Filtering by Category: practice
I Ching
I bought my first copy of the Wilhelm-Baynes's translation of The I Ching of Book of Change in 1974 and was intrigued by the wisdom within it's pages. Over the next several decades I learned that much of Chinese culture was impacted by the concepts the i Ching (Yijing) taught. What first began as a book of divination was transformed over the centuries into the first great book of wisdom.
Three years ago I started working on a personal translation of the Yijing and enjoy making it into a regular practice.
A Curious Herbal
Elizabeth Blackwell’s A Curious Herbal is notable both for its beautiful illustrations of medicinal plants and for the unusual circumstances of its creation. Blackwell undertook this ambitious project to raise money to pay her husband’s debts and release him from debtor’s prison. She drew, engraved, and colored the illustrations herself, mostly using plant specimens from the Chelsea Physic Garden in London. It was an artistic, scientific and commercial enterprise unprecedented for a woman of her time.
http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/ttp/v2/books/#!/elizabeth-blackwells-a-curious-herbal/
A Year Ago Today...
… I turned 55 and started knitting, because I wanted knitted wool socks. I never realized that knitting would be like sitting meditation with a tangible outcome. My knitting education began on the internet and moved to locals willing to share there time and knowledge. KnittingHelp.com became my first resource and their videos explained in detail every stitch and pattern I needed. I started learning Continental style and Mimi Fautley at The Loop Craft Cafe in Halifax taught me Norwegian style Continental knitting.
Above is my knitting stash. It is always small, because I only buy yarn for specific projects.
With a year of knitting behind me I have finished several projects:
My first project was a pair of fingerless gloves that I felted.
Next was a scarf that I restarted the first three inches over 20 times. By then I had K2 P2 (knit 2, purl 2) ribbing down pat. I finally tired of the boring gray color at about 36”.
So I turned the scarf into a felted hat, I was encouraged by the success of my gloves, but made one mistake. I used hot water cycle on the washer rather than warm as I had before and in no time I had a hat too small for me to wear so I gave it to a dear friend.
It was time for a pair of socks and Heather and Angela from Have a Yarn helped me select a great yarn to start.
The socks continued on for several months, a little more every time we watched a movie. Meanwhile my head was still cold so I started a new hat and wanted to add some colour (rather than black and gray) into my life.
Then I was introduced to Sharon Orpin and invited to join her and the ladies at the Friday knit and spin at Sharon’s Studio. I wanted to learn to drop spindle and Sharon got me started immediately.
Went to the Maritime Fiber Arts Retreat at Oak Island Resort with 250 other fibre people and had a great time spinning.
Even left with a small skein of yarn.
The IWK asked all knitters in the province to knit some Purple Hats for the neonatal unit. So I participated.
The Lunenburg Library sponsored a knitting day and a number of us participated in knitting over 70 hats to send to the IWK.
One hat is never enough, so I knitted a second for myself.
And then a third.
I started knitting a new pair of socks for me.
Pamela wanted socks for Christmas, so I finished her a pair.
She really likes them. Now wants another pair.
Then I made a pair of fingerless gloves from the leftover yarn from my red hat.
Now I finally finished one of my red socks and am finishing the other sock.
My big project for the spring is the Double Knit Paint Box scarf by Lucy Neatby. I attended a workshop with her at Have a Yarn and decided it would be my next challenge.
It requires concentration so works best when I have an Audible book to listen to and just sit down and knit.
Completed it will look something like this…long and colourful.
There are so many fine knitters who have helped me throughout the year. Elly showed me how to make double knit needle holders.
Michelle and the knitters at the Makery welcomed me into their circle. The Biscuit Eater and Sweet Indulgence were great places to sit and enjoy a cup of tea and knit.
I wish I could remember all the names of the knitters and spinners I met this year, but I cannot thank them all other than to say, Big Hug to all.
Best of 2012
JANUARY 2012
Great friends are always the best way to begin a new year. (L to R: M.J., Pamela, Kuno, Mike)
FEBRUARY 2012
Iron Works Distillery's latest creation a Pear in a Bottle. We had to add one to our collection. So nice to have a local distillery.
