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!