A Confession

Here's the first installment of 'Seven Deadly Yarns', a forthcoming project--and this blog--inspired by the famous 'seven deadly sins'; these capital vices were first  recorded in the early 4th Century by an ascetic Christian monk, Evagrius Ponticus (though he actually listed eight evil thoughts). In the years that followed others went on to give their own interpretations and, a little over two hundred years later the list had been formalised into the sins that we know today:

• Lust
• Gluttony
• Greed
• Sloth
• Wrath
• Envy
• Pride

I couldn't help but consider this list of sinful situations without wondering, with a smile, how easily these might be applied to fibre-artists of all kinds? 

How easy it is to fall prey to an intense desire for this or that fibre, some latest colour whim. How many of us have an increasing stash of things we just had to have, even if an immediate use or need was not apparent? How many of us have been so eager to show off our latest creation? I'm not saying that these are BAD things, not at all. What I am saying is that these are perfect opportunities to revel in, to explore each and every one of these sins in a soft, snugly, delicious, tactile, sensuous way...

It's my intent to design and make a yarn for each of these heinous sins. I want to make each and every one a celebration of colour and texture, each will be a unique thing. I'll take each one at a time and document my progress and, hopefully, at the end will have seven wonderful new skeins waiting to be put to good use. I already have some ideas ticking away, waiting to be begun when I have materials to hand.

I'm going to be starting at the top of the list and that's what my next post will be about.

An allegorical image, showing the human heart as affected by each of the seven deadly sins here represented each as an animal, so sloth, for example, is shown as a snail.This image was produced by François-Marie Balanant (1862-1930) though his work was most likely a copy of an original by Paul Peyron.