Sweater girl!
Posted: December 6, 2011 Filed under: Dogstuff | Tags: crochet, dog, gracie, Lion Brand, sweater 2 Comments »Gracie’s first sweater. Here is my M.O., before embarking on any project that requires measuring or knitting, I crochet a model. It is just a faster way for me to see what the pattern pieces need to look like. So, I found a free pattern to improvise on, this time from Lion Brand, and then I used different yarn and the wrong hook. I dunno why, that is just how I cook. Read the rest of this entry »
Dogs in Clothes?
Posted: December 4, 2011 Filed under: Dogstuff | Tags: formosan dog, gracie, hoody, Robert, sweater, taiwan dog 3 Comments »I have always insisted that I would never dress one of my dogs in clothing. Now I did dress my schnauzer in baby clothes when I was very young and she never seemed to mind but to take a dog out in public like that just seemed wrong. Fast forward to Gracie. Read the rest of this entry »
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted: November 23, 2011 Filed under: Calendar | Tags: Plymouth Rock, thanksgiving, United States Leave a comment »
Celebrate the harvest, the beauty of Autumn, celebrate gratitude!
What did you learn in grade-school? I learned that Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims , who wore tall hats, leggings and big gold buckles on their shoes. They were starving when they landed at Plymouth Rock and the local “Indians” taught them to place a dead fish into the ground with each corn seed that they intended to grow. The Pilgrims were so grateful that they invited the Indians to a harvest feast in late November and served turkey and pumpkin pie with a horn-of-plenty on their table as a center-piece.
Calling all Kepler College Students, past and present
Posted: November 13, 2011 Filed under: News 6 Comments »If you were ever a Kepler student, you probably remember me from Symposium. I was part of the Leo group, the sealions. I am currently an MA student at U. Wales, Trinity St. David and working on my research project for the term. I am interested in the responses of any Kepler College students, whether you completed a degree, or took only one class.
Graduation!
Query: Why would students entering a degree program choose astrology as a major, and why would those same students choose to study astrology within an academic degree program rather than to study practical astrology in a group with a single teacher or in a non-degree-granting program?
Your participation is confidential, responses will be stored and tabulated without any contact information attached. If you have any questions or would like to participate in an interview, email or call me at 206-459-6963. If you know any other Kepler students, please pass this along to them. >^..^< Thanks!
The convolutions of memory…
Posted: November 11, 2011 Filed under: News | Tags: Cardassian, Fantasia, Hermes, memory, music, Paul Dukas, Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Leave a comment »
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- Gul Dukat
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- Paul Dukas
I am amazed at the way memory works, or doesn’t as the case may be. I had a demonstration of how mine works today while I was driving to Weaving Works to pick up a part for my loom. A tune started up on the radio and I quickly recognized the Sorcerer’s Apprentice but then couldn’t remember who the composer was. I was pretty annoyed with myself since this is a pretty distinctive piece of music and an image of a Cardassian from Deep Space 9 kind of appeared in my head. Well, the first thing I thought was ‘no, it isn’t Alaimo‘, the actors name, but then thought, ‘Ah, the character is Gul Ducat and the composer, Paul Dukas.’
I gave thanks to Hermes and just sat amazed at how this stuff all just floats around on the old internal hard drive and surfaces when there is a connection to be made to some other piece of information, like the way I got an image that was actually a representation of sound, whew. I’ve spent the evening watching this clip from Fantasia and chuckling to myself about a Cardassian composing it. >^..^<
Declare war on procrastination!
Posted: November 6, 2011 Filed under: Coaching | Tags: Coaching, green, knitting, livescribe, procrastination, scarf, tools Leave a comment »I was really anxious about getting my research proposal written and I found myself starting projects, making up errands, anything to stay away from it. One of the projects I started was a really wild scarf knitted with 4 yarns held together. Another was the notes I made for myself. These helped me and I hope they help others. If you need help with the handwriting I can translate it for you 
Read the rest of this entry »
The FO!
Posted: November 1, 2011 Filed under: Spinning and weaving | Tags: boucle, gracie, red, scarf, scorpio, sock yarn, weaving 1 Comment »Finished Object, that is! I decided to finish it as a scarf. I usually think of a scarf as a large swatch, a good way to try out yarns, gauge, etc. and to test finishing. Well this is one is a keeper. Once I got it off of Scott long enough to wash and dry it, I could see that it didn’t need any other finishing. It is squishy and soft and has a nice hand. I think this fabric would make a very comfortable vest or jacket.
Lessons learned:
I love the raddle for warping.
I need real lease-sticks. The wood I am using worked fine for the cotton warp but is not smooth enough for sock yarn.
Be careful with your tension as you wind warp onto the warping reel. Sock yarn is stretchy and I’ll bet you could end up short if you would it tightly.
Beat gently and with an open shed. I had a lot of trouble with my selvedges in the beginning until I figured that out. The boucle acts like velcro and won’t slide in the shed at all.
I love my Baby Wolf!
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- Gracie thinks this is a boring hobby!
The Great Pumpkin
Posted: October 30, 2011 Filed under: Calendar | Tags: Cooking, Halloween, holiday, Home, Jack-o-Lantern, Martha Stewart, pumpkin, recipe, smoothie, Turnip, weaving 2 Comments »
The Farmer’s Almanac says that Pumpkin carving began with the Irish tradition of carving turnips. They would put candles in them and place them in windows to scare the ghosts away on the Hallowed Evening. When they moved to the US, they discovered the more plentiful, easier to carve pumpkin and the rest is history.
My Latest Project
Posted: October 27, 2011 Filed under: Spinning and weaving | Tags: Lion Brand, Loom, spider, weaving, yarn 1 Comment »I just started the new weaving project and it is beautiful, Robin picked a twill pattern for me and showed me how to tie up the treadles. You can’t really see the twill pattern unless you get really close (see pic) but it makes the fabric feel different than plain weave. I love the color and how supple the material is even before finishing. I had planned on a stole but maybe I’ll just get some more sock yarn and make the jacket out of Small Loom and Freeform Weaving since my width is just right.
Halloween!
Posted: October 26, 2011 Filed under: Calendar 1 Comment »
The traditional European festivals of Hallowe’en, Samhain, the Feast of the Dead and All Soul’s Eve’ are celebrated on or around October 31st in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, this is the seasonal equivalent of our May Day. Samhain, the hallowed eve’ (or Halloween) marks the true end of Summer and the beginning of Winter’s quarter of the year, the portion of the year dedicated to the night forces. Read the rest of this entry »
