Monday, May 18, 2009

Cool Climates interveiw with Rachel Suntop and *Giveaway*



Describe Cool Climates.
I am drawn to northern (cool) places, such as Iceland and Alaska. Although I hate the cold, I'm drawn to these places for the beautiful landscapes and interesting cultures. Many of my yarns and fiber art are directly inspired by these places.

Tell us how you've come to be a fiber artist.
When I was 5, my mom taught me how to sew on a sewing machine. When I was 6, I learned to knit through a babysitter. I got hooked and throughout my childhood, I knit, sewed doll clothes, did embroidery and other craft projects. My interest has continued until this day.

What inspires your creative use of colors and textures?
Many are inspired by places I've traveled or geographical places I'm intrigued with. I'm very drawn to nature and use the colors I find in natural settings. I'm also inspired by cities and culture, and will make yarns that are inspired by those. I also like to use people (mainly celebrities) as an inspiration. I will spin a skein of yarn that "represents" that person, through physical appearance, behavior and interests. Lastly, I'm just attracted to colors and will just throw some together to make an interesting new color combination.

Do you have any spinning mentors? If so, whom?
I don't know a lot of them, but I really like Lexi Borger of "intertwined". I also have been really inspired by some of the other artists in the Phat Fiber club and artists in the Novelty Yarn and Fiber Friday groups.

Tell us about your favorite yarn.
Hard to say, but I really like the "Garden of Earthly Delights" yarn I spun recently, inspired by Heironymous Bosch's painting. I feel that I really captured the mood of the painting, both in the colors and texture (and objects).

Describe for us, the least favorite yarn you've spun.
There are several of those, mainly the first yarns I spun on the spinning wheel. Some of them are just plain ugly. Whereas others are interesting in their own way and I'm combining them with other yarns to make interesting yarns.

Do you listen to music while spinning? If so, what is your spinning soundtrack?
I almost always listen to music while spinning. I listen to all kinds of stuff: David Bowie, Cocteau Twins, Bjork, Antony and the Johnsons, Bruce Springsteen, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Varttina, Sigur Ros and U2 to name a few.

Your yarns are distinctively textural- describe the process you use to create them. Do you plan it out first and then sit down to spin?
Usually, I just create the textures as I spin, it's an impulse or an intuition. Sometimes I will plan to have certain textural elements before I spin the yarn, but I almost never think about it in depth. I will just create them in the moment of spinning, as I experience the yarn being made.

Which of your current creations for sale is your favorite?
Probably my Gamla Stan Stockholm necklace on my Etsy site: www.coolclimates.etsy.com
It's not handspun yarn, but a necklace knit from Irish linen with many interesting beads. It seems to have drawn a lot of positive attention.

If you were to make a self portrait in yarn, what would it look like?

Hmm, that's interesting. I would most likely incorporate greens, teal and coral/salmon as those are my favorite colors. It would be bulky and full of texture, changeable. It would most likely have several plies and novelty items such as beads to bring out the complexity in my personality. I consider myself to be a very outgoing and extroverted person, so the yarn would be showy. But it would also have darker, more private elements. I might add little bits of knitting (since I love knitting) and small souvineers or found objects from places that I've traveled that would have great meaning to me. I also love to bake and cook, so it would be interesting to incorporate an element of food into the yarn, whether it be real physical food or something evoking it. I might even spin some of my own hair into it, which would literally be a part of "me" in there.

We're happy to be giving away a beautiful handspun skein of Rachel Suntop's art yarn called "Deep Tropics". Please visit her shop, find something you like, and post about it below. We'll be drawing for a winner on Friday (barring any inland hurricanes). Remember, I will count your plurks, tweets, facebook, Ravelry posts and blogs as extra entries!


Thank you so much, Rachel, for sharing a little bit about yourself! We always enjoy your artful samples!

71 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW! Love the lilac Festival and cherry blossom!! The HAbu Necklace is cute too!

cptsnoopy said...

love the Hawaii in Bloom handspun yarn -- awesome colors rav id: cptsnoopy

Joyce G. said...

I love the icelandic landscape yarn! Also really like all the felted coasters. Would love to know how she gets those great swirls of color in there.

CinderLisa said...

The Iceburg Handspun is just beautiful! I love it.

