All the balls up in the air

Hello stranger, yes it's me! All my balls are up in the air and I'm juggling frantically!
Seems to be more of a yearly thing to write than a weekly or monthly thing, sorry!
I've been doing a lot of cleaning and clearing around the house.
And I'm now committed to finishing a lot of worthy UFO's.
So at least I can then let myself start some nice new stuff, there is more to knit and crochet than I can ever achieve in this lifetime, but I won't give up trying!
Had a lot of fun making little woven squares from scraps of wool from my stash, and then crocheting edges, sewing them all togehter and adding a little footsack, which resulted in a wheelchair lapblanket for a darling old lady.

And something peculiar happened, I even made myself a broomstick lace long cardi-tunic. I never make or keep anything for myself, here it is on the right.
Once again this summer I was in Karpathos Greece to teach Do-In. Meridian yoga as it were. and it was a joy without end. In Greece I swam and snorkeled every day and really truly loved that to bits. Coming back was a bit of a bugger.
Struggling is becoming a system of survival but the joy of knitting still remains of course, and crochet as well. And oh joy, earlier in the year someone found me a lovely second hand Ashford traditional spinning wheel, so I've now added that to the mix too, still very much an amateur, but not doing bad with the spinning and twining!
I've always been so in love with my house, but this year the idea of selling and moving is solidifying daily in my system.
At least at my moving party I can do a big sale of knitting books and part of my stash. Because the idea is to move in somewhere just a tad smaller.
The goal is to found a ground floor apartment or somewhere in an apartment with an elevator, as I no longer have cartilage in my knees and the stairs are becoming non-productive. Also for the clients I must add. So fingers and all other available body-parts crossed on that issue.
On the upside I have lost 25 kilos over the last two years, very proud of that, but not done at all with the weight loss.

Doing very elderly-like gym at my physio is keeping me together and that works for now.

It was the 5th b-day anniversary of WOOOL this year. So proud of contributing sometimes and so great to see Pauline make it all work!
Left is a cardi I made for Sis, fit like a dream, and all cotton as she is more allergic than me!
So you see I still have found time to keep my hands busy, apart from my several jobs and other odd errands around about.
I'll keep you posted on what is to come, please send me your support and blessings, and come visit if you want a treatment or just a nice gab over a cup of tea!

Some time to reflect on .......

I had the most amazing time teaching Do-In in Karpathos (Greece) at the end of May. Magical things happened.....but most of all loved the rugged scenery and the people on the island are so so sweet. The food was great. And the weather not too hot to leave whack me out of commission. 

Must say the weather today in The Netherlands is nearly doing that. It's very hot and humid for Dutch standards and we are having big rain and thunder (and maybe even hail) storms passing through.

For the next few days (up until Saturday)  I will be minding the wool shop for Pauline while she is off frolicking around Cadiz with the lovely John.

Anyhoo..... I had a symbolic learning experience in Karpathos that mostly taught me not to be too hard on myself when I can't seem to live up to my own standards and trust the universe to provide solutions for me. Which they did at that moment in time. In the middle of the week in Karpathos I was sent a word during the night and the word stuck with me throughout the day (running around in my head repeatedly), it was a Greek word and I don't speak Greek so ofcourse I had no idea where it came from. Nikita (the lovely hotel and restaurant owner) explained what the word meant, which was "My Beloved" and that didn't make much sense to me at the time. Later in the week, when I got sick and very cross with myself because I couldn't finish what I started, I finally had the insight that I was my own beloved and I needed to be a bit more nice to me! To embrace and support myself unconditionally and not to judge myself so harshly. And not to be afraid to ask for help. So there you have it!

This weekend I finally found the time to attend one of Iris' sound healing concerts. And that was just lovely, waves of sound coming through my body. I was comfy on the floor under my blankie and I usually can't lay still for that long. And Saturday spent a lovely quiet day in her little holiday house, which is not little and is actually a proper house! too wet and cold to sit in her cute outdoor living room. So I spent the day watching movies from the Spiritual Cinema Circle and reading up on crystals.

So now I'm just braving the heat and waiting for clients, doing a little knitting and reading.

