Dye Verse UK

So what do I do whilst I wait….?

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:12:00 +0000

I am counting my blessings not moaning, but life is a bit of a struggle even for me here whilst we still wait for the ….”Judgment”.

Unfortunately most people that we have to deal with in daily life consider this a very elongated timeframe. Yep, we think so as well… and their world carries on and therefore ours must… well that was the angle most we have to deal with have taken with us until I have recently taken a position and stuck to it.

“Nope actually ours doesn’t have to. There is no decision that you need this minute in time to organise your lives that cannot wait for another week or two whilst we evaluate ours.”

It is interesting how much conflict arises when you take this point of view! Especially when you point out that is how you have been treated by said person/organisation all along this difficult route.

Also interesting how points of views change when you ask people to wait for your response and invite them to revisit their decisions before you take the time to think through your response. This is something I have been truly amazed at – the number of decisions which have been totally reversed without any input at all from me!

A friend of ours often uses the phrase “come back with the right answer” – what a wise man he has proven to be !!

I am also now buying myself the time to listen to my own thoughts which is proving very life-affirming. I have resumed study.

I loved studying – possibly because there was never time for study or school when I was a child, and was over 3/4 through my qualification in 2003 when I had to give it up, when work and study life combo became impossible – except with work-related subjects which were always quite easy to get my head around as I was around the conundrums on a daily basis.

Since then the points gained during such bizarre choices as ancient greek language, phylosophy and psychology have increased in value and now with the help of a few green stamps or tesco coupons I could finish the qualification – so I have glibly stated…

I must have been telepathetic - I couldn’t have more right.

Tescos wrote to me the other week to say I was losing £2.50 as I hadn’t spent my vouchers. I didn’t even realise that was what they had been sending me in the mailshots I chucked out. I signed on to the site, cashed in £65 worth, which became £195 in OU vouchers and I am now happily engrossed in a course in basic Law – covering elements of Toby’s future I was going to have to get to grips with, and no-one seemed to know where I could inform myself…didn’t in a million years consider this route…well this is a pleasant surprise…

Every little helps ……

“Weebles Wobble

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:48:00 +0000

but they don’t fall down” or so the old advert used to have us believe.

Blogging unfortunately has gone off the radar again during last week. Here am I, now on a Monday morning, desperately trying to find 10 minutes peace in my head, so I can work out what on earth happened to me last week, which challenges all my received knowledge and wisdom, file the important bits, park the emotional and totally unbelievable bits and just generally move on remembering the lovely bits…

So on the craft front…

Some beautiful spindle spinning – with wool from Mandacraft from the Fibreholics selections. Just completed this and now working on a beautiful pink and silk creation also from Fibreholics.

Just finished a couple of bags of rovings, dyed last year (or even the year before) as I try to clear my stash before dyeing any more when the weather improves. I was spinning whilst watching the Narnia films, and coincidentally the colours reflected the themes within the films.

Even though the photo of my spinning is not clear (poor light) I think you can see from the publicity still that they are quite close matches with the Dawn Treader and backlit sky.

This one, very much the blues of Prince Caspian and the Caspian seas. Unfortunately my camera filters colours, so what you see here is somewhat subtly altered, which is a bit of a shame, as I love the original colours very much.

I have been working on what to do about colour descriptions and with the aid of the Pantone colour chips, I am now going to start on communicating more clearly the colours within my projects. I have now linked up again with my HGA mentor and have some ideas about some exercises I could do whilst going about my everyday business.

I shall leave you with this thought…On Friday – desperately seeking some peace and quiet for at least an hour, with no interruptions – whilst on the fourth floor of a building… the above happened…

What on earth does a girl have to do to get any privacy? !!!

This weeble may wobble, but she won’t fall down…

Wish I had more days like these….

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:36:00 +0000

Well no – I really don’t want anyone else at my doorstep telling me I am selfish and self-centred because I won’t donate £20 a month to help someone who is disabled and struggling to leave their home …. duh?

I did point out in lots of kind words how this was inappropriate…and that he was not undertaking the job as a service to society… and then found myself trying to explain the big words…so gave up, with his threat to tell the neighbours ringing in my ears…

Don’t you just luv sponsored begging? I don’t…. and unfortunately big society seems to have luring a number of very self-serving individuals into a whole new lifestyle…

So what else have I done?

Well I have cleared my desk – as opposed to clean it. In other words the contents are now all over my bed – oh dear. Some have been filed, but I have sort of got distracted by the things that needed doing when I discovered that they needed doing.

So I have now yelled a lot at PC World about an offer they had on at Christmas and also the company the offer was made through – result £40.00 now back in my account instead of theirs.

Big kudos here to Evernote which I discovered through the Complex Weaving group, and on which I now store all my receipts and anything else which is virtual and vital to my existence, so I can actually find them when I need them, on whichever computer I am based at.

I have found all my course notes from last September, so have filed them. In those course note wallets I have found lots of pens and pencils which explains a lot… they are now back in the pots.

I have found a couple of tubes of paint… filed under their respective colourways – what was that about? !!!

and finally and most importantly I have discovered the mystery of the colours required for the HGA Certificate of Excellence. You would never believe how much grief and expense I have had to go to, to identify 7 colours from Pantone numbering….

But I got there in the end, with the aid of a second hand set from ebay and two iPod applications…So note to self, don’t bother with colleagues who have done the course, libraries or art schools in future – to use a phrase of Toby’s “they know nuffing….”

In fairness the colleagues who have done the course were in America, and there lies the rub – these references are easily available there, along with three-holed notefolders, unlike here…

Who says we speak the same language… I think Rex Harrison got the bones of the situation….!

and no this is not what my desk now looks like… I can though but dream….

Painting your own World…

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:33:00 +0000

On returning to my desk (perforce as the dust in the living room has now given me an asthma attack, so it is being “deep vacuumed” by an expert in domestic appliances” (or so he claims ….the stove is next on his list – well a girl has to have some perks when writing the To Do list? !!) ) I have found an Artists’ Water Colour tube of New Camboge very neatly filed in my To Do file of urgent Documents – guess that shows you where my mind has been for a while…!!!

The funny thing is I can remember very clearly why I needed it and why it has come from my art bag to the desk – shame I forgot to put it back….and the piece I was writing at the time – where is that? and …..

Well the list is endless….

A blessay alert…

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What Makes a Masterpiece was a programme which prompted my renaissance in my personal art this week… Very interesting and though-provoking series, unfortunately aired on More4 on a Sunday evening with no repeats on mainstream as yet planned, but have shared the link on Channel 4 which is there for a while.

I had a bit of a moment when watching it, as I now have more insight (I think) into some of Toby’s thoughts on art.

I have always been a bit mystified as to why he is so adamant that he enjoys watercolour painting, but is so resistant to acrylics. I had thought that it was something to do with getting messy (yep, even plain water can make someone messy it appears, but we overcame that!!). But recently it has been a lot more behind his protestations.

There has been an artist working at the Unit in Acrylics, and even though he enjoyed the formal class-like structure of the presentations and working within a group, he was and is still very resistant to using acrylics for enjoyment, creativity or expression. Why?

Toby is not usually this illogical… so prompted by the programme I have dissected what we do and how we approach the two subjects.

Watercolour – is us looking at the whole of the picture – a lot of planning – chatting, talking and generally sharing our points of view about the subject. Then starting from the lightest shades/tones in our respective painting trays (again prompting lots of discussion, testing, and general planning) we apply transparent and often luminous colours onto a usually white or pale surface. Our end pictures very often looks very different from each other and the original – but we love them and delight in our individuality. Some of them developed into very abstract pieces of colourwork that would not be out of place in a weaving…
Acrylic – is looking at the whole of the picture – again with lots of planning - and starting from the lightest shades/tones (background) applying opaque bright shades (sometimes mixed with water, or straight from the tube) onto a suitable surface and building up the colour in blocks until it resembles the picture you want to replicate. This is where the process differs, we inevitably struggle to deviate or control our own creative input. Our end pictures very often are similar and there is a sense of …. well not quite getting it right…

So?

