Yarn Magic
Yarn Magic was probably one of the most fun pieces to write. Why? 1. Because I play a fairy. 2. Because I play a fairy 3. I finally got to write for one of my best friends.
I wanted to write a piece about the magic of yarn. I especially wanted to write a piece that dramatized what people perceived as the magical process of turning yarn into an object.
I have often been confronted by the perception that crocheting a hat takes no time at all. It’s just magic. And, ok. I’ve been crocheting for 12 years, a hat hardly takes any time. But it’s not magic. I do have to sit for six hours and make the thing. I can’t just wave my wand and make a hat appear out of thin air. Like our yarn fairy. (Oh that I could.)
Conversely, I have been approached by people thinking that crocheting is absolutely impossible. Yes, ok. It is a challenge. Goodness knows it took me just about forever to master. But it’s doable. And it is sort of magic when you can take a skein of yarn and turn it into a scarf or a hat.
Those were the life experiences that contributed to Yarn Magic.
The film influences:
I wanted to write a piece that had magic in it. Special effects through editing. Like the early early black and white films. Like Melies’ films. I had been working with the inspiration of the early black and white films from the beginning of B12.
Keeping things simple. No dialogue. Lots of classical music. But the Chaplin/Melies films had something more. There was a mischief to them. There was a spirit and jovial energy to them. I hadn’t yet written my own version of that. It seemed entirely appropriate, therefore, for me to be a yarn fairy who turns yarn into clothes.
I was overjoyed to marry two of my loves, crocheting and filmmaking in this piece. Hopefully you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it!