Pauline just left and had a hard time leaving her shop.......it's her baby! and I totally understand.

So this was a little incoherent note that covered a lot of topics. I will be back to write more and try to be more coherent and organized.

Simple pleasures.....

I can derive so much pleasure from finishing a project. Even knowing that it will leave me to venture out into the world and become someone else's present. The process is what is most gratifying to me. In this case turned into quite a big object. There is only 100 grams of yarn in this object. amazing right? It's resting after being blocked on my futon bed, and that is how much room I needed to spread it out, a queen sized bed.

Anyhoo....I'm off to teach another sunday Do-In class in a few minutes, which is also a simple pleasure to enjoy with my little class. And after that back to the grind of finishing my big translation job. I estimate a maximum of two more days on that one.

Have a great sunday everyone!

mother nature roars again

My heart goes out to all the people involved in the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan this week. Some of the spots we know well on Big Island Hawaii were hit as well, the news said not so bad there, but I'm sure for some folks it was. This is some raw video on Kealakekua bay, near Kailua Kona. We swam there on our last visit when we were trying out our snorkling gear, and thought it was a quaint little seaside village, we might want to stay in next time.

http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2011/03/11/raw-video-kona-tsunami-house-washes-away-floats-in-bay/

I sincerely hope it was mostly material damage and no personal incidents. Either way all devastating. I send out my love and heart out to all.

Aloha

Reasons to be cheerful part 1001

I am blessed with many friends, but I of course also have a best friend, well actually two, one Girl and one Boy. How great is that? Boy does not live close enough to be a physical daily fixture in my life like Girl, but we do make sure we have our time together every few months (we need a fix every now and then!). Yesterday was one of those days. And we were so productive! Apart from catching up, shootin' the breeze, having coffee at the new Bagels & Beans, visiting my other workplace at the guitarstore, etc., we had chores to share (ahum). A doorknob that had been waiting more than 10 years to be attached........, cleaning up the computer (and thus making it faster!), and working on my website. Not often Boy decides to have a sleepover, but in this case he did because he missed the last train home. (he lives on the other side of the country). So today two more chores to take care of. Me: in charge of finding chores and giving directions. Boy: very practical and hands on! And luckily for a single girl I have an abundantly filled toolbox (very impressive!). He's still fast asleep as I'm writing this blog entry, but after coffee and breakfast, we will continue to be on a roll! Ain't life Grand?
So what else is going on......? I also got the guts up to ask my needle doctor to treat my Achilles pain that I had been suffering from for almost four years. He did, and with reasonable success, and I'm grateful to Zoe for coming along and supporting me for the first round of those, cuz I was a bit freaked, and I don't freak easily. And now after 6 shots in 2 months I'm done for a while, cuz that stuff seriously messes with my head (and my hormones).

Decided once again to control the yarn stash (yeah right), finish a lot of pending projects, keep the knitting machine after all and pay Jen installments for it like a sort of lay away plan, hehe, right! And just recently started to offer my little finished projects for sale. I make them just because I like the color or design or challenge of the design and not with a particular plan or recipient in mind. Hence I need extra rooms added to the house to allow for the stash and all the cute products arising from it. We'll see how the sales go, whatever happens

I'll probably just keep producing. But the little baby cardi I had made last week was sold within days, so that is hopeful. Have the little brand tags and business cards all laying in wait. Also sorted out a whole pile of grandma and mums button stash. Sorted into sets, packaged and labelled to sell off. They are vintage right? And I'm not using them.

The practice at the moment is too quiet, unfortunately. I'm working on a big translation gig and started to do a few extra hours at the guitar shop. I'm trusting the universe will support and I will be able to relax into "enough" or "slight abundance" any time soon. Am getting more and more relaxed about all this. And as you can see: I'm still standing!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2011!

We seem to all mention to each other how time is flying, and it flew again. So after having a rad fun filled party (Thank you Ria, Alex, Ron & Nick for organizing all that, I especially loved launching the big paper lanterns with our wishes for the new year. That was so much better than the usual plethora of fireworks that the Dutch tend to set off at New Years.) And now it is new years morning and I am in awe.........or just stunned.....hihi.

