doctor of spin: Playing With Dolls

Dawn @1971

I hated dolls when I was a kid. My sister played endlessly with Barbies - sparkly outfits, little colorful plastic shoes, slick blond hair to be washed, braided, and- horrors!- even cut. I found dolls boring, preferring Monopoly and bike riding. I did have a Dawn doll for some reason, but I abused her terribly; like that toy-torturing boy, Sid, in Toy Story I wrenched her apart, twisted her head around, hyper extended her limbs and publicly paraded her naked plastic body in the most humiliating poses. Dawn became a staple of entertainment, however, when our family took long cross country camping trips during the mid-1970's. Hours in the car as the miles sped by, in the days of no handhelds, DVD's, or videos, we had our books, scribble pads... and Dawn. Dawn became "Dornie" and her acted-out stories became legend (in our family of 4 at least). Always the unfortunate butt of a joke, poor Dawn.

Rainbow Twist Shop

Fast forward about 40 years later. I become so passionate about spinning that my house is overrun with yarn. I open an Etsy shop to start selling it. Fancy art yarn displayed and no one knows what to do with it. A customer introduces me through Facebook to some doll makers. Waldorf-inspired, I'd never heard of it. Handmade dolls with yarn hair, sure, even my dad made "Poodies" for us as kids, sock dolls with yarn-or-other hair. But these Waldorf dolls were of a different caliber entirely. Honestly, at first I thought the whole thing a bit...odd. I mean, people were fanatically crazy over these dolls! They would spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on them, auctions would become bidding wars. Grown women posed with them, oohing and ahhing, giving them quaint, feminine names...! So, I dutifully spun beautiful yarn which would be mercilessly cut into strands for hair, and I dyed pristine long curly wool locks for tresses. Learned words like "weft" and "crochet cap". Honed some top-notch spinning and dyeing skills because my art would be adorning the head of one of these prized beauties. It would be pulled, braided, fluffed, preened, and it had to hold up to child's play.

Maggie by TigerLilys

One day a loyal customer and friend gifted me a doll she made using my lockspun yarn as hair. As I took Maggie in my arms my world shifted. I actually gasped at the solid, real feel of her body, the amazing hair, so realistic and curly, tactile and soft, the face, embroidered with a minimum of thread, yet soulfully expressive. I hugged her, kissed her, talked with her and sat her by my side while I worked. Well, I was sorely smitten. And while I admired the incredible skill and care taken in every aspect of her creation, I just...loved her.

FeeVertelaine, HokeyDinah, Violet&Poppies, WoolyTopic

Mermaid by Island Quilts

I have become a grown woman who plays with dolls. Believe me, when that just-right sweet face pops up in my newsfeed I literally feel my heart stumble. I have infinite respect for the women who painstakingly stitch and felt in the hours after their young children have gone to bed. I've seen pure magic made from wool, thread, and fabric. And it only makes it sweeter when I have worked with the artist and we are friends- then it's like having a piece of her heart sewn right into the doll.

Now my sister just shakes her head, and says, "why is this happening 40 years too late for me?" Don't worry, Susan, I will share my dolls with you any time you'd like.