Dirt, Kicks, & Tulips

somethingdreadfull — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 07:37:35 +0000

The bowing & broken tulips plus crushed petal in the tire track bring to mind “Tragedy” by Brandi Carlile.

“…Progress, changing,
growing then giving up,
somehow we’re never quite prepared…”

I didn’t even plan to visit the fields, but had on my pink kicks (aka shoes). Thought playing with photos of them would be fun.

I Warmed up to the Earth

somethingdreadfull — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:22:08 +0000

The spoilers came and the spoilers went.
The photo links were posted.
But, I wasn’t sure about the March colorway.
No, I was not sure at all.
I wasn’t sure I’d like it big.
I wasn’t sure I’d like it small.
I wasn’t sure I’d like it in lace weight.
I wasn’t sure I’d like it in aran.
I wasn’t sure I’d even keep it.
No, I wasn’t sure at all.
But then one day the post came and a package I did find.
It was soft and squishy and well, you know, just the welcoming kind!
Off I ripped the edge to find what I might find.
And there I found the warming earth, soft and warm and fine!
At first I thought, no this won’t due.
It’s too warm, it’s too brown. It’s just not you.
But then I brought it to the sun and let it gently warm.
I left it on my car seat a sunning in the sun.
I snuck a peak, at each stop light and marveled at the colors delight.
The sun did the trick and warmed my heart.
I found that Warming Earth to be growing on me and my art.
And now you see – I found like she – the flowers that did inspire…
The Cash-merino-nylon for this March by Becoming Art!

Spring has Sprung

somethingdreadfull — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:36:55 +0000

“Once I was a sentimental thing, threw my heart away each spring. Now a spring romance hasn’t got a chance. Promised my first dance to winter. All I’ve got to show’s a splinter for my little fling. Spring this year has got me feeling ….”
Here’s the Ella version. But what I know best is Bette’s version.

It’s such a sad song. But I always think of it when I think of spring. Maybe because I actually give my heart away to spring and am grateful that I can come out of my winter hibernation. I really feel myself wake up as the days get lighter. Don’t get me wrong, I adore evenings spent tucked in creating (spinnning, knitting, sewing, drawing…). But those goofy shows like, Sound of Music, with Maria twirling atop the hills singing to the world… yeah, that’s me in spring. Except you’ll often find me in my garden or capturing the joyful blossoms of spring with my camera.

In fact, that’s what I’d like to share with you. I’ve been on some amazing journeys down photo lane. How am I so lucky that I am finally able to capture the essence of a moment with my camera?

Inspiration in the Sky

somethingdreadfull — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:18:24 +0000

I’ve asked the universe to give me more opportunities to learn how to layer colors, how to paint to achieve depth, and the universe delivered in a very big way. I took stock of my daily commute and realized that the universe has been giving me an opportunity to learn from nature every day. I’ve begun to observe the beauty of the sky.

Brilliant. Blue. Fluffy. Muddled. Rich. Light. Loose. Scattered. Spread. Blended. Warm. Cool. Soft. Harsh. Dark. I’ve been studying and evaluating what color I’d layer first to achieve the look I see in the sky. Here are a few pieces of my photo art which I think capture some of the moments of beauty I’ve been blessed to observe. What are you rediscovering in your world?

Mermaid Part Deux

somethingdreadfull — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:44:56 +0000

Today I finished plying up the 2nd bump of Becoming Art Mermaid merino fiber. With the second bump, I split it in half lengthwise rather than matching ends and splitting entirely in half. I like that the lengthwise split (this is along the whole length of the fiber so that you have 2 very long pieces with similar color repeats) because it offered me longer color repeats. Plus, when I plied it, the colors were more likely to match: greens to greens, browns to browns, purples to purples and so on.

I like plied handspun, but when the mashup of colors is too contrasty, it makes my head spin (think Chester Cheetah style). I usually buy the hand dyed fibers because I like the brilliance of colors. Sometimes, I’m disappointed by how much blending or muddling happens in the spinning process, especially when plying. So, it was really fun to experiment. And delightfully, they don’t look terribly different.

