Today, tomorrow + yesterday

Imagine my shock and horror this morning as my long-standing suspicions were finally confirmed - I am both an extrovert and an optimist.  Who knew?

But there is no time to dwell on such disturbing revelations!  There is far to much to do this morning.

And yes, I traipsed down my studio stairs with this exact armful of goodies on my left, and another full load on  my right.  Clearly I am taunting fate - as some of you might recall, I recently ended a week-long relationship with a massive bruise that I met after falling down these same stairs.  As I am probably not due to take such a tumble again anytime soon, I figured I was safe.  This time, at least, I was.  But who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Tomorrow is as yet a mystery - but yesterdays, well, I know all about them.  Here's a picture I made while I was in London when 2011 turned into 2012.

A million buildings bend above me
That cathedral's been here so long
This city's just a chocolate box of goodies
The flowers will still be here
When it's gone...

The words belong to my friend The Clerkenwell Kid.  Hear him sing them here.

Sunday

A soft misty Sunday - pale and washed-out, slightly dreamy around the edges.

I am wandering around mouldering stones and towering monuments. The scent of cedars in the damp. I chirp back at the chicakdees that perch low to check me out.

General Brock is up there on top of his column - ah, but he is at the bottom of it as well.  Makes for easier conversation - one doesn't have to shout.

Wide Canadian vistas. Warm English lunch.  It feels like There; it feels like Home.  It feels like Both and None and like they are the Same but Not and this makes total Sense and NonSense both at the same time.

Rocks and water and magnolias that remind me of stars.

 

                     

Cherry blossoms. Twisty roots.  Orchards of white and pink that go on and on.

This is what I need.  This and a few choice mineral specimens that have passed over the Falls and have made their way down here to the Lake.  Oh, and a ginger molasses cookie.

I've been up here so many times.  So many things were different then; are different now.  And, you know?  it's all OK.  I will be back.

Frenzy

I had just wandered downstairs for my next cup of tea when my gaze fell on the packets of poppy seeds lying on the buffet. Next thing I knew I was out in the middle of my William Blake garden. Next thing I knew I was in then out, then back in the middle of my William Blake garden, beloved ho-mi in hand, hacking errant weeds into oblivion with what some might term "terrifying" fervour.I have been told that I am a sight to see while weeding. I can hardly vouch for this myself, since, when thusly engaged, I enter a state comparable to that of battle frenzy. All the symptoms are there - the red veil of rage clouds my vision; my senses (and hacking ability) are heightened; I become one with the ho-mi and the world is reduced to WEAPON and WEEDS. Justice is meted out upon the leafy interlopers and the root veggies and salad greens FLY. It is both extremely satisfying and cathartic.It is in such moments of frenzy that my mind is truly allowed to wander. It is in such moments that my thoughts return to this, my poor neglected blog.And so, Nice People, my point is this - I have a bit of a backlog to work through, but I fully expect to be up to speed in no time. I do hope you'll join me for the ride.

The Somethings

Each time I make a stitch my hands do it seemingly on their own - it's a repetitive, hypnotic dance they know quite well.

Come this July I will have been knitting only (only?) seven years - and in that time I have worked a countless number of stitches. And whether I am - or my hands are - aware of it, I have come to see it like this: Every stitch is like a tiny meditative prayer - a single instant of my life given physical form by my hands. I could have spent all those instants doing something - anything - else. But instead I chose to put them into making a Something.And oh, the Somethings I have made in those past seven years! Somethings without number, for the loveliest people! It makes my heart glad just to think of it.

It goes on - more Somethings, soon!

The Woolly Anglerfish

The Woolly Anglerfish - seen here lurking in its native habitat at the bottom of the Yarny Ocean. It uses its festive Wonka-esque bobble to lure prey closer to its gaping, toothy maw.A fascinating and majestic creature, indeed.

Woolly Anglerfish are quite partial to rolls of Arrowroot Biscuits. The Biscuits, however, aren't in much danger - they are immune, after all, to the festive bobble's lure. Also, as the Woolly Anglerfish does not have opposable thumbs, it is unable to open the Biscuits' protective packet.
These lucky Biscuits will live to see another tea time.

