 Micron 01, graphite. Drawn in my journal. Tangles are: Foundabout and Eros. Isn't it odd how we don't get the roses without also getting the thorns. Just like life. As the saying goes, "it's been a week." A death in the family stirred things up for me and for everyone who knew and loved the person. In times like this, I am grateful for my meditation practice. I was able to sit with the feelings, seeing them for what they are, and not run away from either the pain or the blessings. Those thorns were sharp and surprised me repeatedly. But the roses, in the form of kind and funny memories, have been worth it and will continue to be so. And given what has been happening in the world right now, (tragedies too numerous to name), I know I am not alone in feeling that this week has been a tough one. May we all seek and find our inner peace.  Black Microns 01, 08, and Graphic 1. Graphite. White gellyroll pen. Tangles are Florz, Therefore, Printemps. With a Celtic Knot. Ok, so maybe it IS odd. I had a lot of fun doing this. One thing about these knots--no matter how attractive or unattractive the result--they totally focus the mind while drawing. So much so that no other thinking happens. Or if it does, it is completely ignored in favor of focusing on the drawing. I find this fascinating and reminiscent of certain meditative states. Quiet mind. Ahhhhhh...a treasure in today's world. "We learn the rope of life by untying its knots." --Jean Toomer "Those are the same stars, and that is the same moon, that look down upon your brothers and sisters, and which they see as they look up to them, though they are ever so far away from us, and each other." --Sojourner Truth  Celtic knot drawn with Micron 08 and Micron Graphic in black. Tangle drawn with Micron 01 in black. Prismacolors and a tiny bit of white Gellyroll as well. Drawn in my journal. Great Jumpin' Jehosophat, would you believe it took me no less than SIX tries to get this knot done correctly? (I used a different, non-publishable word while catching all my errors and trying to figure it out, not the initial three words at the start of this paragraph. Use your imagination.) The tangle around the outside of the knot is called A'dalfa. It was new to me and I had fun with it. But the knot! OMG. I'm knot sure why it was so hard for me.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.” Um, Eleanor, I think I have news for you.  I like this version better. A friend prefers the version below. The mystery of how we see color and our differing color preferences is always intriguing. For this version, I took what I had below and used my Prismacolor pencils to enliven the colors. And also got a bit dotty. And added some graphite shading. And layered in more colored pencil. And, and, and...  This is the version my friend prefers, and it's the the original. It's all done in watercolor. I like it. I just like the one above better. Microns 08 and 01 in black, watercolor pencils, graphite. Tangle around the edge is Foundabout, and I've used the Micron 01 to do some hatching as well. Let me just add that it took me SIX TRIES to get this knot right. Talk about brain exercise.
 In my sketch journal: Using Microns 01 and 08 and a gray Faber Castell brush pen, then using watercolor pencils to tint and shade. Continuing the series here. Tangles are Debbie New's Imaritas and Imarisen, based on the painted pottery she saw at a museum. And here was the sketch before I added the color:   The corner tangles are Caro.  Tangles in this one are Shattuck (inside the knot) and Nayu. The knots are like wonderful puzzles--it's nearly impossible to think other thoughts while figuring them out. Very relaxing, as long as one adopts what the is often called "don't-know-mind" in Zen and other meditative traditions.
 Combining a Celtic Knot with tangling. Tangles: Beadlines, Flame Flower, BeeLight. Done with a black Tombow marker, graphite, Faber Castell gray brush nib. Another mix-and-match of the same knot from a day or so ago and the first two days of Inktober tangles. Hugely fun.
 Celtic knot done with Microns 01 and 08, graphite. Tangles are Fescu and Mooka. A totally lazy day, good for reading and then drawing a knot and adding a few tangles. Just playing around. Every time I do one of these I learn a lot. Heavy rain outdoors, perfect for quiet meditative work.  Hand-punched espadrilles designed and made by me (first-ever attempt). Using a variety of rug yarns and double-strands of worsted, all wool, and punched with a #8 Oxford Punch Needle. This should clear up the mystery I posted about yesterday. In yesterday's post you can see the punched upper part of one of these shoes before I sewed it to the sole, a task I did today. This was such a fun project. Of course, espadrilles are totally and completely flat--no arch support. And I need that. So although they fit I'll probably give them away. But I did it. It was a challenge, and I did it.
And yes, they are resting on a chair cushion I punched (and designed) about 20 years ago. Also done with rug wool and a #10 Oxford Punch Needle.  This piece is experimental in so many ways. I won't say what it is yet. But I will say it's my first time using a #8 Oxford Punchneedle (normally I go with the #10), and I've enjoyed punching with it. The loops are so lush. The design is my own and I dyed the green yarn years and years ago; the other yarns are from Halcyon in Maine and from Judith Hotchkiss in Maine.
The big question: will this project actually come together and succeed? I will have to wait and see. If it does work out, I'll be incredibly chuffed and you can be sure you'll see the end result here. Hopefully soon. No symptoms and 2 negative Covid tests, 48 hours apart, after an exposure last Saturday. A perfect example of an occasion when negative - good news. (As it often does with medical data) Hurrah! I celebrated by combining a Celtic Knot with Zentangle® again:  A basic Celtic Knot with black Micron 08 and 01, gold gellyroll, prismacolor pencil, and graphite. Added tangles are Footlite, orbs, and a variation of Beadlines. Just for now, I'm enjoying combining tangling with knots so you may be seeing a lot of these.
