work in progress - stitch

work in progress.
or could just be a 'what-if?'
play or experiment.
it's a 'we'll see...'
[unstitched remnants of kantha cloth which are stitched remnants of vintage saris,  stitched to a remnant of a cotton blouse which was accidentally washed and dried with an ink pen]

Finished Object-Scarf-Close To You

Pattern: Close To You by Justyna Lorkowska
Yarn: Queensland Uluru (as color A) and HiKoo CoBaSi (as color B)
Needle: size 6 circular

The only pattern modification was making it for two colors. I used B for the eyelet row and the 3 rows following it. On each eyelet row, it begins with BO 8 stitches. Rather than cut Color A each time and attach Color B, I chose to bind off those stitches using both yarns, and carry the non-working yarn up the side.

This pattern was super-easy to memorize and thus a pleasurable carry-about knitting project.

About halfway through, it became clear to me that this scarf was not going to be for me, and soon I knew just who it was for. I'm packing it up this week to make a journey to a dear friend. Meanwhile, I have started another.  We'll see if I get to keep this one!

Poetry

bees, sea, grieving


this death
     that one.
          all those.

the wind full of Amazing Grace,
the sky full of our eyes,
the earth brave with her burdens,

but grieving

                                        grieving
about her ruined sea
about the bees

          vanishing

about the time
she’ll hear us say remember

honey?

 ---Zann Carter
[first published in Dirty Chai, Issue 8 Fall 2015]

****************************

 
I want to blog a bit about my poetry, because that is a huge part of my creative life. I am happiest and most fulfilled when my days are composed of writing time and fiber arts time. The tactile, in-motion process of working with fiber and beautiful tools complements the cerebral process of writing, working at desk and computer - each an antidote to too much of the other. Often, too, each art informs the other.

I no longer post my poems here because most journals consider that to be publication and they will not consider previously published work. Two years ago, I began a concerted effort to submit my work here and there, to enter contests, etc., so it's important that I follow all the rules.

At any given time during my effort, I had 10 or so manuscripts out for consideration and at the end of a year or so, had gotten 7 acceptances out of perhaps 50 total submissions. I think that is a fairly decent ratio. I am gearing up again for another such effort.



Right now, I have one batch of poems out. My goal last year was to do at least one submission a week. And I specifically set aside Sunday as Submission Sunday. That routine worked very well for me and I quite liked the alliteration. I think that this time I want to challenge myself to submit more often, and to take advantage of simultaneous submission when journals allow that and it seems most of them do.

I can post links to my poems in online publications and I believe I can post those poems here as well as poems in print publications after they have been out awhile, with an acknowledgement to the publication.

So. We have just ended National Poetry Month. It was quite a wonderful month. I was delighted to be invited to participate in a reading and panel with three other local poets, held at the public library. That is how the month began for me.

April ended with the Lit Launch - an annual event with local colleges and universities, where all the literary magazines are distributed. For several years, our DIY lit mag, subTerreanean, has been invited to take part as well. subTerreanean comes out of the poetry community we've created with th' poetry asylum, and a monthly open reading that is in its ninth year.

I was also invited to read some of my poems at Indiana State University - that was on May 1, so it seemed like it was part of National Poetry Month as well.

And then there was this year's NaPoWriMo - the annual poetry month challenge to write a poem every day. I've completed it five times now. This year, I managed 23.  And I'm not at all unhappy! As usual, when working at the rate of a poem a day over a period of time, some are promising, some are not, and a couple end up splendid and ready to meet the world.

Small Dyeing -Turmeric root results

 I love this fabric, harvested from a thrift shop garment. This is the only example of 'before and after', because I forgot to take pictures before the dye pot.

Pieces cut from vintage cotton sheets bought at yard sales.  

The only bought-new cloth. Unbleached cheesecloth.

I like the general mottled effect. This from stuffing the cloth into the mason jars rather willy-nilly, so color did not reach all parts evenly.  I am also much happier with the results of using the root + alum, as opposed to the times I've used ground turmeric/no mordant at all. In that case, the color was an almost fluorescent yellow, garish. This is bright, but tempered a bit.

After I filled the mason jars with the dye water, roots and cloth, I had some roots left over. So I took a larger square of the yard sale sheet cotton and  randomly laid the roots on the cloth and made a bundle (which of course, I forgot to take a picture of) which I steamed for about 30 minutes and then set outside.
I left everything, mason jars and bundle, for about 48 hours, before opening things up. All went into a salt + water bath, then a good rinse. Air-dried and ironed. I didn't iron the cheesecloth.

Here is the result of the root bundle. Look at the nice burnt orange marks! 

 Side 1 - outside of bundle

Side 2 - inside of bundle

Overall, I am really pleased with the results.
Small dyeing.
It suits me.