Movie Night

 A short film (12 minutes) showcasing the Elias Howe sewing machine, circa 1870s. Best viewed full screen.

A Christmas Angel

I finished the angel and she's pretty. I used gold metallic thread and a bit of red metallic thread for a touch of bling. She is after all, an angel. (The metallics don't show up well in the picture.)

I found another of this designer's (Jerome Thomas) patterns in the Winter 2021 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine and have decided to make that one as well.

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Some will say it is too early, but I took my Christmas trees out of the closet this week. They are not decorated and won't be until next week, but I wanted to get them set up so I can decorate whenever the spirit moves me.

There are three trees, one in the kitchen, dining room, and living room. I usually get a real tree for the living room but due to rising costs decided to buy an artificial one this year. I like that artificial trees come in 'slim' designs. The one I bought is only 3 feet wide. I used to have an artificial in NYC and when I moved here, made sure the tree was loaded up on the truck. A few years ago I went down stairs to get the box containing the tree and much to my surprise and chagrin, the box was empty! Whether the tree was taken while in NY or was taken during the move, I know not. (I had it stored in the basement of my apartment building, a shared space.) It is a mystery!

Our weather here has been cool but mild for this time of year. We are having a string of days with highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 30s. That makes it hard to provide heat because the stove does not do so well if the outside temp is over 40. I lit the stove tonight but did not do so last night. It's fine by me, it means I'm not going through wood at the moment; and it's less work.

I bought a hot water bottle a few weeks ago. It's the best purchase I've made in a long time. I fill it with hot water before going to bed and place it where my feet will lie. No more cold feet while waiting for the sheets to warm up! They are a big deal in England, an acquaintance recently related that the latest thing over there are long, skinny hot water bottles which one can cozy up to. Cool. (Or shall we say 'hot'!). I love simple solutions.

Preparing for the festive season and cooler temps

The temperature dipped low enough for a fire a few weeks ago. The 9th, to be exact. Low 20's F overnight. It always feels good to light a fire for the first time of a season. The enveloping warmth and coziness brings a smile to my face. In the spring it feels like winter will never let go and I wonder how much more stoking the fire I can take. But in the autumn, it's just the opposite; full of romantic notions and the joy of fulfilling basic needs.

Several preparations are underway for the festive season, soon to be upon us. I made a Christmas cake the other day. Full of fruit (36 oz. worth!), full of spirits (brandy, marsala, port), full of spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves). Oh the house smelled so good during and after it's five hour baking. It's all wrapped up now and sitting in a tin until Christmas. I can't wait to taste it!

I used a recipe from Marion's World. The written recipe is in the description box of her video, but do watch it, she's such a delightful person and her channel is fantastic.

I purchased a new Amaryllis bulb this year and contrary to last year, I have planted it on time! I also have the bulb from last year which grew outside all summer. It looks like it's doing something as well. Also this year are three Paper White bulbs. It's going to be glorious when they're all in full bloom.

(l to r) Geraniums brought in from the cold, the new Amaryllis bulb, Paper Whites, the old Amarylis bulb.

I've been steadily sewing, mostly holiday projects. The Santa ornament is finished:

The angel is well underway and will be finished this week:

I have started to applique the pillow cover.  This will take a few weeks:

And the only thing remaining on the snowman table runner is a bit more embroidery on the scarves:

 

A few years ago I bought a book at one of the local thrift shops, just a few bucks. It's a book of Christmas cross stitch patterns. I've never done cross stitch but I want to. When I got it home I found a project that someone had started, folded up and stuck between the pages. It will be a postman delivering Christmas packages when done. I sent away for embroidery floss in the colors needed to finish it and away it all went, up stairs in the room which houses all my craft things (which looks more like an attic at the moment). I brought it down stairs the other day and am meaning to tackle it. Since it's already started and a fair amount of stitching has already been done, I think it will be a good project to start with.

As I write this post I'm enjoying the aroma of Balsam Fir incense. The holiday season is indeed around the corner!

Reflections on an election

Pity the nation whose people are sheep and whose shepherds mislead them.

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced, and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.

Pity the nation that raises not its voice except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.

Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own and no other culture but its own.

Pity the nation whose breath is money and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.

Pity the nation – oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode and their freedoms to be washed away.

My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty.

-- Lawrence Ferlinghetti (2007)

“If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.”

― Ulysses S. Grant

The following multifaceted poem is not so easy. Definitely takes a detached view, maybe not a bad thing, but not an easy thing. I suppose on the one hand, it's an honor and privilege to be able to experience the decay, but it's not easy and I don't know if it's inevitable. But it gives us an opportunity to shine, there is that; to look on the bright side. ("Only in the darkness can you see the stars" -- MLK.) I feel the ending of this poem is a bit pessimistic. We must have faith in humanity. Maybe Jeffers is just advising to be cautious.

Shine, Perishing Republic

While this America settles in the mould of its vulgarity, heavily thickening to empire

And protest, only a bubble in the molten mass, pops and sighs out, and the mass hardens,

I sadly smiling remember that the flower fades to make fruit, the fruit rots to make earth.

Out of the mother; and through the spring exultances, ripeness and decadence; and home to the mother.

