Thank you, Diana, for making Bobo and for sending him to live with us!
Friday, November 23, 2018
Bobo Snowboy
Last year, a woman discovered Bill's blog and started commenting on it. As a result, he went to her blog (Nana Diana Takes a Break) and started leaving comments. This started their conversation. I think he mentioned my creative work at some point and she said she makes snowpeople. Then, to our surprise and delight, she said she wanted to send us one of them. We expressed our concern about shipping costs and said that we would understand completely if she wanted to change her mind because of them, but one day the postman knocked on the door and handed me a box that contained Bobo Snowboy.
Isn't he fabulous? He came with an introductory letter:
I cross-stitched a Celtic knot design and attached a piece of sea glass, then made this into a thank you card, which we sent off to her.
After that, Diana and I started reading each other's blogs and starting our own comment/email conversations. It's interesting to me how the combination of old-fashioned handwork and technology can bring us in contact with people we'd never know about otherwise!
Thank you, Diana, for making Bobo and for sending him to live with us!
Thank you, Diana, for making Bobo and for sending him to live with us!
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Happy Thanksgiving!
It's a regular Thursday in November here, and we started the day with a bit of drama. Bill placed a food order the other night at Evergreen, the shop in Galway that we tried for the first time last month. I wanted to get a few things that we'd tried and liked so we'd have them around and to replenish my supply of a couple of the things I was getting low on. They dispatched the order yesterday and today was the expected delivery date. Last time, the courier didn't arrive until just past 5. This morning, Bill was greeted with an email saying the box had been delivered at 9:30 a.m. and signed for by someone named Dorothy at a place called SMG Company. Who is Dorothy, what kind of company is SMG and where are they located? We have no idea.
Bill contacted Evergreen and got a quick reply asking him to confirm that we did not know this Dorothy person. Bill confirmed this. The customer service person was quite upset, commenting that this is a service they pay for and this situation is unacceptable. She assured him that she would take care of the matter as quickly as possible. Shortly thereafter, Bill got a call from someone who wanted to know if he was Bill and if he was expecting a parcel. Who was this person and where did he come from? Again, we have no idea, but he showed up, Bill went outside to meet him and the box was handed over. So there's that sorted.
I've been thinking today about all I am grateful for and am reminded again that the list is long and I am a lucky woman. I am spending the 39th Thanksgiving with my favourite person on earth. I live simply in a beautiful place where all of my physical needs are met and all my material wants are satisfied. I have wonderful friends and acquaintances who enrich my life. Such abundance!
If you're celebrating Thanksgiving today, I hope it's wonderful. If it's a regular Thursday, I also hope it's wonderful! Whether it's Thanksgiving or Thursday, I wish you a lifetime of things that give rise to gratitude.
Bill contacted Evergreen and got a quick reply asking him to confirm that we did not know this Dorothy person. Bill confirmed this. The customer service person was quite upset, commenting that this is a service they pay for and this situation is unacceptable. She assured him that she would take care of the matter as quickly as possible. Shortly thereafter, Bill got a call from someone who wanted to know if he was Bill and if he was expecting a parcel. Who was this person and where did he come from? Again, we have no idea, but he showed up, Bill went outside to meet him and the box was handed over. So there's that sorted.
I've been thinking today about all I am grateful for and am reminded again that the list is long and I am a lucky woman. I am spending the 39th Thanksgiving with my favourite person on earth. I live simply in a beautiful place where all of my physical needs are met and all my material wants are satisfied. I have wonderful friends and acquaintances who enrich my life. Such abundance!
If you're celebrating Thanksgiving today, I hope it's wonderful. If it's a regular Thursday, I also hope it's wonderful! Whether it's Thanksgiving or Thursday, I wish you a lifetime of things that give rise to gratitude.
