nO mAn iS aN iSlaNd

No man is an island
although it sometimes seems so to me....

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately
replaying my life
thinking about stuff
sick in bed
gallstones
lots of prophetic thoughts
ideas
song lyrics
books
projects
come to me when I am down and out
Today I thought of the saying
"no man is an island".
I had no idea what it really meant
but then...I did.
I researched it and felt that it fit
the slot that I had defined for it already
in my brain
it describes an ideal world
a world where people really care
about each other and are there for each other
this world is not ideal
and I think people are often too busy
to care.

No Man Is an Island Lyrics
Artist(Band): Joan Baez

No man is an island,
No man stands alone,
Each man's joy is joy to me,
Each man's grief is my own.

We need one another,
So I will defend,
Each man as my brother,
Each man as my friend.

I saw the people gather,
I heard the music start,
The song that they were singing,
Is ringing in my heart.

No man is an island,
Way out in the blue,
We all look to the one above,
For our strength to renew.

When I help my brother,
Then I know that I,
Plant the seed of friendship,
That will never die.

John Donne

Meditation XVII: No man is an island...

"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Is it I who has not yet learned to ring the bell

or is it that those who hear it choose not to listen?

I hEaRt tHreAd

Another new piece

exploring my saved bits

for a heart

like the "sisters"

technique.

I'm working on

an

Etsy site to sell

my handmade

fibre art

creations.

mOre SiSters

Remnants for roses








Curly threads for hair

thread painting for faces






I've found I can do so many creative things with the stuff (bi-products : ) from my alterations business.
I save everything.
I keep a mini garbage can on my table
and I put all the tiny-est threads and fabric bits there. This stuff even looks so cool and inspiring when it's emptied into clear zip lock bags. An art series in itself!!
I have a can for threads, sewing thread labels, and other interesting bits. I have a scrap bag, and another bag for all the weird fibre-ey stuff that comes out of my serger's cutting tray (that stuff is going to get mixed with textile medium or something and modelled one of these days!)

Recycling at it's most creative.
: )
Don't forget you can add comments to my blog, or email me at klozhausfunk@gmail.com

TeXtiLe LoVe (SiSterS)

ThiS iS
eSpeCiaLLy
bEauTifuL
eveN beForE
I sTitcH iT.
I mAy eVeN
pReFer iT
tHis wAy.
iT wOuLd
mAkE a
cUte CarD
dOn't ya
tHinK?
: )

SePtEmBer HaRvEsT

Well this year we got started growing some of our own food!

The apples
were a nice surprise
I guess the tree loved
having all those plants
in a circle underneath it
receiving all that good
water that dripped
down to the lovely

tree roots. : )

We had a great crop of apples!
These are cored and frozen
waiting to be baked,
with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little honey,
or dropped into the blender
for smoothies this winter.
I also chopped some
froze them
on a cookie sheet
(my favorite trick : )
then bagged them.
I've already made
yummy gluten free
apple/blackberry scones
with them.
(just to test out this
new freezing trick)

Freezing kills fewer nutrients than canning
and since these are uncooked
they retain a lot more nutrients. : )
My mom taught me this.

I also cooked some of the apples into applesauce.
Then to avoid all that toxic plastic
: - p

I froze the applesauce in Pyrex bowls
(these are oven safe, so I figured they would freeze without cracking!)

Then I dipped the bottom of the bowls in warm water for a minute,
then turned out the frozen applesauce, and bagged it!
This will be great for muffins, pancakes, or whatever.
You can replace fat in a recipe with applesauce, too. : )

More harvest later...
Yum!

ThUmBs

The thumb was cool to make but
unfortunately it had to take
the road for the tried
but not true

Exploring and figuring out
for myself knitting in the round

was oh, so tres cool tho
A new thumb in crochet instead
became the winner of this day.

YAY!!
: )

I have a new plan
I'm happy about
You will see me back now
blogging and creatin'
'cause

I remembered that
CreativityIsMyLife

...soon,
a thriller~
my "creative" life
to share in blog.

sCuLpTuRe iN kNiTtiNg

Sculpting my knitting to fit my hand
planning a pattern
and hoping
I can remember what I did
for the other hand! : )

ooh, time for the thumb
I've never knitted on 4 needles before...

A trip to a foreign,
but very nice
public library in Ashcroft
and a few photocopies
from a fat knitting book
but alas,
later I find that
references to other pages were made
that I didn't copy...
any way
necessity is
the mother of invention
and I AM an inventor!!
: )

The joy of creation is back!

hAnD wArMeRs

My body tells me to move
yet I stay still
My lungs tell me to sing
yet I stay quiet
My hands tell me to create
yet they are too busy
caring for others

Timid is a word
that keeps resonating
in my mind's heart

Timidity is a state
that freezes
my heart
Fear causes timidity
timidity causes sadness
and anger

Timidity is a choice.
Today I create
Later today
I WILL sing.

Forums like this
and kind words
and love
to and
from others
help me to feel
like I can
and then
I will.

the start of a pair
of original
knitted
hand warmers.
xx