Pod Life Musings... Give Me Shelter

While I was working in the woods clearing away the underbrush, I was looking for natural pods, things of natural shelter and found these two lovely examples of pods. The first is a pod of flowers about to be and the second is from a tree, with both old and new pods on it. What a great find. Then my musings went on to the egg, a pod we are all familiar with, then on to our lives in pods. We start out as an egg, nice little pods we all are, then we grow in another pod of sorts, a warm womb, an expandable pod, then out into the world...a floating pod!
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What is POD:
(pod)

n.

1. Botany

a. A dehiscent fruit of a leguminous plant such as the pea.

b. A dry, several-seeded, dehiscent fruit. Also called seedpod.

2. Zoology A protective covering that encases the eggs of some insects and fish.

3. A casing or housing forming part of a vehicle, as:

a. A streamlined external housing that encloses engines, machine guns, or fuel.

b. Aerospace A detachable compartment on a spacecraft for carrying personnel or instrumentation.

4. Something resembling a pod, as in compactness.

v. pod·ded, pod·ding, pods

v.intr.

1. To bear or produce pods.

2. To expand or swell like a pod.

v.tr.

To remove (seeds) from a pod.
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Even our bodies are a kind of pod that our spirits travel in. I hope that you have a great pod and that your days in your pod are filled with joy in the journey.
Off to make felt!

The Sweet of Home

I had good travel and a good show in Wooster Ohio, but I can say without equivocation that it is wonderful to be home again. Spent time with good friends, slept well, ate well on some wonderful Greek food, saw wonderful fibers, purchased a couple of sheep mugs, sold hats and a bunch of other stuff and made it home without being too fatigued.

This hat was needle felted while I was in the booth and wet felted this morning. It is made of merino, with hand dyed tussah silk inlay and a felt flower for garnish. Being able to needle felt a hat while I am in the booth is so good for me. I feel the need to be productive, or sleeping and some days it doesn't matter which, just as long as I am doing one or the other. Needle felting a hat also gives a potential buyer the oppertunity to see the hat in it's stages and serves as a teaching promp for me. I've named this hat:
Winter Royale

I am still catching up on some rest and getting back to the woods to continue my work there. Have some vessel ideas going through my head that I am anxious to try. I'll keep you posted on that.

Oh, before I forget, have you checked out the www.midwestfeltingsymposium.com page yet? Oh is this going to be a great time. Hope you'll be there. I'll write more about it later. It is the high point of my felting year. Once you go, you'll know why. It is so the BEST!

Dyed and over dyed silk scarf--Might be a Keeper!

I love the colors in this scarf. Usually I will sell just about anything, but I do like the way this scarf turned out. Keep it?... Sell it? How can splashes of color give me such a pause for wonder?

Gypsy Feet and Silk Scarves

Jan, the Village Weaver, has invited me to share her booth at Wooster, Ohio, so I am packing the Big Van (Gypsy Wagon) with my wears and preparing to head on down the road again. I'm packing up hats, wool locks, needle felt hat forms and tool and a bunch of wool, traveling light this time. I will miss my time in the woods, my dogs, but most of all, my dear husband. I miss his company so much when I am away. I am so blessed to be loved by such a wonderful man. It is a rich blessing, far beyond what I deserve.
I did manage to get a few more scarves dyed before leaving for Wooster. I love the overlay of color upon color in this scarf. I hope that someone else will love it too. Now, off to bed and then off to Wooster! Stop in to see me if you have the chance.
Happy Gypsy Feet!

Alternative Housing, Felt Pod

Since I've been looking into alternative housing, I've come across so many delightful, and ingenious housing ideas. House pods, domes, small cabins, earth, and of course, my ever favorite, the yurt. But looking at all of these allowed me the opportunity to look at "small dwellings"....small pods of felt. I wonder, if I put it into the woods where I am working, if some small critter or winged one would choose to live it in for a time. I'll take it to a couple of shows and display it. It has been great fun to make. BTW, the locks, the really long locks are from Susan's Fiber Shop. She has super long locks Teeswater fleece available.
This pod measures 22 inches long for those who are asking.

Dyeing for the Day

It's been a soft cloudy day, the kind of day that moves a little slower somehow. I'd planned on getting a lot accomplished today, but the day had different plans. Errands, post office, shipping, lots of emails that required answers and unexpected company. So for the days work, all I have to show for are three silk scarves. Still, I've enjoyed the process, and the softness of the day.

There are some new felters that I've added to the list on the side bar. I hope you'll enjoy looking at the blogs as well.

Happy Sabbath!
Suzanne

Crashing Thunder, Misty Morning

As much as possible, I go to the woods in the morning to clear away the underbrush, so that eventually, we'll be able to get the trees down that interfere with the wires that hold the tower in place for the radio station that we own and operate. This morning I went out to work on it for about an hour and a half. Each day I can see where I am making more and more progress, but it is slow. What I thought was going to take a few days will actually take the entire spring and summer to accomplish. The underbrush is thick, vine-filled, and soon, very soon, the mosquitoes will be out to greet me each morning! Today however, there was a chipmunk that fled my arrival and two Baltimore oriels that flew right over head and landed on a near by branch. The sun was right on them and they were breathtakingly beautiful! They stayed there for some time, but I didn't have the camera ready to get a good photo of them.

