trombonecat's blog

my journeys with weaving and other fiber and needle arts, life, and books & reading

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  • what do you do with your hands?

    artistry

    Threads.
    One of my many crafts and hobbies is sewing. A few years ago, I created a reading list — Sewing + related: nonfiction, digital, DVD, fiction — from The Seattle Public Library’s collection. It was a resource for a talk shared with two neighborhood group meetings of the Greater Seattle chapter of the American Sewing Guild. These lists are geared for adults, as well as teens and children. And, many of these titles are in other public library collections too.

    life

    New Years Resolutions.
    Okay – I’ll enjoy any and all weather. I live north of Seattle. There’s a rumor that it rains a lot here. Not true. Multiple government and academic resources exist for weather forecasting and related. Here’s one:
    Trend Tool by the Washington State Climate Office, part of the Earth Lab program of the University of Washington. Technically, there are measurements for temperature, precipitation, and snow water equivalents.
    Am glad there are only 65 days till spring. Sad there are 162 days till summer.

    reading

    I’m a Zoom Book Club leader focused on sewing and related topics like fashion, designers, and textiles. We meet six times a year. Coming up at this week’s meeting is discussion about Claire McCardell: the Designer Who Set Women Free by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson. For females, do you appreciate pockets in pants and shirts? Do you dress in separates? Are your clothes comfortable and not constricting? We all owe it to Claire McCardell (1905-1958) for those trends, all which have endured and flourished since the late 1930s. For more info, here’s a Wikipedia entry about McCardell.

    Also, Empresses of Seventh Avenue: New York City, World War II, and the Birth of American Fashion by Nancy MacDonnell covers McCardell and six other women who were innovative and trend-setting fashion designers and sadly are not well-known today.

    this week’s photo

    I used one of these this past week.

  • heard of a stash?


    artistry

    Crocheting.
    Over time, you’ll hear stories and see photos about my various crafting and other artistry activities. This week starts the clues for the mystery alongs for the 2026 Rose City Yarn Crawl (RCYC). I’m starting the crochet pattern at a cast-on and chain-up party at the All Wound Up Yarn Shop in Edmonds, WA; two friends, Daria and Erica, recently became its new co-owners! This year’s RCYC theme is Mythical Creatures and I actually know the crochet pattern designer, Danielle Wallace, co-owner of Purly Shell Fiber Arts in Ilwaco, WA. Somewhere in my stash are the three skeins of yarn for this project. Somewhere. Hopefully not somewhere over a rainbow.

    life

    Holidays.
    Christmas is over. I eventually get over denial, catch on, admit it’s over, dust and pack away the decorations, etc. This week’s photo is from tonight — one last enchanted holiday evening.

    reading

    Bravery.
    Finished listening the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book 4). It’s been so long since I either read and listened to the book or watched the movie for the first time. So it was almost like a first read. Loved all the action! This world needs more Albus Dumbledores.

    this week’s photo

    Somewhere in this photo you’ll see a few Santa ornaments, a hummingbird one, and a few lighthouse ones too. And a few very old bubble lights.

  • new year, finally


    artistry


    Community.
    Started 2026 with going to St. Distaff’s Day, organized by a fiber arts group north of Seattle. Here’s a Wikipedia entry about this celebration throughout history, which has origins in the 1600s. It’s a spin-in where many people bring all sorts of spinning wheels and drop spindles. Spinners are almost always very welcoming of weavers, crocheters, and other fiber artists joining them. About 300 of us were together last Saturday. I get so much support and encouragement for my weaving and other handicraft pursuits from many people in the guilds and organizations that I belong to. And, I try to give that same help back to others.


    life

    Christmas.
    It was nice to celebrate Christmas this year. In the last 5 months of 2024, we were dealing with a dishwasher failure and major flooring and cabinet damage. Our only decoration was a small live tree plant sent by some friends. My small family and our two poodles were at a hotel for three weeks in December 2024 when repairs were being done. So, decorating a few weeks ago and spending evenings reading and looking at the Christmas tree lights has been a very nice respite from a busy end of 2025, which had been a year of high highs and low lows for me. Hope readers here have enjoyed any of the holidays you celebrate or participate in during the months of December and January.


    reading

    Doll.
    In my very first post, I recommended the book The Field House: A Writer’s Life Lost and Found on an Island in Maine by Robin Clifford Wood. It’s both a biography of Rachel Field and memoir about Wood. Field wrote material for adults and children in the early twentieth century, was very successful, and is one of the many authors forgotten in history. Wood’s book is the most authoritative and detailed book about Field to date. I got curious about several of Field’s works. Have just finished reading a library copy of Hittie: Her First Hundred Years, published in 1929 and now considered a collectible book. Yes, dolls have a life, a voice, feelings, dreams and more. Below is a photo of a replica of Hittie, who had an incredible life with several children and living in numerous countries. I now need to find and have a talk with Betty Ann, my childhood doll.

    this week’s photo

    gailwilsondesigns.com
    Found this photo on Google images and believe I am understanding correctly it can be used and shared.

