SAORI is.....

I am so fortunate to have a student/friend to talk about SAORI a lot and seriously.

I would like to share what I learned through SAORI last 15 years.
I know everyone learned SAORI in many different ways.
That's what SAORI makes interesting, too.

One of many ways I leanred SAORI was that SAORI is not just a "weaving style".
It is our "life style". That includes way of thinking....
I don't even remember how I was before I started SAORI, but for sure, I am now more like, "just do it".
Just like putting some new colors you aren't sure whether the color goes well with the warp and the rest of your weft or not when you are weaving.

"It's okay to make mistakes. Trying is much more important than making mistakes."
You put this new color and find yourself, "Oh, I like it".
"I don't like it."----you can always go back and take the color out from the weft.
When weaving, you can go back easily, but in our daily lives, it is not that easy, isn't it?
However, "so what?" You found out that you didn't like it because you tried it!

I still remember when I was working on my very very first piece. I was conservative in a way that time.
I was only using certain green, beige, brown, white.
A teacher suddenly put some totally different color in my work.
"Try some different color to see how you like it."
Everyone has fixed thoughts like, "brown don't go with pink" etc....
However, you can at least weave them together to see your thought is right or not.
If you find yourself, "Oh, my thought was not right. They go well!"
Light brown, dark brown....
wool brown, cotton brown, fine brown yarn, thick brown yarn.....

Life is short.
Do it if you feel like doing it!
Challenging yourself is hard, but fun!
What a feeling when you try and succeed.
What a feeling even though when you fail. It's okay. You tried!! That makes feel good!
What a feeling if you find out yourself, "Wow, I did it! I can do it."

That's what I would like to share with people whether you like it or not.....hahaha.

One of Misao Jo's saying,
"A master doesn't have to be a good weaver. She/He should be good at praising people."

I am still learning how to praise!?

Artist in Residency

Look at these great work!!

Last week, I was fortunate to have been invited to do SAORI sessions with students with disabilities at their school.

One of my SAORI student goes there and in September, her parents asked me to do a weaving birthday party for her with her classmates.

It was a HIT!

Everyone who tried SAORI seemed enjoyed it and her teacher loved it, too.

The teacher started organizing a residency so that all 40 students at the school were able to try SAORI weaving.

I went there last Mon-Wed. with all my 8 looms!!

The first day, one of my student/friend even came to assist me.

Thank you!!

Each student had one hour to weave.

Students who tried weaving a month ago remembered how to weave! That was so nice to see.

For many of them, it was their first time weaving.

For some of them, all the weaving steps were too much, but their teachers were their great help.

They were working together as a team!

Some were able to talk and weave at the same time. It was nice to see them socializing.

The teacher who organized showed me three woven pieces from September.

They were nicely framed.

She said, "I already got permission from the school. One of them will be mine as my retirement present."

They will be hanged at the school entrance soon.

I am sure they will be a nice addition to the white plain wall and will be noticable by many people.

The ones they wove this time will be shown next summer's Art Walk organized by Ordway Theater.

One boy kept saying "NO" to me whatever I asked him.

I thought, "How can I show him how to weave?"

I tried many ways to let me show him how to start weaving, but he still said, "NO".

At last, I asked, "Do you like saying "NO", don't you?"

I felt like playing a game with him. I wanted to make him say "YES"!!

He said nothing to what I asked. He was good...

He just needed some time to get to know me.

One teacher showed him how to weave.

Later, he listened my offer.

He actually really loved weaving.

He was able to figure out by himself.

I didn't need to show him much!

A teacher told me that he wanted to weave more after I left the second day.

He came back the third day and wove a lot!!

Yes, he was able to talk to me. He knows me now! Yeah!

Thank you for having me and for helping me!

Many teachers help me assiting their students.

Without their help, I couldn't have done it.

Many teachers enjoyed SAORI.

Many stundets enjoyed SAORI.

I decided to let them use a couple of my looms for a while so students who wanted to weave more can do it!

I will see you soon!

Thank you!!

Corn yarn and Hound's-tooth check

I met a couple at the Shepherd's harvest last May. They were next to my booth.
They were selling CORN YARN!!
If you think "Oh, that's from cornhusk, isn't it?"
You are wrong!!
It's from CORN itself.

It was new to me, so I purchased a couple of colors.
Then, I finished this.
I tried a hound's tooth check. I don't even remember when the last time I wove this check.
I am ready to show this scarf to this couple they are going to be in Hopkins tomorrow for an event.
They want to see how their yarn will become when it is woven.