There were some wonderful storms that went through last night, BIG THUNDER and lots of rain. There is that sweet, earthy clean in the air and the birds in the woods were singing brightly this morning. I wish I could record the sounds that occur while I am there. It is a choir of happiness with all the different birds singing, and the woodpeckers tapping out a beat unto themselves. I could stay there all day....and if I had that lovely yurt, maybe even longer.

The photos that I am sharing with you today are from the land I am working on. The first two are of the river view from the high banks. The later two photos are of the underbrush and the start of a clearing. As much as I love making felt, and I do dearly love it, there is also a farm girl in me who would love to live here, milk a couple of goats, and live a very simple, uncluttered life. Fantasies are free. .. Dream on

Ger, Yurt, Housing for Homeless

Photo is of the scarf I dyed yesterday, now being worn. Funny how the effect changes, softens somehow. Really like the effects of the color flow on this scarf. Am hoping to get some more done in the next few days.

I've been clearing some land that we own. Doing only a couple of hours of work each day usually in the early morning hours and using only loppers to get the underbrush cleared. It's about 7 acres that we have but I am doing very specific spot work on it for the time being. The land is on the High Banks of the Kalamazoo River and the vista from the land is calm and peaceful. I frequently see deer, geese, turkey, and coyote while I am clearing. I often tell my husband that I could easily live there and would love to put up a summertime yurt. So, as I am working I imagine what that yurt would look like, the feel of it, the smell of it, I wonder what thunder would sound like all muffled through the wool,...then I thought about the homeless, winters here in Michigan, the bitter, biting cold of the north wind during winter and my mind began to wander and wonder about the simple comfort of the yurt, the inexpensive housing of the yurt, the soft strength of a home of wool, the strength of the round shape ger in severe winds, the beautiful quiet that happens inside a ger or yurt.

I'm hearing from family and friends that tent villages are springing up all over the states, and not from people who choose to be homeless, but simply have nowhere to go. I realize that it could happen to anyone at anytime. Is the simple, lovely yurt a potential answer to our housing crisis? It's totally portable, easy up and down in a day, protection from the elements, and all things considered, very inexpensive housing. Now I realize that plumbing and electricity are issues, but I have to believe that a yurt or ger would be so much better than under a bridge, in a dumpster, park bench. I often wonder if the creative, artistic people of our world should not be more active in the problem solving aspects of the issues the world faces today. Creative folks already think out of the box, or as I often say "what box?" I'm going to keep thinking on this while I work in the woods.

Monday, Dyeing Silk, and Healings

Monday got here sooner than I anticipated, but it was good to see it. Spent a good deal of the weekend relaxing with my family. Called my Mom and made plans to get together soon. I love my mom. She is truly a wonderful person, very funny, and loves to hug too. I've missed her this winter while she's been in Fla. It will be so good to see her face when we finally get together, hopefully soon!

Today, I've made some felt, but mostly paid bills, and then dyed some silk. This is the silk scarf that I just dyed. I almost see a water color reflection of a tree line. Am I seeing things or does anyone else see it too?

Sometimes, what happens in the dye pot brings healing, personally this one does it for me.
Gods Peace to you all,
Suzanne

Over Dyes on Felt Hats

These are two hats that I've over dyed and had wanted to share with you earlier, but forgot to take the photos. That's all folks!

Long Road Home

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival was a rain filled event. You've heard of "Death by Chocolate"? This was DEATH BY MUD! Packing and unpacking was a death defying event unto itself. The crowd was down by about 10,000 but spirits were high and people were buying! All of the merino silk I'd dyed sold and well over half of the locks. I sold a good many hats, though I've not counted for a grand total as of yet. Did have some felt cuffs stolen, three to be exact, and that always is upsetting. Gas prices were lower when we left then when we came home... :(. All and all though, a very good show and well worth the effort, the fatigue, and the weather.

This gal bought this hat. A passer by took the photos and then sent them my way. Her name is Miss Sally and is apparently a local weaver in the area where the show was in Maryland. She looks so darn cute in the hat. Looks like it was made for her. Her vessel is full of sparkle!

Again, I did not get to see the show. I did manage to get to see Mehmet and Theresa and the wonderful yurt they had up. There is a peaceful place.! No wonder people love to live in them. The quiet alone is simply wonderful. Once inside the yurt, you'd be completely unaware that a festival was going on around you. It really was wonderful to see it, to be in it and to see the absolutely wonderful felts they've created. It is good t see good felt. It is a goal for me that I think needs to be refreshed inside of me from time to time. Their felts are spectacular, soft and strong. I was able to purchase a felt skirt from Theresa that is a combination of nuno, felt and silk overlay. I'll try to get a photo up in the next few days. It's a wrap skirt and all hand dyed. Really wonderful.

Today, I am going to rest, try to balance my checkbook and then rest some more. It was great to be at a fiber event, and it is also very good to be home.
Shalom,
Suzanne

Back on the hat making wagon!

Full moon rising and I'm headed off to bed. This hat is made of merino wool and tussah silk, both hand dyed. I made this one while I was in the booth at Maryland. I'll try to write more tomorrow