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Christmas Rose Brooch
Last night I settled in, stuck my ear buds in, started playing some classical Christmas music that I did not even remember I had, and started hooking. I began a project using scraps, but it became apparent after a few rounds that I would not have enough for what I wanted to do. It was still a useful attempt, though, because I discovered that I love the combination of the two yarns. As I was frogging (rip-it, rip-it), I came up with a different idea for using the two together, along with some other odd balls. Then I turned my attention to other things for a while. But my fingers were itching to be working on something, and when I went into the other room, my eyes fell on a partial skein of yarn that I'd pulled from the box under the bed. I grabbed that, settled back in, started the Boston Pops playing, and began again on a different idea. No worries about yarn quantities this time--there was plenty.
Once I was done, it was almost 2 a.m. and I decided to figure out what I'd use for the centre embellishment later in the morning. So I did, choosing a bead from a deconstructed bracelet Bill had picked up for me in a charity shop a while back--it was a perfect fit. I sewed that on, then sewed a jewelry pin to the back and it was finished.
The sparkly bits are the gold-coloured thread wrapped around the red yarn. This one is about 3 1/2"x4" so I can use it as a scarf/shawl pin, stick it on a hat, or wear it on a sweater.
This morning I rummaged around in the scraps and odd balls again to gather bits for my latest commission and I cast on for the hat a while ago. I love my odd balls and scraps!
I hope you come across many small things that bring you joy today, too.
Once I was done, it was almost 2 a.m. and I decided to figure out what I'd use for the centre embellishment later in the morning. So I did, choosing a bead from a deconstructed bracelet Bill had picked up for me in a charity shop a while back--it was a perfect fit. I sewed that on, then sewed a jewelry pin to the back and it was finished.
This morning I rummaged around in the scraps and odd balls again to gather bits for my latest commission and I cast on for the hat a while ago. I love my odd balls and scraps!
I hope you come across many small things that bring you joy today, too.
Monday, November 19, 2018
Transitions
We went out for a walk this morning, looping around through town to the bring bank where we recycled a few tins and jars, then up a different road, coming back into town and home. It was a lovely autumn walk.
I hope it's a beautiful day in your part of the world!
 | |
| once green, but stands out more now |
 |
| fewer boats at the pier |
 |
| more boats in the boat yard |
 |
| silhouette |
 |
| preparing to bloom |
 |
| potential |
 |
| tree isn't quite ready to let go |
 |
| bright blue |
 |
| preparing for the next season |
Friday, November 16, 2018
Applesauce (Mango) Oat Muffins
A while back, a friend gave me a jar of apple mango puree, made from 80% apples and 20% mangoes. I figured I'd make some muffins with it and today seemed like the day. The puree was slightly thicker than the applesauce one can buy in jars in the US. Applesauce is not really a thing here, except at certain times of the year, when I have seen quite small jars of Bramley apple sauce, which has sugar in it. Bramley apples are extremely tart.
To make the muffins, I adapted a recipe for banana oat muffins that I'd written down, although I have no idea where I found it. It's quite a good recipe, with very little sugar and even that small amount is optional. These are good for snacks or to grab for breakfast.
Preheat oven to 170C (fan oven) or 350F
In bowl, mix together:
1 1/4 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup jumbo oats (US-old-fashioned rolled oats)--not regular porridge oats/quick cooking oats
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon each baking soda and salt
1 or 2 tablespoons sugar, optional
I added cinnamon, a small amount of allspice, and a sprinkle of ginger, but you can add some or all of these or not.
In separate bowl or measuring cup, mix together:
1 cup applesauce or fruit puree
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup milk
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined, adding a bit more milk or applesauce/puree if it's too dry. I added some shredded coconut and raisins at this point, but this is optional. You could also add nuts or different dried fruit.
Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.
I would have used some nutmeg in these, too, but I am out. Still, these seem to go with the season. Hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week! We'll be quietly celebrating here, even though it's just a regular Thursday.
I hope it's been a lovely day in your neck of the woods!
To make the muffins, I adapted a recipe for banana oat muffins that I'd written down, although I have no idea where I found it. It's quite a good recipe, with very little sugar and even that small amount is optional. These are good for snacks or to grab for breakfast.
Preheat oven to 170C (fan oven) or 350F
In bowl, mix together:
1 1/4 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup jumbo oats (US-old-fashioned rolled oats)--not regular porridge oats/quick cooking oats
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon each baking soda and salt
1 or 2 tablespoons sugar, optional
I added cinnamon, a small amount of allspice, and a sprinkle of ginger, but you can add some or all of these or not.