My housekeeper, who is the dearest soul, even showed up today to help me enter the new year with a relatively organized (my part of the deal) and at least clean house (her part of the deal). Luckily she showed up a little later than usual........ahum....but I was up and adam and breathing and drinking tea before she showed..... ;-) Albeit in my jam-mies, but that is okay for today. I tend to stay that way as long as I can today. Tomorrow morning I will be all active and teach my first yoga lesson of the year. I promise to be gentle with my participants.

I'm taking a short break from knitting and crochet production as I have bursitis in both shoulders and that got so bad that I had to have a shot in it (which is no fun but my orthopedic GP is a wizard at giving injections without pain). It's just a very intrusive nasty procedure to have done. And that is all that I'm gonna say about it.

Last weekend I immersed myself in the grand art of Tunisian crochet, which I hadn't done in years. Tried out all kinds of different stitches and ended up making a cute little pram blanket instead of just a few swatches. I was quite pleased. I will do more delving and later in the year I will teach a workshop in Tunisian at Woool. That will be fun. Throughout the year I have been teaching beginners and intermediate workshops in crochet for Pauline. And she is doing so well with the shop, I love dropping in on Saturdays to help her out,

just because it's fun! This worldwide revival of the needles arts has really taken off and hasn't passed as a fad.

I took a day trip on a Wednesday in December with Jennifer to Hoorn to meet Will Schouten and visit his shop, which resulted in a small increase of my stash, but still was great fun.

On the business level 2010 has been a good but challenging year for me and the practice. I think it is due to "intimidation" by the media over the crisis that makes people decide to keep their purses closed and not enjoy regular preventative treatments, although these treatments for the most part were still being reimbursed by the health insu

rance firms. Or maybe there are other reasons that I'm not smart enough to pick up on? So there was about a 40% drop in income for me. I must admit that I am developing more and more of a sense of Laisser Faire with all this, trusting the universe to provide for me and being immensely grateful for the support and concrete assistance that my friends and family give me when I really get into a bind. I'm still working two mornings a week at the guitar store, I'm still doing translation jobs and I also still am teaching workshops at the Pauline's yarn shop. So altogether all activities that I love and enjoy, keeping me basically covered, but still demanding work weeks of 60 hours and up sometimes. What I hope and trust for in the New Year is income just a bit above and beyond that, so I may relax a little more and maybe take some time off now and then for a breather, be it at home or on little or big trips. On that topic there are some wishes for the new year, visiting my friends in Goa (India), going to Glasgow again and swimming with wild dolphins in Bimini, and of course returning to Hawaii. Hope springs eternal!

Health-wise there are still a lot of challenges for me, but nothing that will keep me from achieving the above and more. So that will remain a work in progress. Happy to say that I'm on a diet that is working for me (anti-Candida diet) and that I've lost 13 kgs since oktober. Yeehaa, so if my body allows me I will keep shedding slowly........

I wish you all Health, Happiness and abundance for all of those you love, and ofcourse for yourself (and me!!).

In love and light

Yoff

where did time go?

Okay, so keeping up a blog like it should be is hard when you are so busy. Now to find out what I'm so busy with so I can weed out the unnecessary. I work hard in two places and I really need my downtime too. I love my creative projects and helping others with theirs (reading and translating for example. Since I have less energy to go around I have realized this has greatly affected my social life. I just don't have the energy to run around with all my friends anymore all the time. Which doesn't mean I don't love them and miss them dearly.

Anyway..........today is Sunday. I'm on summer schedule for teaching my do-in class, so I had this morning off. Taking things to a slow start. Out to lunch with my friend Jen, and then together off to an interesting knitting workshop with a famous knitter/designer who is from around here, but had her book published worldwide. Then dinner with another friend, and not back home too late like a good little girl. Before falling asleep each night I send off my version of prayers and distance treatments for some folks who are going through rough spots physically or otherwise. That is the time it is most easy for me to concentrate those energies.

And sometimes

I even remember to include myself in that moment!

I haven't been working like mad on any projects, just a slow trickle, but here are two that are my favorites from the last half year.

