And took nearly as long to make as my Rhinebeck sweater (which was adult-sized and involved colorwork.) I felt like I was falling behind when I put it aside - it “should” have taken me less time, I kept thinking. Feeling behind on my own projects is so messed up - there was no hurry or deadline, but it didn’t stop me from inventing a few.

It’s done now, and it is the first sweater knit from our own wool. Which is beyond exciting. The brown yarn comes from Penguin Cat, our herd leader and gorgeous lady. The burgundy is @hudsonandwestco The gold is @kelbornewoolens. Both of those were purchased at @beetleandfred

#fredsaidsew #hudsonandwestco #fibershed #hudsonvalleyfibershed #slowstitching #homegrownyarn #creativepractice #makershands #knittingtherapy #snailsguidetowandering #wanderingsnailpost #fashrev #growyourownclothes #handmadewardrobe #hudsonvalleyartist

One of these is a jar of milk, the other is leaf l

One of these is a jar of milk, the other is leaf lard. Can you guess? This is the most benign photo I can post from butchering and processing two of our sheep. Today I am finishing up the meat grinding and rendering.

These two sheep had a lot of fat and while I have never cooked with lamb fat, I am excited to use it. This is the delicate fat around the kidneys and (in pigs) is great for pies and biscuits. Last time we butchered I made the mistake of using a plastic funnel and melted it into the fat/had a mess on the counter - such a sad face that day.

If you are wondering why butcher cute sheep… We can’t overwinter all 7 sheep (hay and feed cost $$$, remember the drought this summer? Very poor hay harvest) and we certainly would like some homegrown meat to eat this winter.

ETA: I just looked it up, and it turns out that kidney/heart fat from ruminants is called suet! I hadn’t realized - lucky birds. And yes, still known for making flakey pies.

Instagram post 17865692234824683

Instagram post 17865692234824683

We are welcoming winter today! Skiing and sauna an

We are welcoming winter today! Skiing and sauna and getting in bed early to rest my tired body. 🥱😴

I have three stitching projects that I am working

I have three stitching projects that I am working on this week - two I love, and one I am avooooiding. The magic wore off and now it just feel like another task on my list. Can you guess which one is in Time Out? 😂 It was last months’s favorite, but that’s how it goes with the projects when they hit a bump (or three). I’m not above bribing myself to finish a project just to be done with it. 🖇️🔝

The moon rise, Mars and the Pleiades (also called

The moon rise, Mars and the Pleiades (also called the Seven Sisters) are all in a diagonal line tonight!

Setting a scene today. First photo is loosely laid

Setting a scene today. First photo is loosely laid out, second is after basting fabric together. Happy to be stitching like this it feels like it’s been a while. I was frustrated that I couldn’t focus on my tasks for today - my mind is wandering everywhere - but it seems that my mind has been wandering right here. Because here is where I found my focus.

#slowstitch #slowstitching #ragmates2022 #fabriccollage #stitchedart #snailsguidetowandering #creativepractice #fredsaidsew

I covered an old lampshade that we picked up on th

I covered an old lampshade that we picked up on the side of the road (some one put it out for trash), and I used vintage fabric that has been on my shelves for a few years.

And I had a lot of thoughts about documenting my projects - and how documentation can take over the project sometimes. I love sharing projects on IG, and so love seeing your projects too, but if I try to create a beautiful story… then I usually grind to a halt on my project. Today I got stuck on thoughts of documentation, and then I released my ideas about how perfectly I would photograph my work.. and some how that let me photograph it here and there, with out a clean desk or good lighting… So, here I am, with a reel about a project that almost got derailed by a reel? Enjoy 🤷🏻‍♀️🤔

#creativepractice #makedoandmend #makedo #creativereuse #makershands #repurposedvintage #creativeprocess #honestcraftroom #repairdontreplace #visiblemending

Repair cafe today! Keeping these 30-year-old jeans

Repair cafe today! Keeping these 30-year-old jeans in working order. We are here until 2 at the Warwick Senior Center!
#repaircafe #repaircafehudsonvalley #warwickny #hudsonvalley #visiblemending #makethriftmend #fashionrev #mendingmayhem

Still thinking about our travels and feeling nosta

Still thinking about our travels and feeling nostalgic, even as I happily settle into our first snowfall and cold nights.

My studio is getting cleaned up and shifted around

My studio is getting cleaned up and shifted around… but today my stitching time is happening at gymnastics class. To be honest, I am probably focusing better here (at least when not on my phone) because there is nothing else to do. Activation kit or the win.

Typing this really fast before my instagram time limit kicks in 😂

#howartgetsmade #artistmom #hudsonvalleyartist #snailsguidetowandering #activationkit #mobileartstudio

This is has been my stitching companion these past

This is has been my stitching companion these past few weeks. Wandering stitches while we wander in the world? Or, a make of all the driving directions? Wandering often sounds like loops to me, but right now it’s lines and 90 degree angles.

I haven’t been stitching much recently - not hand stitching. It’s been months, and I’m not sure why. For one, I have been knitting projects that I love and find really engaging. But also, my creative energy is going into writing and planning my workshop, and while I am very excited about what I have created, I miss feel of fabric in my hands. So I got some fabric and drew some lines and gave myself a path forward.

#fredsaidsew #hudsonvalleyartist #snailsguidetowandering #slowstitch #handstitched #drawingwiththread #fabricscraps #fabriccollage

From our adventures on Vancouver Island!

From our adventures on Vancouver Island!

We were traveling and I was stitching. It was pret

We were traveling and I was stitching. It was pretty dreamy.

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