The Zen of Knitting

To me, knitting fits into life itself as meditation, creative expression, a way to connect to others, and a feeling of home. It also gives comfort which comes from repetition and continuity. My brooch this week celebrates these feelings with sterling silver knitting needles and variegated silk yarn.

I am starting a knitting group which will meet once a week at Bliss Yoga in Barrie. This is not a class but a meeting of like minded people. It will be a time to learn from others, exchange ideas, motivate ourselves and have fun. Experienced as well as beginning knitters, even those that don't knit at all are welcome. We don't discriminate you crocheters can bring your embroidery friends.

Three

Here is my third weeks brooch. The stone, called Sonora Sunset was purchased in Arizona as a large slab. Derek cut and polished the stone and I set it in the sterling silver bezel frame. I chose the stone this week because of it's name. I don't know about you but I've noticed a couple of sunsets over this past week. Since November the sun has been setting without me even noticing. The daylight would just disappear and and all of a sudden it was dark out and usually before I had finished work for the day. The sun is now on the upswing and setting later every night. Last night Derek and I were out at 6:20 and there was still a little light in the sky. The sun had set but in the sky there was colour . I find that so uplifting at this time of year. I know there is still a lot of cold weather left to endure but Spring is now on the horizon.

Week 2

Over the last 3 days we here in Southern Ontario have had some beautiful weather. The temperature was above freezing, the sun was shining and the snow was melting. All of those things that we long for mid winter. It felt like spring was in the air and I started looking around for those tell tale signs of that wonderful season. (Silly me) Here it is only the second week in January and I'm looking at buds on the trees. We still have two and a half months until the end of March and there is no guarantee that it won't snow in April, in fact it usually does snow sometime in April. In fact when I was a teen I got a new horse which was delivered to the stable April 2 and on April 3 I couldn't get over to the stable to see him because of the snow. It was a true snow day, school canceled, roads closed and my Mum refused to drive me. So.... to show my daydreaming in a brooch I have cast an apple twig, in bronze, with the buds waiting for the real Spring weather to open up.

Cast Bronze Stick Pin

A Brooch a Week for 2014

I wanted to do something special this year to keep me making jewellery. Lately my efforts have all been in my sewing room so this will keep me moving in two directions. I plan to use a variety of materials for this project which will push and stretch me out of any comfort zone I might have had. The first several days of this new year here in Barrie it has been alternating between very cold weather and snow blizzards. To celebrate the wonderful winter weather (I'm trying really hard to embrace winter even though I would much rather be complaining about it), my first pin will honour the rabbits which we see just outside our kitchen window. Every night 2 rabbits come around and have a nosh on my quince branches. Unfortunately for the rabbits the snow has now covered all of the medium sized shrubs. The temperature here is suppose to rise towards the weekend with a possibility of rain so that should take down the height of the snow.