the last day of winter 2017-2018

 

The month almost slipped by me, but I've not been idle. While Francois watches and Aero sleeps I embark on a new road in my life of crafts.

My last sweater project was less than successful, but undaunted, I put it into the washing machine on hot and felted it. I cut out squares and made a ninepatch pillow. So not terribly bothered by the amount of yarn or hours spent, it has lead me down the path of what else can I do with less than wonderful projects or maybe even purposely knit projects to be felted? I'll keep you posted.

lunar new year

In honor of the New Year we are celebrating with the old and new.

Mike got his, new to him, 1979 Triumph Bonneville running, and more importantly, stopping.

And I finished a new quilt for the bed and hung an old one (vintage 1995) above.

imbolc

Imbolc or Imbolg (/ɪˈmɒlɡ/ i-MOLG), also called (Saint) Brigid's Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Bríde, Scottish Gaelic: Là Fhèill Brìghde, Manx: Laa'l Breeshey), is a Gaelic traditional festival marking the beginning of spring.
As I type the Spring seems to have left reminding me that it is still winter even if yesterday's temperature reached almost 70 degrees and I didn't want to come inside. The garden called. Today I finished my projects, came inside, read and baked scones.
According to my Witches Datebook, Imbolc is the time of clearing the field and for ourselves a gentle invitation to tug out the stones of discontent that hinder our movement into joy and full expression of life.
Here in our lime tree a new beginning is happening, definitely a full expression of life.

I spotted her the other day while I was arranging the back porch to be a forest of buckeyes. And Aero, with his healthy cat suit enjoys the sun, despite the temperature this afternoon.

diving into the clean zone

Something happened and suddenly I was greedily grabbing my friend Ann's generous give away fabric. But wait wasn't I just trying to consolidate and clean? Ann does not wash her fabric and I do, so I'm sitting now after standing and ironing all of my new pieces that I did wash. There was a great sort, after finally deciding what project I was going to take on.

With the addition of a few of my own fabrics I have a pile of green and a pile of blue. My intention is to do a simple every other five inch square of all of those in a bed size quilt. Okay I am partial to scrappy quilts.

This stack is for a small Flying Geese quilt to go over the bed.

Francois is sitting on top of a color study for I don't know what, I just like the colors.

Meanwhile I completely wore out Aero with all of this.

new year, clean zone

 

I spent a rainy day yesterday cleaning my desk and cork board so I could work on projects. But then I found myself sitting here this morning going projects? What projects? So I printed my fox pattern and pulled out some yarn for two new hats. I was inspired by watching "The Little Prince" to make a fox. Wish me luck on this one, the instructions have been translated from Italian and are a little unclear. But two new hats will be easily executed. And I'm enjoying looking at my updated cork board, saving some old items and adding some new.

the last day of 2017: applesauce, a set table, and a sleeping cat

One of my favorite gifts of the season was bagful of Granny Smith apples from Maddy's tree. Maddy is now 28 and the tree was planted the summer she was born to commemorate her birth. The tree is very happy and productive in it's home on Sherman Street here in Alameda.
We are having a small gathering with one guest but the conversation will be lively and wine will be consumed along with a pork roast and the applesauce.
I like New Years, I'm always ready to sweep the remains of Christmas and get on with it. We spent our Friday field trip day at Point Reyes. Where Mike took photos and I gathered the dried good for the bouquet on the dining table.

Tomorrow it's welcoming 2018 with calendar shopping. Let's hope I can find my 2018 Witches calendar.

winter solstice 2017

I sit to type this at almost the exact moment the solstice is occurring. Perhaps this is one of my favorite days of the year. Those dark bicycle rides home from yoga will be getting lighter.

This photo represents two of my favorite things in this crazy world, where I feel I am fortunate to be so rich:
(1) my dishwasher, who would have thought I'd feel this way
(2) my collection of Fiestaware

We had dinner last night with friends to celebrate the season. We had hoped to salute the Dungeness crab, but alas, market price drove us to embrace Ahi tuna instead. Placed among a bed of greens and other goodies Nicoise were served. There were no complaints.