In separate bowl or measuring cup, mix together:
1 cup applesauce or fruit puree
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup milk
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined, adding a bit more milk or applesauce/puree if it's too dry. I added some shredded coconut and raisins at this point, but this is optional. You could also add nuts or different dried fruit.
Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.
I hope it's been a lovely day in your neck of the woods!
Thursday, November 8, 2018
The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
I read about this book recently in a book email I got, although I forget which one. It sounded good, so I requested it from the library and finished it last night, glad to have read it.
First off, I love the cover art.
Can't really see from the picture, but the white areas are created from dictionary pages, which is appropriate for the story. Although red is not my favourite colour, I would hang a print of this on my wall.
Here's the description of the book from the back:
The book is set in the near future--published in 2014, there is a reference to things that happened in the past, during 2016, so we know it's at least a few years beyond that. Before he vanishes, Ana's father, Doug, starts to act even more eccentric than he often normally is, exhorting her to stop using her Meme, giving her tablets and telling her that at the first sign of aphasia, fever, headache, nausea, she should take an entire dose. She dismisses his concerns at first, but after he goes missing and she starts to try to find out what happened, she slowly comes to realize that his concerns were warranted.
She uncovers the sinister business practices of Synchronic, the company that has monetized words and discovers the people who are resisting as part of the Diachronic Society. She learns that Synchronic did not want the last edition of the North American Dictionary of the English Language (NADEL), the book she and her father were working on, to be published and the lengths they were willing to go to in order to stop it.
The book is, in some ways, just a fun read and some of it is a little simplistic and pat, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of it. In addition to some of the predictable interpersonal relationship stuff, though, the book is a celebration of language, words, and books. At one point, Ana says, 'Words are living legends, swollen with significance. We string them together to make stories, but they themselves are stories, encapsulating rich, runny histories.' (p95) Anyone interested in etymology can relate, I'm sure.
For me, it was worth the read for the celebration of language and the written word, the reminder that things--even important things--can slip away from us without us noticing, and that words and how we use them matter. We should pay attention to how we use words, but how others can be using them to manipulate, spread chaos, and feed their greed.
This was the author's first novel. I don't know whether she's written anything else. Based on the acknowledgements, she did a fair bit of research about subjects such as philosophy (particularly Hegel), computer viruses, brain function, linguistics, and how illnesses can spread.
The book was worth the time I spent with it. 😊 I hope you're spending some quality time with a good book, too!
First off, I love the cover art.
Here's the description of the book from the back:
She uncovers the sinister business practices of Synchronic, the company that has monetized words and discovers the people who are resisting as part of the Diachronic Society. She learns that Synchronic did not want the last edition of the North American Dictionary of the English Language (NADEL), the book she and her father were working on, to be published and the lengths they were willing to go to in order to stop it.
The book is, in some ways, just a fun read and some of it is a little simplistic and pat, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of it. In addition to some of the predictable interpersonal relationship stuff, though, the book is a celebration of language, words, and books. At one point, Ana says, 'Words are living legends, swollen with significance. We string them together to make stories, but they themselves are stories, encapsulating rich, runny histories.' (p95) Anyone interested in etymology can relate, I'm sure.
For me, it was worth the read for the celebration of language and the written word, the reminder that things--even important things--can slip away from us without us noticing, and that words and how we use them matter. We should pay attention to how we use words, but how others can be using them to manipulate, spread chaos, and feed their greed.
This was the author's first novel. I don't know whether she's written anything else. Based on the acknowledgements, she did a fair bit of research about subjects such as philosophy (particularly Hegel), computer viruses, brain function, linguistics, and how illnesses can spread.
The book was worth the time I spent with it. 😊 I hope you're spending some quality time with a good book, too!
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Needle Felted Hat
Sooner or later, no matter what kind of fibre manipulation technique I am doing, I end up seeing how it will work for hat making. I have a bit of an obsession interest in hats. And socks. I have a drawer full of each. But, you know, there's always room for one more.
