Category: Chit Chat

Trusting your instincts

PiaAcid Dyeing

Do you ever go against your own intuition and do things by the book or because someone told you so with their own inner conviction – and failed? Yes, I fail when I go my own way too, but my biggest “DUH – idiot” moments are always when I did not listen to my inner voice. Maybe I was even confounded by my own logic, pushing the touchy-feely stuff aside in favour of “science”. I’m a messy methodologist, laid back nitpick kinda person. Don’t tell me what that means, I don’t wanna know.

I really wish I’d learn not to. Ok, I do learn something from some of those mistakes too, but feeling stupid always annoys me. 😉

So when Ashford sells their rainbow colour kit as scarlet (fire engine red), blue and yellow, I thought there was probably some hidden chemical secret that would make this work, although I KNOW that magenta is really the purest primary colour for blending. (in the case of Ashford dyes, this is called hot pink) Continue reading “Trusting your instincts” →

Sunday Swatch from The Shades

PiaChit Chat

First, swatches of the day:
        



I did it. Curtains done and up, we have a shady spot again. Get the furniture out and we’ll be ready for a bit of summer…. (please) Yes, yes, I’ll stop moaning about the temperature already.

Next project, which I’m already working on but ran out of velcro, is a set of white (trying to be frugal and using what fabric I’ve got) curtains for the hammock – because of that dead hedge. Technically it was hubby’s birthday present last year, but it’s also my spot to read, make notes, meditate and hang out with the cat. It’s like taking a nap in a row boat! (I imagine)

HannibalAnd yes, I do spend time in the sun, but not while reading unless I’m craving a hangover. And in this windtunnel, sometimes shelter is absolutely necessary to be able to think straight!

The Wisdom of Allowing Things to Happen

PiaChit Chat

Apparently this reblog thingy doesn’t quite work. Anyway, something to ponder on a Sunday morning:

The Master allows things to happen.
She shapes events as they come.
She steps out of the way
and lets the Tao speak for itself.
~The Daodejing

Post written by Leo Babauta.

This has been what I’ve been learning over the past couple of years. Allowing things to happen.

It goes counter to our usual instincts in Western society — we are doers, creators of our destiny, we make things happen … we don’t wait for it to happen! That’s what I was taught from an early age, in school and by every motivational sports movie I ever watched. So allowing things to happen is not my normal way.

Continue reading “The Wisdom of Allowing Things to Happen” →

Where’s my summer at?

PiaChit Chat

Finally got as far as finishing the bodies of two spring/summer garments, for cool weather since frankly it’s been spring into autumn so far.  🙁 What happened to sitting in the garden, in the shade dead hedge (oh wait, the hedge all died, no shade), cool drinks, Ravelry on the laptop, piles of yarn and fiber, solar dyeing in glass jars to my heart’s content?

So anyway, here’s where I’m at and I’m very pleased with Mimi’s ability to help me with shaping a sweater along the way. No more trying to see my own back in a mirror and getting my measurements totally mucked up. I’m quite into getting sweaters that are not tents but not super clingy either, testing various methods to learn.

The orange thing is a cotton/alpaca blend, (Linky in Danish for those not on Ravelry) a bit splitty to work with (loose ply, many threads) but very nice to the touch. I hope the zigzag  of increases and decreases will help it not droop or lose shape. Pattern is by Marianne Isager knit from the top down. I need to either boil-shrink the castoff or do it again, but otherwise I’m quite happy. The blue cardigan is knitted with Wollmeise lace yarn, only 125g to the body! (edge needs a bit of blocking to lose the ruffles).

Both will get half or 3/4 sleeves. Eventually. No, really, I’ll get on it. Maybe the forecast for July is all a fake and this nastiness will continue for all eternity ;)  Tomorrow is forecast lovely temps of 25 C AND strong winds. You just can’t win it seems?! *mutter* I didn’t make the curtains for my pavilion yet (and half our hedge died, remember), another dead hedgeso I guess knitting outside will be a bit of a nuisance.

Maybe I’ll cook up some silly blog posts instead. Beware…