The first needs planning and thinking through and delicate touch, the other still needs the same, but the process is not as permanent and mistakes/changes can be made by just overlaying with further acrylic.

Acrylic is a lot “flatter” and takes a practiced hand it apply it. We struggle to mix the range of very “loud” colours into more subtle shades.

A daub of watercolour in the wrong place, can send us off into all kinds of creative decisions as it suggests to our eye something unexpected. Acrylic – it becomes a bit of a problem until it is dry enough to deal with. Toby also likes the thinner/smaller brushes and watercolour washes for their own sake, whereas he finds the acrylic ones a lot more cumbersome.

The bonus with this daub approach to watercolour and suspension of our ideals of perfection is that our minds have to be open to creativity and adaption, making the best of whatever mark or colour appears – or otherwise we have to scrap a picture that otherwise is perfect – as we have enjoyed the process of making it (not the actual draughtsmanship… well in our eyes yes, but in that of a critical world… nope…) we would not wish to do that.

So we adapt, adjust our expectations, look for inspiration within the picture itself and make decisions about our little world in which we have come to love in the last few minutes.

All these decisions are made in a split second – as we are absorbed in our journey as we create our world on an A4 sheet of paper.

Above is Toby’s flower garden. What I see in this picture now two years on? – well I don’t actually see the contents but what I see – in my mind’s eye - is a fabulous afternoon, dissecting the garden and discussing problems and resolving them (of the paint and colour variety) – intimate time shared with my son, as clearly replying as if it is a video on UTube..

Just gone off to find mine, and whilst I thought I was a master in my own life time that particular day, it doesn’t even warrant showing here. With the benefit of distance and time I can see it is very poorly drafted and quite naive compared with Toby’s. Nobody would have ever believed that I spent time training to be an artist – or perhaps they would !!! – training very nearly destroyed all the purity of enjoyment in the action/reaction to subjects.

But I remember both the paintings as being perfect, and they serve now as a record of that afternoon and a memory prompt that will last forever – not something to be hung in a gallery for outsiders to guess at the circumstances of creativity - Now what is wrong in that? !!

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Reading back on this, I think I have explained our approach and thoughts very clumsily, so will work on a more fluent eloquent submission. The problem is the process itself, with the caveat of when we get it right is very pure and vibrant – the firing of the neurons telling you just when you have it right…

It is the neuron firing that you remember, not the dodgy lines, or slightly wrong perspective. It is the laughter and the dropping of the brush – not how clever you think you are in the perfect replication of the subject.

I also get that feeling when I write, when someone else does something which I have facilitated – I don’t need to “own” or be in charge… it is enough to just be present – when a painting works, or when some piece of craft blossoms into something which fits. The unveiling of the contents of a dyepot…

I even get that feeling when a column of figures adds up – how sad is that…

My neurons obviously work at problem solving.. not too much though.

Don’t even know why I feel I have to justify the beauty and pureness of what we do – well I do, but I am not going to share that here with you, as it says more about the environment and how the need to defend/protect arose, than it does about the way I and many others think.

The reason I am writing about it today, is I am quite sad that others cannot share in our joy in the process for the mere sake of it and want to change ours (and other’s) approaches, rather than look at their own… God forbid that there may be two or even more ways of doing something? !!

I am so glad I don’t live in their world… even if I can’t find my gamboge in mine !!

Spring has sprung?

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:33:00 +0000

What bizarre weather we are having – so much so yesterday I was out in shirt sleeves at 5pm watching the sunset – then I got cold and wondered why?!!

Had a funny sort of day yesterday, still can’t get anything done – and have to stop myself from trying to do too much when the waves of fog from my brain raise temporarily before it all descends and joined up thinking becomes something of the past.

Connectivity issues seem to be a problem here again at the moment. Hopefully the government plans will sort out Cullompton at some point and then I can stop wondering around looking for a signal at farm gates (!). There is some sort of metaphor here for a writer. I spent half my youth looking for a signal at farm gates with “DH” – the first time around… (dirty laugh follows….)

Mine cuts in and out (the WiFi signal, not sex life !!) on a regular basis and I am sat right on top of the router here, and have the latest technology. Down at the Merry Harriers, the local pub which still has character, panache and brill food… none of their card machines work consistently and John can be seen doing the “wiggle dance” in the doorway on many a night, which whilst highly entertaining and the stuff of folklore for future generations, shows how bad general connections and signals are! not a good vibe for a professional business, but it is fun and he does do the hip action with practiced aplomb of an entertainer…

So back to the knitting… thank you all so much for making such an effort to communicate with me. It has been brought to my attention that yet again commenting is an issue. I am so sorry. I have altered the settings again, and if all else fails

shani@dyeverse.org

will find me. You can also find this link on the contacts page. If you want your comment reposted to the blog, please say so, otherwise I will just answer you as best I can. But I do appreciate your interaction.

Back to knitting and the sock pattern…. no I did not make up the original pattern. It has been around in many guises for as many years as I and my mother and auntie before me. No I don’t know where it was originally published. Handknitted socks were the stuff of War I and War II knitting and you couldn’t pop down to a local store to buy some cheap nylon versions, so as kids we all had handknitted socks until the white ones became available (ugh).

On this return to sock knitting in about 2006/7 I used a basic pattern given free from Get Knitted when you buy their sock yarn. I have since found the same pattern given free elsewhere, in fact all over the place, with some difference in typo settings etc.

The one I found from Ravelry which looked fairly basic was Simple Sock Recipe, which I hope you can pick up if you are not a Ravelry member. (Ravelry is free remember, so please don’t feel reluctant about joining and you will find loads of people to help you if you are a newbie).

Otherwise try the local library or just google sock patterns, or try Sarah at the Spinning Weal… my short stop for everything..

When I next knit up a sock from the start, I will photograph it from the start and at various stages, and put it all together in a more readable pamphlet. From the photos I go this morning though, it seems that the two stars I was originally helping have now completed their first ones. So even though my description was longer than the original pattern !!! and very long winded, combined with everything we seem to have got there in the end.

Just reinforces to me though how much I do from memory and how difficult it is to write notes in or describe in another medium something you do instinctively or by rote. A bit like writing/drawing debate I suppose.

or photography one… here is Toby taking a picture of me taking a picture of him, on an afternoon which defied description. The weather, scenery and company were magical…

Amazing what can be achieved when you want it as badly as we have… thank you Adapted Vehicle Hire who so supportively stepped into to help when the motability vehicle became an impossible dream/nightmare (still being built and due to now be in the country at the end of January !).

To be told you can have something, but then the practicalities making it impossible, along with timescales which beggar belief…

Transport has changed our world and made so many things possible that just could not be done before… Just shame we had to sort it ourselves… no wonder I am stressed !!! – but so worth it…

for an hour we were normal again yesterday – as a family should be…

Ribbed Heel Flap….

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:02:00 +0000

“Phew….” (stage direction) strikes hand across forehead in dramatic flourish to wipe sweat off brow…

What did I start yesterday with my blog? I haven’t got a clue, but I have struck a chord obviously with a number of people, and thank you all for your kind comments and corrections..

I have knitted hundreds of socks over the last few years, whilst travelling back and forth – all of the started from a very basic pattern which I had given me with some sock yarn when I very first started making them again after a 20 year gap.

The original pattern was OK, but it was flawed in that it was quite difficult to knit and did not fit my feet, also the heels went very quickly, despite using specified sock yarn, so I developed a different type of flap – which I erroneously called Eye of Partridge yesterday.

Some of you very kindly pointed out to me that the ribbed heel on the socks in the picture, was in fact NOT Eye of Partridge as per the JPEG on the blog, but something totally different. Fine – happy with that – so what is it then? a Cushioned Rib of some sort which I am sure I have not invented.

But a number of people have asked me to give them details, I did in my ham-fisted short-hand way, and there has been a flurry of queries and questions to that.

