Zeneedle...needleart as life

As The Earth Spins

Don't you just love the texture of the ground in this photo? It's the time of year when the earth is reawakening and there is a feeling of new beginnings in the air.

 

Terry Tempest Williams is an author, a naturalist, a native of Utah and she writes of the landscape better than anyone I've read (except Edward Abbey, perhaps).  The last few weeks I've rereading her books Desert Quartet and An Unspoken Hunger.  The sensual language of the earth comes through strongly in her words.  Her stories create a hunger in me that can only be satisfied by walking on the land, feeling its warmth and texture.    

The landscape will take care of me. The open expanse of sky makes me realize how necessary it is to live without words, to be satisfied without answers, to simply be in a world where there is no wind, no drama. To find a place of rest and safety, no matter how fleeting it may be, no matter how illusory, is to regain composure and locate bearings. Terry Tempest Williams – Desert Quartet

 
By design, the project on my wheel is also perfect for PS Earth Edition. Last year at the Great Basin Fiber Festival this fluff, in Anne's Wooly Wonka booth, attracted my attention. Three bunches of this earthy color, a total of 6 oz., ended up in my stash. The blend of alpaca, angora, silk and flash create a mixture of textures that form a perfect combo, a perfect bouquet of pink, red, gold, copper and brown, the colors of fall leaves. It is being spun with intent, the intent of knitting Mohana by Monika. It's going to take awhile to do.

The lovely blue roving from Indigo Moon nearly finished. There's a bit more to spin but I already have around 800 yds of singles.  There were a few weakness found while winding it onto the niddy noddy, but overall it turned out nicely.  Handspun for yet, another shawl...this has become "my thing". 

This weekend is the Snake River Fiber Festival in Idaho Falls. Laurie and Anne will be vendors and I'll be meeting up with KimG.  Emmylou (my wheel) will come along in the hopes it will remind me I have plenty of fluff to spin already. However, it doesn't mean I will come home without purchasing something (as you well know).  I'd love to stay over night but AnneBis coming in from Calgary and we have plans to meet at Silver Fork. To top it all off, the weather should be heading for record warmth. We're not complaining...yet.

Earth

When life's disappointments and troubles come to visit, I find it best to turn to the landscape in search for balance and perspective.  As my feet touch the warmth of sun drenched slickrock, or my ears here the crunch of leaves on the forest floor, the weight of daily life is lifted my shoulders and I feel a part of something larger. My troubles become insignificant and small. I am in the moment and it is all that matters. 

"Earth. Rock. Desert. I am walking barefoot on sandstone, flesh responding to flesh." - Terry Tempest Williams, Desert Quartet

A few years ago, on a lonely, troubling day, I headed to the closest green space I could find. Simply walking across the green grass of a schoolyard, lifting my eyes to the blue sky full of feathery clouds and seeing the majestic mountain drained the dread from my body and I went home feeling more sure, more secure, relieved.  The landscape is healing, uplifting and fills the soul in a way material things can never do. It is always there, a constant, changing, yet consistent, always real.

The act of creating, of knitting and spinning, can also fill the soul, strengthen the spirit.  The process of creation is more than a desire; it is a need that brings solace, joy and fulfillment. This yarn, Alchemy Haiku, in the color Twig, is rich in the shaded colors of brown. Because of the tiny needles and yarn, I am forced to slow down the process of knitting which keeps me mindfully focused on the task. Shetsoie is the perfect project for PS Elements -Earth Edition.

You Know It's Spring....

...when you can go for a walk in a short sleeve T-shirt and not freeze to death.  That's a sure measure for spring, in any case and Sunday proved to be almost perfect. For a bit of protection from the cool breeze wind that threatened the perfect day I brought along a favorite shawl. She was a nice contrast to the cool, blue NBT.

Knitting this T was a walk in the park.  Simple shaping, easy stockinette and yummy, good quality yarn all made this project a sweet companion. Not to mention the fabu color, which is one of my very favorites.

The last 4 months have been cooler than normal and May is shaping up in the same way…spring is sitting on the fence.  Spring's beautiful colors dance in the sun, but then retreat as clouds of gray fill the sky and cold winds blow.  She is her proverbial fickle self, but my new T-shirt is true blue.

Pattern: Nothin' But a T designed by Alison (pattern formerly in Magknits)
Yarn: Rowan Calmer - 6 balls Tinkerbelle Blue (I love this yarn because it is washable and can be thrown in the dryer, too.
Needle: Addi Turbo Size 8
Time to Knit: April 26 – May 9, 2008
Modifications: Lengthened 3" on the body before waist decreases, 1" on sleeves before increase. Picot hems on body, sleeve and around neck.

Saturday Sky - Last Snow

This was the last time the mountains were dressed in white.  Maybe it will be fall before we see this again.
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Come On Summer!

Participating in the ABC Along can be very rewarding.  Preparations must be made in order to do a good job of bringing the current letter of the alphabet to the reading public (that means you).  A participant might as well have fun getting into the process of gathering information, taking pictures and researching all the different aspects of the chosen subject.  To this end, I threw myself into the letter "I" with great gusto.  One must do what one must do…

I Scream, You Scream…. We all scream for ICE CREAM!!

Isn't Ice Cream the perfect summer treat?  It can be made into so many cool, refreshing and delicious drinks and deserts.  You can eat it on a stick, in a cone, in a dish or glass, with pie, or dropped into a mug of root beer.  Oh my, how I love a good root beer float!

"I" is for ICE CREAM

Ice cream is one of my favorite foods and it's just a sin that ice cream is so bad for you (but only if you eat too much) and so expensive!  While I could eat it daily, I try not to. However, during the heat of summer it's my favorite way to cool off and I do indulge from time to time.  Every neighborhood I grew up in had a local spot (or two) where kids and families could gather for malts, shakes, sodas or sundaes.   Remember the ice cream man who came around in a truck that played a tune?  I still hear him in my neighborhood from time to time.

There were several ice cream parlours around SLC, but sadly, they are all now gone.  Our treats now come from hard pack ice cream from the grocery or soft ice cream cones (and shakes) from the local drive in.  They have all sorts of toppings and swirls, which Smith loves, but my favorite is plain ol' vanilla. Once in awhile we'll have an ice cream sandwich.  They are an easy to eat treat and always welcome on longass drives.  (Service stations always have a case full of ice cream treats.)

For a variety of reasons, ice cream is a rare treat today, which made the research for this post even more fun.  I have never eaten so much ice cream in such a short period of time. Oh grrl, it was SO GOOD!