And good to see you back, too! =)

Patience Ann said...

etween the Chinese Treasures yarn & the eyeball beads!!!!

Also RT'ed @millarca

Ann O said...

The China yarn is wonderful. It really does capture the colors and culture of China. Lovely!

Kitten With a Whiplash said...

The eyeball beads just made my eys pop out!

Julianna said...

That was a great interview, it's really interesting to hear what inspires other fiber artists :)

My favourite thing at the shop is the scotland handspun yarn, the texture and colour in it is beautiful!

jennifer said...

The Golden Rose Trellis necklace is just beautiful!

desertgarden

Michelle said...

The Icelandic Landscape and Scotland hand spun yarns are TO DIE FOR. Really gorgeous.

HanamiGallery said...

i like Erupting Volcano Yarn but i also like those felted eyeballs! they are very cute and unique! hahahah

Carolyn seedbeader on twitter said...

It is always great to hear what motivates an artist.
Went to Cool Climates and saw this skien of beautiful yarn, Patina silk handspun yarn. Not only does it contain my most favorite colors but the sharp contrasts between soft and shiny and soft and fuzzy makes this a lovely thing to behold. Thanks for the referral.

Lauria said...

I love the felted coasters! What a great idea!

Jude said...

Lilac Festival! Love the colours. :o)

Unknown said...

The purple haze felted coasters are awesome, but I really, really, like the Finland handspun yarn.

I want me some of this!

Count me down for:

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Martha said...

I love the Chinese Treasures and Hawaii in bloom yarns. Grogeous colors.

Sheri Karobonik said...

It would be very hard to choose, the magma purse, cherry bloosom or Hawain Bloom or Iceburg hand spun.

LilChickadee said...

I adore the Purple Rain felted coasters!

SupaCindy3000 said...

"Lilac Festival" caught my eye immediately, which is funny because I'm not a huge purple fan. But I love it!

cdaniele

MissMoosey on Ravelry said...

I am in love with the patina silk handspun. Really gorgeous!

-Rebecca

P.S. there is a typo on the page for this yarn--'luscious' is misspelled. And I am too anal to ignore it.

One Sheep said...

The Pictured Rocks Forest necklace is my favorite, it's truly lovely.

Cindy said...

Love all the colors of this one:)
the Lilac Festival handspun yarn
Cindy

AnneMarie said...

I love the Lilac festival necklace. I know it's not fiber. The Iceland necklace is pretty cool too!

Beltway Spinner said...

I too hate the cold, but am drawn like a magnet to cool colors and landscapes. Iceland and the Scottish Isles are my favorite places on earth (TO VISIT ONLY). The handspun yarn is just beautiful and is a lovely reminder of that natural beauty so far to the North.

Creations By Hand said...

I really like the Gamla Stan Stockholm Bracelet. I like how wide it is and all the different beads. I've always wanted to knit jewelry. It's beautiful, great work!

Turtle said...

goegeous! love the lilac festival yarn. Glad to see you back on line!

k8 said...

The yarn is pretty and the necklaces are amazing, but I think my favorite is the felted eyeball beads! katestamps on Ravelry

Ichun said...

I like the Lilac Festival yarn with pretty spring colors. Also the colors represented in the Rose Garden felted beads.

teabird said...

Moroccan Carpets necklace!!!


teabird17 at yahoo d o t com

Mama Rasheika said...

oh, how to pick? i loved the hawaii in bloom~

The Broms said...

with a roaring 96 degree here today i love her store name best! But yarn wise I love Iceberg :)

Unknown said...

Very tough choice - so many beautiful choices. I think the Lilac Festival handspun yarn is my favorite.

gmail: jerseyjessie

Rachel O said...

I love all of the necklaces. They are great. The yarn prize is also fabulous.

Karen said...

I love all the felted coasters, but especially the Purple haze ones!

alittleweirdo said...

Love the colors of the Norway handspun yarn!

Elaine said...

I love Lilac Festival the best.

Artifax said...

Oh, the felted coasters! Those are really cool!

Elaine said...

I've just posted a notice on my blog: elaine-knitting.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

The Icelandic landscape yarn is beautiful.

Autumn said...

Cherry Blossom and the Jade pendant is freaking amazing.

Anonymous said...