You making haste haste on decay: not blameworthy; life is good, be it stubbornly long or suddenly

A mortal splendor: meteors are not needed less than mountains: shine, perishing republic.

But for my children, I would have them keep their distance from the thickening center; corruption

Never has been compulsory, when the cities lie at the monster's feet there are left the mountains.

And boys, be in nothing so moderate as in love of man, a clever servant, insufferable master.

There is the trap that catches noblest spirits, that caught — they say — God, when he walked on earth.

-- Robinson Jeffers

And always remember this Turkish proverb:

"When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace becomes a circus."

Spinning for a cardigan

Was greeted with this carpet yesterday morning when I went out to fill the bird table. Unexpected preview of winter. It was  23 F overnight last night, Thursday is supposed to be 74 F. Boing!

 I have settled upon a kitting project: A cardigan. I've wanted one for some time so I've started spinning for one. The pattern I have chosen is called "Ship Shape Cardigan" by Heidi Kirrmaier. Pattern can be found on Ravelry: Ship Shape Cardigan . I won't be knitting it in stripes, though.

I got inspiration for knitting this pattern from Kate at The Last Homely House YouTube channel. She has recently made a video about her adventure knitting it in a solid color. I love the way it looks on her. 

I need DK weight yarn (11 wraps per inch) and I've been auditioning some mixed wool I bought from Wellington Fibers in Canada years ago. I've spun up a bobbin full and plied it 2-ply to knit my swatch with. I'm getting about 11 wpi but my swatch stitches are just very slightly too big, so I'll have to spin a bit thinner than I originally thought.

It's making nice stitches, though. I won't be using this yarn for the sweater because I don't have enough wool. I've ordered some new wool from the same company in a subdued purplish colorway. It should arrive any day now and I'll be able to settle into spinning.

The yarn will be spun from this colorway:

Album: Our Home

I walked up the trail that starts a few hundred feet from my driveway this afternoon. I am told the trail is the work of someone who once had a cabin way out back, but it has also been used as a logging road. The land, almost 1000 acres, is in conservation and we are free to hike at will.

There is a junction at one point where the trail meets Hog Hill Road, now a defunct thoroughfare. It's because of that I was going to name my place Hog Hill Homestead, but there is a multitude of ferns growing at the edge of the field/forest behind my house so I decided to name the place Fernwood.

It's an absolutely beautiful walk and there is so much texture in autumn's outfit. And so quiet and peaceful. At times, only the sound of the babbling brook is heard; some times only the wind flowing through the baring trees. Highlights of the walk were the milkweed seed heads all burst open, sending their progeny to establish themselves further on, and the brook, of course. Glimpses of it meandering at the bottom of the bank, and at times out of view.

I walked as far as the water fall--about 3/4 of a mile--which is barely a trickle now. But after downpours and in the spring, it's a proper water fall, all gurgling and gorgeous. The solitude, and step away from modern life steers my mind to pondering the Native Americans who at one time roamed these lands. The sense that this is our home, this beautiful planet earth, is vivid in these moments.

 

Crazy

Well the month is flying by! To be honest I'm glad election day will soon be behind us, even if the bedlam isn't over after election night. I never thought I'd see things go so badly in the US, but here we are.

The crazy quilt pillow is finished and I'm well pleased with it. I'm feeling inspired to make a full sized quilt now. It could happen. This was a good practice piece to 'get the hang' of it.

This will go on the bed, solely for decoration. The insert is a $5 pillow from a big box store that I opened up to un-stuff a bit and re-sew it shorter, to fit my cover. Works a charm.

Work on the Christmas runner has progressed well. It will be finished soon, probably this week.

Last Sunday's Harvest Festival in a small, nearby village was great fun. I had my three spinning wheels and took them in rotation, demonstrating from 10 am to 3 pm. I also had a couple of my quilts hanging up as backdrops and they got lots of good comments. It's great to see people taking an interest in how wool is spun. My friend from high school had an antique corn shucker that he was demonstrating just outside the door of the barn in which I was stationed. That was also popular.

I was surprised to see how many artisans were displaying and selling their wares. For such a small town, it puts on a good show. Craftsmen and women from all around. A very good turnout as well. I had a very nice, lengthy conversation with a woman from Virginia! And another from Maine!

I made a batch of soap about 3 weeks ago; something I haven't done in quite some time. It should be ready in early December, just in time for the holidays. I scented it with cedarwood and balsam. A small batch, just 6 molded bars.

Making soap is another one of those deeply satisfying endeavors. There is something about taking raw materials, be it lye and fat, or wool, etc. and making something basically useful from them. It just feels great!

I finally learned how to make decent garlic sauce like one gets at Chinese restaurants and I've been making it often. LOL. For a single meal for one, about 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, about 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, about 2 to 3 teaspoons of rice vinegar. Mix those together. Heat a bit of oil in a pan (or wok) and gently saute a couple cloves of crushed garlic and some minced ginger (about a small fingernail amount). Then add the liquids and heat it up. Mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a teaspoon of water and add that to the sauce and bring it to a boil to thicken. Stop when the consistency is right. I've been steaming a bunch of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, onions, etc.) and sauteing some shrimp, then adding it all to the sauce. The whole thing can be done in a wok as well. Yum yum.

Lots of cello work and piano work last week and I can feel it. Feels good.