bee creative

second try

A tip from Jude made all the difference...thank you!

Much better results.

This I believe...we are all more creative in community. 

...

There are about 6 inches on my sweater now.  

I like watching the increases grow and am keeping much better track of my rows this time.

...

 

Despite the cold weather there is still some good eating to find in the garden.

Just add a handful of fried potatoes or some eggs or pasta....

Maybe they are leftovers?

...

I've shared this once or twice before but always seems so very perfect to me this time of year:

I heard a bird sing in the dark of December

A magical thing and sweet to remember

"We are nearer to spring than we were in September."

I heard a bird sing in the dark of December.

Oliver Herford

 

friday field notes #27

I wanted to be able to say we were warming up and there was nice normal Pacific Northwest rain. 

Not so!

This morning it was wet and warmer but by this afternoon it was pouring and windy and cold.  A little to the north there is an ice storm.  That's the first time I've seen "ice storm" show up on the local forecast. 

IT could be worse, but it's cold enough.

Temp: 34 F

Wind Chill: 25 F

Wind: NNE 13 MPH

Forecast: Rain and Snow

Wish I'd picked the last of the Swiss chard and Parsley last week. 

...

Still mostly sewing happening around here.  A few tips:

1. Get whiny dog a pillow sooner rather than later when you are not in her preferred room. 

2.  When you have set personal parameters around sewing times, follow them.  For example, I know better than to sew on the machine after 3 PM. 

I know better, I do.

3. When you have to tear out a seam it's easier if you work from the middle, between the two layers of fabric. 

I'm experimenting with embellishing pockets.

Inspired by a hankie...

I need to practice needle turned applique more.  If I had the right hankies, they would make perfect pockets as themselves.

Hmm...

 

sewing snow day

It's snowed all day but barely anything has stuck to the ground. 

Went outside to play for a bit today but mostly I tried out a new pattern.

I used some fabric purchased from the neighborhood thrift store as a test. It's very wearable as is so I'll consider the pattern paid for considering the fabric was $4.00. 

The pattern: Dress No.2 from 100 Acts of Sewing.

No fitting changes were needed so I dived right in to using the pattern with this fabric:

In this picture the colors are accurate.  The fabric is cotton voile which I've never tried sewing with before.  It drapes more like rayon. 

It didn't fit as well as the plaid cotton that was used for a test so I took 6 inches off the bottom to make it blouse length rather than a dress. 

Perfect! 

My suspicion is that fabrics that are lighter will look better shorter and the ones with a bit more stiffness/weight will be fine at the "dress" length.  This might be a fitting issue specific to me. 

The neckline still needs to be bound. It would be nice with something that contrasted a bit.

One of the reasons I'm so excited about this pattern is that it is simple enough that it will be easy to experiment with. I want to try piecing or dyeing stripes for sleeves for example. 

So many possibilities! 

 

an icy walk and tasty cookies

A white Christmas didn't happen for me but an icy one certainly did...

From today's walk at the neighborhood park.

Yesterday I made a lemon roll for dessert.  There was a little cake batter left as I don't have a full sized cookie sheet/jelly roll pan so I poured it into my madeleine pan.  It didn't seem unreasonable as more than one description I've read is that that madeleines are "French butter cakes." Having said that, there is no butter in this jelly roll recipe (from my 1978 edition of a Betty Crocker cookbook).

Oh my gosh are these good!

Next time I just might make all "cookies." 

Aren't you glad I didn't eat them all by myself Mom?

hey santa

Shortbread cookies and hot beverages at my house...

This may show up twice due to the internet grinch...

Merry Christmas everyone! 

just fine & at the kitchen table

The most typical response to "how are you" around here might be "just fine." It's the polite answer. This came up in line at the farmer's market a couple weeks ago with someone who was from Hawaii.

I might start shaking things up and start answering, "grateful," "content," or "working towards fine."   Considering what it means to be "fine" and what options I might try while I knit a little...

The sweater I'm starting over and a stripe for the field note blanket. 

The stripe is a little over 4 months worth of spinning and knitting.  It's going to be a two year project at the rate I'm going. 

