Hello Spring

It was a lovely day.
A watercolor day.

I was outside as much as possible.
I saw my first butterfly of the season.

Each day more flowers bloom.

A pile of feathers has worried me.
I did not see the female Flicker today.

We cleaned bird houses

and prepared the Spring kitchen root vegetable garden
so we can plant tomorrow.

  We will plant the above ground vegetables
after the Full Moon on Saturday.
 We plant by the moon as much as possible.

The rose bush by the front pond is leafing out.

I bought up an old sweater to remake.
I think I will make some leg warmers and a little headband hat.

I have finished my green wool felted projects.

I made a set of coasters for my
St. Patrick's Day table.

I found more black buttons for eyes.
I will make a few more little bears.
They are delightful sitting about the house.

Everyday Art

I filled the difuser this morning with a lovely oil blend.

Within a minute the kitchen smelled heavenly.

I have done up a few pots of violas and pansies for the house.

Come April I will plant them outdoors.

I am working on setting the dining room table for a small dinner party we are hostessing Saturday night. 

This week I have made two
Green wool felted bears,
Gretta and Galen.
They are bed sitters for March.

I read about making a cingulum.
Cingulum is Latin for a braided belt, or girdle.
The cingulum is used for knot making.
These knots are magical knots.
One such knot is called, "Gabriel's knot".
It is a single knot place on a cord or belt, or cingulum,
t the intention is to be close to Archangel Gabriel.
When you wear the belt the knot reminds you of this connection.
Another set of knots is called a "Witch's ladder."
These are nine knots tied on the cingulum in order.
Each knot represents a blessing.

 I plaited three cords;
gold to represent the sun,
silver for the moon
and white to represent me.

I made one knot in the center.
I asked Gabriel to guide me.

I think the
Chinese knots and the
Celtic knots are the same
patterns.
 Chinese knots are pulled tight.
Celtic knots are left un-pulled.
I have begun to collect knots of all sorts.

I am working on my charm bracelet for March.

I am gathering my "charms."

I enjoy learning about the folk crafts
of different cultures

and honoring their art.

 Sometimes I learn a new craft

that enriches my life.

It seems as if everyday
I make something.

Dr. Seuss

Our children enjoyed all the books by Dr. Seuss.
We read one every night for years.

 We still quote many of his phrases.

Thank you Dr. Seuss!

I finished the Red Bears

and started hand sewing shamrocks.

These I am stuffing with roving
scented with peppermint oil.

I spent the morning cutting out shamrocks and bears.
I found a couple of old green wool sweaters
I had felted that worked out great.
I should have enough cut out to last me a couple of weeks.

I gathered button eyes
and hearts for the Bears.

I am doing a wee bit more
designing and

embellishing.

having everything together

makes t.v. time so much more enjoyable.

Before the storm

I took my new Red Bear, Ralph, outside for a little bit.

I wanted to sit with the birds before another winter storm came in.

I spent an hour listening to the birds, reading my book and thinking about my next hand sewing.

When we came home from our afternoon walk
 I saw my first Crocus in bloom.

The herald of Spring in my gardens.

I finished another collar last night.
I had a tiny bit of shaping left to do this afternoon.

These look so nice with sweaters.
They are knitted wool scarves that I felted.

I used large coat buttons I found
 in my Grandmother's button box.

I put down my book
and needles.

I sat with Crocus.

I watched as she
 closed her petals for the night.

Hearts and Bears

Ruddy

and Rita

are Red Bears.

Ruddy and rose scented hearts
are sitting with Ann, my first little bear.

I shall continue to make
 hearts and bears.

I also am cutting out Red Dresses
from my red wool scraps.
I think I will sew up some cards!