Gah! It's all so pretty! The Deep Tropics is gorgeous, as is the Hawaii in Bloom. And the Lilac Festival. I want 'em all!

Jen

Aubrey said...

There are so many things I like in the Cool Climates shop! Here are my top three:
1. I really like the Lilac Festival hand-spun yarn. I've had garden-on-the-brain recently and this yarn captures many of my favorite spring colors.
2. Speaking of lilac, I also love the Lilac reversible felted coasters. These are both lovely and practical!
3. Finally, I must get me some Eye-ball Felted Beads. I teach middle school and these are a sure bet to go into my "prize box"; it might not be the use they are intended for, but it will be a big hit.

Rachel said...

I like the handspun with extras like Hawaii in Bloom and Chinese Treasures

ZombieCat said...

I like her felted coasters and the Finland handspun. I love all her colors, they're so fun!

Terri said...

Love the Lilac Festival necklace but even more the scarf knitted with roving....I am inspired!

Robin said...

I love the colors of Lilac festival and also the purple haze felted pieces.

GHouk said...

My favorite is the lilac festival yarn.
The felted coasters and pin are cool too.

Sylvia said...

I love the lilac festival necklace. I was also born in Rochester so this is very special

gmail = weyuker

Unknown said...

Love the Chinese Treasures yarn

tomknit AT gmail

Unknown said...

I love the lilac festival yarn and the prize yarn.

gmail - foolforknit

purple-power said...

I vote for the lilac festival yarn. Wonderful

Ravid - purple

Carla said...

Yikes I'm late! I love the lilac festival yarn.

Glad things are moving towards normality!

Eileen said...

I think the coasters are a very smart idea! Love the jewelry also.

Unknown said...

Funny thing is, that even before you posted this contest, I kept going back to Rachel's website. I love the Chinese Treasures hand-sun beaded. Wow. It calls to me.

Liz said...

I love the Purple Haze felted coasters. They lept off the page at me. Now if only my boy would learn to actually USE coasters...

Lizbert on Ravelry

Kitten With a Whiplash said...

I've posted to my blog

TheClayMuse said...

I'm just loving the erupting volcano yarn!
Also tweeting about this giveaway! name -@aclaymuse

TJJ said...

Iceberg is lovely.

evel dread said...

The erupting volcano is awesome! It's hard to choose only one!

Mimi Laura said...

I love that her items have have a story.......

ikkinlala said...

I love the A light in the rainforest handspun yarn.

Roma said...

I love the Lilac Festival yarn - great color and great name!

. said...

OMG!!! I am in love with the Hawaii in Bloom handspun yarn, i lvoe hawaiian colors and themes, my girls room is done in hawaii colors and flowers

auntien said...

Patina silk handspun is it for me. Really beautiful. I also am quite impressed with the purple haze coasters...very cool.

zot said...

The yarn and felted items are beautiful, but my quirky side votes for the felted eyeballs. :P

Anonymous said...

Oh my! I don't know which I like better - the Lilac Festival handspun (g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s!) or the felted handbag! Decisions, decisions.

Teresa said...

The coasters are wonderful and what a great idea! But I really love the Rock Forest necklace, it's just gorgeous.

mamakin said...

You had me at Sweden! My relatives would talk in Swedish when I was little and I remember the sound like beautiful music. I'm a lilac girl, have them all over my property with pigmy lilacs in the front. You can't go anywhere around the house now and not smell that soft scent, so the Lilac Festival yarn hit me immediately. The colors are so spot on and the texture makes you want to squish it. I also loved the Old Town Stockholm bracelet. What a great interpretation! It's funny but the Deep Tropics yarn made me think of some of the pictures my great aunt took of the Scandanavian fjordes & the water had a blue tint that I thought of when I first saw the picture. Funny what triggers memories. This is a great shop!

rebelhousewife said...

LOL, I love the Barack Obama handspun beaded yarn. Everything is great I also like the Cherry Blossom Festival.

DG said...

My fave is the crochet-and-beads Habu necklace!

Spinnergirl said...

THE ROSE GARDEN FELTED BEADS WOULD BE GREAT IN MY GRANDAUGHTERS ART BOX. WE COULD MAKE A GREAT GIRLY NECKLACE AND BRACELET!!