A Season of Haiku Poems

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For me these past months have alternately flown and slugged their way through the spring into summer season. As with many of us, my days have been like a ride on a Ferris wheel. To cope or just add rhythm, I have been mentally summing my days in Haiku poems. Some poems are written down, others just bounce around on the wind.   



Here's one:
Pandemic painting
isolating with color
my soul saving work.

Another:
Today, quietly,
I retired from teaching
health vs. children.  

                                                  Yes, that's my big news. I've just retired. Yes, this was a huge decision. The good news is that I will be able to paint and create full-time. The very sad piece of this is that I will dearly miss the students. In a post-vaccine world I hope to see them again. 

Here's one more for the gardeners:
It's no boundaries time
There used to be a limit
Weeding all day long.

Cards in the Mail by Genevieve Keller

Lovely cards sold on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GenevieveKeller
Sold in sets of 3 - your choice!  Cards are a smooth & heavy weight stock. $15.00/set, free shipping/USA. All cards are blank inside, ready for your message. Connect with friends and family today with a wonderful card!

A Whole New World

It's taken me a couple of weeks to wrap my brain around this new world situation. Lots of ups and downs. Time-warp-twisted emotions to sort through, and missing family that are not nearby. Then there has been the visiting of friends on-line, and for this I am eternally grateful.

It took me a couple of weeks to get back to painting. I felt just too agitated to settle into a rhythm with my paints. I'm working through it, now painting a number of small paintings at once - jumping from one to the next - influenced by life right now.

Here are a couple of pairs of Baby Mittens I've just loaded in my knitting Etsy shop. I knit year round, sort of stock piling my mittens for autumn and winter craft fairs and my SnowDayArtist Etsy shop. I don't usually load up this Etsy shop until the late fall... but who knows if we will have craft fairs this year? I'll be adding mittens to Etsy as I make them for this year.

May you be well. May your family be well.
May we all have a bright and connected future.

♥
(¯`v´¯)
.`•.¸.•´ ★
¸.•´.•´¨) ¸.•¨)
(¸.•´(¸.•´ (¸.•¨¯`* ♥
★~

Art Show and Snow~Days

I've been painting on beach stones collected last summer. With three dimensions to consider, it's a whole new way of thinking about design. I'm enjoying the challenge. 
The next two days I will be set up in the Longfellow's Greenhouses for their annual Cabin Fever Art Show. This is a fun and inspiring show - so much GREEN for the winter worn eyes to see! Come on out for a break from our recent snow storms, I'll be there both Saturday and Sunday.
At this show I will have Greeting Cards, Fine Art Prints, Framed Prints, Painted Beach Stones, Felted Animals, and a few pairs of knitted mittens. Ask to see the mittens!

Baby Yoda and Cranberry Banana Bread

I found this Baby Yoda pattern on line - free! I absolutely couldn't resist knitting it. The size shown is for a 9-month old. I did alter the pattern a bit. Here's how I made my hat:
(for an 18" circumference baby head): Double strand of yarn (I chose Peace Fleece Shaba Green with a Cascade 220 heather green #8505), and knitting on a set of US 9 double pointed needles (no seam) cast 15 sts onto each of 3 needles =  45 sts. (Gauge is 3 sts to 1"). Knit 24 rows around, or until desired length, this came to about 5" for me. Note: there's no cuff, it just curls nicely. Start deceasing in Row 25: Knit 7, k2tog, repeat around the row. Next row decrease (k2tog) whenever you get to the decrease of the previous row. When you get down to about 6 sts (I can't remember exactly) loop your yarn through the stitches and pull tight, then secure ends inside the hat. Ears: KNIT TIGHTLY so they have minimal flop factor, and leave several inches of yarn on the end for attaching to hat when done. Cast 12 sts. onto one of your US 9 double pointed needles (using a double strand of yarn), knit for 3 rows (garter stitch).
Row 4: K6, K1F&B, K5 = 13 sts.
Row 5: K6, K1F&B, K6 = 14 sts.
Row 6: K7, K1F&B, K6 = 15 sts.
Rows 7 thru 13: knit (garter st.)
Row 14: K1, K2tog, knit to the end of the row.
Row 15: Knit.
Repeat Rows 14 & 15 until you have just 2 sts, knit these 2 together and pull the yarn tight. Thread the yarn ends along inside the bottom edge of the stitches, leave a good length to sew the ear onto the hat.
Make a second ear just like the first.
Sew the ears on securely making sure to curve the top edge around towards the front of the hat - very Yoda-like! This is the blog where I found the original pattern: shinahchang.com/blog   3/2014

This is what the ear looks like before curling the top edge inwards.
Happy Knitting!

Almost forgot, I just discovered how wonderful cranberries are! I've been experimenting and they are divine in banana bread! They keep for the longest time. I've had some in my fridge since Thanksgiving (leftovers from the stuffing) and they are just now making their way into other baked goods. A great discovery, life is so full of possibilities!