Oh Bento!

I will forever be true to fiber, knitting, crochet, naalbinding and weaving but....I have a new little squeeze on the side, called BENTO. Bento boxes, bento lunches, bento bags, bento bottles, bento, Bento, Oh BENTO! Here are two photos of my first bento attempts and the lid of one (yes, one) of my bento boxes that a friend brought me from Japan. My life has been consumed by bento. Now a new aisle at Marukai has opened up for me, the bento aisle! sigh....There are entire Flickr groups dedicated to bento. There are bento blogs, bento competitions, bento yahoo groups. These little boxes are so cute, and they really speak to my organized side. Though they look small, you can fit quite a bit of food into them. A bento should hold at least 5 different colors of food (yipeee!) and every little bit of it should be filled (double yipeee!). My first bento pictured has rice with furikake, a sliced Mornigstar Farms chick patty, hardboiled egg, assorted vegi's and fruit and some hummus. The second one has cabbage, a sliced jack cheese and chili tamale, spinach, assorted vegi's and fruit......delicious!

It's About The Process....

So I am taking this weaving class... Some time ago, yes years, I became enamored with the rigid heddle loom and had to have one. Being a fiber-ey type it appealed to my fiber-ey nature, being a knitter it appealed to my love of creating fabric. When knitting you cast on and then you are off, knitting away watching your project grow with every row. How difficult could weaving be? It is an ancient process done with stones, string and wood, I could do this! Weaving is fun, easy and relaxing. Yarn wrapped around a stick, shuttling back and forth between warp threads, the soft beating of the heddle pressing the warp into place...ah yes, this I like. So why has my beautiful Kromski Harp loom sat static for years? In a word....warp....Gads this part is tough! I have tried to do this on my own with no avail. My first (and only) two projects completed on this loom were done after a class in which we warped my loom. So now I embark on another warping journey with the help of an amazing weaver, Carol. Here are two photos of my heddle in the process of being 'slayed' or threaded. This is the third step in the process, the first being...math...the second figuring where to put the pegs on the warping board to wind the warp (warping board, sounds like a torture device and felt like one to me) and tying them just right so they don't make a tangled mess when you get them to the heddle and slay it. Whew!
This is quite a process, so my little knitter brain is learning fiber patience and a great appreciation for those women who wove the fabric of our past..... sweet.

Hot Mitts!

The weather is cool and crisp....the perfect time for cooking up comfort food and baking something sweet. So when the cobbler is done or you need to lift the lid and check on that simmering soup I have just the thing to keep your little fingers from frying.... 'Lid Lifters' mini hot mitts. Available now in my 'etsy' shop. www.blackgingham.etsy.com
Now go and make something delicious and eat it up!

Peace

I wish for peace. Peace in my home, Peace in my heart, Peace in my life and Peace in the world. I wish all of this for all of you.




This year I start my peaceful journey by waking up my personal spaces. I have decided to bring visual peace to those small and taken for granted places in my daily routine, beginning with my corner of the bathroom. I had been keeping my hair clips, combs and often worn earrings on and in a basket. Said basket had been my faithful servant for many years and was weary of the task. A trip to Marukai for inspiration and I found bowls. Lovely blue and white bowls, a large one for my hair claws, a smaller one for my hair combs and my hook earrings. I also have three small platters for post earrings and thus&such. I am so pleased. Every morning when I look in my corner I see peace, clarity and order....ah, delicious.