My Journey in Art and Design
Lockdown, Handwork, & Finding My Way Back to Music
Lockdown, Handwork, and Finding My Way Back to Music
Lockdown opened space for slow, deliberate work with my hands. Several pine trees grow on my property, and during one walk outside I gathered fallen pine needles, curious to see if they could become something more than forest debris.
Pine needle weaving required careful preparation. The needles were washed in hot, soapy water, then soaked in a vegetable glycerin solution to make them flexible. I used an artificial poly thread instead of traditional deer sinew and learned the basic techniques from a few instructional videos. The work was painstaking. Each stitch demanded focus, even tension, and steady hands. Progress came slowly, and the repetition tested patience.
Over time, that repetition began to change my hands. Dexterity improved. My fingers grew stronger and more coordinated, and the small, precise movements started to feel natural. That physical confidence carried into another part of my life I had quietly set aside: music.
I picked up my guitar again, a vintage Estrella classical acoustic guitar, made in Japan, that has been in my family since the early 1970s. It carries history, wear, and memory in its wood. When I began playing again, the connection was immediate. The control and endurance developed through weaving translated directly into fretting strings and shaping chords.
Pine needle weaving eventually resulted in several baskets and hats, but its lasting impact went deeper. Through patient handwork, it restored trust in my hands and led me back to an instrument that had always been waiting.