snow day

Another day of snow,

how fortunate that it is all mine.

Willi Singleton cup

the hot tea melting a ring in the snow.

I finished a pair of gloves.

Next time I will carry the twisted knit stitch 

up the middle finger.

xo, j

willi singleton

Today I had the great privilege of visiting Pine Creek Pottery,

the studio of Japanese trained potter Willi Singleton.

Willi uses mostly natural materials, including clay he digs locally

and glazes made from slip and wood ash he processes from corn husk and bamboo.

The pieces are then fired in his four chambered wood fired climbing kiln,

a 30 hour event that requires around the clock maintenance by the artist and a team of friends.

Tucked away in a wooded hollow alongside a creek 

and embraced by a forest of bamboo his studio and home are magical.

Willi carefully handles each piece, reciting its story with such intimacy and candor,

it felt like being properly introduced to the friend I was taking home.

Today I was able to touch that place within me that is so often 

pushed aside as I muddle through the business of my day job.

Now for some tea with my new friend.

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.

what i've been doing

Working with oil paint slows me down,

especially important when the rest of my life is so hectic.

The fish wind sock idea just appeared in a sketch one day.

Friday night I attended a local theater production of 'A Christmas Carol.'

It was opening night and my dear A's first performance on a public stage!

He did a great job, so proud of him.

On Sunday I visited an open studio show hosted by a painter friend.

Eight artists had work for sale and I bought a couple of holiday gifts for family.

busy, busy, busy

Hope everyone is well.

xo, j

jacobsburg state park

Although utterly exhausted from work I decided

to take a short walk around Jacobsburg State Park this afternoon.

It felt like snow as the the air was crisp and cold.

I walked around an abandoned quarry and sat for a while

watching as icicles fell into the dark water, echoing off the slate walls.

Down by the creek I slipped on the muddy bank.

My left hand went out to break my fall and landed in a sticker bush.

I pulled out the thorns, brushed off my muddy bum and turned for home.

Despite the mishaps it felt good to clear my head and breathe the fresh air.

Home to a big lunch then I crawled under the covers for a long nap.

More busy days ahead.

xo, j

this week...

tuesday morning snow

washing sweaters

starting over

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

There is so much to be grateful for…

xo, j

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

wednesday morning

Another cold but sunny day.

It's been fun trying to paint again but I think too much!

I should stop all the thinking and just paint!

My dusty brushes attest to how long it's been since they were used.

A little terrarium under my olive tree,

a reminder of Italian summers long ago.

Find something beautiful in the every day.

I must remember that.

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

a weakness for things that grow...

I really ought to know better than linger in the flower section 

of my favorite grocery store…

This lovely globe of bromeliads found its way home with me.

I'm out of windowsill space so I'm taking to the air!

Hope you're having a fine week.

xo, j

morning light

 

my warping board seems to become a coat racks when not in use

This morning I woke with no regard for the clock

and turned on some of my favorite music.

I pottered about, feeding the fish and the cat with a coffee in hand,

straightened up a bit and then pruned and watered my windowsill gardens.

Later in the day I sat down with a cup of apple cinnamon tea

and a book I've been trying to finish for a week...still not done.

Then some knitting and the ripping out of a sweater that took me three

months to complete but was a couple of sizes too big and looked ridiculous!

I don't properly swatch my projects and over estimated the size that would fit me.

An optimist would say it's like having all new yarn to begin another project!

The photos are of my meanderings around the apartment.

The black/blue/red jacket in the last pic was thought to be lost,

I was so over joyed upon finding it I hugged it like an old friend.

I perfectly lovely day…

Hope yours was too.

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.