as the crow flies

pine needles

Outfit details: dress- Urban Outfitters, glasses-Bonlook, tights-I can't remember exactly, sorry!, socks-handmade by me, shoes-thrifted, bag-thrifted, necklace-handmade by me

 

I knitted up this pair of socks with the lovely Colinette. They have a rich forest green color with undertones of turquoise. The color gets me every time I look at it, it's just so beautifully reminiscent of a pine forest. You can find my Ravelry notes here.

I've got a few ideas for my next project. I'm thinking of

Longview,

 Magic Treetop Bag,

Through the Woods, or

Some Cloudy Day

 

Any thoughts? Does anyone else have any projects on their mind?

no mow

This past season I've connected to a gem of an abandoned yard. There is a dilapidated building left to rot and decay with a large unruly patch of different plants and hardly any grass to be found. Noone gives it much attention so for some time it felt like my own. I would roam with the birds who also favored it, hopping about the place. I practiced identifying what I knew, harvesting, and making note of others to learn their names. More of them were growing so big and beautiful. New plants would reveal themselves as the weeks went on.

 

 

On one recent outing I discovered it gone. Everything mowed to really nothing at all. All those plants! Gone! Some will grow back this year(if allowed) but I received quite a shock and disappointment. A couple of books I recently picked up at my library display the most gorgeous no mow lawns that I've been daydreaming about.

 

 

Does anyone else have no mow yard ideas?

 

 

where the deer lay

Outfit details: dress-hand-me-down, vest-thrifted, belt-Urban Outfitters, bangles-thrifted

 

I pulled over to photograph this post in a field that caught my eye. Behind this was a winding path and the tiniest sign to acknowledge that the land beyond it was dedicated in someone's memory. I entered this enchanted forest in total awe. I had a camera slung around my neck and never thought to even use it.  This place was very much alive.  The birds and the insects chirped and buzzed about me. The light crept through the treetops where it allowed, spotlighting the plants below. Two deer leaped in front of my path and the three of us stared at one another for several minutes. Determining me not too threatening, they turned and gracefully trotted on.

 

A break in the woods revealed the most breathtaking meadow. All the golden tones piercingly bright with the sunlight. What is it about places like these that bring this sense of freedom? I suddenly wanted to run through it and I did. That's when I saw where the deer lay.  The grasses so gracefully pushed here and there to mold where several bodies had all slept beside one another. So soft and subtle, you could pass it right up if you weren't really looking. I could of sat there for hours.

 

 

 

partridges

My sister had a birthday coming up so I went around to the various stashes I have tucked about to find the right fabric. Sometimes I have a clear idea in mind of just what I want to do but not quite sure what to make it from. Other times I look about me and find the materials that seem to say " yep, I'm the one" and then the idea of what it will be follows.

Either way, it doesn't help when your sewing machine is acting up and you've broken your last needle for it. So hand sewing entered out of necessity but brought much more to mind. There is just something about that immediate contact of your hands with what your working on that gives you even more of a connection with what you're creating. The sun shone over as I worked, birds called out, and a cool breeze just completely set it for me. I began thinking about a time not too far away when people hand sewed everything. Did they detest the time put into it or did they get that quiet satisfaction watching a trail of stitches follow behind their hands?

I had an idea that I would make her little bird pins that she could interchange or just remove all together when she wanted but their tails were a bit long and awkward. Sure, they were cute but didn't work with the size so I clipped them off. Two different people exclaimed, "partridges!" So there you have it, partridges.

I topped it off with a sewn card. For guidance on both the card and bag I consulted an old favorite.

It's filled with great projects and does a good job of making your own clothing feel very approachable.

 

curry cauliflower

A recurring favorite of mine is a recipe given to me by my friend Mary. It's simple with lots of room to change it up. Every time I make it it's different than the time before but guaranteed to always be delicious.

 

Here's what you need:

A base such as rice or quinoa (I used a brown jasmine rice this time around)

cauliflower

cooked garbanzo beans (I usually buy them in bulk and cook a big batch at the beginning of the week to throw in various meals or just to snack on)

 veggies of your choice (I added a sliced onion, tomato and sauteed kale**)

olive oil

curry powder (made from scratch or store bought)

raw honey

sea salt

 

 

Chop up your cauliflower and veggies and spread them on a baking sheet. Toss in your garbanzo beans. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Drizzle honey all over. Add a little bit of sea salt and a couple teaspoons or so of your curry powder. With your hands mix together thoroughly to make sure everything is coated. Bake in the oven at 450 degrees until it's done to your liking. Serve over a bowl of rice or quinoa.

 

**I cooked the kale separate and added it to the rest when everything was done. In a skillet on low heat I put a little bit of olive oil, goat butter, minced garlic and thinly sliced ginger. Once it was smelling really fragrant, I tossed in the kale and sauteed it till it began to wilt a little. You could easily omit the butter.

 

 

moss garden

When I began knitting I quickly decided two things. One, I would never knit on size 1 needles and two, I would never knit socks. I don't recall what reasons I had for wanting to learn to knit but it has evolved me in so many ways. It showed me exactly why I will knit on any size needles and that I will most definitely knit socks. Besides being meditative and soothing for me, it teaches me patience and rewards me with bliss through the little moments here and there to slow down and be still. And have any of you tried on hand knit socks? I'm afraid I can't go back. The only reasonable thing to do at this point is keep on knitting.

The socks were knit up in Noro Silk. The vibrancy of the colors along with the springy soft texture immediately reminded me of moss which made it extra pleasing to knit with. After walking around in the moss, bits easily clung to the sock and it looked so natural there, like it was just apart of the yarn. You can find my Ravelry notes here.

 

prairie grass

 

 

Outfit details: top-thrifted, vest-Urban Outfitters, skirt-thrifted, belt-thrifted, necklace-hand crafted Native American jewelry 

I tried photographing this once earlier and found that I was feeling a bit awkward,even though no one was around. I'm used to being the one behind the camera. It's been a few years since my days of loading up my sister's 72' Volkswagen with outfits and a sheet hung up around the backseat for a "changing room." We would drive on a whim, jump out and photograph whatever drew us in. In an array of outfits I modeled in front of decaying buildings, cobblestone roads, graveyards, street signs, fields, and barns. All of which we deemed our most beautiful landscapes. We photographed until we ran out of light or film, whichever came first.

Keeping in mind this wasn't the first time I'd done this, I tried again.This time I set up the camera in a field of beautiful tall grasses. As soon as I stepped forward and let the grass softly brush against me, every muscle relaxed. In the soft breeze the field made the most beautiful sound. Any trace of awkwardness was no where to be felt and why should it be? After all I was home. In this space you will find many posts photographed outdoors in places that enlighten me. Some are old haunts and many are new discoveries. I carry with me an incurable curiosity for unmarked winding paths. Wherever I wander, I hope you get a sense of these places through my photographs.

 

 

 

 

back from the mountains

Being in the mountains was a little surreal, like a walking, breathing daydream. Every tree, pebble, butterfly, rush of wings and trickle of water felt to me like home.

How do you leave this place? When submerged, thoughts are like poetry and I feel so whole and comfortably me, complete in my own skin.

 

 

Places that left me speechless. My words are not the language here but I am connected to all of it.

 

Sleeping on the ground, letting all my muscles stretch out. Hearing the rush of the creek ever flowing in and out of my subconscious. It soothes me to sleep and eases me awake.

 

 

I miss it like an old friend or an endearing memory but it's still with me.

I do believe it has ignited the mountain chaser in me. I'm planning my next trip.