MARCH 2012
Learned to knit in February by watching YouTube videos and help from local knitters like Dawn in Mahone Bay and Mimi in Halifax. After a scarf and a hat I started my first pair of socks in March.
APRIL 2012
Drum circle on Dawn's birthday at the old Biscuit Eater. We are so happy that Cara and Fredrick bough the BE and have made it their home and continued allowing all of us to make it our community center.
MAY 2012
Cruised from Rome, to Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and ended in Venice. Stayed over for several lovely days and nights.
JUNE 2012
We moved to BlueRocks in May and a knitting angel left a knitted rock in front of the house. We never discovered who left it, but enjoyed it every day until it moved on its journey.
JULY 2012
The Tall Ships arrived in Lunenburg and hosted a three day celebration at the docks.
AUGUST 2012
We helped start a new theatre company in town called It's Alive Theatre, Playwrights (l to r) Pamela, Rick, Alison, Lloyd, and Susan (not pictured).
SEPTEMBER 2012
Cynthia Whitcomb came for a visit and we toured her around for a week while she lead a two-day writing workshop for local writers.
OCTOBER 2012
Jon Allen and Chris Anderson acted in my play, "Old Fools" as a part of It's Alive Theatre Company's production of A Evening of Short Plays. Everyone in the company had a wonderful time and we sold out all three performances. Thank you everyone, especially Jon and Chris.
NOVEMBER 2012
Fall settled into Blue Rocks with golden colors and great weather.
DECEMBER 2012
Pamela and I enjoyed a productive month of writing and a quiet holiday season. Happy New Year to all.
Gloves Changed and Finished
I changed the gloved from individual finger to a single opening. I did not like all the extra yarn between my fingers and the 16 stitch rounds were driving me crazy. I love my new gloves. Now on to finishing my socks and then to the beautiful Double knit Paintbox scarf designed by Lucy Neatby. See photo below.
Latest Knitting Adventures
Fingerless Gloves in progress. Made by combining a Worsted gray and finger weight red from stash.
Matching new hat from the same two yarns.
Earlier experiment to change the look of the round top.
Socks knit as a gift for Pamela.
Start of a pair of sock for myself. I love the sport weight yarn. It is not as tedious as the finger weight yarn and I am able to work it faster and with less mistakes. First pair was chunky, this pair sport weight, maybe next pair will be finger weight…maybe.
End of the World
Despite all foolish worries that the world would end today, because a Mayan calendar ended a cycle, the sun still rose at 7:52. The winter solstice arrived at 8:20 and Blue Rocks was at low tide an hour later. Below are a few photos since the world did not come to an end.
Photos taken with iPhone5.
Call for Submissions
Call for Submissions
10-Minute Plays
2013 Evening of Short Plays
Our next production will run in mid to late August, 2013 (final dates to be announced), and we have openings for four, ten-minute plays (ten pages in standard play format) which will be selected based on a blind adjudication.
Our motif for the 2013 production is "Two Chairs". Each play must incorporate two chairs and only the two chairs are permitted as props, aside from accessories and costuming.
Please refer to the following link for an example of standard play format: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/ writersroom/scripts/stageus.pdf
To bind your submission, include a detached title page with your name, contact information and play
title and staple the remaining play pages together, ensuring that the title appears on the first page of the play. One submission per playwright.
Each winner is responsible for the production of their play, including casting, costuming and directing.
Attendance at It's Alive Playwrights Meetings is mandatory, including the introductory meeting on January 20th at 7pm.
Our four winners will be announced in January 2013.
Deadline: Postmarked by December 28, 2012
Act Now: First 25 submissions considered
Mail to: Box 404, Lunenburg, NS B0J 2C0
Questions: Email [email protected]
New Theatre Logo
It's Alive Theatre is proud to present our new logo. We will soon announce our 2013 season. Buy tickets early. Thank you for all your support.