I'm focussed on keeping afloat through summer which is usually a bit slower than the rest of the year. But this year has been slow in general. This month I was saved by my first tax return in years. I was really pleased with that! This week a few new clients arrived (all on one day) and as much as I love all my clients. The new ones bring excitement and heightened awareness as it is my style to delve deep into their lives to offer them the best help I can offer.

It's been pretty hot for dutch standards, so my last week also was about keeping it cool, rescheduling and using my little air-co and fan to create a cool zone, so I could get a little sleep. Friday me and Rach hid out at the cinema, which is great cuz it's cool, and we love movies, so that always works out. Then we went purse hunting for her with medium success. It was a perfect day for shopping as it was quiet in town. I'm proud of Rach for getting out there. Good day for this exercise!

Holland has been in the grip of the world cup football. The dutch tend to go a little crazy over that. At which time I try to embrace my inner Canadian and just breathe deeply ;-)

My knees have been giving me trouble, so until I get myself to the second opinion center in Rijswijk, I've gotten over my initial shyness and started using a crutch while walking. Hopping on the bike to get around is still no trouble at all. So need to get a little brace attached to the bike so I can bring my crutch along on my bike trips.

I'm gonna go catch up on some shows I recorded over the last two weeks and then get gussied up for my venture outdoors downtown. As far as that goes it's simple nowadays, something clean, not too shabby and a dash of waterproof mascara. I don't do the full theatric version anymore, thank goodness. But those were the days!

See you soon, but I can't make any hard promised on that!

are you authorized?

I've come to the point where I think my blog doesn't even recognize me anymore, ha, ha! Well it is true, I haven't updated in forever. But as you can see, I'm still here, working away at my projects, working hard at the practice, taking workshops to keep my mind alert and inquisitive.

Health reasonable, little pains (and big ones) here and there, nothing to stop me in my tracks.

Mom was in hospital in December, that taught me a few things about myself and how my perceptions change and my own history weighs less upon me. Our magnificent trip to Glasgow to see and meet with our favorite band in December was a high point in my year. Glasgow is a great town as far as I had time to enjoy it, the people were friendly, the architecture grand. So I must revisit some one day and really make the time to take in the sights. As our weekend was so chock full of events we hardly had time for all that in December. The year has already brought me to the brink of march, I can't believe it! I'm still reigning in chaos by contributing my hours working admin at the Guitar Store. I'm learning to do my own bookkeeping online. Still detest the demands that the tax office puts on me (us). But coping with that too. December was an amazing month for the practice. Jan and Feb have been a bit less exciting and full. Still I'm doing okay. My anniversary year (10 years as a therapist) is winding down. And as of April 1st (no joke) giving in to the fact that my rates also must increase a bit following the rest of the world in being expensive! I finally crocheted my first piece of jewelry: an necklace in silver-wire with rough tumbled rubies. More to come I'm sure. Okay, till next we meet live long and prosper (I've been watching old episodes of Star Trek, they never bore me!).

miniature holiday

I have granted myself 3 days off starting tomorrow.
do have some loose ends to tie up, but that is okay
three glorious days off, no work, but instead time to visit friends.
might end up doing that one day out of three and just resting the other two.
I thought I was entitled cuz I haven't really had holiday this year.
Anyway, last week was fun teaching and participating in the teachers inspiration day for Do-In at the school where I trained to be a therapist myself. Bit nervous at first, but after that just fun.
I felt much appreciated and I always find it very inspiring to be with these people.
Sunday class was great too. 50/50 boys and girls (men/women), that hardly ever happens and one participant was only 10 years old, but very serious!
working really hard this week at all my jobs and tasks.
Next week I'm making the official start on Iris' book. Exciting and daunting, never had such a big project yet, apart from the ongoing translations for the crystal website.
anyway, life feels pretty good. The practice has been a bit more busy, which is very encouraging. The body is in a bit of an uproar, 5 or 6 tendons decided to go on strike at the same time and are all inflamed and very very painful. One at a time is enough as far as I'm concerned. But this too will pass.
Next week is already september, I really can't believe it...........really!
anyway, that is all for now I think. I'm starting to rest, now, right now!!

it's been a while............