 Black Microns 01 and 08, graphite. Tangle is Printemps and the rest is just random lines. Or maybe this should be titled just plain, "Mixed Up." ?? Hah. I had fun combining a knot with a bunch of tangles and random line-work.  copyright to kirsti macleod (and the hundreds of women embroiderers around the globe, along with approximately 10-12 men and boys. also to the amazing women who constructed the pattern and sewed it together, and all those who've shared in the work of bringing it into reality. 2023). THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EMBROIDERERS FROM 51 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. 14 years of work to bring it to birth.  Although I could be writing about this for days, I will refrain and restrict myself to some (not all!) photos I took of this amazing exhibit at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester Vermont this week. Alas, it leaves Vermont on Sunday. A friend asked me whether I'd seen it. I didn't even know what she was talking about, so she filled me in and I researched what it was/why it was made and knew I had to go to see it. I am so happy I did, and I urge you to as well. To better understand what it is about, go to https://reddressembroidery.com/ and prepare to be very, very moved by what you see and read. Meanwhile, here are more photos from the exhibit.   Embroidered by women survivors of war.   Golden embroidered image from women needleworkers living in India in poverty. (all those who embroidered on the garment were paid a living wage to do so). Note the additional exquisite embroidery all around the bottom border, done by Bedoin women in Egypt.    From Bedoin embroiderers.  From an embroiderer in the UK.     French knot embroidery (yes, all of the large triangular panel of flowers here, all french knotting), done by a Mexican embroideress. She is the mother of another embroideress who did a similarly-placed panel on the front of the dress.  The triangular geometric panel in the center was embroidered by the 17 year old daughter of the woman who did the work in the previous photo. A mother-daughter team from rural Mexico.  Contributed by a Russian embroideress. I hope you are interested enough to click on the URL I gave above and read about the intent of this amazing project. Enjoy. Many children also added their embroidery to the piece, including some little boys. And as I mentioned above, around 7 to 9 of the 380 embroiderers were men. The Red Dress is gradually being brought back to the 51 countries, to the people who worked on it, so that all may enjoy the completed piece. Many of the women who've worked on it will get to try it on and be photgraphed in it. I've seen some of the photos and they are incredibly empowering.
 Journal page, Micron 01 in black and graphite. A couple of years ago I really got into drawing Celtic knots because drawing them has such meditative properties. I discovered it's nearly impossible to think while drawing them (not thinking is inevitably very relaxing). Eventually I forgot about about doing this and time passed.
There's now some type of challenge going 'round on the internet related to drawing them. I saw a couple of "prompts"--suggestions for how to start, but I couldn't understand them. So I tracked down their author and ended up taking a short e-course with her. So glad I did! This is my first attempt at what was a very different approach to drawing the knots than I'd ever heard before. Just as meditative, but entirely different. I am very interested in learning more. She uses a stencil to create a grid, but I didn't have that so I just free-handed the grid and set about sketching. In the top part of the picture you can see my initial attempt, which didn't work. I set out to begin again (same language as meditation: "begin again"), and ended up producing what's on the bottom of the photo. While hardly a masterpiece, I am happy with it and plan to do more practice. Sure enough, it was equally impossible to think while doing this, and incredibly satisfying. If you want to try it yourself, go HERE and check out her courses.  This is a partial shot of my current punch needle embroidery project. No, it is not for Halloween. All shall be revealed eventually.
It's a very "fiddly" and challenging project but I think the fiddly & challenging stuff is done and now it's all just fill-in-the-background. Smooth sailing from here on in. Except: I hope I don't live to eat those words. Hmmm. You know how that goes--you're thinking, "Ok, it'll all be easy from here!" And the next think you know...Murphy's Law: "You can never run out of things that can go wrong." Oh wait, I think I'm scaring myself! <chuckle>  I needed something quick to work on a couple of weeks ago, so i paid $3 and downloaded this sweet digital punch needle pattern from the Oxford Company website. I believet Cotey Gallagher was the designer; you can see all the variations people have done on the site. I shrank the pattern on my computer so that it would fit in a punch needle embroidery frame for portability. My finished picture is only about 9" x 6" (the original pattern is larger) and I punched it using the Ultra Punch needle set on #2 with woolen sock yarns. I haven't steamed or finished it yet (binding it); that will come next. It'll probably be put on a toolbag I'll use for embroidery supplies. Short and sweet!  Let's see: D for the Dharma, for daylight, for delight, for deliberate. Also for do-over, for doubt, for demand, for "duh...", for ditto...I could go on, but won't. This is another illustrated letter using sketchbook paper (5x7"), black Micron 01, watercolor and colored pencil, plus a bit of graphite and white gellyroll. Great fun to do. Tangles are: Rixty, Tipple, Mooka, Printemps, Flux, Moonpie, I Can This, Zinger.
