« October 2010 | Main | December 2010 »
Hesitant, shy, slightly sad...
But then slighly weary, and older. And suddenly I see where the nose might go.
For Grace, a reflection of a clothes line, Venice Italy, nine years ago in November. Every November I stop to think about how we understand our world....
I became intrigued with reindeer a couple years ago when I was able to see one at the Farmer's market. He had come to visit for the day.
Thinking about how things become icons in cultures.... Wondering about my great-great grandmother who came from Finland. Would reindeer have been part of her life?
He's still in progress, not sure how I'm going to do the face. The velvet is dyed with pomegranate, modified with iron. The background fabric is eucalyptus on the top and red cabbage on the bottom. Inspired, of course, by Jude (Spirit Cloth) and the Patchwork Beasts class.
Five or six swatches later I found the direction I wanted to go with this yarn. But first I had to teach myself a new knitting stitch, entrelac. It makes a woven pattern when it is completed. I'll be working on this for awhile. So it will slowly become something else, as all things do.
Thanksgiving was quiet for my family, but good. Entertainment provided by my parent's new puppy Beau.
He's a Plott hound/Coonhound mix. He likes to chase yarn balls and eat knitting needles. I predict some dog toys will be happening soon.
Snowing again...
There is much to be thankful for...family, friends, shelter and nourishment, time to be creative. It will all be there today.
Yarn that I've had in my stash for several years now. Waiting for what it was meant to become.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate....
A velvet snowball. I was able to watch the snow fall for about four hours today. Just love that.
Last night's full moon. "The Moon's the North Wind's cooky. He bites it, day by day..." Vachel Lindsay.
Thanks everyone for the comments on my sweater. It was field tested to day and helped keep me warm and comfortable. Good thing too... The wind is blowing the snow down the icy streets tonight, like a fast moving river. It's quite the sight.
Started March 2009...finished November 2010. I wonder if my next sweater will take over a year to finish?
The pattern is "Cobblestone Pullover" by Jared Flood. Published in the Fall 2007 issue of Interweave Knits. The yarn is "New England Highland" by Harrisville Designs. The only pattern tweak I did was to make the sleeves shorter. Well, the only tweak I did on purpose anyway.
As I was finishing this up yesterday, I spent a lot of time thinking about how things are made, how we dispose of things (The average American throws out over 68 pounds of clothing each year.), what is valued.
I don't remember how I found the blog Fibershed, but it's a very interesting project. The goal is to make and wear clothing made with fibers and dyes made within a 150 mile radius of where the author lives.
It's an important thing to be exploring. I've been collecting more and more local wool for projects. Certainly reclaimed fabrics.
On to another project...a snow beast perhaps?
Once upon a time "direction" was another way of saying address. The snow is here. Four inches. It's 30 degrees Fahrenheit at the moment and the winds are at 29 MPH. Don't think I'm going for a walk. A good day to knit...only one more inch to go on my sweater. Would it be the end of the world if I wore it for awhile and then blocked it?
Sunrise. It's a teaser since there are a lot of gray clouds out there.
This week I started cutting up my old wool comforter. It's in pretty sad shape as I've washed it a lot and it had become quite lumpy. Decided to toss it into the dye pots.
The yellow on top is a dye bath made with carrot tops, the blue is red cabbage and the brown is eucalyptus. Not sure what I'm going to do with this yet. I'll have a lot of little squares of felted wool when I'm done salvaging.
Carrot top dye on silk/rayon. It's a bit more acidic yellow than this picture I think. Not sure how color fast this will be.
Off to knit some more...and watch the wind make the snow dance.
I like this perspective, looking through the old to the new.
Still knitting around and around. Thinking thoughts round and round.
"What we learn from experience depends on the kind of philosophy we bring to experience." C.S. Lewis
Knit...purl...knit...purl. I took this last weekend. No sun to be seen the last couple days. So close to done, so very close....
I had a few questions about that "green vegetable," so I thought I'd post a better picture. This is romanesco and it is in the broccoli/cauliflower family. I like to prepare it the same way as cauliflower, which is what I think it resembles the most.
I thought it was quite good in a farm style risotto, along with the last of the fresh tomatoes. My favorite risotto recipes are in The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. P.S. Red wine makes risotto a funny color but it tastes just as good.