bee creative

word number seven: local + Wendell Berry

Look and See, it's the title of a movie.  Simply, a movie about Wendell Berry, but really more about what he believes and values.

One of Berry's essays I read recently from The Future of Nature, Writing on a Human Ecology from Orion Magazine included:

"The principles of neighborhood and subsistence will be disparaged by the globalists as "protectionism"--and that is exactly what it is.  It is a protectionism that is just and sound, because it protects local producers and is the best assurance of adequate supplies to local consumers.  And the idea that local needs should be met first and only surpluses exported does not imply any prejudice against charity toward people in other places or trade with them. The principal of neighborhood at home always implies the principle of charity abroad.  And the principle of subsistence is in fact the best guarantee of giveable or marketable surpluses." 

Local can be defined as where you are standing but is also dependent on what you are referring to. If we are talking about the universe, Earth is local.  A community can be global.

"Think global, act local."  It's become a little overused but is useful as a lens.

....

I so overestimated my ability to finish my sweater; still working on the yoke.

It will be finished when it is finished but it will be soon. I was remembering recently that this was reclaimed yarn.  The first time I used this yarn for a sweater, the sweater didn't fit so I pulled it all apart.

I did finish a tunic I put together using scraps left over from another project.  It is made up of six different pieces of fabric.

Very much designed using ideas from India Flint's class, "conscious clothing."

Choosing local can be as simple as choosing to do the labor or reusing materials...

word number 6.5: location

It is... a dark and stormy night. 

I've been working on my sweater and listening to Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippett.  Tomorrow the sweater should be finished, just the yoke to go.    

The little tree growing by the stump caught my eye yesterday.  The big tree came down in a wind storm last year. The tree has mesh around it. 

Grow little tree, grow...

Happy New Year

word number four: comfort

This rocking chair belonged to one of my great grandmothers. I've had it somewhere between 25-30 years.  I'm not sure how long she had it for.  I like to think of her sitting in it, maybe other relatives too as they visited with her. It is a favorite place for the cat.

Today I made a new cushion for the seat with chenille that was found at a garage sale.  It's stuffed with layers of wool blanket.  I need to make a new pad for underneath or maybe just shorten the pieced wool that's been there.  A project for another day...

cool blue filter

Or let sleeping dogs lay?

 

 

Experimenting more with taking pictures when lighting isn't great.  Filters are not quite true, but not wrong either.

The bottom image is of two of my current projects. 

The netting (from Mo Crow) is being stitched to pre-felt.

The knitting project is a hat and is my current bus project.

thankful

For shelter. 

It's 32 F right now.  The winds have been tapering off but  have been between 14-47 MPH.  The chicken's water is frozen this morning.

For food in the garden and on the plate. 

Photos of food are best in natural light but that's not always possible so I've been playing with filters. I recommend not using red wine for risotto.  It really isn't pretty.  Luckily it can be covered up with yummy roasted vegetables.

For the skills to make things. The fabric that I made this string from is a scrap from the dress I just finished making.

For found treasures.  I picked this up in a parking lot.

For a hot cup of tea and a fabulous book (really recommend this one).

And for everyone who comes by to visit. 

It's another kind of neighborhood....

layered

It's been glorious sunrises and sunsets this week.

I've been taking lots of pictures and playing with layers and filters.

This morning there was the more typical November rain.

Soup weather.

Yellow split peas + onions + celery + garlic + carrots + a bit of balsamic vinegar + water + olive oil.

And just a tiny bit of stitching.

catching up

It doesn't matter what I am trying to do, the cat wants to be involved; preferably from the shoulder. 

She's been a constant companion as I've finished Robert Macfarlane's Landmarks. I want to dive right into Underland but am making myself wait.  There is no way I am going to finish all 12 of the books I picked out at the beginning of the year but I'm going to see how close I can get. 

The tomatoes are gone for another year.  I used a version of this recipe to make chutney.

Changes to the recipe:

• Chipotle powder for red pepper flakes.
• Regular granulated sugar and a good dollop of molasses instead of brown sugar.  It won't be preserved so the balance of vinegar and sugar isn't as important (other than to taste). 
• No star anise, not my favorite flavor. 

 

The quince crop was small this year. I made a small batch of quince paste. It's lovely as a layer in scones.

The current bus project.

Instead of switching colors daily as originally planned I've been switching weekly.

Marking time, measuring time.

 

Coupville, part one

I was there to meet Hazel and for a class with with Christine Mauersberger, at the Pacific Northwest Art School.

Wish I had more time to make post cards but it was back to work quickly for me.

In the morning before class I would go down to the pier.

It was two blocks away from where I was staying

I find my most true self when I am down by the water.

 

One evening Hazel and I watched the sunset and the moon rise.

It was magical time.

 

Worlds blended and resorted and came together differently.

A little alteration made a heron that would have blended in more visible.

Perhaps that is what considering does....

 

moving into October

I've given in.  The fireplace is on now and the cat is very happy.

There are still strawberries at the farmer's market.  Good flavor but firm.  I bought some to dehydrate and some for jam.

The jam went right into a batch of scones.  I split the dough in two, flatten out the first half, add jam, then flatten out the second half of the dough and place on top.

They are baked as a whole disk for about 30 minutes and then cut into wedges, pulled apart and then baked until done.  Just like making biscotti. 

I am loving these right now.

I need to finish dyeing with the fresh indigo.  There are some cold nights coming.  This is the first batch.  The color isn't quite right but it"s close. It's brighter and reminds me of the sea.

From the right hand corner, clockwise: the shawl I knit this summer (silk/wool/alpaca), wool, a tank made of hemp and silk (I made it for my mom awhile ago), and local wool yarn.

 

#30 apple sauce bread + digital stitching

Apple sauce bread

The story of the applesauce bread is longer than I can tell tonight. That's one thing I've learned from this last month...limits of what I can do. Maybe limits isn't the right word, but it's the one I have right now.  As for the applesauce bread...

There is a layer of family, not just through birth but also through affection.  A layer of tradition and preserving history.

There is a layer of location.  Ingredients from my garden (the grapes and apples), from the county next to the one I live in (the flour), from the state closest to mine that grows warm weather crops (olive oil), to the world at large (spices).

I could have made the ingredients slightly more local by swapping the walnuts out for hazelnuts.  I decided not to for the family connection.  My dad's aunt and uncle had a walnut grove for years in California. During my childhood I remember coffee cans of walnuts arriving for Christmas.

"Very Good Applesauce Cake from the kitchen of Lucille F."  

4 cups Flour + 2 cups sugar + 2 teaspoons of corn starch + 4 tablespoons cocoa powder + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon cloves + 1 teaspoon baking soda + 1 teaspoon nutmeg + 2 teaspoons cinnamon, sifted together.

Add 2 cups raisins + 2 cups chopped walnuts to the batter, then 3 cups of applesauce and then 1 cup cooking oil (I used olive oil).

Bake in a slow oven (about 325 F) for about an hour.  A tooth pick should come out clean.

I like that this is an inclusive cake...vegan; good for people with dairy and egg allergies. I suspect the wheat flour would be easy to swap out too. 

I like it best made as small loafs but it's also good as a thin cake.

Digital Stitching

The pairings are coming together. 

My sense is they are brighter than I want so they may get dipped in the walnut vat.

I do want to make a blanket but the weight needs to be managed. It has to be washable. Maybe a layer of silk for the bottom layer? Maybe some flannel?

It will continue, just as it was started a little bit at a time.