So….. thought best write it down and thought it would be quite simple to convey in a couple of lines of instruction – but obviously blinkin well not !!

It seems there are many people in the world who are not sock knitters, because they don’t understand the patterns. I must admit I struggled…but not terribly sure that my long-hand written method is any the easier.

So…. thought might as well give the software a bit of whirl and here for your consideration is the charted version of my heel. I will have another go at my sock pattern with pictures when I am next knitting one, so hope this helps in the meantime.

My Methodology

Using you usual sock knitting method (mine is Cast On 60 using 2.5mm four dpn and knit patterns in the round to required length)

Knit 30 stitches onto one of your needles, and put the other on a spare short flexible needle to hold at the back of the work.

Follow the chart (below) knitting backwards and forwards now, not in the round, until Row 30 and you will find that it sets you up to shape the top of the heal which goes something like this:

Row 31: s1 p16 p2tog p1 turn
Row 32: s1 k5 ssk2tog k1 turn
Row 33: s1 p6 p2tog p1 turn
Row 34: s1 k7 ssk2tog k1 turn
Row 35: s1 p8 p2tog p1 turn
Row 36: s1 k9 ssk2tog k1 turn

This then sets you up using short rows continue decreasing one stitch in each row, increasing the distance between as above until you have 18 stitches on your needle.

This is then when you have to pick up the 15 stitches down the side of the flap to “turn” the heel.

You will find that there are now purl “bumps” down both sides of the flap, which act as a very neat ladder leaving guesswork to a minimum. Pick up the 15 stitches, place a marker, then pick up five from the flexible needle at the back of your work. Knit across the picked up stitches and then resume any pattern on the five stitches at the end of the row.

Place 20 stitches from the flexible needle back on to your dpn, pattern across these, and then place your last five stitches on another dpn, place a marker and then pick up the 15 stitches which are on the opposite side of the flap to match the first one.

You then need to continue knitting now again in the round.

You will now though need to decrease some of these stitches to get you back to your starting number and so you can knit the foot.

Knit to three stitches before the marker, K2 tog K1 and proceed in pattern until the next marker, K1, K2tog through back of stitches, continue.

The next round you knit without decreasing,

The next round decrease again.

At this point I place one of the stitches from each of the heel flaps onto the dpn needle carrying the heel stitches, and continue until I have:

1 Needle: 20 st
2 Needle: 10 st
3 Needle: 20 st
4 Needle:10 st

Then I distribute the stitches so that they are on three needles each of 20 st and continue with the foot (remembering to only pattern on the top, as underneath stockinette is more comfortable)

Oh and before anybody says anything, the white column in the middle is there because there is no stitch until you cast one on again in Row 30….

Much kudos to all you knitting pattern writers out there… I am off now to lie down in a darkened room for the rest of the day….

Some of what interests me….

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:36:00 +0000

This is the view from my window today, after about 2 pm that is… before you could not see anything and all the usual sounds of nature were muffled - as it was shrouded in mist. I will take a photo of that phenomena next time it occurs now I have the camera set up in the bedroom.

What you cannot see is the beautiful rabbits bopping around the field, along with occasionally being chased by the most beautiful two dogs you might ever wish to meet. They are terriers of some sort and they are adorable, particularly the smaller one, Amy – who seems to have taken a shine to me for whatever reasons !!

When the comes down, it is the strangest of feelings, you feel totally isolated and with no anchor points on the horizon, it feels very odd. The hills are literally shrouded in mist – hence the most accurate description I can think of.

It feels as I am writing as if I am sat in front of an enormous Hockney painting. There is always something different to focus my eyes on when I look up. How lucky am I… and that is what I keep reminding myself of, no matter what is going on around me. This is the reality of the respite of a couple of hours between meetings and the responsibilities of care.

I have to work really hard on keeping my mind on the task in hand and “in the moment” – If I start thinking about the indecisions and “reality” of my existence, I physically feel sick and the carefully constructed facade collapses.

The contrast of my life couldn’t be greater… on one side there is the joy and progress, and the other – just waiting…I certainly am learning patience if nothing else….

“regrets over yesterday and fear of tomorrow are twin thieves that rob us of the moment.” Amish Knitting Circle – Old World Xmas – V6 – Karen Anna Vogel

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So what am I up to – for me….

Sorting out the family knitting patterns. I am going to put together all the patterns I knit from memory, having had some of the passed down from my mother, aunties and others. I have started by sorting out some suitable software to make my world more about the knitting, rather than adding stress to it by generating more paperwork.

I am using Envisioknit for the charting elements, as recommended by Brenda Dayne of Cast On podcast. Having looked around for others, including the Knit Foundry which is used by some of my favourite designers, I decided that their costs far outweighed their ongoing use for me.

Knitting Software are the other programmers I use. I have used their sock pattern software very successfully for a number of years, as my wool is all over the place when it comes to gauge, this saves me a lot of grief.

I have discovered that the heel I use is Eye of Partridge…

But mine is with a little tweak, in that I decrease to 29 stitches on the needle and on the wrong side of the heel flap Sl1, K1, then purl to last 2 stitches, P1, K1.

On the right side, Sl1, K1, then commence the pattern with the Purl stitch… until you get to the last two stitches which should be K2.

This leaves me with a neat little ladder in which to pick up the flap stitches when I turn the heel. The bit I am stuck on though is what kind of heel I actually use.. there are so many names for them !!

After reaching the end of the 30 rows, Sl1 P17 P2tog Sl1, then turn and K5 K2tog tbl Sl1, then turn and Purl 6 stitches. etc.etc. increasing the amount I use on each short row, until I have finally reached 18 stitches (approx). Does anybody know what kind of heel this is called as there are a few to choose from – peasant, v, traditional etc.etc. ?

This is my current sock project, being knitted for Holly – christened California Sunset by Josh. I felt so badly about not finishing them for Christmas for her, with the help of some arthritis gel on my thumbs, I have got stuck in and am trying to finish them asap.

Apparently I have got the pattern just right at the moment – so feel I should actually write it down at this stage, so it doesn’t get lost when my descendants decide to knit at some point in the future.

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Some really interesting links at the moment….

Recycled Movie Costumes – all the recent interest in recycling, make do and mend, is not – contrary to popular perception newly discovered by eco enthusiasts. It has always been practised by the thrifty and those who are trying to create on a budget….

I loved this Site and would commend it to you. I have always been a continuity geek, and I can distinguish between the horses on Merlin where the filming is going on – the French horses have longer muzzles and more ornate saddlery. Back in the day when I was involved with TV set production and location work, continuity was all…. so it has sort of stuck with – especially if the storylines are a little dull !!!!

Pod Projects – WOW – Trevor Pitt who curated and commissioned the flock of benches project which came to (and was created in) Bristol, is involved as curator in this exhibition in Penrith. Some really innovative exhibits – particularly like the knitted engine and Celia Pym's fairisle jumper (harks back to the make do and mend philosophy).

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So these are the thoughts from my desk today, the view outside now is non-existent as darkness has fallen, and I have to go, as I am sure there are at least 6 games of UNO, along with the end of National Treasure II, waiting for me at the Unit…If only I could win one game, one day… ah but that is the stuff of dreams…

Happy Old Christmas….

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Just when you thought you were totally “feast dayed” out… there is one more you may have missed…

6th January, known to us as commonly as Twelfth Night, is in fact the Old Christmas Day…

So if you are still one of those who actually believes that Christmas Day is about the Celebration of Jesus Christ rather than a day of rest before venturing out to return all the unwanted stuff and take advantage of the Boxing Day Sales, this is welcome news.

It also explains something very deep within my psyche. I have always believed quite irrationally and against all arguments to the contrary that twelfth night is something to celebrate, and attach quite undue superstitious fervour to taking down the trimmings before.

I have never understood why I hold this belief as it is very contrary to my normal way of thinking – especially as I don’t actually celebrate Christmas as a Feast Day itself. So perhaps somewhere back in my dark distant family history I inherited this from those around me when I was small and every now and again catch a glimpse of magic in the dark and drab days which follow the removal of the tinsel.