I’m thinking about making a hat or some fingerless gloves where the handspun is the design detail color and using a solid against it. More to come…

Be Yourself, Be Passionate

somethingdreadfull — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:58:29 +0000

Many people over the years have spoken to me in awe of my singing voice. I can hold my own in a lot of musical situations, but I am far from excellent. I am however, passionate. I enjoy singing to entertain people. That and feeling the passion of the notes and lyrics as I sing them bring me great joy.

More often than not, music moves me to tears. It is so beautiful that I am overcome with intense emotion. I am especially moved when ordinary people believe in themselves and their abilities and sing in spite of what the world may think of them. I don’t watch TV very often, usually it’s BBC stuff when I do watch, and I don’t typically watch things like “American Idol” or “Britain’s Got Talent”. But, the first time I heard Susan Boyle, I was moved to tears. I’m welling up as I write this. That quirky, funny, and sassy woman got up on stage and gave it everything she had. And she didn’t let anyone dampen her mood either. Then, to hear the voice kept inside her ordinary body was like hearing the sound of the universe for the first time.

Recently, a friend recommended I listen to William Hung. I know nothing about him, but went searching for video. I found this post on YouTube of “You Raise Me Up”. And you know what? I’m touched. He is so true and so genuine in his voice and his performance. He is just himself. I think he is very brave and that his performance is beautiful.

Pucker and Stripe

somethingdreadfull — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:58:11 +0000

This is a scarf that I designed about a year ago with a purchase from Madrona. I spun the fiber on a drop spindle.

Fiber

I designed this pattern to accommodate 2.5 oz of Dicentra’s brilliantly dyed Silk Merino fiber. I picked up her fiber at Madrona and couldn’t stop playing with it.

I spent quite a bit of time learning about drafting with this yarn. Made lots of mistakes: tried to draft without spreading out the fiber which resulted in what I call “fire cracker” breaks… “pull, pull, pull, dammit……. POP! The result – wonky and thrilling thick and thin spun yarn. LOVE it.

The Pattern
So, the idea behind the pattern is a scarf that is versatile (i.e. has a few ways to be worn). I based the design off a silk scarf (fabric, not knit) I bought at Target a few years back. I adored the way it had curved edges and could be tied into a bow at the back of my neck. It’s quite the “Victorian” look if I do say so myself!

So, drop one end through the hole for “a long tail” look (thank you Chris Anderson). Or, better yet, make a bow and look the essence of chic.

Rose Hip Winter

somethingdreadfull — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:53:33 +0000

Handspun Art

somethingdreadfull — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:10:22 +0000

Thanks to the chilly and, well, yes thanks too to the rather stressful days, I’ve taken to spinning yarn more. It really is such a great stress reliever. Plus, I find great joy in watching the color transitions and seeing how the fiber turns into a yarn, be it single or plied. I’ve learned how to spin using the Long Draw method via a Ravelry Post with this video embedded:

As a result, my first skein of merino where I attempted Long Draw.
It’s really fun. Plus, any fiber from Becoming Art is worth trying. Lisa has such a fun color sense.

This makes me think of Ballykissangel, Ireland, Pubs, Foxes, and St Paddy’s day. It’s actually called Mermaid. I really think it’s interesting, though a bit more wild & green than I expected. What shall I make of it? The yarn hasn’t spoken to me yet, so you have an opportunity to comment and add your 2¢!

I bet if you drank enough beer in a BallyK pub a wee mermaid would perch on the rim of your glass and tell you a wee tale!

Jenny B Cloche

somethingdreadfull — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:22:59 +0000

This sweet little hat was made with love for a co-worker who recently lost all her hair due to Chemo. It was fun to make and surprise her. She put it on as soon as I gave it to her and wore it all day. It was really fun walking by a conference room and seeing a bright purple head, knowing I helped to bring a bit of warmth and sunshine into someone’s life.