Catching Up

I was honestly shocked when I realized that I have not posted a thing for more than six weeks.  Even though I have that Blogging Without Guilt button over there in the sidebar, I still feel kind of awful that I don't nurture my blog enough.  Very glad Lizards in the Leaves is not a plant.  ( I'm a dreadful plant-nurturer as well.)

Since I last wrote I attended the Small Knits Symposium   held in Bloomington, IN. It was great fun and reminded me of how very much I enjoy being with the tribe of the Yarn People. I roomed with designer Barbara Benson, took classes from Lorilee Beltman, got to meet designer Sivia Harding and see everyone's lovely work.  The final event was a great brunch and an even greater presentation by the brilliant, inventive Cat Bordhi.  She brought pictures of some of her trips to Peru and told stories of her encounters with yarn and knitters there.

The book I brought for Cat to sign was not one of her knitting books. It was my worn paperback copy of Treasure Forest, a fiction book she intended to be the first of three. Alas, no more seem to be forthcoming. I bought this a month after Patrick died, and there was so much in it that spoke to what I was feeling at the time.  It seemed to delight her that I brought that book, and she told me that 'everything important" to her was in it.

In addition to the SKS, that same month (April) was National Poetry Month.  I managed to facilitate the publication of our fourth community 'open mic in a book', subTerreanean AND I completed my fourth NaPoWriMo - the challenge to write a poem every day.

Here is #21/30:


my intention
feels clear.

to wind a warp
of strong words,

delicacies
for weft.

i weave
emptinesses

through an ocean
of fine cotton,

a sky of fragile silk
threads

long pauses

to fall
into.

------------------
Finally, at the last minute, I managed to complete the 2014 Int'l Freeform Guild Challenge. This year the challenge was to use only one color.  Awfully hard for me and I gave up. And it felt okay to give up. Much more okay than to continue the fruitless struggle that I had been having.  And wouldn't you know, after basking in a warm glow of relief, I had an inspiration that allowed me to get back into the challenge.

I can't reveal my piece yet, but will post as soon as the online show is live.

Right now, I am madly crocheting and knitting some sculptural bits and pieces that will become something or things. I am enjoying making them in the newest cotton-rich Noros: Taiyo Sport and Kibou.

One thing that they seem to want to become is: gloves.  (Remember, I make clothes to wear in dreams and alternate realities....) Here is the first one: Glove for Setting Intention (the intention set is to make at least five of these.)