I've been thinking about a needle-felted hat for some time now. When Bill took advantage of a going-out-of-business sale earlier this year and bought a bunch of roving, 'hat' was the first thing to come to mind when I saw the balls of mauve-ish and blue-grey and mauve-ish and light brown that were a mix of merino and mohair. Before that I'd gotten some scraps of roving that he'd found online, some of which were beautiful mixes of colour which would also work well as part of a hat.
One of the things I love about needle felting is the abstract felt I can create with it. I like a lot of abstract art and collage and that kind of thing and this allows me to work that way, by layering and 'mark-making' (with fiber instead of paint, graphite, crayon, etc) but with the added quality of softness. It begs to be touched. That's one reason I work with textiles. I don't think I was always so aware of the importance of touch in what I do, but last year we went to an art exhibit that had a lot of abstracts and some textile work. I liked the abstracts well enough, but when I got to the textiles, I felt connected somehow. Then I walked over and looked at a framed print of one of the textile works I'd just been admiring and it left me cold, sitting flat behind the glass. Of course, I did not touch the original work, but I could imagine what it felt like. I learned something about myself that day and came away with a new understanding of how softness and texture play a big role in my creative process. The squish factor is more important than I knew!
So the other day, I sat down with a pile of various colours of roving, my foam pad, and my felting needles and I started stabbing. I randomly built up a rectangle, adding bits of this colour here and the other colour there until it was sturdy enough to hold together and long enough to fit around my head. I felted the ends together to form a tube and felted some more all over to get rid of any thin spots. I finished that last night and then this afternoon, I did an oval for the crown, felted it and the tube together, and then used a different needle to smooth things a bit to finish. Here it is from different angles and on my head.
I had a lot of fun making this and am thrilled with how it turned out! It's so squishy, warm, and soft and it'll be great in the rain!
When I started this post, I was thinking that while I've crocheted, knitted, needle-tatted, and now needle-felted hats, I've never cross-stitched a hat. Aida cloth wouldn't really work well for that kind of thing. Then I thought, 'Ah, but you could make a hat using Tunisian crochet simple stitch and cross stitch on that!' Hmmm.
I've been thinking about a needle-felted hat for some time now. When Bill took advantage of a going-out-of-business sale earlier this year and bought a bunch of roving, 'hat' was the first thing to come to mind when I saw the balls of mauve-ish and blue-grey and mauve-ish and light brown that were a mix of merino and mohair. Before that I'd gotten some scraps of roving that he'd found online, some of which were beautiful mixes of colour which would also work well as part of a hat.
One of the things I love about needle felting is the abstract felt I can create with it. I like a lot of abstract art and collage and that kind of thing and this allows me to work that way, by layering and 'mark-making' (with fiber instead of paint, graphite, crayon, etc) but with the added quality of softness. It begs to be touched. That's one reason I work with textiles. I don't think I was always so aware of the importance of touch in what I do, but last year we went to an art exhibit that had a lot of abstracts and some textile work. I liked the abstracts well enough, but when I got to the textiles, I felt connected somehow. Then I walked over and looked at a framed print of one of the textile works I'd just been admiring and it left me cold, sitting flat behind the glass. Of course, I did not touch the original work, but I could imagine what it felt like. I learned something about myself that day and came away with a new understanding of how softness and texture play a big role in my creative process. The squish factor is more important than I knew!
So the other day, I sat down with a pile of various colours of roving, my foam pad, and my felting needles and I started stabbing. I randomly built up a rectangle, adding bits of this colour here and the other colour there until it was sturdy enough to hold together and long enough to fit around my head. I felted the ends together to form a tube and felted some more all over to get rid of any thin spots. I finished that last night and then this afternoon, I did an oval for the crown, felted it and the tube together, and then used a different needle to smooth things a bit to finish. Here it is from different angles and on my head.
When I started this post, I was thinking that while I've crocheted, knitted, needle-tatted, and now needle-felted hats, I've never cross-stitched a hat. Aida cloth wouldn't really work well for that kind of thing. Then I thought, 'Ah, but you could make a hat using Tunisian crochet simple stitch and cross stitch on that!' Hmmm.
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