Go for the Light and Joy

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that the December holiday season isn’t the best time of year. There is, for many, always so much emotional baggage and history to carry and remember. I’ve come to the decision that this is the year I’m permanently lightening my load. I can search out the wonder, joy and light of this season, and that’s exactly what I’m doing this year, in one of the easiest-to-me ways I know – through decorating my personal space.

My very first holiday
stocking. This is the closest I'll
get to making an actual sock.

In the middle of several other projects I’m juggling, I have made my first ever holiday stocking to hang on my very own self-fashioned mantle (hey, a book case is a great stand-in). This stocking is not my design, but one from Mary Beth Temple published in, and featured on the cover of, last December’s ILikeCrochet.com. I instantly loved its bigger dimensions and use of motifs and differing yarn weights. I am a big proponent of mixing traditional with non-traditional holiday colors so I’m kind of liking the blue, since it coordinates well with my space’s color scheme.  

I’ve also included my own Sparkly Snowflake Garland to my mantle-scape, and I just love how this turned out. My space, for the first time in I can’t remember how long, feels truly festive to me. This brings me joy.

Additionally, I’ve worked up a deconstructed holiday tree (read: branches with ornaments because a live tree is no good with George Bailey on the scene) that manages to capture the light and beauty of the season. I could look at those snowflakes all day. They bring me so much peace, not to mention a smile. It is difficult to accurately convey how content I feel this holiday season, despite being busy with several ongoing projects. I haven’t felt like this in a long time at this time of year.

I consider my load successfully lightened.

Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

This week I thought I would provide a slightly different fiber perspective - the one from my camera lens.

If any of you didn't know, I love my camera. I love fiber and textiles. I love taking photos of my fiber and textiles. Pretty simple, eh?

As a result of an inspiring exchange during last summer, I did some quick furniture rearranging and I now have a fiber still-life in my living room. It changes constantly, reflecting whatever current projects I'm working on or have planned. This first series of photos is of the still-life, several weeks ago. I was exploring perspective and light, but you'll get that pretty quickly once you see the photos.

And now, two from the other side:

These next two photos were taken on a late autumn afternoon. I really enjoyed all the sunlight, even if it did slightly wash out the shawl colors:

Finally, I leave you with a study of green fiber (a mohair blend and a strand of kidsilk held together) and it's crochet hook:

Happy fiber arts Friday! Definitely check out Andrea's blog and see what everyone else is up to this week.

Oh, and have a superfiberfragilistic weekend. I'll be blogging every day next week as part of the second annual Knitting and Crochet Blogging Week - where you just might see a new F.O. ... or two.

Stay tuned ...

Need some light?

There is nothing like the cool wind of fall to energize one’s efforts with an increased sense of urgency. As leaves change color and trees shed their summer greenery, it is time to get busy: in the kitchen, at the desk, in the craft room. We yearn for savory and sweet gourd goodness. Orange, green and gold become the colors du jour.  We want to wrap up in warm woolen textures, thick and inviting.

At the same time, we also know that once we see the other side of Halloween, the energy shift will be in full swing, as we are enveloped in earth’s dark night. Daylight is scarce, fleeting. We, slightly disconcerted, search for light sources. We cozy up to rich, red sparseness.

Some of us, perhaps in a need to feel grounded, also take stock. Have we appropriately exercised our sense of accomplishment? That measurement ultimately is personal, no matter the cultural yardsticks twirling around us.

Here’s to embracing fall’s energy. May the light you find be exactly enough.