bee creative

soft colors

It's early in the morning.

Somewhere out there is the full moon but I haven't looked out the window into the darkness yet to find it.

The velvet I dyed in goldenrod with white wool behind it for a little color contrast.  I poured hot water over the plant material (stems with minimal leaves + flowers) and let the fabric steep with it for a couple days.

The yarns that I am beginning the sweater with, all local to the surrounding 100 miles or so.

The Snoqualmie yarn was dyed with indigo and marigold, the yarn in the middle (Aviary from Abundant Earth Fiber) is an alpaca/wool blend, and the yarn on the right was bought locally (no label and I can't remember from who) and that I dyed with indigo and eucalyptus. 

Occasionally, as I knit with the brown yarn I pick little pieces of straw out of the yarn.  I believe this was some of their original yarn when they started.  It was from my local yarn store and I've had it for quite awhile.

There will be other colors, other yarns for this sweater. More on that later.

A few more days of sunshine and then we move back to rain and cooler days and nights. 

It's time.

 

#78 enough

This weekend I spent some time looking back over the last 77 posts.

Thinking about enough.

Enough time.

Enough resources.

Letting things be good enough.

(After 7 or 8 dips this is blue enough)

Enough as in "all done".

(Hazel says "Enough, time to cuddle.")

 

What is enough to keep children safe? To keep each other safe?

So much depends on...

Enough.

 

#72 on the edge

This evening I am stitching binding onto the edge of a jacket and thinking about how we are all on edge, all altered... 

(I am okay, just tired.)

 

#12 without words but not without story

#1 Assignments.

"How are you" has become an interesting question. 

"Fine" doesn't seem right and yet fine is a wonderful thing. 

"Good enough," I usually answer.

Mostly I am distracted. Not sure of what I want to say or why.

Maybe a daily assignment would help?

A daily photo. Because it is something that I can do. For one hundred and nineteen days, mid August.

Posted here because it's the platform that I like the best. Because everyone who has internet, has access.

There might not always be words, maybe not an image.  I'm not quite sure where I am going with this, but mostly I think...exploring what is good enough?

From my journal, inspired by John Franzen via India Flint.

 

growth rings

The "On Being" podcast is one of my favorite things to listen to while working on projects.  This weekend I listened to an episode with Sandra Cisneros that is being added to my favorites list.

"You know how you look at a tree, and there are some rings that had a lot of rain, and it gets really bigger, and they shrink. Well, we can say that about our own years and what defined us or what happened to us in those years."  Sandra Cisneros

I tried to draw a ring for each year of my life in my journal but ran out of space.

I made a stitched ring too, although not as big.

This is the front side.

I love the soft edge where the two pieces of fabric joined.

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....

 

y is for yellow, yes, and yarn

From the garden.

Yummy yellow beans and lemon cucumber.

Goldenrod from the garden at work.

I brought some home to do some dyeing with, but really need to transplant some of it in my garden.

It's on the endangered list at work...Goldenrod looks a bit weedy and it's in the front entry way.

Cleaning up the yarn stash.

Saying yes to play.

The babies are growing up.

 

random edges

 

Three layers + one filter.

1. The mama and baby deer that have been in the neighborhood are doing fine. It's risky though, they graze in yards along a very busy road.

2. I am currently reading Seaweed Chronicles, A World at the Water's Edge by Susan Hand Shetterly.  Right now my imagination has been particularly captured by the idea of the seaweed equivalent of roots, a holdfast.

3.

While knitting or stitching I'm listening to H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald. 

Current bus project, shawl for dye pot in progress:

Mostly sewing this:

Robe started in Jude's (Spirit Cloth) second Contemporary Boro class.

 

life happens

"You can tell a lot about a garden and about its gardeners by monitoring how weeds are attended to."

This week I have been revisiting a garden book I like...Gardening at the Dragon's Gate by Wendy Johnson.

Layers.

Inspiration gathered from many sources.

A myth in the making. Once there was a dragon that lived in a cold dark sea and dreamed of warmth...

Study. 

Absorb. 

Growing.

We have a garden party coming up next week where I work. Families are invited to come, plant something with their children and spend time with us.  We will grow all sorts of vegetables, herbs and flowers for cutting.  There is a little forest area we are trying to reclaim.  It is being planted with natives. 

Nourish.

Paneer + cauliflower + raisins + rhubarb + spices (cumin, chipotle, ginger, pepper)