 It may look done, but it's far from done. Just like this year. Just like this never-ending plague. After the hooking is completed, there is a LOT of cleanup--searching the back for large unhooked spots to fill in, trimming stray ends, then steaming it to lie flat and to "relax" it (a newly hooked rug is often stiff before being steamed), and then binding it. I have only a small strip 1"x2" to hook.
You can see I've hooked in "2020" around the corner (lower left and middle right). What a year. And not quite halfway over yet, with some of the highest suspense still to come. A haiku from Dave Hayes the Weather Nut that is perfect for tonight, across our troubled continent: Fireflies light up; The Milky Way Galaxy appears in the fields. --Dave Hayes Dave writes haikus frequently and posts them to his Facebook Page; they are always wonderful. Today is Juneteenth; a good time to contemplate this poem. Perhaps the fireflies and the Milky Way will light our way through all this darkness.
I needed to dye some yarn to bind a rug that I'm nearly finished with, so I did a test skein and was pleased. Just ten grams. I liked both the color and the value. But then I needed to dye a 4 oz (about 113g) skein to match the test skein. I'm sure I'll need a lot more yarn than that for the binding, but the big question was, could I match that tiny test skein with a regular size. Results below!  In each of the two photos above, the same tiny test skein is on the right. In the first photo on the left, you can see that the 4 oz skein came out too light. Pretty but not quite a match. I had actually already overdyed that 4 oz skein because my first try was SO light that the mismatch was even more obvious. So what you are seeing on the left was an overdye with additional dye solution.
On the right is the finished product. That was the 2nd overdye using even more dye solution. Voila, perfection! I wanted some slight variation and I got it, but I also matched the color of the small test skein. Now that I know how much dye solution to use, I should have no trouble dyeing more yarn to match as I start binding the rug. We're still in the middle of a pandemic and we're back in the center of facing racism and injustice in America for the first time in a long time. It's been a very hard few months for this country and the rest of the world. But, today is sunny. It's lovely out. The color I got was perfect. It all feels great, despite all our current issues, just in this moment. A lovely respite. "Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine." --Anthony J. D'Angelo  Yum yum yum! The recent full Strawberry Moon is one of my favorites every year. This is why. Wow, were these ever tasty.
"Never forget that Justice is what Love looks like in public." -Cornel West  The Lily Pool Mandala (design by Zenjo.com, drawn by me on a watercolored zendala tile). My second try at this--see yesterday's post for the first. With everything that is underway in this country, I have no words except to quote Cornel West's thoughtful statement on what Love should look like in public.  Last night's moon outside my bedroom window. Tonight is cloudy, but last night's moon--on its way to being full--was glorious. Despite the turmoil and troubles in this country right now, I had a chance to take a class with Zenjo this morning, just to get myself going on tangling again. Yes, it is so important to make our voices heard. And, it's also important to take time to center ourselves so that we are responding effectively and skillfully, not just reacting from our (horrified) emotions. And so I chose to take two hours of a class to find my center. Here are the results--we first did a black and white tile, and then after the class was over I decided to tart up the tile with color. Thanks, Jo, for a lovely calming time.  The black and white original version from the class.  After class I added color with General's Chalk Pencils. "And if you are to love, love as the moon loves. It doesn't steal the night. It only unveils the beauty of the dark." --Isra Al-Thibeh |
ABOUT ME I'm a textile artist (traditional rug hooking, punch needle rug hooking, and other textile arts), a long-time meditator, a certified meditation teacher and coach, and focused on learning about the interplay of art, creativity, and mindfulness every day. 
Certified, 2021
Certified Unified Mindfulness Coach
Certified Zentangle® Teacher, 2013
Certified by AmyOxford.com at The Oxford Rug Hooking School, 2016
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Insight Meditation Society Oxford Rug Hooking School Zentangle: The Official Site Green Mountain Rug Hooking Massachusetts Tarot Society 
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