Day: February 2, 2012

Brigid’s day poetry

February 2, 2012

I think I remember a tradition of poetry on February 2. Happy Groundhog Day, Happy Imbolc, Happy Brigid's Day and Candlemas…. have a poem:


Some would distinguish nothing here but oaks,
Proud heads conversant with power and glory
Of heaven's rays or heaven's thunderstrokes,
and adumbrators to the understory,
Where in shade, small trees of modest leanings
Contend for light and are content with gleanings.
And yet here's dogwood: overshadowed, small,
But not inclined to droop and count its losses,
It cranes its way to sunlight after all,
And paints the air of May with Maltese crosses.
And here's witch hazel, that from underneath
great vacant boughs will bloom in winter's teeth.
Given a source of light so far away
That nothing, short of tall, comes very near it,
Would it not take a proper fool to say
That any tree has not the proper spirit?
Air, water, earth and fire are to be blended,
but no one style, I think, is recommended.
Richard Wilbur
A Wood

 

Feb 2 and a hideous green

February 2, 2012

feb 2

It looks much more yellow here than in the box! The thread I used (Sulky rayon machine embroidery) is that awful bronzey yellowy green that shows up before spring really gets started. It does not show up so well in the deeper texture of the machine needle felted fabric. I'll try using some heavier thread on the next one. I do have a layer of iron-on stabilizer on the back because without it the stitches go right through the felt. 

I wonder, too, what I really need for a base layer. I was told to use basic craft felt for most work. I don't like the looks of that, and I can make huge amounts of topography in it by overworking particular areas. I have some wool jersey that I felted (on purpose!) that is a little heavier. I could try not using anything, and letting the wool felt to itself. Wet felting relies on the wool felting to itself, and containing any non-felting inclusions. I don't know if dry felting does that. 

So, I have some experiments to try. 

I will leave you with a picture from Family Circus: 

Family circus pyramid

I like Alice just hanging out on my back, holding Aerin's foot.