Sharry Miller

Snow Dyeing

Rowan and I made our first attempt at snow dyeing last weekend. It was less than successful. What is snow dyeing, you ask? It's a method of randomly applying color to fabric using snow. Crystal clear, right? I first read about this technique a few years ago in Quilting Arts magazine, but I couldn't be bothered to find the article, so I went by memory. Okay, okay, here's what we did. First I tore a... Read more →

Defining Success

Thane and I were talking in the hot tub the other night (sometimes I think the only conversations we have which aren't distracted by electronics and chores are in the hot tub) about success and the different ways success can be defined. The conversation was prompted by an interview I'd read in the most recent Quilting Arts magazine with Jill Rumoshosky Werner about her work. One of the questions asked her to discuss what she... Read more →

A Creative Weekend

For the first time since Christmas, Mom made it to Valdez for a brief visit. Being in the same state, it seems like we should see her more often, but that 300 mile drive is just too far to drive very often. Happily, we've had reason to be in her neck of the woods a little more often. Mom, Rowan, and I spent most of the weekend playing in my studio. We didn't do anything... Read more →

Urchin Rock Collection

It all started innocently enough. A crochet hook wielded in pursuit of novelty. One rock covered with fuzzy dog hair and silk yarn. Now they're taking over. When Rowan came home from Girl Scouts camp early last week, she brought with her a bag of cotton crochet thread and hooks generously given by my mom. I couldn't resist. The yarn, hooks, and rocks were all upstairs; the pattern was way down in my studio. No... Read more →

First Crocheted Urchin

Mom said she'd send home some cotton yarn with Rowan next week, but I just couldn't wait to crochet a cover for a rock. You know, I told you about it yesterday. The idea is that a nice round rock is supposed to be reminiscent of an urchin when you're finished. Mine didn't quite turn out that way. I wandered downstairs to my studio earlier to plunder my yarn stash; with that much yarn I... Read more →

Strange in the Rain

Sometimes, I worry that I'm becoming a bit too strange. I went for a walk in the pouring rain at lunch today (mostly because I couldn't take being indoors anymore) to Dock Point beach. Besides getting some fresh air, my goal was to gather some round rocks for a project I have in mind. I just needed one or two round stones about 2 inches in diameter so that I could crochet covers for them... Read more →

To the End of the Road

April 26, 2012 - Bhutan I'm going to quote directly from the beginning of my journal entry for this day, as it not only sums up today's ride, but most days' rides. Thirty kilometers today, out of Paro as far as you can drive to the west, and back again. In typical Yeshey/Rinzin fashion, we were assured there were no hills, but the second half was one long climb. My granny gear and I are... Read more →

Organic Crochet

Turns out I wasn't able to resist the urge to play with crochet yesterday. I spent a couple of hours with my size G hook and two balls of wool yarn, increasing and decreasing stitches as the spirit moved me. I was envisioning organic creations, sea creatures come to live in my house. What do you think? Read more →

Crocheting the Past

A week or so ago I found instructions for making granny circles here. I forwarded the website to Rowan, hoping to feed her interest in fiber. We snuggled up on the couch this morning with a few skeins of wool yarn to play. She chose the turquoise and lime, while I opted for a couple of handy balls of light and dark pink. I was about Rowan's age when I first learned to crochet. Sitting... Read more →

Wire Work Class

As always, yesterday's Sea Turtle Arts' class was a rousing success. Denyse Brown taught six of us how to make fun and funky jewelry with wire - it was her beginning wire work class. Not surprisingly, I'm eager to show off the incredible talent hiding in Valdez. Denyse demonstrates again how to do a secure eye wrap with wire as Bonnie, Donna and Mary practice theirs. Jan and Joyce concentrate as they practice making the... Read more →