Red Sock(s)

Here's the picture of the sock I am currently knitting. The yellow at the top is just the sun coming in the window...the yarn is truly RED! I have worn black so much over the past years that I decided to dive right into color! The top picture is the back of the sock and the one under it is the front. The white line is a row of "waste yarn" which comes out when I add the heel. So, this has been quite a learning project: learning to cast on a seamless toe, magic loop knitting and the "afterthought heel." I haven't done cables in a long time although these cables are pretty simple. I just don't need to tell you how many times I started over on this one...suffice it to say that I am now quite good at the seamless toe cast on!!!

I really love to knit and getting into a rhythm with a project is satisfying. I am able to let the small glitches go and if a project has a "spirit line" (this is what my friend calls her gently done errors) in it I am okay with it. I do love the feel of the yarn in my fingers and the color taking on form. It must be some "earth mother" need:)

I won't wax on about the knitting process because the sun is shining here in the mountains and my sweet golden retriever Katie wants to go out for a walk.

Katie Scarlett O'Hara Honaker

Sharing

I could spend all my time looking at fibers online!! But instead I'm out to give everyone the fiber addiction! So check out the Phatfibers blog listed to the right and catch the fun. Their list of blogs and Etsy shops will keep your fingers busy for a long time. I've been up since before dawn knitting on a sock and will include a picture of said uncompleted sock later. It's my first sock and I'm knitting it toe up. The heel will be put in last. Just something simple to start on! So I am off now to play in my tiny little studio....

Shamed into Blogging

Winter Greens

The last week f January I went to Blairsville, Georgia to be with my family. My brother, Bill, his son Chuck, daughter, Bretta and I did courses at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. Bill and Chuck did a wood turning course in making "hollow form" vessels. Bretta and I did a course called "Botanical Books". For a week we were able to learn from a botanical illustrator, Redenta Soprano, and a calligrapher and book artist, Annie Cicale. Using Redenta's techniques I did the above drawing when I got home. Being around my family is such a creative stimulus. They sing, they dance, they write music and blog; they turn wood, work with fiber,are excellent photographers, cook, sew, paint and draw. I love to be in their midst and always come home inspired and motivated. We have 2 new bloggers in our family: my great nephew, Reece who blogs at www.wannabejesusrocker.blogspot.com and my great niece who is doing a blog project of called Blogject365 (www.blogject365.blogspot.com). Their mother, Bretta blogs at Creativity Unleashed (www.brettaogburn.blogspot.com). These are talented people!! Bretta hasn't blogged in a while but perhaps this little rant will shame her into offering up some of her projects! Christa is a wonderful writer and artist and Reece writes music with great lyrics. As for me...well I can continue to offer up some poetry and pictures of life here in the laurel thickets of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Life has been great since retirement and as I sit here in the sunshine of a beautiful Valentine's Day I realize how incredibly lovely life is. I decorated my Christmas tree for Valentine's Day this morning. I moved it out onto the back deck after Christmas and it is still green and fresh (let's hear it for those Allegheny County Christmas tree growers!). It was cut from a local Christmas tree farm on the 20th of December and decorated with mostly "bird friendly ornaments". Every now and again I put peanut butter and bird seed on the dried orange slices so the birdies have a treat. I cut some suet up for them and put it on the branches and it was popular!

I can't promise a post every day but I will make a commitment to continue to let you all know about life here at 111 Ivy Lane. Here is a poem I wrote today about a dream I had a couple of nights ago. It feels important.

Severed

It was an old house

built onto a new house.

I saw the chain saw in his hand

as he severed the steps;

cut the house into pieces.

It broke away from itself

and fell mortar and wood;

crumbling dust mixed with sweat

on my father’s brow. I wanted the pieces;

to save them, cherish them, immortalize them.

What did I need from the pieces? Who

was the house? What fell; and why am I

hanging curtains on the windows that remain?

A New Beginning

Having been retired for all of 3 weeks now. I am beginning to emerge from the boxes and am starting to feel the freedom of each day. The desire to write and create is strong. Each cool night brings more color in the leaves around me. I sat down this week to write some thank you notes to friends in Indiana. I decided to create a card and of course one thing led to many others. Here is a picture of the card I created.

And here is the poem that I put inside each one:

Red Dress

Wondering when it would happen,

I asked. The answers from others

could not satisfy my longing.

Did they want to know?

I waited, the squirrels ran and gathered;

the sun pierced my skin.

Late into the season of harvest

I slept. In the darkness of night

I felt a kiss like ice and fire.

My lover had come, bringing a scarlet dress.

The Tanager hiding in the oak desired me.

I knew; it was time to slip my moorings.

The breath of the One took me.

I twirled. In the sun I glittered as

I sailed in the dance.

Martha Honaker

October 2010

Today, I have joined much of the world in watching the rescue of the 33 miners in Chile. As they showed the reaction of the first miner's rescue in the local village, one of the men was shouting"Gracias, El Senor" Thank you God. It brought back short-term mission trips to work in an orphanage in Guatemala in 1986. The children there, in spite of their circumstances, were always thanking God. It is indeed a day to say gracias to God. We are always our best in the midst of tragedy. It brings us together and tears down boundaries. So today the world comes together in thanksgiving for this incredible rescue.