January 11, 2009

 

 

Along with my drive to move outward, learn new things and meet new people this year,

I am feeling quiet- with a conflicting desire to move inward.  Which one will grow stronger?  Which energy do I really need right now?.......   I feel a need for a little bit of both;  however,  the series of grey days have been very conducive to my desire to go inside.  

 

 

So where am I now after my day of solitude?  I am peaceful,content.  I feel comfort from the sound of the raindrops- alone, but not lonely and I realize that I needed every inch of this solitude to “ work myself out.”  Where am I now after reading this phenomenal book?  Now that yields a much deeper answer.

 

 

In the appendix of the book are 9 precepts of “The Order of Interbeing.”  I love number 2 and have added it to my sacred space.

 

 

If we all understood the concept of interbeing at its deepest level, the rape of the earth would cease, we would more readily forgive each other and love would overflow to infinity.  

 

January 7, 2009

 

I’m finally emerging from the black hole of the holidays.  Towards the end of December and into the first few days of January, I’ve been in the process of clearing my environment of clutter.  As we speak my work table, which is usually filled with scrap yarn, beads magazines etc, is actually able to reflect sunlight on its surface.  

 

 

There are a lot of things I would like to work on this year that have been pushed into the background for a while, like patchwork and weaving.   Last Tuesday was my first day of class for :  “BEGINNER’S FLOOR LOOM WEAVING”!!!  This has been on my “to do” list for 3 years.   It is a sacrifice-an hour’s drive each way, but most of our desires never come rolling up to the front door.  

 

Most of the women in the class were in the intermediate stage and brought in beautiful hand woven shawls (some with beadwork!), hand dyed scarves, resist dyed fabric, etc...fiber heaven.  I started to feel inspired but a little nervous until finally, in walked  another pure hearted beginner like me.  The teacher took us aside to explain the basics and  afterwards we began to prepare the warp for our first project.  In the meanwhile the more advanced were excitedly chatting and dressing their looms with personal projects.   The room was a buzz with nothing but fiber talk.  I could not keep count of my threads to save my life, but it was all good in the end.  I’ll have pics some time in the future.  Speaking of pics, down below is the landscape of Kush Kush.  Yes, it’s finally finished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bottom left hand corner picture shows an additional yarn I threw in at the very end of the scarf.  This yarn has been on my radar for a long time,  I pick it up and put it down  every time I visit the LYS, but finally it had a real purpose.  I could not resist blending it into the scarf.  It really gave it an organic aura.

 

I did not follow the traditional pattern which called for changing needle sizes at various intervals and a light silk/mohair blend took the place of the wool.

 

 

 

 

It is very light weight, practically sheer, but amazingly warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 13, 2008

 

 

The last time I checked there were 3,527 people knitting Saartje’s booties.  So, does the world really need another  set of Maryjane booties?  Of course!  Why?  Because they are fast, an extremely rewardable way to use scrap yarn and make an adorable gift for any mom-to -be

 

I should rephrase the “fast” part and be more specific.  The knitting goes incredibly fast; howEVER, sewing these shoes together was a little on the painful side for two reasons:  1. They are incredibly tiny   2. All garter stitch seams  3. Lots of weaving in ends. It’s been years since I’ve sewn a garter stitch seam together so I had to go back to the instruction books for a refresher.  Susan Mellville’s Book 1: The Knit Stitch has excellent illustrations of how to knit all types of garter stitch seams. Of course after I was finished, I stumbled upon a seamless version in a pattern search on Ravelry.

 

There is definitely something in the water at my work place.  Currently two women are expecting, two have given birth in the last year and 3 are contemplating the big leap into motherhood.  

 

 

 

 

 

Needles: Size 1

Yarn: Rowan 4 ply cotton

 

December 7, 2008

 

 

Sometimes I fall asleep on the path and my mind wanders off for days in some non-sensical dream/train of thought that circles like a feedback loop with no purpose.  But if I happen to see an old graceful tree on the side of the road, or hear just a segment of a chant or the sound of someone taking a deep breath.... if I pause at the stop light and just happen to “hear” my own breath in the midst of this mindless thought circle, I’ll wake up and remember that it is time to go back home.  It is time to sit on the cushion, to write until the circle is broken to engage in cultivating the desire within me to seek peace and wisdom.  it is time for me to pay attention to the face of my mother, my spouse, my sister, my co-workers.  And i remember how precious this time is -the unpredictable time I live on the precious earth.  It turns into  a day that I drive until I find a cluster of trees or find a wild place to stroll with soft pine needles beneath.  Where I can wander like a child with no agenda and contemplate the beauty of  knotted crooked branches with their leafy hands turned up towards the sky.  It is time for me to stop long enough to read the language of the dark crevices in the bark-tracing the letters with my fingers and then go home and read the language of my own ever-changing face.

November 28, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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