 An illustrated alphabet. I'm making a start with the letter "A" but I've no idea how far I will pursue this. And I probably won't do the letters in order. This was great fun. I took a class with Kelly Barone (whimsybykelly.com) who is a wonderful watercolorist, art educator, and Certified Zentangle® Teacher (CZT). On multi-media sketchbook paper (5x7") using a Micron 01 and graphite. Back to basics.  "Baby Duncan #1" approximately 8"x10" Koigu sock yarn and a variety of Valdani cotton embroidery floss in size 8, 6-strand DMC scavenged from second-hand shops. Created with the Ultra-Punch medium needle set on a number 2 height. 2023. By permission of WCushing & Co (they have the copyright on the pattern, a Pearl K. McGown design).  "Baby Duncan #2," approximately 7x10". Malabrigo wool sock yarn and Koigu sock yarn, with some Valdani and DMC cotton threads. 2023. By permission of W Cushing & Co, Wells, Maine.  "Baby Duncan #3," a mixture of random wool sock yarn and second-hand-store scavenged DMC 6-strand cotton thread. 2023. Approximately 8.5x10". By permission of W Cushing & Co, Wells, Maine. I worked on these three punch needle embroideries between April and July this year, since I was unable to hook rugs during that time due to a temporary medical situation (now happily resolved). I used the Ultra Punch medium needle on a #2 height and mixed sock yarns and cotton floss in all of them. After getting permission from W Cushing & Co <wcushing.com> I made these 3 to show possible variations to the basic pattern. At W. Cushing & Co's request, I made a copy of the hand-drawn pattern for them--they are now making it available on their website. If you want to try your own hand at making a "Baby Duncan," you can buy the pattern. Much easier than drawing it yourself. One word of caution: If you haven't ever done punchneedle EMBROIDERY before, I would not begin with this pattern. Do something simple first, like embroidering a few random circles and squares, to be sure you get the technique. Once you've done that, go ahead and try this. And here's a hint: begin punching in one of the corners. That way, if you can test out your colors and alter them before you get too far into your punching. Enjoy. Below is a quick side-by-side view of The Triplets:  I had to laugh when I put them together--up until then I thought I'd made them all the same size! Um, NO. Because I had to hand-draw each pattern (Cushing hadn't printed my pattern at that point, so I was free-handing it every time), they all came out slightly different sizes.
 My Duncan (all scrap wool, some hand-dyed by me, using cuts sizes 6-8, with crocheted binding). 2020. This was my pandemic rug. My rug above, was one of 17 Duncan rugs displayed at the Sauder Village Annual Rug Show Week (2023) in the "Special Exhibit" category.
I've just gotten back from the long drive and it was truly worth it. There were over 700 rugs (yes, you read that correctly) hung for this show. Amazing and inspiring. You can see all 17 Duncans in the exhibit HERE, in a short video taken by Lisanne Miller of WCushing & Co in Maine. Cushing owns the pattern (it's a very late Pearl McGown pattern, one of the last geometrics she designed). Details on my particular variation can be found HERE in a previous blog post from 2020.  On the left, contour drawing of tulips, just Micron 01 and graphite. On the right, Lavender, with watercolor pencil & water added to Micron 01. From today's journal. My notes on the right were cut off but they are telling myself, "Leave more room for the stem between the lavender flowers." More practice needed.  Micron 01 in black, graphite, colored pencil. Another photo from my sketchbook this morning. This one really made me chuckle--is it an anemone or a padula?
Never heard of a padula? A padula is a made-up flower. In other words, not a particular specific, identifiable flower. It's the type of flower kids often draw, not an accurate rendering. We use the term in rug hooking to describe those colorful fantasy flowers you often see in old rugs. It may also be a term used in other arts, but I've never heard of it anywhere else. This is supposed to be an anemone, but I'm not too certain about how accurate it is. Doesn't matter to me. Drawing it was fun and meditative. That's all I care about.  Sketchbook page. Micron 01 in black, graphite. I'm a bit too busy to do much besides sketch this week (and probably ditto next week) so it will be a few days of hurried contour drawing. i haven't had time to research what these flowers actually look like--this was done from a video by Kelly Barone (Whimsy by Kelly), a botanical artist.
Here's a page from my sketchbook showing some practice at drawing flowers. Kelly Barone of Whimsy by Kelly has a lovely free video series on FB on doing this. I think she began it last year but I'm just able to focus on it now. It was fun to try. Below you can see all the stages, from line drawing to shading to this result directly below.  Stage 3, the final sketch. Micron 01 black pen, graphite, 3 colored pencils.  Stage 2, after doing some shading with graphite.  First stage, done only with a Micron 01 to create the preliminary sketch. She clearly instructed us to use a pencil for this part--somehow I missed hearing that and so did it with pen. Much harder since nothing can be erased, not even the underlying guidelines! Oh well.  Last night's sunset after weeks of storms. As I savored this beauty from my front door during yesterday's sunset I could not help noticing how the grandeur of nature outdoes anything we can do. And how much it can influence our internal "weather" at times. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...
"Beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies." --Paulo Coelho |
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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