I also did a little bit of needle felting a couple of days ago while watching TV at night.
I made 3 snowmen and apples for Christsmas ornaments.
They are not done yet.
I need to look for small branches for snowmen's arms.
This is my first time making 3D pieces.
I love them!
After taking these pictures, my dog Fuku ate a whole snowman.
When I saw him, he was chewing the second snowman. OMG!
It's my fault. I know he eats rovings and left them where he can reach..., but it took me a long time to make these!!

I am a part of the Winter Gift Show at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts for the first time this year and Fiber Fair at the Textile Center the end of next week.

I need to get ready for these two middle of next week.

Now, time to get to weave!!

Happy Weaving!

Minnesota banner

This is a Minnesota Banner that now is ready to be mailed to my friends in MA tomorrow.

They are planning to decorate two bridges in their local public park the end of next month.

They are collecting 68 of them to do this.

I believe this is the only one banner from Minnesota.

Only one banner, but many people in Minnesota helped me finish weaving!

The youngest weaver was 2 years old!!

There are many colors, characters, textures and warmth.

Thank you for all the people who helped me finish weaving!!

Happy weaving!

They are here!

SAORI looms and accessories are here at SAORI Studio "FUN"!

Dan went to pick them up at a warehouse this afternoon.
We received 7 big boxes!
Two different models of looms, warping frames, books, yarn and shuttles.....
Thank you for waiting for those who ordered them from us.

We would like to take an appointment to distribute your items in next a couple of weeks.
We would help you assemble.
We would show you how to start and everything!

We are so excited having our SAORI circle bigger.

Also, I finished setting up a warp for donating a banner to SAORI Worcester.
I made 5m long and 50cm width.
Whoever would like to weave please do so.
This piece is going to be "a banner from Minnesota".
I am planning to send it by the end of this month.
I wonder how many people would weave for this special banner.
AND... I set up the warp on a SAORI 60.
SAORi 60 is the model we didn't have in our studio.
It is all wood, so it is pretty.
You can also try feeling this SAORI 60!!

Happy Weaving!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Our friend Martha who makes gorgeous felted hats told me to be a part of Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival a couple of years back.

This coming Setpember, we are going to be a part of it for the first time.
We are having a vendor space as well as holding SAORI classes.

We offered 2 SAORI classes and now they are both FULL!
It's still June and the festival is in September....
The class organizer asked me to add one more class.
YES, PLEASE!!

This event lasts 3 days (Fri-Sun) and I hear that this event is bigger than the one in Minnesota.

We are looking forward to seeing all the people in Wisconsin and Fiber people in September.

SAORI in IOWA

Dan and I went Adel, Iowa for the first time for "Iowa's Summer Sheep and Wool Festival" last weekend.
It took us over 4 hours to get there.

It was my first time staying in Iowa and it was first time for SAORI to be in Iowa, too!

There were faces from MN Sheep and Wool Festival, were faces from South Dakota Festival as vendors as well as customers I usually see them as vendors at other events.

It was so nice to see those people I know.

It was pouring rain both Saturday and Sunday mornings, but it didn't last all day, so that was good.

I taught one class on Saturday and Dan did on Sunday.

The people who took our classes are very special, because they were the first people tried SAORI in Iowa!!

A grandma and granddaughter took Dan's class told me,

"I was browsing many websites and found about SAORI for the first time a couple of nights before. And then I found out that SAORI was coming to the festival in my State!".

What a coincident!

Many people were surprised to see such a compact SAORI looms.

Thank you for people who stopped by our booth and took our classes.

We will be back next year, so see you next year!!

Thank you

Thank for coming to the Lake Minnetonka Arts Tour over the weekend.

It was my first time being a part of the Tour and had a wonderful weekend meeting so many people.
The good thing about the Tour is the location!
It was held in West surburb, so it is close to where Dan and I live/have a studio.
Many visitors were from our area so it was a good exposure for us to introduce SAORI.

Marcia, my friend's house is beautiful and such a artsy home.
She and her husband Bob live in a woods.
While I was weaving/demonstrating in her home by my work, many birds came to bird feeder.
The view from where I was was gorgeous!

Another artist, Peter the wood guy, his work is beautiful, too.
I enjoyed his rocking chair. I can't believe he made that!!

Marcia, the potter, Peter the wood guy and me a SAORI fiber girl---I love the combination of these three.

I am now planning to collaborate Peter the wood guy's work and my woven pieces.
Looking forward to that.

Next weekend is our annual event, "Shepherd's Harvest" in Lake Elmo.
Dan and I will be teaching two classes and will have a vendor space.
http://www.shepherdsharvestfestival.org/

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Have a great week.