Mixed-Up Melange

I have been duly reminded that I have not been posting at all these past months... but I have been devoting my time to my blog...I went over there because I found that there were options on blogspot that I could not get here..

So come and visit me at my blog:

http://www.mixed-upmelange.blogspot.com/

That is where I am most of the time... My focus is on my work... less personal things.  I'll still post here from time to time. :)

So part of sixth grade is to study Ancient Civilizations and Egypt is on the short list for this.  We have a great program that our school brings in Called 'Walk Through... Name your historical time period'  It is kind of like a Game Show, but a million times better and you get extra point by having an attempt at a costume and props.   My son was assigned to be 'Ra'.  So anyone who knows us... we looked up an actual image from a wall painting and went from there.  We did use natural dyes, but we also used a hot glue gun and our chief supplies were Dad's undershirts and two baseball caps.  (undershirts make great costumes!).

  This has some plaster drips on it, but it is our research picture.

           
The mask, to be worn with a                                     Dyeing the undershirts for Ra's Garments.
white cloth mask to complete the neck.
               The Garments of RA... (did I mention I used a hot glue gun)(I love hot glue guns).

     
So here is RA in action.  (School rules state that one has to wear shirts and shoes).   I am a proud Mom.  No one else's Mom used natural dyes for their costumes.  I know the beak is a bit long, but have you ever tried to trim a baseball cap brim... WORK!  Anyway, Young Ra loved it the way it was and several months later he still wears the costume around the house and has his mask out in his room. ;)

(and for other work folks are waiting to see... I'm getting there, Honest... these photos are taken... some still need work). ;)

Well, lets see, I was going to post about the great Sun God, Ra, but I found the mitt pictures first.

     Finished Mitts for the Small Things Exchange  (the picture is at the end since I seem to be unable to move it around for some reason, sigh).

  Mitts and knitted things are nothing without yarn. :) just say'in

  I didn't take a finished picture of this one, but here it is almost done with its yarn.

So these are two of the three pairs I made.. I think I forgot to take a picture of mine.  Mitts work better for me than gloves or mittens, because I can still work and have fingers free otherwise my entire hand gets cold.  These were all inspired by a pair of cotton mitt glove liners that my sweet love had from his army days.  We were out snowshoeing and our son forgot his gloves... needless to say even with extras we were down to sharing this pair of cotton mitts and they kept the hands pretty warm and I could still take pictures without holding folks up more by taking gloves on and off, which also prevented me from losing a glove as I took it on and off.  (The SnowShoeing trip with pix is Jan or Feb 2008 sometime if you are interested).

  This picture was supposed to be up top.

Have a good day and be happy.

What is the possibility of a finished object and do they indeed exist?   The actual existence of finished objects has always been an question in my mind and the dream of my heart.  Last fall I made the commitment to do more actual blogging (which I enjoy), with the hope that I might actually accomplish more than I have in the past.  Well, it happened... I don't know if it was a feeling of oweness to myself (not knowing if that is a word), the desire being large enough to finally push through and get something done... I don't know what it is.  But I have finished a few things and made progress on others.  Not to worry though, because I still have LOADs of things that need doing.... even more than de-cluttering my house (wish there was more progress there).  And for those smart people out there -- don't even  think that blogging would help... it would drive me NUTS and I'm already crazy enough!

--  So, I finished the warp on a small inkle band making two gifts - one appreciated, one not so much (sigh).
--  I participated in and actually made on time  a set of mitts for a small things exchange.
--  I made two more sets of mitts (one for me, one for my sweet love) (and uh, well I started another pair for my daughter, which is a ufo at the moment).
--  I over finished an article for a journal... what that means is that I sort of got the size of pages wrong and I sort of wrote 45 pages and all they had room for was 12 ... so it got majorly cut, BUT it did get DONE... which means it QUALIFIES for the Finished Object category (and it is going to be published soon - only 12 pgs though. :) ).   The other accomplishment is that I wrote the 45 pgs (ok, I thought it was 18ish) in just under 4 wks., which I think is a big accomplishment especially since it was during the school year.
--  4 to 6 of my photos were included in a presentation at NESAT (Northern European Symposium on Archaeological Textiles) and will be published in the NESAT proceedings (coming out next year).  I get a photo credit and I'm very happy about that. :)  I sort of can't believe it. 
--  I completed two warps on my inkle loom of CARD weaving --- I cannot believe that!, because wrapping one's brain around card-weaving is crazy, but I got sick of saying I couldn't do it and feeling like an idiot in classes that I really wanted to understand... so I approached it a different way.   Instead of the count this count that...  I started doing it visually.  I looked at the pattern and I turned the cards based on that.  My goal is to understand string placement on cards by colors.  The ABCD of it is helpful and gives a good guide, but I think I did ok for the first time just doing it visually.  I have a LONG way to go to where I want to be, but this is better than I've ever done before.
--  I completed all the gold work on one side of Sweet Bag project.   I have to keep going on this.
--  I created the costume for the Egyptian God RA and a really cool mask.
--  I made two Elizabethan hats -- one pill box -- one fairly complicated.
--  I finished spinning, plying, skeining  just over half of the polworth fleece I've been working on.
--  OH, and I almost forgot, I made my first new garb since I made my Vigil garment for when I was elevated to the Pelican (historical re-enactment service award).  This was just a simple tunic to replace my 13 yr old red tunic as slightly more reputable.  I used cardweaving for trim and that felt wonderful. 

Finishing things feel wonderful and listing it makes you realize that you are not really twiddling your thumbs quite so much.

I do promise photos, but I had to at least post something... I've been remiss. 
Good night all!

