tobacco barn, hadley
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

what is so compelling about these old barns? especially in black and white? even if it is faked!

trees at Smith
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

I have not one but TWO new cameras!!

One is a reasonable extension of the last camera, another nice little Cannon with more megapixels in the image and much better light handling. It is really clever, actually. It can tell when a person is smiling, and take a picture, which we, of course, tested. Aerin decided it had to do with white at the mouth, and made it go by flashing a small piece of paper under her nose. I spent a while trying to get it to do fancy things with color, and it has done well with some outdoor shots.

The second one is odder. I got a new phone when the old one was in the bag that got stolen. Al talked me into a smart phone, which I’ve been discovering slowly. I love (lovelove) being able to get a weather radar anytime, so I can see when it is going to rain, or snow, on my head. I like the gps functions so I get less lost. It has a camera, which isn’t bad.

But because it is really a computer that makes phone calls, it can manipulate the camera images in unexpected ways. So there is a Retro Camera app, that takes pictures and processes the resultong images in ways that makes them look like they have come from a polaroid, or a brownie, or a pinhole camera. There are two others, but I don’t recognize them. I have been enjoying taking pictures of winter trees using these older ways of seeing.

kalajoki
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

I finished these socks, courtesy of some car knitting over Thanksgiving and some sitting time after that. I think they are headed out to be presents. The yarn, Knitpicks Imagination, is Lovely to knit with and to wear, so I do have a pair of something-like-this in my future, but not these.

The pattern I found on Ravelry, from a Finnish woman celebrating her river. So I knit them to celebrate my river. Alice wants me to figure out how to put in an oxbow, especially since we live right next to one. That is kind of making my head hurt.

beaver pond with wall
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

Last Nano, a little late. This isn’t the same pond, but it is nearby, and still close to the horses I ride. Actually, this is from a picture I took on a trail ride.

I’m not so happy with this one, but pleased I finished four.

I already have another one in the works.

Onward!

bracelet frenzy
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

Red Kate came over yesterday, after the Holiday Parade in Florence.

Let me take a moment to describe the Holiday Parade in Florence because it is nearly perfect. It started with six troupes of Brownies and Girls Scouts, followed by the High School Band in warm clothes and Santa hats, then local politicians, a bagpipe band, Shriners in little goofy cars, Veterans, Revolutionary War Re-enactors, another community band and Santa. The parade route is so short, they go twice around the block, so if you miss anything the first time you get to clap all over again. It is tiny, local, and friendly.

Anyhow – Red Kate came over and made earrings from the beads she'd brought with her, so I dragged my stash downstairs and picked out a handful of interesting things. Apparently it was fun, because I couldn't stop. I finished off some strings of beads I've been saving for some other project I've forgotten, and random handfuls of pretty things that kind of go together. I am quite pleased with myself.

I am less pleased with the last of the Nano pieces. It still requires a fair amount of work, which is supposed to be done by Tuesday.

A freaky and ugly thing happened to us Thursday night. Someone opened the (generally unlocked) back door, and walked out with my pocketbook, Al's wallet and my daughter's Macbook. We were in the house, asleep upstairs. No one was hurt, nothing else was taken, no unpleasant surprises were left for us, but it still feels nasty.

After spending most of Friday on the phone to credit card companies, in the bank changing account numbers and at the registry getting a temporary license so I could drive again, I find myself mourning the working systems I had in place. The calendar/day runner thing that they don't make anymore. The phone that had all the numbers in it (I am grateful my number didn't change) that I need to recollect and get in somehow. The sketchbook.

I feel like keening over the sketchbook – it had some trees and some shells and the pugs from my brother's house… I was practicing seeing the island, not using the camera, and now those results are gone. Oddly, I seem to want to throw out more stuff rather than get new to replace things. I don't quite understand that. Going on a cleaning spree as a result of a burglary?

But that has been my weekend, except I also got to see Hamelt, which was teriffic, and help with the set strike which was speedy and raucous and fun, and lunch with my group.

My group: Audrey, Timna, Cindy-of-the-hand-dyes and Lynne-with-no-blog (yet).  Together, we fight crime make things and cheer each other on. Thanks guys!

veils of mist +1
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

I was thinking I'd try adding layers of organza until it wouldn't fit under the sewing machine foot, but I think this one is done, so I'll have to save that experiment for a different piece.

I really like the way the organza implies the depth of the mist, and distance from the viewer. While I am not completely sure about the top layer of silk, over everything, I like it better with than without.

I feel like I am developing a vocabulary for water and trees and sky. Silk is perfect for water and sky – it has a kind of glow that few other fibers do, it takes color well, and (in utter woo-woo terms) the organic nature of the fiber shows through. Cotton and wool are my preferred materials for land and objects. They look more opaque, more solid and grounded. A very good thing for trees.

That makes three so far, for November, and I still have time and materials….

Onward!

misty moisty morning
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

A small piece of Nano 3 – all about the fog.

If I can, I'll take pictures of the Hamlet hangings, and the ghost, to demonstrate my other works this month.

I think the point of Nano is just to sit and do whatever-it-is even if there isn't time. Take lunches and sty up later than you should and workworkwork on the project in hand to get a rough draft, or a body of work. So I am still plugging away, even thogh it has been quiet!

cattails
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

I just finished this one, and found my camera, and found the tiny disk that goes in it so it can save pictures (that was in the netbook).

So – more reflections, same tiny pond. Honestly, it is a mere puddle, but I seem to be working my way around the shoreline in 10 ft chunks. The sewing machine was having some issues stitching in the reeds, so I may have overworked that area some, but I am pleased over all, and delighted with the small red tree in the understory that is completely perfect if I do say so.

I'm working hard on the second one, cattails at the other end of the tiny pond, but my camera has temporarily vanished and I can't show you my (astonishing) progress.

Sorry. It looks pretty fine.