So the fact behind the “feelings”

The Roman year was organized round the phases of the moon until old Julius Caesar realised (or rather all his advisers – astronomers, rather than MPs - did) that it wasn’t accurate . So it was changed to use the Sun as its starting point. Unfortunately this calendar (the Julian) overestimated the length of the year, and despite all kinds of negative easements, the calendar was 10 days out by the time Pope Gregory XIII got to grips with the problem in 1582. This new Gregorian calendar was adopted throughout Catholic Europe. (So this is where I probably unconsciously picked up the vibe – my folks were always resistant to change for changes sake…!).

Now as we all know the Protestants and the Catholics hardly historically agreed on anything, and being quite resistant to change stuck with their way of doing things, which effectively meant that Paris was a full 10 days behind London…

Now that would never do, especially with travel etc., opening up, so the Gregorian Calendar was adopted in the middle of the 18C across Europe.

So the date on which we celebrate Christmas now, is actually wrong and it should be 6th January, if you keep to the Roman way of thinking – and after all, Jesus was a Roman so it is only logical they would have know when he was born – eh?

Today the 6th is known as Epiphany (the word itself is worth looking up, meaning Vision of God) and apart from taking down the trimmings has been significantly unmarked for most of us without religious knowledge.

The only reason I even went looking for the info today, was because I am reading a fascinating fiction book about a group of Amish women, and they referred to new and old Christmas within that.

The book is published in Episodes, so if you buy the first one for 0.77p and decide you don’t like it, or it doesn’t work for you, you are not committed to buying the whole book. This appeals to me as I like to try before I buy and have found myself with a lot of nonesense on my iPad, and a lot of obstacles in my hallway and stairs I trip over, whilst I sort out what I really want to read.

I am thinking about undertaking a bit of an adventure down this episode pathway myself when I start back writing in the near future.

Anyway back to the stories. They are really well crafted and the characters and issues they are dealing with are growing on me. The authoress, Karen Ann Vogel, obviously has insight and personal experience of the community and I love all the little links and bits of knowledge that is included, such as traditional recipes and use of knitting looms.

Instead of trying to tackle a big project when I get myself back into the zone, I think I too will try some short stories with an underlying thread..

Back to my knitting and finishing my paintings…

and what are you up to?

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:16:00 +0000

….to one and all

How was your evening? Ours was very quiet… James Bond and Uno, followed by a blast from the past in the form of my meal… Coq au Vin and tomato juice. Not my usual way of seeing in the New Year, but one fitting I think for seeing out the year which goes down in the annals of our family history as the the one from hell.

To be fair it wasn’t all that bad. It just had to be borne, to get to the other side, if that sorts of makes sense. Decisions made, the circumstances of the accident poured over and re-written or rather the facts recycled and re-scripted depending on who read the judgment and wanted to read into it and use it for whatever purpose in their world.

This screenshot was of one of the many stories which found their way onto independent solicitor’s websites – despite the fact that it was totally untrue !!! But hey why let facts get in the way of a bit of marketing. I print it here merely as a warning to others not to use these companies if they are in need of serious help after an accident.

So – moving on 2012 hopefully will give us some resolution and I can start thinking about restarting my life again. I found during 2011 it was totally impossible to keep everything going, and I just ended up having to accept I was only human after all, and do what I could do, and accept defeat in other areas.

This made me sad, as my writing, painting, music and textiles are all part of “me” and make me the robust and rounded character that I am. You take any part of that away and I become destabilised and unable to make sense of the often bizarre world around me.

Watching a programme about the Amish culture though has shown me a bit of way back. I know the culture has become romanticised in modern 21st Century world, the myth of a perfect lifestyle supported by the film with Harrison Ford in a few years ago. Like every culture I suspect they have their ups/downs and problems (recently there was a horrific story of a 15 year old shot dead by accident), but there is something about their values and their way of living which chimes with my values. I love their quilts and their uniform clothing. Everybody no matter who their status is wears the same/similar styles and are cautioned and guided to be plain, modest and community guided as they go about their business.

The idea of living simply and considering others is a really good one for me. Not sure how that fits in though with my stash of fibres/textiles etc., and my gadgets (I so love my iPad) but I do only have a handful of clothes to my name and I have only two pairs of shoes, the hat thing would sort out my dodgy hairstyle, and I do try to consider the impact on others and take into account other’s feelings and systems which could be changed for improvement, when dealing with our issues.

All very much work in progress as I rewrite my personal manifesto in 2012!

So what am I up to this afternoon?

I came across this top when watching one of the late night programmes about where somebody comes from – “Who do you think you are?” - America This was one of the Judd sisters. I loved this shawl, which seems to be more shaped than my favoured patterns, so I am going to have a bit of think about designing one using my oddments and giving it a collar and a bit more shaping.

If anybody knows of a pattern out there in the ether already, please let me know, will save me some head scratching and I can get on with it.

Off now to carry on with my Waterfall Cardigan. I am almost at the end of the second side, but having had a look at the handspun pile, will probably not have enough to finish without more spinning.

I have struggled with my knitting for months now, not wanting to confess that I was getting incredible pain in my thumbs, and feeling very much of a wuzz about this, as well as everything else. Every time I knitted a few rows I was starting to feel very mortal, and just didn’t want to be reminded of loosing the solace and quietness of a hobby I love, as well as everything else.

Strangely though a conversation with someone from ATOS of all places, spurred me on to sort this out. She was admiring my jumper at a recent medical and I felt quite sad that the jumper which gives me so much solace and comfort, having been knitted during the early times after Toby’s accident, was probably not going to be reprised. When I asked the lady if she was a knitter, she said she was but had had to stop due to pain in her hands.

What I shame I thought and ….then the old me came out of the woodwork – the one which won’t be defeated !! - and I went and had a root through DH’s medical box – there is a cure for everything in there I am sure – and I found some gel which soothes arthritis – ok it was well out of date and the cap needed wrenching off with pliers… but I have been using this now for a couple of weeks and the pain is now eased, enough to enable the finishing off of Josh’s socks and get on with the waterfall.

So these are the thoughts from my desk on New Year Day- Well not really my desk, the fold-down one which we use in Toby’s room for Uno, which now is needed to be returned to its owner…

Hope you have all had a good day, and best wishes once again…

Another Day Done…

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:11:00 +0000

Thanks to you all for your lovely comments and observations on this morning’s post.

Between you I have at least another four characters – enough to make a small book of short stories me thinks… Project for the New Year.

In the meantime, I have got stuck in and stopped worrying/moaning about the accounts and how they have got a little out of control with all the upheaval over the last few months!!

So mind cleared, and sat quietly in Tob’s room, supping a cup of tea and enjoying a Bond film, I am reflecting on current knitting projects.

My Waterfall Cardigan is well under way. The pattern is from Simply Knitting, August 2011.

I found myself spinning this gorgeous wool from rovings prepared by World of Wool, Phoenix. I found it by accident through the Spinning Weal, when I managed to forget to bring anything to spin with my spinning wheel over the Easter holidays. Duh?!! Then I gradually built up my stash everytime I bumped into them over the Guild Exhibition Seasons.

As an aside, just going onto the World of Wool website, I see they have produced a calendar of featured artists from the past year, and I am on there !!! Miss February… oooh ahhh…

I feel very humbled because there are some amazing talents featured – I love the felted pictures…

If you are a member of the IFA there is an extra 10% off (but have to confess that tracking down the code totally defeated me this evening despite being a member !), and there is a donation to an excellent charitable cause for every calendar sold.

So back to the work in progress. I am at the point of finishing off the second side which is knitted sideways and then hopefully I have already spun enough to finish the sleeves, if not – well another excuse to visit the shop.

The other project which I was trying to finish was Josh's Crimbo Socks. This was truly a miracle. I started knitting them on the train up to the Court Hearing at the end of November, and despite all the chaos around me managed to finish Xmas Eve.