The middle of summer is a fine place to be.  It is infinitely easier than the school year.   Last April I was working hard on a project and I made myself promise not to post until I had finished the project ... because the project had to get done!  So I finished it and then it was the end of the year.  But the end of the school year is slightly more hectic than christmas preparations so I didn't have time then.  Now well, poor Ruth died and so many of us are left kind of feeling in left field.   It is another message to me that we need to live life now.  It is no use waiting to do things, to see things, to experience life.   Life may not be there when we think we finally have time.  So do it now.

This is brief and I have more to say, but it is also very very late.   My thoughts are out there with all of us who share the common thread and some who do not.

  Ruth's Palo Alto Bee (and she had a sweater to match the color, which is why we saw the bee, because when she had no pollen on her sweater the bee left in disgust and went to the other flowers.

(From Ruth's pix) At Sylvia's house for a little party for Joy, Ruth in the first row, Brown Sweater, this spring 2008.

(Either Ruth or Bjo's pix) Ruth being her usual self.. filled with Joy.

  (From Erin's Blog) Ruth at her dyepot... she LOVED playing with dyes.  

I just feel a terrible terrible shock at the sudden passing of Ruth Schooley, a good friend, and tremendous fiber fiend.  She died on July 15th with a blood clot to the lung.   There are so many that miss her wonderful smile, incredible outlook on life, spinning of absolutely everything, dyeing all the time, growing fiber plants, dye plants ... you name it... she had a great cotton tree in her backyard.

She is loved by her beloved Roketman.   She wrote of him, spoke of him, and he loved her tremendously.   They did many things together. 

I am not good at this, I am not able to say the eloquent things, but she is terribly missed already.    I feel badly we did not have more time together as friends.   She was so incredibly kind and generous to me, to everyone.  I owe her a lot.  Honhold library will never be the same.

Waving for you Ruth and lighting a candle.

I have survived another school year!  I have succeeded in finishing an article that will be published in CA (although it is A LOT shorter than what I orginally wrote... note to self:  always make sure you understand what 'one page' really means... usually it doesn't mean 2 1/2 )  Yup, well consider it just another facet of me....  intutive type... I uh, thought I wrote 20 pages (which needed to be cut down to 12)(thought that would be easy).   Well, apparently for the format, I actually wrote 45 pages.  So since it was so late I had to let it be edited down without me. 

Who knew 12 pages would be so very hard to write?   Anway, despite the travails, weeping, and gnashing of teeth by everyone involved, the piece is on its way with the rest of the articles in that issue to be printed.

I had said to myself.... no posting on live journal or elsewhere 'until I had finished the article'... then it was 'until I get the kids through school, black belt testing, National History Day, and the end of Soccer Season' (spring travel team).   I have accomplished all these goals.   NOW, I can do a few other things. ;)

I will post photos tomorrow or sometime soon of various things.

Take care one and all,
hugs.

NEVER  EVER   ,,, I mean NEVER!!!...

Think that one can just sit down and write something out.  Writing takes time,  It takes patience,  Good will, and inner strength.

Never think it.  Just don't.  Cause IF you do something as silly as that ... you will learn one way or another.

Good night folks. ;)


p.s.  It also takes chocolate and caffeine... it is not as hard to write as it is hard to resist chocolate chip cookies.

I am so painfully busy that I thought I was going to keel over last friday night.  Tonight I'm still busy, but not that busy and I'm letting paint dry so I am taking an icecream break.  I don't need icecream, it is not good for me or my hips, but I'm leaving them out of it tonight.

My daughter has a concussion.  2 wks ago, and it is not better so it was back to the Dr and waiting on Insurance to clear an mri.  So she is not a happy camper.  She had an ap exam and a history competition last friday, sat, sun (hence my need to keel over) (her support staff needs some help).

My son has been a good little camper but has had some big school projects due and I am currently working on a costume for tomorrow for the Egyptian God, RA.  He will be the best Ra anyone at his elementary school has ever seen... because I SO have something to say about and I am sick unto death of having no say.   I have control issues.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get some actual work for you know ME done - some writing- which is actually in a much better space I might finish it by Sat night - I hope.   I broke a crown by chewing gum... go figure that one out, my dentist will, I saved the top.  I have this big hole in my mouth and no time to go to the dentist, fortunately, it had a root canal and the tooth next to it so there is minimal pain... nevertheless.  I'm sick of it. 

The end of the school year is speeding supersonically faster and faster closer and closer.  I actually find this time of year almost as overwhelming and stressful as christmas and I don't have a fabulous time with folks to look forward tooo....

I have finished 3 pairs of mitts in as many months.  One pair went to a small things exchange.  One pair for me, one pair for my husband, I'm working on a pair for my daughter... uh you know, in my spare time, which I don't have, so nothing is getting done .

I did finish all the gold work on my sweet bag on one side.  Gold is pretty.  I like it.  The tree came out fairly well too.

Well, my icecream is done.  I have complained exceedingly well.  Wish I could go steal a horse like some people I know, but then Ra wouldn't have eyes tomorrow. 

Did I mention I am dyeing his shirt and over wrap skirt gold with onion skins.  My son is very excited.  We recycled two of dad's t-shirts for the clothes and one of his.  I built the mask using plaster guaze on a baseball cap.  I have lots to do yet so I have to go back to work.  It will be a late night tonight for sure.

Wish I had more icecream, but taking a break is technically illegal tonight so there we are.

loopy, determined, exhausted, wishing something, but I'm not sure what

no words come to mind, but my brain cannot think, it wants to think, really it does, but it has been overcome by information overload and the inability to process it all into coherent thought.

I think i'll go to bed now.  I am hoping things will organize themselves in my psyche overnight.

ya well, I could also put the books under my pillow like Edgar Cayce.