Beginnings

As another year draws to a close, one begins to reflect on its passage ... the wisdom gained from experience, an inner indulgence of pride through accomplishments, the revolving door of gifted people that have somehow found their way into my life and the sense of community shared with others.

With the dawning of a new decade I hope to embark on fresh fields of learning, sharing time with fellow knitters, spinners, quilters and whimsical artists.

I look forward to 2010 and all the dynamic challenges it shall bring...

Happy Holidays

Wishing you a Joyful Christmas

Winter Beckons

The official start of Winter is but days away...
This solstice is shrouded in mystery; harsh and cold one moment, gentle and soft the next.


It is a season of walks through the woods snow crunching accompanying each step, starlit nights reflecting off the crystal blanket beneath, homemade soup simmering on the stove, a fire in the hearth and knitting in hand to while away the long evenings...

A kittie cozy I'm working on for Christmas... lined in vintage chenille it is a perfect place for a cat to snuggle in.

Holiday Hometown Tour

The little historic town in which I dwell is a perfect vision of Holiday celebration.


Most decorating takes on a natural theme...



Evergreen boughs, garlands and beautiful wreaths adorning the doors...


There are candlelight strolls, horse drawn carriages and homes displaying the true meaning of Christmas...

Sleigh Ride

Here in the North the arrival of Winter is often accompanied by the delightful falling of snow. The first heavier accumulation of the lacey, diamond-like crystals fashions one to envision the picture postcard recollections of a Currier & Ives print; complete with a horse-drawn sleigh and the romance of a Victorian outing...


So imbedded in our imagination, we often find ourselves relinquishing to the seductive portrait.


Or perhaps it is just a reminiscence from childhood of that jolly old elf in his magical sleigh...



* Currier & Ives print
* Paintings by Walter Campbell

Gates

I've often pondered the evolution of the gate...


Perhaps early in history gates were as much a part of keeping evil out as protecting those within.


As gentler times emerged they became a place to pass through, to find the secrets held within, enter a garden or a welcome to one's home...


So open the gates of December and let its wonderment and celebrations begin...

" Every year at just this time,
In cold and dark December,
Families around the world
All gather to remember,
With presents and with parties,
With feasting and with fun,
Customs and traditions
for people old and young."

Helen H. Moore

* Painting by Trisha Romance

A Whiter Shade of Pale

So many of the beautiful blogs I visit celebrate the colour of white...


I thought perhaps I could share a few of the things I treasure in a whiter shade of pale...


May you enjoy the special days of celebration that lie ahead this week.

LaLa Land

Some animals adapt so readily to their environment...


But nothing amuses me more than a cat's ability to find a place to snuggle and drift off to LaLa Land...


Cats Sleep Anywhere

" Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.
Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.
Open drawer, empty shoe, anybody's lap will do.
Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.
Anywhere! They don't care! "
Cats sleep anywhere.

Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965)

Jack (of Babes From The Woods)

Partiality

Hand-dyed variegated silk ribbon

There are many colours that occur both naturally and manufactured...


I would have to admit that I have a fondness for the infinite shades of teal.


Ranging from the deepest tones of a peacock feather to the subtle bluish green of a robin's egg... I find it revealing its partiality throughout the home.

Fat quarter fabric pieces for an upcoming quilting project.

'Tis November

The flowers have all faded from the window box as it sits barren awaiting the dressing of the evergreens...

November is upon us... sharing her shorter daylight hours, frost across the fields and the promise of Holidays where we shall gather with family and friends once again...


View from the churchyard of St. Nicholas High Bradfield, Yorkshire, England my ancestral home.

" So dull and dark are the November days,
The lazy mist high up the evening curled,
And now the morn quite hides in smoke and haze;
The place we occupy seems all the world."

- John Clare

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
'tis near Halloween.

~ Author Unknown

*Witchy-poo vignette by Little Shoppe of Sorrows
little witch in pram by Kaf of Grimitives

I have often heard pieces of lace, snippets of ribbon, ruffles and pink glitter referred to as girly things...


Be it paintings of Victorian children, delicate whitework quilts or yes even Prada handbags... these material items we covet bring a sense of euphoria to our sometimes everyday lives.


They can encourage an enrichment or appreciation for the delicate brushstrokes which cover the canvas, the detailed fine hand-stitching of a vintage gown, the master craftsmanship of a dollmaker or the quality design put into the tiniest detail of the things we love...
girly things.

* Painting by Lord Fredrick Leighton

Inspiration

If you are a fabric and needlework addict like me then this is heaven on earth. Row after row of demonstrations, guest speakers, workshops and vendors... there is something to tickle every fancy imaginable.
So much beauty and inspiration to last throughout the long Winter months ahead...
And if that is not enough to set one's heart aflutter then the special collection at the Textile Museum will certainly fill the need.

I certainly know where I will be come early Friday morning!

Life

I often cocoon myself from the perils of the world... choosing to stay sheltered from its harm and sadness.

But these past few weeks of flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis and the sudden death of a family member, Father of four, not yet 50 has brought me out of the confines of my paradise to the tragedy that befalls us all.

As with most faces of disaster we learn to pick up the pieces, reunite and move on...
Cherish every moment you have with loved ones be they human or four legged, devote yourself to finding the beauty in everything that surrounds you and indulge in time for yourself...


I for one have picked up my knitting needles and handspun wool (from a girlfriend that has spun and dyed these threads of delight) to pursue one of my Wintertime passions and once again shelter me from harm...