The wonderful Suzanne Cohen-Lange doing a very special "fable" on the origins of the Center for Book & Paper Arts. The show, Papercuts, runs through Nov. 8, 2014.

This is a rug beater, or carpet beater, that I am encasing with wool. Rug beaters were in common use until the introduction of affordable vacuum cleaners during the early 20th century. One would hang a rug, bedding, or clothes on a line and then beat the dust out of them. This is a wire, coiled at the bottom and placed on a wooden handle. I found this in a junk store in Aurora. It has a lovely aged look to it.

The yarn is "Bump" of alpaca and wool from Bagsmith. It has a nice twist to it.
Check them out:
http://www.bagsmith.com/categories/The-BagSmith/Big-Stitch-Yarn/

I like how this object is being transformed. Meant for one purpose it now becomes something else!

Duck Decoy with Wool

Thanks to my friend, Dan, who chose the duck! For the weave I used a wool rug yarn that I purchased years ago in Taos, New Mexico. The woman who sold it to me was embarrassed because the yarn still needed processing; it had yet to be washed. Therefore it has an earthy, sheep's smell to it, and when you touch it your hands get soft from the lanolin. I think this adds to the piece. It reminds me of of those childhood camping trips with my grandfather, and that sleeping bag lined with flannel that was covered with pictures of men hunting.