Fresh Beginning

The weather has been mild for the last week and the bulbs are starting to make their appearance.


I am trying to remind myself that it will probably be forty degrees tomorrow and it would be foolish to try planting anything. But I can mulch and weed in preparation.




The everbearing strawberries sent out runners all year long and I ended up digging out a dozen new starts and relocating them. It is splendid to have enough to share with friends.

Dizzy

For the most part, I am more interested in stitching than other kinds of fiber crafts. I can knit and crochet but there is something to be said for becoming really proficient in one thing. Fortunately or unfortunately, that requires a certain amount of focus. Hobbies can be expensive as well and it can be just as well to dabble in some and invest seriously in one. That said, there are so many beautiful colors and textures of yarns available that holding to that resolution can be rather challenging. In order to channel this interest, I am trying to focus on the idea of incorporating yarns into embroidery patterns or stitches.
On my way home from performing my civic duty in our court system on Thursday, I stopped in at the Weaving Works to investigate different fiber types. I came away with a decent understanding of various fiber types, two different weights of undyed silk thread and three little bits of variegated merino and silk roving. My original plan was to figure out some way to couch these either in their fluffy state as part of flowers, tree greenery and sky or somehow to twist it into a more linear arrangement. The bobbin winder on the sewing machine appeared to be a good place to start twisting--easy, controllable speed and something to wind the twisted fiber onto. It was shockingly simple and addictive and I used up most of my 0.05 oz of roving to create this:




I am letting it relax on the card a little bit in hope that it will retain most of the twist and can therefore be used more easily. But I am feeling the addictive qualities of spinning and am already trying to figure out how to rig the winder to hold a bigger thread receptacle.

Fun with Friends

We had some wonderful friends over while Nathaniel was in town with his girlfriend. I always think of the phrase "band of brothers" when I see these guys together.

One of the many blessings of being married to Jonathan is getting to know not only they guys but also the rest of their circle, including the lovely and gracious hobbit-wife, Whitney and now Nathaniel's soon-to-be-wife, Suzy. There is so much to enjoy and learn from in these dedicated workers, students, thinkers, wife and mother, hosts and followers of Christ.



And a great deal of fun and hilarity as well!

Did I mention...

that I love snow?


All bundled up leaving for work on January 28th:


Even just a little bit is cause for glee and rejoicing.

Birthday Skiing

As his birthday falls in the prime part of the season, Jonathan has often chosen to go skiing as part of the festivities. His first reported experience on skis was around his 5th birthday and the family has enjoyed taking trips in order to slide down various and sundry mountains for a number of years.
This was a new adventure for me, as my family's experience with snow involves toboggans, inner tubes and black plastic garbage bags. And snowballs.
Due to my husband's enthusiasm and my in-laws' generosity, I was initiated into the joys of the bunny slope and, who knows, in fifteen more years I may be willing to try a blue run.
Happy Birthday, sweetheart!


Last minute cake frosting in the ski lodge:

First Bag

This is the first product of the collaboration between my crafty coworker's sewing business and me.
The hardest part is actually coming up with the designs and the color scheme. The blue color reminded me of bright summer sky and the little flowers in the grass that we saw while bike riding last summer seemed to be just right.


A close-up of the stitching. I used split, stem and single-ply chain stitches in three different colors of green for the grass and stems. The flowers are detached chain (or lazy daisy) with a french knot center and nested detached chain with a fly stitch base.