bee creative

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)

pulling a green thread

From Teju Cole’s book, Known and Strange Things:

“There is another possible book that contains all that is not in this one.”

I put myself on the wait list for a few of Teju Cole's books after listening to his interview on On Being.

I've read a few of the essay's, enough to know I want to find a copy to keep, to take time with.

Counting stitches for a sleeve.

Stitching with plant dyed fabric, some printed silk that I've had for a long time.   

It's May and the first rose is blooming and I may be absorbed into the garden...

random moments

1. This is Lightning. He lives at the childcare where I work. On Friday one of my co-workers gave him a hair cut.  I combed some of the fur into some sheep's wool and then showed the preschoolers how it could be spun into yarn with my drop spindle. And then how that could be knit into fabric. 

2. Multiple photos and projects, layered. It's been windy and it's raining cherry blossoms.

3.  Salad made of fried potatoes, radishes, lettuce, walnuts, avocado, bread, cheese. Tonight's version was asparagus, toasted bread, cheese, lettuce, spring onions (cooked), lettuce. 

4.  Yesterday I was looking at some wooden spoons and pottery at the farmer's market. The vendor greeted me and then asked me a question I thought was a bit odd for starting a conversation...had I ever tried making pottery? (The answer is yes but not much.)

 

 

assignment #1 March: collage

I'm still doing a collage a day but not always dating. Sometimes it's completed, some times it's a bit more on something on going, sometimes it's digital.  Some of these I am going to make into cards. Some of them inspire thoughts of cloth projects. More ideas than I can keep up with.

There is still snow on the ground in places. Still cold and it shapes the days.

A few pictures from my walk through the neighborhood park today:

blended worlds

2 torn pieces of paper + 2 photos, blended + a filter + a bit of sketching = something else than the beginning but not really an ending.

 

assignment #5 and an update

Assignment #5 is to make or mend each week, with the idea that a project is finished. It was not accomplished during the first full week of the month but if I hurry it will be for the second. Tomorrow I hope to finish the edges on this jumper (dyed in walnut) and attach pockets (maybe the original color?).

An update on the rest of the assignments...

Assignment #1

A collage is happening everyday. 

Yesterday while looking at a photo of water lilies I was inspired to make my own.  I've been thinking about how there is an essential shape to anything that the human eye identifies and labels. 

Assignment #2:  January's dye jar is brewing away happily.  I occasionally tip it and wonder what color is being absorbed into the fabric.  The water is a lovely golden tea color. 

Assignment #3 I am on track to finish Wanderlust by Rebecca Solnit by the end of January. A friend (Nancy at pomegranate trail) recommended Silence by Earling Kagge which I checked out as an audio book and have been knitting to.  There is much that I like about this book including the following definition: "Wonder is the engine of life."  

Assignment #4 The sweaters.

Sweater number one is at about 8 or 9 inches. At 15ninches I'll start the sleeves. This will be a short cardigan intended to wear with dresses and tunics. The length is based on a favorite sweater.

A lot of the knitting on this one is happening on the bus or on lunch break. It's mindless knitting...knit one way and then purl the other. 

Sweater number two is cast on and moving forward. Right now it is my "at home project," for when it is quiet and I can concentrate. There is another new skill with this one that was not considered...reading a chart for the color pattern (yes I had to start twice).  Once the yoke is finished it will pretty much turn in to around and around we go and will take the place of sweater number one as the on the go project. 

The colors of this one make me think of sunlight moving through the forest. 

At first I thought the goal of 4 sweaters might be ambitious but it really seems doable.  Part of this is choosing the right project for the right time of day.  Which is really the truth for all of these assignments I've given myself...

smile!

Or maybe pucker up?

One of the assignments for the class I'm taking.

There's also this:

Thinking about something similar to this on cloth. 

assignment #2 plus another sewing/dye project under construction

A few posts back in the comments I mentioned the idea of gathering a collection from the garden and processing it in a jar (India Flint style, Stuff, Steep +Store)  once a month for a year. Starting next January 2020, I'll open one jar a month.  Maybe I'll even make it continuous...open one jar and then process another. 

Another form of field note....

Here it goes:

January's collection:  a fern, some yarrow, fennel, sorrel, black berry, a few lingering rose leaves, dandelion, vinca, the last of the loganberry leaves, sage, st. john's wort and two different types of ivy. 

A few of these things aren't usually around this time of year.  We've had a few hard frosts but not enough to have them die down.

The water in the jar is a soft tea color so something certainly has color. 

..........

Another project under construction:

As part of one of India's classes I was able to take part in a challenge offered by Beautiful Silks. For the cost of postage we were sent about 5 yards of silk to play with. 

This includes some of all the silks that were sent except one.  The last one I don't want to dye as I like it just the way it is. I'll be making a cowl that could be worn with this to "dress it up." 

Something I've been considering a lot is how to make a wardrobe that is everyday but that something small could be added to a few items that would make it "special occasion." Part of my goal to have a sustainable wardrobe.

A little closer look at the bottom.  The bright green is dye from the top piece of fabric that ran, the rest eucalyptus and onion skins.  The two light fabrics were first dyed in my fresh indigo vat. A little bit of that turquoise remains.

I love the random flow of colors in this, a collage of color.

wonder

I've set myself a few assignments for the year 2019 and a word for the year; wonder.  Wonder to me is part curiosity and part joy. I want to approach these assignments from a place of wonder.  To consider what if from a place of joy. To wonder how about how things connect. 

The word wonder comes with a question. 

One I haven't quite formulated yet.

Assignment #1 is to make a collage each day. It could be digital, paper or cloth. Or a combination. This is yesterday's collage.

Collage is something I love creating but it's also about zero waste.  A good way to use up little bits.

Daily practices can be hard for me but they are good so I keep trying.  To help keep the momentum up I decided to take Year of the Collage.

grateful

Grateful for skills that transform...

One of my grandmothers gifted me this yarn.  I've had it on the table for awhile, waiting to know what to make with it. 

Earlier this week I thought shawl.

This morning I thought wings...

Thank you all that stop by, whether you leave comments or are silently there.

Grateful for community.