But now the special time of year has come for the Woolly Anglerfish to make its one-way migration across the Atlantic ocean to its ultimate homeland in Southwestern France. This is quite a remarkable journey for one moderately-sized fish to make on its own - hence we are dispatching a couple of overseers along with the fish to ensure that it makes it there safely. These overseers were chosen for their immense wisdom and knowledge in the ways of Woolly Anglerfish and also for their uncanny ability to fit in the box.They truly are experts in their respective fields as well as in the care and feeding of woolly sea life.

Godspeed, Woolly Anglerfish! Happy trails!

A rare bird

A couple of days ago I found myself in Ann Arbor, MI (again) on campus at the University of Michigan (again, again.)I was in town to visit the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History - as such, I soon found myself surrounded by many, many various and wonderful beasties, some actual...
...some fanciful...

...and others that once were, but sadly, are no longer.
It was among this last group that I finally found him......the First Robin of Spring - well, sort of. Still, he's the first of his kind that I've seen this year - his livelier cousins should be turning up any day now.

WOOKIEE

Here it, erm, he, is - my first crocheted thing ever - and he is a WOOKIEE.And why not? He's fuzzy and cute. He is also impeccably groomed - the timely arrival of hand cards from Shannon saw to that quite nicely.Say what you will about novelty yarns (and believe me, I HAVE,) but when one can use them to this effect? Well, I'll just be over here gnawing on my woollen hat.Pass the mustard.

An explanation

While in London I made many pictures and notes - probably more than I ever have while abroad. I'm not exactly sure why, but it is strangely difficult for me to show them here.Don't get me wrong - I had an amazing, magical holiday. I am sure that the posts about my time in London will reveal themselves to me sooner rather than later. I will let you know when that happens.

London, pt. 1

For a week I am a Londoner. It is incredibly easy for me to be here.
I find the Jane-shaped gap in the street and slot myself in. The city begins to flow around me.Have I finally been accepted? Is the third visit the charm?

I've recently learned that my great-grandfather was born here. Can the City sense this? One hopes.Another chance to write a new chapter in the grand romance between London and I. Let's go.

A wee spot of catching up

Well, I am back - to work, to life - for the first time in what feels like ages, but was actually less then two weeks. I've actually been back for a handful of days now, the majority of which were spent recovering from my recent sojourn in London, which (to my North American mind, at least,) is nothing so much as it is a Dickensian Fairyland full of museums and trains - or so it seems to me this morning.At any rate, while I spent the past little bit in a anglophilic state of perma-swoon, Life (and work) continued on without me - which is a roundabout way of saying that I have a wee spot of Catching Up to do. Here we go.

A week ago today I was touring Canterbury (more on that later.) I had just sat down for a cup of tea and a quick email-peek when I got word from Jared that Wool People 2 was going to be released the day after tomorrow (last Wednesday.) As that was my Travel Day Home, this gave me something to look forward to - I have a (mitten!) pattern in Wool People 2 - the lovely (if I may say so) Art Deco subway grating-inspired 34th & 8th mittens.For more info, and to pick up the yarn (Brookyn Tweed LOFT!) to make your own pair, allow me to direct you right over here. To see the other pairs of 34th & 8th in progress and to queue them up yourself, please proceed on to their page on Ravelry here - do not pass go; do not collect $200.

The other bit of news that went down while I was away - also on last Wednesday, if I am not mistaken - was that registration opened up for the 7th annual installement of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club. And yes, I am pleased to announce that I am one of the designers on this year's roster. I can hardly believe it myself.

What else - oh yes. All the Loose Ends that I tied up before I flew away are now allowing me to tie up even MORE naughty loose ends now that I am back - which means more new SJK patterns for you Nice People. The GandeyMitts are due to sneak out at some point in the very near future, as are the new and, more-importantly, FREE gentleman's Athleisure socks. You will be notified.

Finally, for those of you who enjoyed my triad of posts that resulted from my last trip overseas, you will be pleased to know that I have a swathe of writings to share with you from this most recent one. Soon.