After two years on my Kromski rigid heddle loom, the Starry Night scarf has been sprung. It had deep gouges where the loom's cords had caused pressure on the fabric, but nothing a short soak couldn't delete. Had to keep it brief, though, as this yarn bled like crazy. As soon as I noticed the…

That old question: if you were stranded on a deserted isle, what yarn would you like to have with you? In years past I would have answered Koigu Painter's Palette Merino or Noro Silk Garden. It's time for those two to move aside. In 2013 my new deserted island yarn is Madelinetosh Pashmina. 75% merino, 15%…

I believe it. Research shows that curry is addictive. Soon I'll have to check myself into that Seattle treatment center that advertises addiction therapy in ten days with a couple of two day follow ups. On our Greek cruise they had a section of the lunch buffet dedicated to Indian food and I was there…

We are a family with a creative bent, hence the general condition of my house. We have accumulated stashes of yarn, watercolour supplies, oil pastels by the hundred, rough turned wooden bowls, and the spoils of my recent silver smithing/beading adventure. As I write this M and C are experimenting with encaustic painting and the…

Another low key Christmas. All the kids home, three by birth, one by marriage plus their first baby, what joy. Once again, the nativity and the ceramic Christmas tree, all that we need to remind us of the meaning of the holiday. Some unlikely characters in our particular scene, but all with meaning.  I remember…

  Needing some distraction from ongoing ankle fracture issues I did something that has been on my list for years – a silver smithing course. Over an eight and a half hour day we learned to solder sterling links, craft a toggle clasp, the techniques of hammering and embossing, and bezel setting of a CZ.…

December 6th, thirty years of marriage. Where did time go? How did it happen? How do you measure thirty years?  More than half my life, three talented children, two Scotty dogs, four moves in two countries, all our parents gone, a grandbaby, retirement (ours!) plans, joys and sadness, ups and downs, give and take… Did…

Personal loss is more than sadness. It's an unfillable void. We can do our best to try, but I'm convinced it's not supposed to get filled up. That hole in our life is there so we don't forget. If you mark it from the one year anniversary of my mom's death, it's been a year…

Wanting the city experience Blogless Marsha, David, Chuck and I rented a centrally located apartment near Campo de Fiori, literally field of flowers, which it was in the middle ages, but with a more sinister history in later years. Now a cheerful public market, the statue of philosopher Giordano Bruno still stands in the middle.…

Where to begin. I've had good intentions to post about the trip but things keep getting in the way. Like the Leonard Cohen concert. His recitation of  A Thousand Kisses Deep rivaled the thrill of Santorini as a cruise ship stop, and it's still fresh in my mind so that's what you get.  I studied…