So the one hen party came to be, the other didn't (yet), it was fun and the girls enjoyed, even though it was crappy weather we had a nice indoor class together with lunch after.

So much has been going on, more ours at my "other" job, which is good.

This month suddenly (I do thank the universe for each and every person) old clients and new clients have been (re)appearing in my schedule. This is the first month in about half a year that looks like a normal month. I'm so happy!!

Sunday was Yarnies Picknick in Delftse Hout. That was pretty cool. Thank goodness wore my self made straw hat and still came away with a small sun stroke. Add onto that a really great, but heavy private pilates on monday, and tuesday had my first fibro flare in a long time. I gave in and spent the afternoon in bed and lo and behold, I felt better the same day. So makes me wonder, why do I (and a lot of really nice people I know) push myself so hard, when obviously sometimes I need to rest and it really does me good? Learning curve. There has been many a project in the period past. The dye-ing workshop with Kim, I knitted a very bright silk scarf and a nice pair of house socks from that. Working on a lot of old projects that need finishing, slowly but surely, unfortunately new ones tend to creep in too! I'll add on some pics next time. Need to sleep now, sleepy, your eyes are getting heavy........bye!

busy week!

Somehow it's been a really busy week, work at the practice, work at the guitar store, a day long lecture on ayurvedic medicines from a wonderful teacher from India, a dyeing workshop at Woool with Kim as our teacher. We had a blast and the yarns came out wonderful and all so different (according to the personality of the dye-er).

I've been asked to offer a do-in (japanese yoga) class as part of two bachelor parties.

Very interesting development!

I had a healing journey (Brandon Bays) monday and a whopper of a headache the next day.

Also I have been invited to a Chuppah (ceremonial jewish wedding) I decided to make a kippah for the groom and a wrap for the bride. I had to make a trial kippah first, so this is it. I’m very pleased how this came out. now for the real one. The groom has a preference for (vomity) green colors. So I’ll see how that turns out!

Unfortunately I've just heard I can't be the witness for the bride because I'm not jewish, it's okay though I'll be there to support the bride, who is a dear friend of mine and maybe to hold up the Chuppa (which will be 20 mins holding up a pole covered in fabric), but that I will do gladly.

Now..............what to wear????

turning a new leaf, leafing thru old stuff

I decided it's time to delve into the happy box of projects and try to finish a few ones that have been pending for too long but are still very fun. And I know I can really finish a project quick. What is it that makes me (us) want to keep starting new exciting projects and only finishing a few of current ones? I'm good when I'm doing commissioned work, but sometimes something pretty or challenging catches my eye, interesting technique or cool new yarn (like araucania yarn made from suger cane!!).
It makes me forget my older projects, the ones that caught my eye at an earlier time.
So I decided to dig up the silk flowers scarf from the Vogue Knitting Anniversary issue. My friend Jen even brought me back the Alchemy Silk Purse from Purl Soho on her trip to New York. As well as some Koigu, which doesn't have anyone representing it here in Holland, so it's a chance in a million to find any (and I must say, some more mysteriously came my way and I'm not divulging how!!). So I've knitting an amazing 12 silk flowers in under a day and have about 9 more to go. Making the scarf a bit bigger so found a matching color silk from my stash to add to the project. The finishing up is going to be a b-i-a-t-c-h, but it's all part of the proces and finding some nice beads for the hearts of the flowers, which are supposed to be swarovski, but not sure about that. Still it will complement the silk of the flowers.
Oh, and yesterday was World Knit In Public Day. I watched the store so Pauleen and all her knitting buddies could go sit out in a terrace in the middle of downtown The Hague and wow other people by whipping out their needles and yarn in Public. En Garde!
And it was busy, had a great day at the store, and then we went out, and I drank my one-a-year-beer (I actually don't drink or smoke, but have the strange habit of wanting one beer and one cigarette a year, must be from growing up around chain smokers?). I had great fun, met some new folks and went home at the right time and didn't get caught up in the open air festivals all around town. Great but too tiring for me and I had to teach yoga this morning.
Anyway, all in all a pretty good weekend. Now on for the week, and salvaging myself and my company, and above all my house!!! I'll just have to take stuff in my stride.

