the music of what happens

And that moment when the bird sings very close
To the music of what happens.
— Seamus Heaney (1939– )

Continuing on with spindles, I thought I'd try 5 layered spindles on an S20 division. Not as tidy, and maybe the circumference is a bit on the small side for this cause it was a tight fit, but I like the geometry of it; and the design reminds me of the "god's eyes" (Ojos de Dios) I used to make as a child.

Thread wrap in powder blue, S20 division in metallic copper. Embroidery in a total of 7 shades of brown, rust orange, beige, light yellow. The quote by from a poem by Seamus Heaney is in the bell box, along with 29 brass rings. Circumference: 11inches / 28 cm; diameter: 3.5 inches / 8.9 cm. Completed 29 May 2012 (no. 129).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

this beautiful path

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.
— Thich Nhat Hanh (1926– )

These three temari have me continuing on my spindle exploration. All feature a pattern of three layered spindles at each pole, on alternate axes so the points cross the equator. The primary temari has many colored rows, whereas the two smaller temari have the pattern in fewer shades (all pulled from the main palette), with opposite dominant colors.

Thread wrap in ecru, S12 division in metallic silver. Embroidery in a total of 9 shades of blue, blue green, gold, beige, violet, &c. The darkest color is deep navy blue; the lightest a silvery off-white. The quote by Thich Nhat Hanh is in the bell box of each, and each has 23 brass rings.

126 (multistripe): circumference: 10.5 inches / 27 cm; diameter: 3.34 inches / 8.59 cm; completed 19 May 2012
127 (dominant color gold): circumference: 9.75 inches / 24.7 cm; diameter: 3.1 inches / 7.86 cm; completed 27 May 2012
128 (dominant color violet): circumference: 10 inches / 25.2 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.02 cm; completed 28 May 2012

Currently part of 10 x 10 x 10 x Tieton, a juried exhibition in Washington. The show runs 11 August to 11 October.

front to back: 126, 127, 128

left to right: 127, 126, 128

left to right: 127, 128, 126

happiness was born a twin (spindles)

124 (left) and 123 (right)

All who would win joy, must share it;
happiness was born a twin.
— Lord Byron (1788–1824)

Creeping up on my one-year anniversary of temari making, and I had yet to learn one of the most elementary stitches — the spindle. These temari both feature a pattern of three layered spindles at each pole (inspired by a design Barbara Suess's book). For the first, I started the first rows fairly close to the equator, placing the spindle groups on offset guidelines, so that the ends would eventually pass each other. I love how this looks, but as a result the spindles end up so long the final rows are more than half the circumference, and are a bit finicky. Fine for me to keep, where I can "groom" them into place when necessary, but it didn't feel sturdy enough to put up for sale.

I had originally intended to make this another pair for sale, but instead adjusted my measurements and refined my color scheme for the second one. Instead of starting 1/3rd up from the equator I started 1/2 way up, so the overall design is smaller and shorter. I wish the points overlapped, but it is more sturdy at least.

Thread wrap in dark navy, S12 division in metallic copper. Embroidery in three shades of blue, rust orange, golden olive yellow, and silvery off-white/gray (plus a row of moss green in 123). The quote by Lord Byron is in the bell box of each, and each has 23 brass rings. 123: circumference: 10.5 inches / 27 cm; diameter: 3.34 inches / 8.59 cm; completed 14 May 2012; 124: circumference: 10.875 inches / 27.8 cm; diameter: 3.46 inches / 8.84 cm; completed 16 May 2012.

No. 124 has been sold on Etsy to benefit Kiva.org.

123

124

124 (left) and 123 (right)

124

123 (left) and 124 (right)

a hunch is creativity

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.
— Frank Capra (1897–1991)

Another asymmetrical kiku, this time with 20 points, and formed from four 5-point stars at each pole.

Thread wrap in medium silver gray; S20 division in #8 perle. Embroidery in black and three grays (dark, medium light), and butter yellow. The quote by Frank Capra is in the bell box along with 27 brass rings. Circumference: 11.5 inches / 29.5 cm; diameter: 3.66 inches / 9.39 cm. Completed 13 May 2012 (no. 125).

as we are

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.
— Anaïs Nin (1903–1977)

When I made my first temari in Barb Seuss's "Morning Glory" class, we made a set of three — one primary design, and two "challenge" designs that were secondary yet used design elements and the same colors as the primary temari. Along the way I have been making individual temari, but I missed the idea of "sets," of primary and secondary, of like-groups. This is my first set, then, of two temari.