I was in a lot of pain by then, my thumbs have been playing up, but with some ideas from friends I was able to use some gel to soothe the pain, and was able to get them finished, despite having flu as well !!

I have forgotten what the wool was, but will add that next time I am at the computer.

So the Bond film has finished, it is now 9.10 pm and I am pooped.

All that is left for me to say is….

Bonne année et bonne santé

to one and all, lets hope 2012 brings a little more stability to our world than 2011, but I do realise that 2011 was something that had to be endured to get an answer…

Oh and here is another one of toby’s amazing pottery pieces…reminded me of something out of Stargate.. very Egyptian Anubis vibe…

IMHO

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:11:00 +0000

In my humble opinion, blogging is an interesting and worthwhile past time, when used sensibly…

I love blogging, in that it serves a few functions for me…

a) Keeps me in touch with friends and relatives who with the best will in the world I cannot speak or visit with on a regular basis;

b) allows me to organise my thoughts and creative world in a way that writing on a blank sheet of A4 or a document in word doesn’t;

c) blogging is an interactive past time for me, in that I also follow other blogs and get all kinds of inspiration, confidence in my own thoughts and opinions, ideas and interests/involvement in my various fields of study and personal growth;

d) helps me part of a community that isn’t possible within the physical world as rarely are all my friends in one place at one time.. if ever;

e) and when I am working it showcases and offers a peek into my production process.

Where blogging goes a bit tiddles up is when others interpret my words in contexts they are not intended or within a different framework that the post was written in. It can take me days to write one blog post – which in the real world is not an acceptable work rate. Also blogging can sometimes overtake the actual “doing” part of my creative psyche and it is actually important sometimes to not be sat at the computer, but doing something physical instead.

More and more of this was happening over the past few months, so I have got into the habit of not blogging, and then have – horror of all horrors - drifted into the habit of not writing… and then it all becomes cyclical when the thoughts end up going around and round my head, rather than outpourings into the…. well where ever my random thoughts go when they leave my computer…

But this morning I felt the urge to blog and share with you my random thought experiment.

I feel at this moment in time as if I am in the “eye” of the storm. This holiday season has been strangely surreal. For once I have welcomed the absence of communication as this has meant the absence of worry or concern about receiving news which will affect the rest of my life and those closest to me.

I am quite stoic about the news, just don’t know what I would do with it, quite at the moment with Britain being shut down for the festive season. Apart from the shops and car parks and public houses and……

Curiously though something else has happened to my personae - I haven’t been my habitual ebullient and somewhat snarky self, fending off all well wishers with a “bah humbug” and attempting to place myself in a state of grace that allows me to suspend realities of social convention and accept that it is quite normal for various humans inhabiting the world around me to behave like eejits and therefore disregard their aberrations as linked with seasonal insanity disorder (SID instead of SAD).

Instead I have been sitting outside of myself, mostly knitting (or facilitating the Tobster as he goes about his seasonal travelling), watching others still behaving in this manner. What is different this year is that instead of pointing out the error of their ways and asking them to desist in my presence, or more usually removing myself from their orbit – I have just watched and “harvested” some of the most bizarre and comical moments – well what is one to do without Morecombe and Wise, with only Eastenders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street to keep me anchored in reality….? (mental note to check fire alarms, and that the first aid kit contains necessaries for unexpected deliveries..).

When I woke at stupid o’clock this morning with the reprise of yesterday’s vicious words, needs and demands, floating around my head, and the vile meal that we had eaten last night also repeating on me. I really was at a loss as to how to deal with the situation and so then I went off on a bit of thought experiment…

I concluded:

No wonder the waitress tried to clear the evidence of the crime before we had finished eating! (honestly – DH was mid mouthful as the plate was being whisked away !!!). She obviously wasn’t used to recognising empty plates – others were being returned having not even been touched. In our defence we hadn’t lost our taste buds, we were just desperate for some quiet time and driven by the need to refuel.

Even though I was cross at the time - It really struck me how the tightening economy has an upside – can’t see the near empty pub surviving the current economic hardships, as well as some of those we are unfortunately have to deal with, as we go about our daily business, remaining employed.

Also there is hope for my cooking…

I reluctantly have to accept that there is nothing I can do or say anymore to convince some that I really do have a philosophy of living and have boundaries that are sacrosanct.

Nothing, nada, will ever make me change my mind or approach on a couple of key issues – so bloody well stop trying. It is not your job to “change” me or mine to replicate you and yours. I do not disrespect you, but the tolerance of disrespect of mine is coming to an end.

Finally, most importantly of all – the realisation that no material/experience is ever wasted.

Have you ever noticed how successful characterisations are often reused time and time again? If you haven’t consciously, try watching Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill back to back. You will see similar characteristics reprised and rewritten.

So perhaps this is what defines my idea of a good film – one totally re-watchable as there are familiar characters and plot lines I can identify with whatever my state of humour. Familiar enough to be entertaining when watched, but distant enough as I don’t have to interact with the characterisations.

This is a bit like what has happened this holiday season. I have only interacted with those I really have had to – because I actually wanted to. The rest I have managed to steer well clear of, as they go about their parallel universal way of working and thinking.

---------------------

I have taken this thought experiment and played with it for a few more hours this morning after writing the above - and I am wondering if I have hit on what has behind my writing/craft block this year. The realisation that I had recycled my favourite characters and processes to exhaustion – with very little private quiet thinking time available to me anymore and being endemically too tired/overwrought/depressed/worried (delete as appropriate) to actively find the energy to replenish the stock.

Hadn’t occurred to me, that actually I could do nothing and just let it all come to me !

With my pragmatic head on….

I shall never be short of a stereotypical comically absurd character again….simples…

Then I can free my mind to create colour, joy and warmth with my textiles and then… the possibilities are endless.

I have a feeling I am going to enjoy this coming writing year as I plot and orchestrate some fun with my cast of absurd characters – as they interact with some of my more delightful humane ones – based on those whom I am blessed to know in real life as friends and family.

Will you recognise yourself? I wonder….

What I really should be doing……?

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:05:00 +0000

Is everything that I am not !! Short and simple answer to that rhetoric question.

I have been on a bit of a downer over the last few weeks after getting back from Court. With a grandiose sweep of my hands and extravagant head gestures – I declare that everybody it seems wants a piece of me, and there is absolutely nothing more to give.

Nada, all done – emotionally bankrupt. Six years of working horrendous hours just to get everything done has taken its toll.

We won’t know what is happening with the Court Case until early in the New Year. I therefore have to keep on functioning – which is what I should be doing – cuz it seems that it is assumed that I am the only one who is not affected by the continuing economic crush which is upon us.

The clock continues turning, the night follows day. Christmas is nearly upon us, with all the attached staff holidays and closures etc.– but there are appointments which still have to be attended and somehow we have to get ourselves and our loved ones to them..

So major inconvenience, but it is OK, we can sort it….

I am a “cup half full sort of gal”

But now it seems that this outward show of stiff upper lip and straight back is, I fear being misconstrued as my coping well. As against who? what benchmarks are we considering here? Anybody else been through what I have in the last month? stick their hands up.

I guess there are many who have been through similar in their lives and they have my empathy – I am certainly not alone. But trust me – what has gone down in the last month beggars belief in the 21st Century Britain that I thought I lived in.

I think what I have been through particularly in the last few months is exceptional circumstances as defined by – well anybody….? Let’s wait and see.

So as there is naff all on TV – I have socks to knit and poor evening light – and still can’t sleep I thought I would get stuck into my family tree again.

And look what I found… 2 x Great Grandfather was a wool dyer – now who would have guessed that?

So I would highly commend Family Tree Week (26th December – Start of January) to all those who can’t cope any more with reality TV and endless adverts..

That really would be the final straw for me….

Trying to find the end of the thread

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:11:00 +0000

Morning one and all… most of you will be at your desks, or workstations reading this – one or two of you will be on holiday or have a “duvet day”.

