My first egg!

We interrupt the silence on this blog for an important announcement - MY FIRST EGG HAS ARRIVED!!

My first egg!, a photo by hannah8ball on Flickr.

Based on the color, one of my (two) Orpingtons has given me this gift. My chickens are contributing more than poop to my urban farm!!

The blanket in action

The blanket in action, a photo by hannah8ball on Flickr.

This year has been a year of big gift projects. And I've been surprising myself with how quickly I'm burning through these projects.  I decided (rather late) that my gift to brother-in-law and his fiance  for their end-of-May wedding was going to be a blanket.  And no, that is not my (now) sister-in-law trying the blanket out.  She was far too busy to take a breather on the couch.  I hope she is enjoying it now though!

So, I ordered my yarn and got to work on the wonderful Hemlock Ring Blanket.  And even though I'd left myself barely a month to knit a blanket (and a super-duper busy month at that!), I finished this lovely work in 20 days.  And the bind-off took 3 of those days!  But look how gorgeously it turned out!

Worth every moment of it.  My only regret is that I decided for some crazy reason to use size 9 needles, and so the blanket only measured 54" at the end (even with an extra lace repeat in there!).

The pattern was a delightful combination of mindless and pay-attention rounds - perfect for TV and camping knitting.  And I love how the shape of this blanket is so atypical.  I'll be on the lookout for more interesting doily patterns to make large.  Yes, there are definitely blankets in my future.

And doesn't it look just perfect on their couch in their livingroom?

Ravelry deets here.

Lace

It's lace, not woven, but as I'm working on this shawl for my wonderful, amazing mother, this poem keeps running through my mind.

She who reconciles the ill-matched threads
of her life, and weaves them gratefully
into a single cloth—
it’s she who drives the loudmouths from the hall
and clears it for a different celebration
where the one guest is you. 

In the softness of the evening
it’s you she receives.
You are the partner of her loneliness,
the unspeaking center of her monologues. 

With each disclosure you encompass more
and she stretches beyond what limits her,
to hold you. 

~Rainer Maria Rilke

Remember me?

Snowy vista, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I know its been a while, but I'm here and things are brewing. I'll be back soon with something substantive. I've been uploading a bunch of pics to my flickr photostream the last couple of weeks, so if you find yourself with some time head on over. But for now, may you find peace in your journey. Hasta pronto!

Playlist for Tonight's Mosaic

Music that goes with the idea of tonight's service.  Or not.  But enjoy!

Today is epic

For your listening pleasure, some epic songs that have been bouncing around in my head this week.

Listening to epic music makes some of my mundane tasks seem more than just the boring, repetitive things they are.  And I find I get them done faster if I feel like a superhero while I do it.

How do you get through those tasks that have to be done, but you'd rather do something else instead?

Pilgrim

I was getting the music ready for tomorrow's Mosaic service today because tomorrow I will be attending a moonlodge service (more on that later hopefully), and this song just spoke words of wisdom to me.

I know that Enya has been described as cheesy (and she can be), but her art connects me to my spirit and breathes wisdom to my heart.

I give you Enya's song Pilgrim.

The lyrics:

Pilgrim, how you journey
On the road you chose
To find out why the winds die
And where the stories go.

All days come from one day
That much you must know,
You cannot change what's over
But only where you go.

One way leads to diamonds,
One way leads to gold,
Another leads you only
To everything you're told.

In your heart you wonder
Which of these is true;
The road that leads to nowhere,
The road that leads to you.

Will you find the answer
In all you say and do?
Will you find the answer
In you?

Each heart is a pilgrim,
Each one wants to know
The reason why the winds die
And where the stories go.

Pilgrim, in your journey
You may travel far,
For pilgrim it's a long way
To find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
To find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
To find out who you are...

I hope your journey take you to a beautiful place.