Ties that Bind – for Educators “Of All Stripes” - May 2011

Hij is grof gesponnen en los gedraaid (Belgian) He is spun coarse (rough) and loosely twined. Meaning he looks strong ,but inside he is weak....Having sphilkes, (Yiddish) like sitting on pins and needles., used like antsy, or ants in ones pants... I'm all tied up in knots! Meaning, I'm emotionally overloaded and don't know what to do next... Spinning a yarn, meaning to tell a story...

We gathered at ARTSgarage on May 15th to explore "Ties that Bind" , sharing expressions from across the globe that reference textiles such as tied up in knots, hanging by a thread, on tenter hooks, dyed in the wool, spinning a yarn, put a sock in it, and coming apart at the seams; as well as lesser- known expressions translated from Yiddish, Swedish, Danish, French, Belgian and Dzongkha . Two quick techniques - finger crochet and twisting - moved us from metaphor to process - creating a variety of "ties that bind" inspired by textile expressions!