I think duvet days are underestimated and misinterpreted in my humble opinion – one duvet day + guilt = a month or two of dedicated presence in the workplace, rather than just showing up and ticking the days off until your next holiday – often filling the void (which your employer is paying you for) by chatting and just moving paper around the desk – like “washing” your pack of playing cards.

– the rest of you…

– I don’t know – tell me !! I love to hear from you.

What I do know is a lot of people read this blog, and they are regular readers – even checking when there are no blog posts that I am around – so something I am writing here is interesting you (apart from the Court Case and my life which is a little like car crash TV – I know !) – So please let me know what it is.. and then I will write more in the areas you are interested in.

A lot of what I am told interests people in reading blogs are they are a source of motivation - sometimes I have to be motivated as well, and at the moment more than ever…

So what am I up to today. Well I am writing this blog to get myself back into some sort of routine which involves being/doing productive and craftsmanship thinking, rather than the cyclical round of paperwork, picking up mistakes, paperwork, thinking about, paperwork, wondering where my day goes, paperwork. This and the organisation which is producing it is acting a little like a sea anchor and taking me under.

As many of you know I have suffered acute stress this year, and it is no wonder. There is only so long the psyche can keep being battered, but our darling DWP have really excelled themselves this time.

They seem to have forgotten the humanity of what they are asking and doing – last week is a prime example I have no intentions of discussing here, but am thankful I am not the kind of gal who would just walk out of her life without an argument…and I would urge all of you also affected by the double/triple whammy of filling in forms not just for themselves but the others they care for to point this out – in writing to their local office – as well….

Wish I could have a duvet day from having to deal with that mess….

So I have decided instead of just succumbing to it, I am going to get stuck in and focus on something which is more like the real me… so weaving, spinning, dyeing, painting, living, laughing, satirical humour…oh and a bit of paperwork – I love accounts and writing fiction….

Did I mention knitting and weaving and spinning……

Those were the dayz – clouds of beautiful textured yarn produced because I could not because I had to.

Dyeing because I wanted to and not because I had to….

So that is going to be where I am aiming for over the next few weeks, whilst we wait for answers and hopefully resolutions.

In the meantime, off to fill in some forms, number the petty cash receipts, work out how to get some equipment which is needed, oh and do some ‘nitting…

Hi Everyone…

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:35:00 +0000

Thank you all so much for the lovely emails and comments of support that you have sent through to me.

For those who are not aware of what has been happening, we have had a Hearing in the High Court before the Court of Appeal in Toby’s case.

Toby was knocked of his cycle on his way home on the 28th November, when he was 16 by a young driver (17), who had only recently passed his test and was out for the first time in his mother’s automatic car - having only had a very small amount of practice in an automatic car – having customarily driven one with a manual gear box.

These are the only facts we know for certain.

It would not be right for me to comment about what has taken place during that Hearing, but I can confirm that it was incredibly harrowing, especially as it fell on the 6th Anniversary of the Accident.

I can also confirm that the outcome of the Defendant’s appeal won’t be known for a while. It is an incredibly complicated case and the many factors which arose during the Hearing are going to take some time to be sifted through – which is only right and proper.

But in the meantime, the awful wait continues and life seems to have come to a standstill.

We do though have Toby with us – despite his horrific injuries and we comfort ourselves with that amazing miracle.

I would just like to thank you all though – as it is your prayers and support which have kept both me and our family going – thank you – appreciated.

On the up side, Holly was stood next to Charlotte Church whilst we waited to go in – not all bad eh? !!

Saturday Morning Waving…

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:47:00 +0000

Hi taking five minutes this morning to sort out my virtual desk – work out why I can’t listen to podcasts on my iPad – sort out things which should have been done and get things generally in order.

We are away next week and I didn’t want to leave anything outstanding that didn’t need to be…

and then I discovered….well you can see from the previous post –

gnash, wail, moan, head in hands –

where my time has gone this morning.

So sorry guys – very brief update as follows:

Knitting – yep I am still doing some and eldest son has requested socks – two pairs of – for christmas – so on the case.

Rest of my crafts – well my spinning wheel is lurking in the car and giving me the odd nudge every now and again as it falls out on my toes. The weaving is now off the warping board – but no more has been done.

I am trying to be in four places at one time and not getting anywhere at all…

but have decided I want one of these….

It is a bike, which can be operated as an off-road mountain bike for disabled users… how cool is that…..

More details to follow and in the meantime – look at smug Toby trying it out…

Contact….Is anybody out there…?

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:31:00 +0000

The frustrations of living in all sorts of places are finally getting to me. I had been quite resigned to having to sort out a physical post address in the future, look at perhaps a PO box – or try to find some friendly person who would allow my letters to be forwarded to them – depending on our itinerary in any given week.

But had concluded this was one problem too many, and anyway, anyone who wanted to find me could do so through email – and if the correspondence was urgent enough it could be forwarded that way…

Aaah what a comforting thought that was, until this morning – when I discovered that all my emails for DyeVerse had not been forwarded as I had thought they had been, but were either languishing in the spam box or worse still deleted.

What I hadn’t realised was the gmail, who I route post through had changed all their settings, and ever lovely AOL – which had I had always known operated a census situation – ie not all emails even get to the spam box, now treated the forwarding as a spam.

Because I get so many emails I hadn’t noticed this and I am feeling awful about all the lovely emails I have discovered this morning, that have received no response from me..

I am also really frustrated about all the emails though from people who wanted to speak to me about future business projects. Thankfully some had realised that I usually respond – others have not come back to me, and there are some where the emails are not able to be responded to.

So if you have contacted me for any reason at all in the last six months and had no response at all – and you should have done…. please try again ? !!

I have sorted out the mail boxes now, so they come straight through to me without being forwarded.

and I have made it easy for you, just scan in the QR code above..

Leatherwork

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:42:00 +0000

Moving swiftly on, I have taken up doing a little bit of leather. No I am not out to cramp Odin’s style…. I just wanted to understand how it all worked…

As you can see I am very novice and will be at this… like the mark making and effects though.. so shall continue playing….

Back to me nittin…. me thinks…

Finally Time to Write a Post…

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:39:00 +0000

or subtitled… Needs, Wants and Demands…

Thank you all so much for some really lovely emails over the last week or so. I haven’t had time to write back individually, or even write a blog post of thanks without interruption (I have three started but once I walk away from the moment, I lose the momentum of what I am doing and it is difficult to get back to), but I do want you all to realise just how much your kindness and support are helping me and the family at the moment.

Just to clarify though, nothing is really wrong at the moment, life is just incredibly complicated and every time I find the time to sit down at the computer it seems to be to fill in a form, or letter of complaint, email joining up some dots. (I have just remembered that there were three urgent – as in they really are urgent and will hold up stuff this week - emails whilst I am writing this, so have broken off to do them.)

Ironically, I now feel better that I have got those out of the way…. instead of frustrated that I have had to do them at all. I suppose it is all just becoming too much.

Thank you also for those who have written or left messages with needs, wants and demands, who seem totally oblivious to what is going on in my world, unless it is to consider how it will impact on theirs !!! Well done…..

So what am I up to at the moment in my craft life…?

Not sure really, and that is probably why I am writing this post. I have so many projects, which have been planned, all the background work done and on the back burner at present. But as I don’t really have time to start and finish them within the enforced time slots that I have, they are just there, adding to my sense of frustrating and stress, awaiting for me to get back to them!

I have a new gizmo which I hope will help. I bought myself a LifeScribe pen, which means that I can keep notes of lectures both recorded and written. I am attaching an excerpt from one of the talks on Saturday, which I hope will work well enough for you to play with and see some of the potential it holds for me.

Shani's Pen
brought to you by Livescribe

You may be able to hear the scratching noise, which annoyed me as well, but I have found a work around to this with some headphones.

