Kathy Reed

Border Leicester Cowl

Stream:Embracing

Merino Wool from Quail Hollow Farm, Elkton MD. Cleaned and carded at Alford Family Farm and Spinnery, Beallsville MD Border Leicester Fleece from Wooly Wonders Farm, Carlisle, PA. RePurposed silk scarves from Golden Rooster Thrift Shop in Upperville, VA Antique button from my mother's button box

I wanted to make a merino cowl from a pattern a friend had shared with me. I have a large stash of wool and in my stash I found two local fleeces purchased at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival. To add color to my work, I usually use silk that I have painted or dyed with chemical dyes, but for this challenge I turned to a stash of silk scarves I collected from local thrift shops. I purchase a lot of the wool is use locally, it was good to actually look to see where these fleeces came from to insure they were within the fibershed and to limit the embellishments to repurposed silk and buttons. It was a nice exercise to participate in.

Kathryn Keister

I am a lifelong learner in the fiber arts from sewing, knitting and embroidering as a child, to spinning, weaving, dyeing, silk painting and felting as an adult. With natural fibers as a canvas, I continue to explore the interplay of color and texture through the fiber dynamics of silk and wool. With a desire to be more mindful in the use of resources, and drawing inspiration from both nature and in previous decades of creatives, I incorporated four generations of fiber, textile, bead and button collections in my work. As both a student and instructor, I am committed to affirming and pursuing the intersection of creativity, storytelling, neural integration and health/wellness.