2014 Barbara A Pretzsch

Barbara A Pretzsch

Gulfport, Mississippi

The White Challenge

Going through my stash, I not only found a plethora of white yarns, but white scrumbles, buttons and swatches to use.  As it grew, I wondered what it would say to me, Shawl? Scarf? Wall Hanging? At times I even wondered if it ever would be done.  But finally I made it to the deadline.  Where to photograph it was the next challenge?  It may be an outdoor wall hanging, seemed like the best picture.  I borrowed my grandson’s “stick” to suspend it.  Well maybe the “wall hanging” won.

2014 Kathie Cureington

Kathie Cureington

Florida, USA

I was working on my peach color challenge piece and I had no clue what it would be, I had a pile of scrumbles made, I was being busy. I really wasn't that happy or enthused with it, but I was committed and planned to stay with it. My daughter lent me the movie ‘Frozen’ to watch while I was working on the peach, that was all it took to make me stray...I could just clearly envision what I would make and when the movie was over I went to my white yarn tote and there it was, all curled up waiting to hop on my crochet hooks. It was like magic.

FROZEN is a 10" by 20" wall hanging mounted on canvas.

Hear me singing, "the cold never bothered me any way." 

2014 Zann Carter

Zann Carter

Terre Haute, IN.

poet and fiber artist

www.zanncarter.com

I struggled with this Challenge, as my work is usually a riot of color.

Inspiration finally struck with a skein of white. The many-layered tale of The

Snow Queen has appeared in my work before, with other pieces of the Snow

Queen’s wardrobe. Imagery from the story also appears in some of my poems.

The central piece is an angora/wool blend, edged with white ribbon yarn, yarncovered

pipe cleaners and sparkly white novelty yarn for icicles. 

Final embellishment: a poem.

The Snow Queen’s Fascinator

She likes pretty things,

the swarming of her snow bees,

the miraculous flowers inscribed by her frosts,

the silvery glint of sun on her never-thawing ice.

She likes, too, a good party,

and dresses herself in wintry splendor:

pale ermine robes, white silk shoes, a fascinator

of satiny ribbon, softest angora & fine ivory wool.

Icicles chime as she bends to greet guests

with her infamous kisses, leaving lipstick stains.

Her shade? Frostbitten.

2014 Marianne Seiman

Marianne Seiman

“Trash. Can. Dance”

“Privately I hope that at least someone will decide to do the most literal thing and stick to a single, plain, monochrome yarn - the same dyelot, even - and dazzle us with pure stitchery” wrote James Walters in January in our mailing list.

A month later I was down with high fever, coming in and out of sleep.

And there it was.

James’s words followed by an image of yarn I had laying around for ages. The plainest sturdy cotton weavers use in their work. Definitely “trash” compared to those most wonderful soft cottons we are able to use in our work these days.

And in the next moment I had “Trash. Can. Dance” dancing in my mind.

Just like that.

Making it was a piece of cake. A yummy one.

And it can!

Dance.

This trash can.

Can’t it?

2014 Marie Castro

Marie Castro

Born in Brazil, living in Germany.

http://flavors.me/mariecastro

http://mariecastroknitwear.tumblr.com

"Ocean's whiteness"

Inspired in the reef forms and also the movement's softness of a jellyfish, I created an imaginary creature merging these two different life forms. I also chose the color white to make the design more clean and highlight the shadows and freeforms silhouettes.   

"I'm all at sea

Where no-one can bother me

Forgot my roots

If only for a day

Just me and my thoughts sailing far away

Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul

Please just leave me right here on my own

Later on you could spend some time with me

If you want to

All at sea

I'm all at sea"

(fragment of the song "All at sea" by Jamie Cullum)

2014 Akua Lezli Hope

Akua Lezli Hope

Spirit Vest

This work is about ancestral spirits, guardian spirits, those known and unknown who created me. The motifs include a dancing figure, ladders, leaves, male, female and child/neuter figures, masks/faces, one large tree, small graphic trees, triangles, and trumpets.  I first conceived of the predominant forms as future people, but came to realize that those future folks were my forbears, braver and more daring than any of us who live/d where they landed in the Great City. The ladders stand for the windows of time as well as the connection. 

My many unknown predecessors are represented.  While there are not many apparent ancestors, there are many whispering through the eons. All four of my grandparents migrated to the United States in the teens and the early twenties of the 20^th century from the islands of Montserrat and Jamaica.  They all broke precedent and created a bold new future for their children-to-be.    I feel the responsibility of witness bearing.  I am grateful for their love and daring.

2014 Veronica Smith

Veronica Smith

Jimboomba, Queensland, Australia.

"One World - One Colour"

We are a planet of diversity.

We are one world.

One colour.

Humanity.

2014 Kesam Katz

Kesam Katz

Eilat, Israel

Facebook: Evekesam Salkindkatz

magikaat@yahoo.com

This piece is entitled "SNOW AND ICE: MOTHER NATURE'S WINTER LACE'.

It is knit and crocheted from various white yarns which are composed of many different textures and fibers, with white pearls sewn onto the neckline. I currently live in the Israeli desert and so have to go to Europe or the U.S.    on a holiday to play in the snow. I grew up on the East coast of the U.S. and have many childhood memories of sledding down hills and ice skating and it was these memories which inspired this piece.