summer is showing it's face

After just having healed from a lung thing with fever and prednisone at the beginning of may, I thought I was done for this year. But I had a really bad bout of food poisening last week, complete with all the surprising strong bodily functions that come with that (say no more) except that I bruised my ribs from the sheer force of it all. Anyway, after that was over I hid away in a lovely bungalow in another part of holland with my dear friend Iris to do some more recouperating. The weather was great, she had just bought a big patio lounge set and we christened it and sat on it till it was too dark and cold to stay out (even with the patio heater/burner on). It was great and I feel much better. I brought my knitting on the trip and did another big chunk of the lovely Kidsilk lace wrap. And started an adorable pair of baby socks with a sample pack from natural dye studio, the pattern is from the new pathways sock book from Cat Bordhi. Interesting and fun. Just trust to let go of what you always do and then try something new!

My best friend picked me up from my hideaway and there is nothing better for us than spending a relaxed day together chatting about life, philosophy and anything else that comes up (which we need to do at least every 3 months to nourish each other!). Now I'm working on my yoga class for this afternoon and found out yesterday I'm teaching a basis crochet class tonight to two enthusiastic young women at Woool (my friends yarnshop). I can fit it all into my schedule, no problem, I'm flexible like bamboo......hihi! The practice isn't too busy this week, which is good and bad. As all things yin and yang in life!

Tomorrow I'm visiting with friends in Maastricht (way in the south of Holland). They communicate with and sell crystals. They are very high frequency people and I love them. I will be assisting them with the translation of their website, which encompasses hundreds of pages of information. It will be a years work I'm sure. But very interesting subject matter. It seems that the stones have a lot to tell us in the beginning of the age of aquarius!

Last week I was interviewed by a student from Berkley, who had found my blog and found interesting connections to research she was doing. It was a great talk/interview. And most of it went on during an amazing (never saw anything like it before) lightening and thunderstorm. Pretty cool!!

Catch you later!

what schedule.....?

Okay, I'm giving up on promising to keep a schedule and write regularly, because it seems I can't! I've not been too active with the knitting and crochet, but a few weeks ago started up again.

Seems I needed a little inspiration in the form of a few new commissioned hats and caps.

I have so many plans and idea's for projects. Some I've started up on ravelry just to get them into my own system, a few still need finishing up, and are long standing projects. But that is okay.

In the meantime......I'm now teaching my japanese yoga class twice a week and the participants are really enthusiastic and happy. It took me years before I decided I was good enough to teach, and to just forget that

I have physical limitations myself, cuz some of the participants do too! This is great stuff.

End of april had a lung thing that was dragging and had a fever for the first time in my life, interesting feeling!

Doc gave me prednisone, which sucks, but on the other hand had me totally painfree for almost 2 weeks, which is also great. So good and bad side effects, putting on weight (as if I didn't have enough of that in my physical savings account!!) and being pain free, good give me more of this stuff. Now that the effects are wearing off and my body is detoxing the nasty chemicals, all the little aches and pains are coming back, and I'm having trouble focussing a little. Otherwise I'm fine and lungs took awhile, but they are back on track. Stamina is gone. Making pilates classes very interesting......well that will pass, I need to hop on the cross-trainer at the gym and that will surely help a bit.

Spring suddenly turned really hot here, which makes crocheting and knitting mohair hats and shawls a bit funny....hihi, but still nice. Back to lace after many years with the knitting, so pretty. This Rowan Kidsilk stuff really does rock!! I'll keep you posted on my plans for projects in the future, but probably after they have been realized. Next weekend I'm taking a few days off to stay at a little holiday bungalow with a friend. I feel I really need a holiday, but I can't afford one now. I was so happy to go to London with my best friend to see the Hue & Cry concert on March 7th, that was a holiday in itself. Blew my mind to finally see the band (from Scotland) for the first time, we'd been waiting 20 years to see them. They make great music and the vocalist is the best singer I know in the world, very sexy flexible voice and very intelligent and worldly lyrics. He has quite the opinion and quite the brain. Anyway, had booked to see another concert in Aberdeen this last saturday. This time without the band, pure and simple piano and voice, but I didn't make it after all. Better luck next time.