The larger temari (no. 121) features a design of kiku herringbone and reverse kiku herringbone, two five-pointed stars at each pole, interlocked. The smaller temari (no. 122) features four 4-point interlocked reverse kiku stars at each pole, with guidelines removed.

Thread wrap in purple. 121: S10 division in dusky violet #8 perle; 122: S16 division with guidelines removed. Embroidery in purple, blue-violet, rust orange, and golden orange-yellow. The quote by Anaïs Nin is in the bell box of each, and each has 27 brass rings. 121: circumference: 10.5 inches / 26.4 cm; diameter: 3.34 inches / 8.4 cm; completed 10 May 2012; 122: circumference: 9.75 inches / 25.5 cm; diameter: 3.1 inches / 8.11 cm; completed 11 May 2012.

Sold to benefit Kiva.org (two loans will be made).

promise me you'll always remember

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

— A.A. Milne (1882–1956), author of Winnie-the-Pooh

An all-over spiral design. Thread wrap in dark chocolate brown; embroidery in brassy warm tan. The quote by A.A. Milne is in the bell box along with 17 brass rings. Circumference: 10 inches / 25.5 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.11 cm. Completed 8 May 2012 (no. 120).


Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

discover new oceans

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.
— André Gide (1869–1951)

A kiku design, one that I started without a final vision in mind. There are two 4-point kiku stars at each pole; for awhile I experimented with adding a third, but didn't find a satisfactory placement for it, and ended up extending the second star so that the final points are layered at the equator.

Thread wrap in medium silverish blue; S8 division in #8 perle. Embroidery in 9 shades of silvery greens, grays, blues and golds. The quote by André Gide is in the bell box along with 23 brass rings. Circumference: 10.75 inches / 27.4 cm; diameter: 3.42 inches / 8.72 cm. Completed 7 May 2012 (no. 119).


Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

to see our priorities

We often need to lose sight of our priorities in order to see them.
— John Irving (1942– )

This is another asymmetrical design, with sage & butterscotch kiku / kiku-around-kiku at the top, and black asymmetrical kiku at the bottom. This is the first time I have stitched a temari in #8 perle cotton; the standard is #5, but #8 is thinner, just over half the width of #5. It's much more delicate, and was lovely to work with. When I made chain maille jewelry, I gradually gravitated toward smaller and smaller rings (thinner and smaller in diameter) because of how fine the work turned out. I now have all sorts of ideas of how to use #8, as well as ideas about black on gray designs, which looks practically like velvet, and a bit victorian.

Thread wrap in slate gray; S24 division in black perle #8. Embroidery in butterscotch, sage, and black #8 perle. The quote by John Irving is in the bell box along with 27 brass rings. Circumference: 10 inches / 25.5 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.11 cm. Completed 5 May 2012 (no. 118).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

the moon so pure

the moon so pure
a wandering monk carries it
across the sand
— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)

A new (for me) twist on a traditional design: the 16 point kiku herringbone (chrysanthemum) pattern, but with asymmetrical petals in four different lengths. Finished just in time for the 2012 "super moon."

Thread wrap in golden orange-yellow; S16 division in metallic copper. Embroidery in ldark rust orange, medium yellow-orange, and ecru. The haiku by Bashō is in the bell box along with 33 brass rings. Circumference: 11.5 inches / 29.5 cm; diameter: 3.66 inches / 9.39 cm. Completed 3 May 2012 (no. 130; they're numbered as I start them, not as I finish them).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

imagination needs . . .

So you see, imagination needs moodling—long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering.
— Brenda Ueland (1891–1985)

I'm still on the quest for "perfecting" the pattern-element I saw in some Japanese photos of kiku herringbone with long / spindly inner points (see no. 110). With each attempt I make adjustments, learn a little more, end up with a happy temari, and get ideas for the next try.

Thread wrap in seafoam-celadon green (light, very-slightly-blue green); S10 division with guidelines removed. Embroidery in light and medium blueish greens and periwinkle-violet. The quote by Brenda Ueland is in the bell box along with 27 brass rings. Circumference: 10 inches / 25.5 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.11 cm. Completed 1 May 2012 (no. 117).