Spinning yarn!

So, according to my independent study syllabus, I'm investigating all of the different points at which an artist can intervene in the fiber/fabric process. This meant learning to spin yarn, something I've been dying to do for a long time. Even better to do it for homework right? 

I've been visiting the Windy City Handspinning Guild the second Tues. of every month. In Jan. I started out on a borrowed drop spindle and fiber. (How-to video for drop spindling here.) The result is the top picture of grey yarn. I spun most of it the first meeting and then plied it (doubling it on itself) tonight. It's not very good by technical standards; they keep encouraging me to make really thin, even yarn since I'm getting the hang of it. But I feel like if I wanted completely perfect yarn I could BUY it. It's nice to have control though. I like the thick/thin parts. I may try putting thick yarns of one color with thin ones since I like the effect. 

The second is the drop spindle full of SILK! I am officially a silk addict. It's so soft and so relaxing to work with. I was having trouble with the other batch of wool I have, so decided heck with it and dove into the supposedly harder silk. Turned out to actually be easier for me and way more fun!

Now the $1,000,000 question is how to turn it into art? So far all I've got is maybe dye painting warp thread, either with the procion or natural dyes, and maybe figuring out how to paint the weft to make a picture when woven. 

I'm back to struggling with the age-old question of art vs. craft. Sometimes I don't see why it has to be made into something, since I love it just as yarn. If I do follow the painted warp idea, I'm struggling for imagery. When I try to do abstract it doesn't always go well. Perhaps something off of the afterimages in my eyes could tie into a larger theme but not be too detailed of an image. Also maybe embroidering with it. Any suggestions? 

I know that I can do painterly interpretations of realistic images very well, but still not sure what to do, and don't know if that's too easy since I know that it already comes easily.