Okay, here are a few of my latest projects to share with you. Catch you later, much later probably......... ;-)

just can't believe............

I haven't written an entry since november?!?! A lot has happened. My brother had a stroke in december and we were pretty busy around x-mas sorting out his affairs. It almost did me in. Can I officially say I don't like december? it always ends up serving me with some nasty surprise. Anyway, that is over. Winter has been nice and cold here in Holland and I've kept myself sane with little and bigger knitting projects, too many to name actually but I'll include a few pictures. What can I say, I'm working hard, trying not to get too nervous and hyped up about the credit crunch. And still at the end of the day can say that I'm doing mostly what I enjoy, am passionate about and am good at. I will try to hold off on going back to a normal job working for a boss. But if I have to, I will!! So I send out love and strength to all of you out there struggling right now. Keep on truckin' and I trust the universe will care for you and bring you some relief.

have you fallen off the planet?

No I haven't, but I've just been busy beyond words. I've taken on a second parttime job in admin to smooth things over and I've been commisioned a few projects, am also learning to spin (started that at the Rotterdam Crafts fair about a month ago), which I enjoy immensely (not on a wheel, but for now with a spindle). Maybe I should just show you some of the projects I've finished? Pumpkin has not been born yet, but can be here any minute. Other babies have arrived safely and there are more on the way. Still fighting (and losing) with the yarn addiction, but thorougly enjoying it! The shiatsu school is promoting kidney warmers especially for women, as the kidneys and the tummy hold the essential ki and need to be pampered. I'm using alpaca wool for these projects. The prototype was handmade, but due to the rush in orders I'm afraid I will have to switch to machine made this week...................boohoo! still fun though, cuz the material is so beautiful, soft and warm.

Dineke from the Hague Spinners taught me how to table batt (so I don't have to buy an expensive carding drum yet), Ineke from Tissien in Haarlem taught me to make pencil roving or pre-drafting thru a buttonhole (very useful skills I must add). I'm now just starting to spin silk with a lovely little spindle made of purpleheart wood (my favorite ofcourse as it is you guessed it purple!). I have very lovely silk hankies painted in purple and turquoise, I want to mix that with something soft and squishy into a 3 ply thread, so one thin purple silk, one thin turquoise silk and then one, maybe merino or camel with silk or something nice in off white.

There is a big storm raging outside, were are caught between autumn and winter in Holland now. It's pounding on my house. And if I didn't have to go out today I wouldn't!

Have to get my day started so I'll see you again in a few months, or hopefully sooner!

babies, babies and more babystuff

Today is a sunny autumnal day, wondering if summer is really over. For most it was a bit of a dissapointment, for me it was great, cuz I don't do heat too well anymore being all peri-menopauzal and such. But anyway.......nevermind!

A friend of mine is in excitement over the arrival of his first granchild, I'm making him the baby blankie I mentioned before. And this weekend, to have a smaller and faster gift, I made him the pumpkin beanie we had agreed on as a joke. The little one in mamma's belly has the nickname "pumpkin", so we thought the beanie would be a great gag! It turned out so well, sometimes these things amaze me seriously, I just start out with a concept and when I get to the details, it's wild!









I'm still stressed about my financial survival, but I have so many great things going on, that they keep me on track for the meantime. I am blessed and happy in so many ways, that alone will protect me from the abyss of the impending minor depression!

ami's rule!

Everyone (me included) is loving these little beasties. It's almost hard to let them go, they are like my children, but they were commissioned, so they have to go to other homes. I always try to keep them around for a little while and get good pictures anyway. Next up is a little lionness, I've found a cute pattern for that. but now to make it from a lion, into a really girly lionness. not a mane but ponytails? I'll figure it out when I get there.

Weds evening I had my introduction gathering for the yearlong workshop I'll be joining to paint the 13 original clanmothers based on the book by Jamie Sams. I think that will be quite inspirational. And only one class a month, so it won't be too hard on my otherwise overextended schedule, and it will be something for me, beside all my hard work with treating and teaching (don't get me wrong, I adore my work).

