an eye for the moon

I started a little 4" x 7" moon cloth today to celebrate the full moon in the sign of Cancer. A house with an eye for the moon. This is sort of how I feel -- content to stay put, with an eye for the moon while the future incubates. Nice to be able to do this. I'll be stitching for some time yet -- even though it's small, there's a good amount to be done.

A new cycle of full moon art begins with today's full moon. I'd love you to join me and leave a link in the comments or email me a file for the drawing down the moon page on the sidebar.

(* Kathy, the Woodland Quilter, posted about her moon cloth today -- go here to see all her lovely blocks up on the design wall!

hyacinth-bulb-in-a-jar yule gift

Yule gifts. Hyacinths. Reminders that we, too, have all we need inside us to grow and bloom.

I am grateful beyond words for the many wonderful, synchronistic connections this woman with wings place has created for me. And I am wishing very hard for a peaceful, loving world for us all. xo

little cloth balls

Today is Winter Solstice where I live. When I got up this morning at 6:30 it seemed a little lighter outside compared to the last four mornings that I've gotten up at 6:30. Anyway, I know that technically the increasing light won't be noticeable for a while yet, but still. It seemed lighter.

About joy -- the j is a rusty piece for dyeing projects, the berry o has been lying around waiting for something to decorate and the twig y is always on the back of the counter where I can see it. And that is how I made joy today.

And then I made some little cloth balls like on the 15 cotton napkins I bought yesterday at a close-out store. The little balls are a good use for thread ends and pieces of cloth and take probably less than a minute to make. I don't really know why or what I'm making them for, but I just love them so much.

Joy to you. xo

finished and begun

It's snowing today -- someone's lunaria moonseeds would be mailed to them if only it would stop. And here is the green sweater. Such a to-do, I tell you. It's very loose but I tell myself that's sort of the style now. I may put in a pleat or gather the back a little. I definitely should have made it one size down because my gauge was right on. 

It seems I've turned into my grandmother -- African violets, crocheting, and variegated yarn. This is to be an infinity hood/scarf and I deliberately chose the wool for its funky 70's vibe.

I like to crochet, I think I get it now. It helps take the edge of things -- I get that, too. 

streaming light

looking forward to . . .

Eucalyptus is everywhere all of a sudden, I guess it's considered a holiday green? This huge bunch was only $5.99 -- to be enjoyed in the vase with eyes for a time and then in the dye-pot.

The green sweater has been blocked once, and again a second time in certain areas that still curled. Shaving it is like mowing a green lawn. I haven't tried it on since before I started all this blocking, it takes days to dry. It's too wide, I already know. And a little short, I know that, too. But it'll be just fine because it has to be.

I just finished reading Fifth Business by Robertson Davies and loved it, I missed this one in the 70's. It's part of a trilogy so there's the other two to look forward to now. I don't read for pleasure as much as I used to but more than once, I've caught myself reading a book I'd already read. Thus a book list was begun a few years ago -- kept in the same journal that holds favorite quotes and phrases. Maybe I'll add my book list to the sidebar here, I know I always like seeing what other people are reading.

Clothwise, I'm thinking of stitching houses with eyes like on the book cover. Another wonderful thing to look forward to.

I've just removed my happy weekending line. Because I've just learned about the darkest of dark journeys that so many families suddenly find themselves on today. Numbing. Love and peace to us all.

moonday snowflake curtains, etc.

I was hoping that winter would finally arrive and it seems to have happened. Today I ironed and hung the snowflake curtains. This is their third year now and I still love them.

Yesterday I made lace cookies for a brunch potluck. There is a learning curve on these -- the recipe said to use foil but what a mess that was, nearly every one broke or cracked. I don't have silpat sheets (but will definitely think about getting some now) so subbed parchment paper and it worked. They are sweet but really light, like eating air almost. You can sprinkle powdered sugar or drizzle chocolate on them, too. I left them naked because they took up too much time as it was.

Tomorrow I will finally get to blocking the green sweater. I've got anxiety over it for several reasons, I wish I had a blocking board. And I'm concerned about the furry coating all over the sweater already -- do I shave it off before or after blocking, if anybody knows? I ask because I read about wool "blooming" during the blocking process. What the heck does that mean? My next big project is still to be discovered. In the meantime, I'll either be casting on -- or -- hooking on a cowl scarf and looking at more knitting books. This choosing process only occurs every so often for me because I'm so slow, but it's almost the best part of beginning a new project. It's why I even have knitting books.

This moonday we have a waning moon in the sign of Scorpio. Scorpio is intense, takes us inward, and helps us to end things. It affects both the reproductive system and the urinary tract. I only have one thing to say about ending urinary tract infections and it is D-mannose. If they are a problem for you, read about it. I use a combination of D-mannose capsules with doses of an antibacterial/antiseptic/demulcent herbal tincture blend, and unsweetened cranberry juice -- and have had good results.

We are approaching the time of the dark moon, we can't really see the moon at all now. This is a time of trust and hope that it will show itself once again. In the same way sunlight returns each morning. And winter or summer finally arrives.

Or the next knitting project appears. To trust and hope.

finding and making

The garland I started last month seemed to need a little something more -- and vintage red buttons are it. It was fun to make this.

I forgot about the carrots in the garden! Until this morning, that is. Their seed was for assorted colors and I was hoping to get mostly purple for dyeing cloth. I don't know if these would be considered purple or what, but they're not orange. Now I need to decide whether to eat them or dye with them as I intended. The weather has been unseasonably warm so the pansies and violets started blooming again -- and notice the nice green woad foliage in the carrot photo. Our dogs are shedding heavily, as well. Signs of the times.

Yesterday I arranged greens from around the yard, dried stems from the lunaria garden, and bittersweet vines from Thanksgiving in an outdoor planter. I want to use lunaria inside, too, maybe tuck little sprigs into tiny silver vases. I am crazy about this plant, fresh and dried. I know it's common in some areas, but not here.

Thanks for visiting and happy weekending. xo

moonday joys

I went down this kefir road a few years ago but wasn't fully committed. Now I'm committed to the point of happy obsession. When starting out with dried kefir grains, you need to strain and place them in fresh milk every day until the resulting brew thickens, smells fresh, and tastes slightly tart, but not sour. On the sixth day it happened. Real kefir made from raw milk from our cow (share). Did you know that kefir is pronounced kef-eer? Now I don't know whether to say key-fir or kef-eer. I guess it will depend on who I'm talking to. 

And the little holly leaf spirit hanging from the hutch key was made from a Magic Cabin sewing kit, but I don't think they sell them anymore. It has a tiny Waldorf-style head with wool felt and wool stuffing. 

Today is a waning moonday in fiery Leo. Some descriptors for Leo are: Confident, straightforward, generous, warm, and dominant. Our individual personalities shine now making this a good time for job interviews and other performance-type activities -- teaching, acting, training, sales, etc. We enjoy the Leo spotlight and might feel like wearing bold colors -- reds, golds, and oranges especially.

The sign of Leo affects the heart, circulation, and upper back. That means conditions may be aggravated, while at the same time healing efforts and actions are well done now. Louise Hay in You Can Heal Your Life relates the heart with love and joy. Life and stress can squeeze out all the joy in our hearts and make us feel hard-hearted. The treatment for this is simple. Take joy.

Wishing you a joy-filled week.