Oh here are some pictures from the day. I hope nobody minds that I have placed them here. Jane Lewis (top left) gave a talk on the Guild Committee. I have no wish to be unkind, but even on listening through the talk again, whilst I played with my Gizmo… I came away with distinct impressions which I list in no particular order (too much Strictly and X-Factor…!):-

1.It is all based in London and a terrible chore to get to and get involved in the committee

2. It is all based in London and therefore very…… historic and important…

3. It was created in London…. etc.etc.etc.

4. Oh and Jane lived in London…

In fact apart from a lovely picture of William Morris’ bottom… (demonstrating that Shakespeare was writing from life no doubt when naming the weaving character in Midsummer’s Nights Dream Bottom). I am not quite sure what I took away from the talk at all apart from it doesn’t really have any impact or influence at all on what I am doing, so not sure why I belong?

The individual Guild Groups have their moment of brightness and I do get a lot out of the talks, along with the Online Guild, whose demos really consolidate my learning – along with the Journal. I just struggle with joining up the dots as to why on earth I would vaguely want to spend any time at all in self-less commitment to something or some one - which is based and revolves around…. you got it – London !!

I get that there needs to be organisation and we each have to play our part – just don’t understand how what was said on Saturday, cascades down to the realities of my daily existence..

Shame, but as a recruitment campaign – it really failed to get the point of across – whatever that point may have been.

Unlike the lovely talk which followed by Amanda – regarding the Certificate of Achievement. Some lovely ideas and inspiration. But discovered that the Certificate – apart from the dubious honour of having your name and score quoted – doesn’t appear to have any “worth” outside of the Guild.

A bit like our crafts in general…. shame eh….

But in the montage you will also see the most fabulous Wheel, with the proud owner – Tracey. I am led to believe there is a twin sat in the Spinning Weal shop window…

Wow… now that is a craft and worth I see a point in….

Morning “Me arty’s”

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:27:00 +0000

I am having a funny old Monday morning here, back at the homestead – nicknamed the Windy Hill Farm Homestead by myself, and “The House with the Door handle where Midget Mum Dangled from” by the Great T.

This is a blog post where craft is unfortunately not mentioned – not because I haven’t been doing any, but because I have run out of time to include it…

So back to the name of the venue…

Not sure whether I told you why the farm building became dubbed with this title. When Great T came to visit, he was sat in the car, whilst B and the lady who owns the farm were talking. I had taken the opportunity to go inside and put down some heavy bags. As I came out I tripped over the step, stumbled on the shoe grid, tripped backwards over the rock-fenced flower border and instinctively tried to steady myself with the only thing to hand - the door handle. I realised if I should let go then I would fall backwards squashing all the lovely flowers, and I really didn’t want to get banned from the venue so early in our relationship - so just held on as firmly as I could – dangling a little off the ground - hoping B would spot my predicament. He didn’t….

T did though and he, realising this was rapidly becoming an emergency in which his mother was either going to hurt herself, or embarrass him further, tried to attract his father’s attention – in vain though… you can’t stop B once he is in his “narrative flow”. Thankfully by now I had regained my balance – if not my dignity – and had righted myself to see an hysterical T in the car guffawing for all he was worth and B having finished his tale wondering what all the mirth was about.

Ah bless… all’s well that ends well….

Unlike Downtown Abbey…what on earth am I going to do now I do not have a purpose and a reason for Sunday nights? I know, I could make my way back as quickly as possible to find out who cannot sing, or dance – I have my choice of channel - which would be more fun if they just swapped the criteria over – we know Lulu could sing, why not stick her on the X-Factor and then Johnny – who we know can dance from his staging and delivery of Kylie numbers - would pop over to the dancing gig…

But I think I have lost some thing here in the translation regarding Downtown… all my serious writer buddies are rather disparaging of the series and wonder if some of the actors/actresses are playing for laughs.. I was following the twitter stream last night and it was rather pompous to say the least…and I haven’t got a clue why. Am I missing something?

I KNEW and KNOW people like these characters today. The only difference is they tend to dress up in pearls and tweeds now, not long dresses and top hats. But that said I was invited to do a bio of someone not a million miles from where I am staying at present only a few years ago and she was dressed up in a beautiful lace long dress – albeit moths had re-designed some of the lacework, so it was difficult to see in places where the holes were intentional or not – when I turned up to visit.

She was an engaging and intoxicating character – not unlike that played by the Grand Dame in Downturn Abbey. She was certainly not someone you would laugh at – but was a person very happy to be laughed with and was happy to mock herself.

Perhaps some of our more “learned” writers who know about these things could engage a little more with the general consensus of the viewing public. “Appointment TV” (which it was grandly dubbed by a reviewer, full of self- import and pomposity, and new dodgy hair streaks – as you could tell by the absence of Root Factor) which had really good viewing figures –v- manuscripts and tutoring which might or might not bring in a sheckle – I know which I would rather put my time and efforts into !!! and my name.

Oh what a lament… off to have my roots streaked…or was that my hair stroked……?

We are fine….

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:17:00 +0000

Quick message this morning for those concerned about us, knowing our itinerary, after hearing about last night’s massive accident on the M5. We are totally fine.

We left Cullompton last night and were on our way home, but by the time we got to Tiverton the conditions were very wet and very foggy. We could see traffic was very heavy on the motorway, so we took the decision to pull off and book into a local hotel.

We booked in at 8pm – the accident happened at 8.30pm – 30 minutes from where we were.

We consider ourselves to be very VERY lucky – we would have either missed the incident by moments, or been caught up in the aftermath – or even worst still caught up in the accident itself…

But – it has to be said the driving conditions last night were appalling – so we considered it common sense not to push on needlessly – not second sight or fluke of luck. We were very tired it has been a long week.

Our thoughts, sympathies and prayers are with those who are involved and those who witnessed and will have to live with those memories.

Felting and Paper Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:14:00 +0000

I have not had time to keep this blog up to date over the last few months, and the only way I can describe the input is along the lines of when I have time to hot desk..

Thanks for all your enquiries regarding T and the support for other things which are going on in our life.. appreciated.

So inbetween researching potential comedy scripts, and referring Greek Dramas, where all the action is off stage and so half the fun is lost… I have been attending…

an IFA Masterclass last Saturday…

Chris Lines was our tutor and an excellent and thought provoking day was had.

It is a little difficult to see what I get up to here, but basically we created some prefelt using contrasting colours and some interesting materials, and then cut pieces out of them, turned them over (in my case) and then refelted them on some more pre-felt. Well that was the idea but I had lost the plot at this point and so when I retrieved my test pieces cut some corners in the whole process and put my pre-felts on some handy black commercial prefelt I had to hand. I love being a rebel…

The day continued… and then we had to felt some pre-felts onto some scrim, so I did…

Not the greatest of masterpieces, but I think you get the drift… and with only three prefelts and it was fun “borrowing” bits and pieces from the collected ensemble of fibre addicts to build my rather bizarre landscape….

I can see so many possibilities though for these techniques being applied to my own work though, so I see many happy hours of experimentation before me I suspect, but do not think I am every destined to be an expert….

Then later this week, I took the opportunity to go to a papermaking workshop and am so pleased I did.

This was my mobile, in it’s wet and painted state – goodness knows if it will ever be a mobile in the definition of the word.. and my paper somewhat delaminated before I even got home, but I had a very good time, learned some new techniques and reinforced a learning point I already knew… not good with fragility…..and I take this point back into my living world…

Waving from Windy Hills

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:08:00 +0000

Hi everyone… finally back on line with a little more permanency than of late. My trustee little laptop which was over 10 years of old and getting cranky it has to be said with intermittent internet connection etc., finally gave up the ghost. To be fair - it did resurrect itself long enough to let me place the on-line order with PC world – and then died never to awake.

Thankfully I have got into the habit of late of backing up important documents and files to a CD disc, so nothing desperately was lost, but I miss my little friend, and my bingo wings will re-emerge now I don’t have to carry it from a-b. The new one (Red Devil..a red Dell) is a lot lighter and thinner.