Some folks might have the idea that all I do is handicrafts, cuz I produce a lot, but for me that is down time and relaxation. The rest of the time is filled with complementary healing modalities such as Shiatsu, Bowen, Holistic Pulsing, Dorn therapy, EFT and so forth.

I have an order for a baby blankie, which will be the same design as the one with the concentric squares I already did, just a bit smaller and with fewer colors. We're going down to Woool this afternoon to choose colors. And also to make a little pumpkin hat, cuz the baby is nicknamed little pumpkin now it's still in momma's belly.

Speaking of which. One of the mom's I was coaching had an incredibly fast and good birth, everything went like a whirlwind and she didn't even have time to call me to come and assist her at the hospital. Congrats T! you're a trooper and we seem to have done our preparation well. Now for B, hope she can deliver soon, she's ready!

Well on the practical side I'm still struggling and being p-offed at myself for being such a financial clutz. I'm greatful for all the friends that are willing to support me without any concrete date on when I will pay them back. Without them I'd be totally lost. And I really want to be able to make in on my own. I believe I have the talents to make it a success, I've somehow just not been cashing in on them. Maybe throughout my coaching sessions with Arnold I'll be able to un(b)lock what is needed to be more in flow and abundance. Hope springs eternal!

life's little joys!

So I'm going completely googly over my little amigurimi friends. And it really surprises me that grown people (well mostly women) go all sweet and softy over them (me included).

I took my new little friend Henry Honu along to my crochet workshop (where I'm the teacher), Earl Grey (the baby guinea pig) came along too, and I handed him to his proud new foster Mom Mar. She was really happy with him, and confirmed that he was very true to the real deal in form and coloring (and she said the tush was perfect, seems guinea pigs fall over backwards when they get excited and just roll over the round tush, ha, ha). So we were all ooooh-ing an aaaah-ing the little creatures when it hit me that there must be a reason why these little fellars strike such a cord in us, it truly has to be the same chord that newborn babies strike in us as well in a sense. Anyway, I find it very endearing. So last night was part two of my second beginners crochet workshop. And I once more had three very nice and enthusiastic participants! Seems like they will be coming back for more later in the season when we do granny squares. What fun!

Furthermore on a more personal note. I've gotten over my two consecutive computer crashes. Sunday was a wonderful perfect day spent with a dear friend (total bliss, right place, right time, in harmony), tuesday was another meltdown teary day for different reasons. I'm still not enjoying this hormonal roller coaster, but I seem to be out of the deepest depths of the depression now. Anyway, I'll be spending my spare hours helping Jen catch up on her backlog of little projects so she can end feeling so pressured. It was her birthday last week. I'm getting her a set of clover crochet's at a handicrafts fair in september as a late b-day present. I'm joining Pauleen to check it out as a training run for the big fair in London in oktober, hihi.

Okay, I'm having half of a big papaya for brekkie and it is reminiscent of Hawaii, heartstrings were already twanged earlier this week when I got a message from one of our dolphin travel mates inviting us to join her in january for yet another spiritual getogether, argggghhhh, there is one place I want to be, and I can't now....sigh.

Meet Earl Grey (no relation to Joe Black!)

Making little amigurimi animals and such is so much fun.

It's not much work and you are immediately infatuated with the little buggers.

you start out making them for someone, then you actually want to keep them all.

Okay, this is Earl Grey the baby guinea pig. He's for one of my ladies in the crochet workshop. She loves guinea pigs and has a few real ones. Does this kid have a cute tushie or what? Well new moms love their kids, can't help myself, sorry!

Jennifer whizzed by last night, I'm watching over a few of her projects as she seems to have run behind with them.

It will be "finishing" projects week. I'll help her out with that, she can do some herself, but I'll do a few too, so she'll feel less frustrated! I don't mind, keeps me busy, inbetween all my own WIP's and UFO's, ha, ha.

not such a busy week workwise, but that is not to be helped, it's the last two weeks of school holiday here, so most folks have flown the coop.

I'll leave you with that for now.