This morning I listened to a podcast about emotions while I was knitting.  Very thought provoking.  It's also a sad story.   

and stitch a little.

Threadcrumbs from Jude.  I'm not sure what it's going to be.  I just wanted to start. 

I'm better at starting then finishing.  

Today was the last of the weekly markets for awhile. Carrots, beets, apples, brussels sprouts, bread and cheese.

I'll roast the brussels sprouts because they really are best that way but no plans for the beets and carrots. 

Maybe pickled? Sour things taste good to me in the winter. 

How are you?

 

friday fieldnotes #26

It's cold.

Yesterday I poured hot water on the hatch of the chicken coop to get it to open.  I went slowly, hoping the chickens weren't standing right inside the door as they usually are when I've waited until it's light out to set them free.

There has been heavy rain. 

This is the stream that runs near where I work.  I've been told that there are marten's underneath the foot bridge that is further south.  Several years ago I saw one run across our playground and wondered where it had come from....

I'm going to start reading Martin Marten by Brian Doyle on the recommendation of a friend.  It will probably be the only one of these books I will finish before having to return them to the library given that there is so many to dip in and out of. 

This happens to me frequently. 

I want to add the Ursula K. Le Guin book, to my collection.  I fell in love with the title essay, "No Time to Spare." 

"I still don't know what spare time is because all my time is occupied.  It always has been and it is now.  It's occupied by living."

I told Mom no snow when I talked to her this morning but that wasn't quite true...a little trace.  There is a chance of rain or snow for the next five days or so. 

Right now glorious sunshine. 

 

Yesterday I cast on for the second time the sweater I want to make. 

This one.

And this time I will remember to do all the increases. 

...

Sunrise 8:01

Sunset 4:16

 

 

three things that brought a moment of joy to the day

1. Today I revisited Rebecca Solnit's interview on On Being.  This caught me:

"Joy is so much more interesting, because I think we're much more aware that it's like the light at sunrise, or the lightening, or something - that it's epiphanies and moments and raptures, and it's not supposed to be a steady state, and that's OK."

Considering what it means to be resilient. 

2.  My origami trees have been felled by the cat.  Hazel climbs up into the window sill at night and bats them off. Almost all layers have tooth or claw marks in them.  It doesn't really matter, I rebuild with whatever is salvageable. 

It is good to know that things can be arranged and rearranged, a form of mending.

3. This post at Myth & Moor.

So many of my favorite authors brought together, in conversation with each other. I think this might be my favorite form of creativity, the ability to form connections between thoughts.  The relationships made visible. 

And the idea that gifts can be given year round in oh so practical and sustainable ways...

 

 

 

I can make that... but I don't need to.

There are times when I look at something and think: "No you don't need to buy that, you can make it."  It might be a loaf of bread, a card or two, maybe a sewn project. 

There's not really anything wrong with that, but there are times when I think it's necessary to say "Yes, buy that.  Support the work of people you appreciate and love, support the uniqueness of someone's making."  Yesterday I bought the loaf of bread and I wrote messages in these beautiful cards (thank you Hazel!) and passed them on to others who loved them as much as I do.  

This is a mixture of make and support...

Yarn was hand dyed locally, purchased at one of the local craft sales. 

I cast on 49 stitches and then knit in the round, purl one & knit one until I had just enough yarn left to bind of the edge. 

I'm going to be wearing this one a lot.   

This is a bit of a mixture of making too. 

Parsley from the garden and garlic from the farmer's market. Plus lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of cumin.  I used it as a dipping sauce for roasted beets, steamed carrots and radishes and Hakurei turnips (these are small turnips that I eat raw).

I had left over sauce so I added it to tonight's risotto. 

Wishing everyone a lovely meal. 

 

 

 

 

 

friday field notes #25

Sunrise 7:56.  Still hours away.

Early morning coffee and the knitting I've been fussing with all week.

The train just went by, rumbling and whistle blowing.  There are those that complain about the whistles but I have to say that I like them.  Of course, I'm awake....  

Perspective changes things. 

Sunset 4:13