Talking about losing weight, we had concluded that staying so often in hotels and feeling obliged therefore to eat breakfast (well it was incredibly good) – which then often merged into lunch – was not doing a lot either for our fitness or our psychi. With Summer over, the traffic is still horrendous on the M5, roadworks have brought the area to a total standstill over the last few weeks, we desperately needed to put some routes down. So have managed to locate a nearby holiday cottage who are happy for us to occupy, as needed, during the winter.

This is the view from the window… and when I am lonely or homesick all I have to do is go outside the front door and there are two munching-machines who are quite happy to listen to my troubles without complaint – failing that there are some super piglets.

I am nuckling down to get on top of all the stuff which has been building up whilst I wasn’t looking.

That said… hey ho and move on. I have spent the week dedicatedly and without distraction getting all the spread sheets up to speed (well after, I took a deep breathe, emptied my pockets, and I went and bought the programme that I should have bought with hindsight two years ago….so much for penny pinching!) and now I have lost the will to live.

So what am I up to now?

Just been on a Tapestry Workshop taken by Pat Johns which was amazing. Will write more about this. I have decided that not having written up anything about the courses which are contributing to my continuing professional development (ooh get me….!), I will start dedicated Workshop page and then you can link back and forth commenting and following my craft trail.
Getting stuck in and finishing off all the stuff – such as consolidating all the random bits of paper/receipts and various To Do lists - which have been giving me unnecessary nightmares and really should be all up to date really – I have no excuse now
Case Managing Toby’s day2day needs which are a minefield!
Getting on with my knitting – it is COLD……
Consolidating all my spinning and stash piles – placing them in tapestry, felting, knitting and weaving piles.
Then getting on with the weaving which is still warped up and just waiting for action.

That sounds suspiciously like a plan….

Monday Morning Ponderings

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:03:00 +0000

Sat here, listening to some pseudo classical music in the background complimenting the gentle snoring of B - with the cool refreshing breeze bringing smells upon it through the window – the frame being held within walls a couple of feet thick – so consequently protective against the heat of the day. You can just about see my view here…

“Here” I should explain being some self-contained accommodation within a delightful farm we have found purely by accident when we realised we could not find any accommodation last week when needing to visit Tobs… I am therefore taking the moment and using the bubble of breathing space to ponder.

I am pondering because my usual clear-cut nature of making decisions has totally deserted me and I am at a loss as how to write about some recent events. I need to write them up for my CPD, also to try to extract the positives from the negatives..

It is purely confusion that has rendered me unable to comment nothing dramatic or earth-shattering…the conflicting nature of the experiences has given me real cause to think as I am totally divided about which way I should respond. So perhaps if I share you can offer your thoughts…

So my query is:

In the setting of a residential educational setting such as Urchfont, Dillington etc – should the course content , or the setting (experience) take precedent – discuss….?

Business or Craft…..? From the Postbag

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:36:00 +0000

Just waiting for my clothes to dry so I can pack them and be gone again…. watching paint dry is more interesting than my knickers in the tumble dryer… so thought I would blog instead.

The constant cry from the family is that I spend more time on the computer than I do in “real space”. My defence, carefully constructed, tried and tested is that I do so much at the computer – ie produce accounts, stories, administration, design, sort out plans etc. and I rarely spend time “playing” – Ravelry and blogging doesn’t count as playing does it?

I also tend to use time at the computer to “think”.

It has been universally acknowledged that I am best not disturbed whilst apparently - in the eye of the beholder - doing nothing but staring at the screen. The memorable rant one Christmas as I spent the whole day delightfully, productively and enjoyably building a web site, is still in living memory.

Just as I was about to publish I was distracted by a command inconsiderately bellowed up the stairs – distracted I stupidly pressed the delete button.

The cautionary tale of what happened next is now told to the grandchildren at all appropriate and inappropriate family occasions and having grown somewhat in mythical proportions I have no doubt I am up there with the boogy man and will leave my mark on history.

So moving swiftly on – what am I trying to say here? My computer time, linked into business, life and admin has melded into my craft time. This could also have happened in my business/craft life if I had let it.

From the Postbag

Over the past few years/months as more and more people are looking to rebuild their lives in other directions after redundancy and life changing events such as ours, craft is becoming a serious contender for filling the void. But before you valiantly declare that you are going to become a professional craftsperson, pay off the mortgage and move to sunnier climes - please consider one or two points:-

“Craft” seems to be replacing writing a book (well according to my in-box) as the quick rich scheme of the last two years. Obviously writing a book has proved too hard and onerous, so best get on with something easier.

Okay- I am not one to dissuade anyone from writing a book. It has never been easier to write and be published without being censored by constraints of contract etc.etc. So get on and do it. So what if it is not of the best? – tick it off your to do list and if there is a nugget of a tale within you can always approach a tutor or professional critique to help you edit it.

What is your USP – Unique Selling Point? Why should anybody be parting with their hard earned cash to buy your product? Why should a gallery or showroom in another part of the country stock your products – when they have craftspeople of their own locally?

In my case it is actually me and my backstory. It took me a while to work that one out.

Harking back to venues for sale. I am astounded when I meet people who leave work, valiantly declare that they are becoming self-employed as they have attended one half-afternoon dyeing/felting or thinking course and promptly try to place their product in markets which are already over-stuffed with local craftsman – many whom have years of experience and awards behind them – and have been earning a living of sorts.

Aaaaghhh…. this is my pet favourite at the moment and I am becoming quite rude and belligerent about it. It is plain right deceitful to sell skills that you do not have but have harvested from someone else.

Oh and also think about it – if a venue doesn’t sell someone’s work who is living just up the road, it is probably because the person living up the road knows something of the venue’s reputation ! – just saying !

OK you have been made redundant – you have set up on your own undertaking courses and tuition – two finger’s to your ex- employer and off to work you go….

Right – something came up at the weekend about the courses I have run and who attends. Many of these two-day workshops are undertaken on behalf of cash-strapped areas of the public and private sectors. The retort – and rightly so – was that there is no spare money now for these courses – but this was in fact wrong.

There has never been a more important time to get staff to work together. The rebuilding of relationships and moral is high on the agenda – believe it or not. Bad working practices are costly and frustrating. Team building courses which are realistically priced and professionally run (I knew all that CIPD training would come in…..) are an investment in the future of the firm.

So how do you attract them? – well I hope you weren’t too rude to the HR Department of your old firm. They are the best placed to try to help and point you in the right direction – they also have a vested interest in you saying nice things about them ! .

Hope this helps…..

To finish here is a photo of one of my very “inexpert” felting pieces I made on the weekend. I am having such fun playing at these techniques. I am learning a lot about myself as much as anything else. Sat round the table sewing chatting with others, felt like something out of House of Eliott.

Back in the Room–again….and waving

noreply@blogger.com (Shani) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:25:00 +0000

Hi everyone…

I won’t even start by apologising or feeling guilty over my absences during the last few weeks from the blogosphere. I can’t even start to explain what has been going on, but it hasn’t all been negative – in fact robust conversations pointing out stupidity seems to be my metier in life.

But here I am back at my desk for one day, before going again to try to sort out why Toby’s private paperwork from HM Government seems to have been sent to random organisations (again !!!!) – at least this time it was accompanied with a threatening letter saying if he didn’t contemplate returning to work he would lose benefit !. Such sensitive delicate souls are our leaders…

This has to be done in person apparently – so another 132 miles is going on the chart – but at least they get to see my “face” – hopefully that should be enough ! . I am wondering if there is a prize or CPD point somewhere that I can apply for – all this unnecessary mileage surely should be able to count for something? Frequent flyer miles?

In the meantime, I have actually got around to washing out the dye samples which I did in August at the Summer School, and the felting I did at the weekend – in no particular order. Knickers are next on the list, and if all else fails I shall just have to go around topless. It works for others…

I shall also leave you with a tantalising picture of some of the art yarn we created last month. More to tell, when I have finished uploading the photos…

hugs everyone, and thanks to you all for your support and “being” there and most of all understanding. I couldn’t do any of this without your help and flexibility…and it is my craft which is keeping me sane…(some would say….!!)