weekend

chamomile sprouts

"gale" in Cascade 128, Nebula Heat

terrarium

branches bare

common speedwell, the first flower

xo, j

the spinnery

I'm back from a long week of meetings in Chicago.

It was exhausting and I'm glad to be home.

To combat the bit of cabin fever I felt creeping in I went for a ride along

 the Delaware River to one of my favorite places, Frenchtown, NJ.

I dropped by a shop called The Spinnery that specializes

in spinning, weaving and dyeing supplies.

Despite the cold it was good to get out and walk around

 and I made it home just as the snow started up again.

Thank you to those who left encouraging comments on my previous post.

xo, j

hibernating

It seems to snow every other day

and the cold has been unrelenting.

I should be writing thank you notes

but instead grab a book and a cup of tea

then pull a blanket over my head and nap with the cat.

winter

florida

wetland along trail

lake alice

anhinga

big snapping turtle looking for handouts

pied-billed grebe

american egret

spanish moss

morning thunderstorm

Last weekend I was able to fly down to Florida to celebrate 

a belated Christmas with my family.

The sky was grey but the temperature mild.

Saturday morning Farmer's Market (imagine fresh produce!)

and a hike through the woods with my brothers and nephew.

Although we didn't see a gator there was a splash 

and then a bubble trail in the marsh that suggested one was close.

Many birds including Ibis, Sandhill Cranes and Snowy Egrets

as well as the species shown above.

It was good to get away and be around all those I love.

I must admit to sleeping most of this weekend away…

but an adventure awaits on Friday!

xo, j

Happy New Year

A belated Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!

I apologize for not posting in a while, it's been a very hectic few weeks.

I promise to get back on track and post more often.

On Christmas day I opened an envelope from the beautiful Xenia

and found these two little birds, aren't they amazing!

I wasn't able to be with family (although I flew to Florida the following weekend)

so this little surprise warmed my heart more than you can know.

Thank you, dear friend.

And thank you to all who have visited this sight 

and left the gift of lovely comments throughout the year.

I wish you all great health and happiness for 2014.

xo, j

after the storm

The sky was a silvery grey at dawn this morning

and is now the bright ice blue of the day after a storm.

The year round birds were outside my window 

waiting for the seeds I forgot to pick up last night.

Tomorrow they won't be disappointed.

blustery weekend

Cold, cold cold…the wind pushed at my back as I walked a new trail.

Berries shivered and milkweed flew from my hand, the tip of my nose cold

as I braced myself for the walk back to the trail head.

Saturday night the first snow squall swirled off the rooftops,

melting on my up turned face…and then it was gone.

I knit another glove, painted, blocked a sweater, did my yoga, read the paper,

painted some more then spent the evening watching documentaries and drinking tea.

All that was missing, a campfire and a dog.

Hope your weekend was full of adventures.

xo, j

pottery and such

On Saturday I visited the studio of potter Jeff Kleckner and finally

bought a cup I've waited over a year to purchase.

The beautiful quatrefoil shape is enticing and the porcelain enchanting

but it's the glaze that sets my mind buzzing.  

It bears such a strong resemblance to the skin of a spotted sea ray!

Yes, both tea and coffee taste better in my spotted cup.

*smile*

The little fingerless gloves will be a Christmas present.

There are four requests for such gloves and I'm knitting quickly

 to try and finish them all before the holiday.

It smells like rain tonight and surprisingly there are still 

crickets chirping in the darkness.

Lastly…I had an idea that prompted me to pulled out my oil paints.

It's been many, many years since I've painted but I'm excited about my project.

Oh, and there are two skeins of plum wool/silk waiting on my loom…

So many things to make!

xo, j

The weather has turned colder and 

gusty winds have pulled most of the  leaves from the trees.

The maple outside my window has left a golden carpet on the ground.

I apologize for not posting in a week, 

my life has been a bit like a train running out of control.

work, work, work

The mossy green sweater is finally finished.

It must be almost a year ago that I started it and the easy

stockinette stitch made for good "mindless" knitting.

I regret not following the pattern decreases on the body but am pleased 

with the 3/4 length sleeves, I'm always pushing my sleeves up!

Will weave in the ends and then wash and block it before wearing.

Maybe I can reshape some of the boxiness.

Thank you to all who left comments on my previous post.

It's been two years since I first started this blog

and I so cherish all the friends I have made.

xo, j

november

After a very leisurely morning I decided to take a short ride.

The hills are golden and this morning's strong winds

and storms cleared many tree branches.

The Gorgeous Nothings is a book documenting the scraps of envelopes

 Emily Dickinson wrote her poetry on and carried around in her dress pocket.

Her spare and beautiful words are elegantly photographed on one page

with a "translation" of her handwriting on the adjacent page.

A treasure.

The ground cherries (?) were pulled from the roadside

and placed in a vase by my bed.

Feeling a bit rested,

I finished knitting my gloves today.

first frost

ice on the windshield

All week I've been waking up early to go into work.

This morning I was greeted by the first frost of the year.

It took some digging through my car trunk to find the scraper!

Nestled in the oak and dogwood leaves is my latest knitting project 

along with some pumpkin seeds I roasted last night.

The fingerless gloves are knit with a qiviut/merino blend.

(My treat from last year's trip to Rhinebeck)

They're very light and yet cozy warm, perfect for the cold weather,

and I love the mushroomy color.

The seeds were roasted with olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper and a pinch of sugar.

A spicy sweet snack, they taste almost like popcorn.

Thanks to all who left such nice comments on my Rhinebeck posts.

It's lovely to be able to share it with all of you.

xo, j

cloudy monday

The cowl I knit this weekend didn't work out

so it's a simple ball of yarn again.

Spent two hours wandering around the library today.

The Snow Child was such a beautifully written fairy tale

it was difficult to find another book to interest me.

The story will remain with me for quite a while.

Perhaps I should have read it a second time...

The days are growing shorter and cooler.

 Box elder seeds hang like chandeliers outside my window.