  • survived Christmas

    artistry

    Simple.
    Recently decided to try heavier weight yarn for crocheting hand warmers. I usually use worsted weight yarn for projects like mittens, fingerless gloves, and cowls. Would appreciate hearing pattern suggestions!

    life

    Cheesecake.
    In my early thirties, a few friends would plan dinner parties where everyone would choose what to bring. I once made a decadent orange sunshine cheesecake, which had orange slices placed on top, which had been simmered in water and sugar then put on a rack to dry out a bit. Described this to the special person who became my husband. Many, many years later, I FINALLY made a cheesecake for us to enjoy this recent Christmas holiday. Find the recipe in Bon Appetit, March 1992, pages 73-74; it’s also a photo on the issue’s front cover. See photo of the week below.

    Local.
    Many of you know that I live in western Washington. Several nearby rivers have crested and fields and some farms have flooded. Some of the recovery and repairs will be over several months, if not longer. I live about 3 miles away on a hill in a development with other houses but this is the closest I’ve lived to a disaster situation. Thanks for reflecting on what you can help with current and future disasters in areas you are in or are connected to.

    reading

    Fantasy.
    I started listening again to the Harry Potter book series last summer. Quickly figured out many others were doing the same as I’ve had to be on hold lists for the downloadable audiobook copies. Just started listening to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire I(Book #4). Have ordered aran-weight yarn in the two colors for the Gryffindor house and found a Tunisian crochet pattern for a scarf in Crochet Wizardry: The Official Harry Potter Crochet Pattern Book by Lee Sartori, 2021, 175 pages.

    this week’s photo

  • welcome Solstice

    posting this at 11:58pm, PST 🙂. And, have changed the blog’s title to the date and a word or short phrase, as headers will still be in the blog.

    artistry

    Fabric.
    One of my crafting or textiles pursuits is sewing. After seeing a folded fabric coaster a few years ago, was eager to create some (examples in the photo of the week below). This is a great way to use up fabric remnants. Am not the creator of this pattern. Google “sewing four-layer coasters, four fold coasters, four patch coasters, etc.” to find instructions.

    life

    Kindness.
    Last Friday I had a chance to hold doors open for two people who needed the help. And, while I think by driving the speed limit, I’m being kind, it’s obvious most drivers behind me don’t think I’m being kind — too bad.

    reading

    Traditions.
    One of my Christmas holiday traditions is re-reading some holiday books which I’ve had for years. Here are a few:

    Martha Stewart’s Christmas. Clarkson Potter, 1989. 144 pages.
    On a trip years ago to New York City for a cousin’s wedding, I also drove out on Long Island, hoping to find Martha’s Lily Pond Lane place. Didn’t find her place but enjoyed the trip and it was a great Italian-style wedding.

    The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Originally published in 1985. Children’s picture book and a 1986 Caldecott Medal winner. I enjoy reading picture books to my two poodles; one looks at the pictures and the other one is actively listening to my voice.

    And, here’s a new book added this year:
    Delia’s Happy Christmas by Delia Smith and Petria Tinsley. Ebury Press, London, 2009. 311 pages. Excited to find this book at a Library friends group book sale for $2. Am looking for some new recipes to try out.

    this week’s photo

    Note: For links to books, magazines and other materials, I’m going to use links to title information from libraries around the world and to a range of online platforms like WorldCat and book ordering sites. These sites are found at random. There will be very very random and occasional links to Amazon. Many links will lead to information on the multiple formats that books and other materials are now available in. Yep, I sound like a retired librarian 🙂

  • here’s the second post

    artistry

    Moss. Here’s the story about the photos in my 7/20 and 12/8 posts. In 2007 we spent a weekend at a cabin near an inlet on the Kitsap Penisula. I walked down to the water either at incoming or outgoing tide. Was mesmerized by the look of small pebbles, water, moss, and a few sticks. Thought to myself “this isn’t a picture I could knit with yarn.” Then over several years reflecting back to the photo, which had become my go-to laptop background photo.

    Found out that some of my knitting and crochet friends were also weavers. Became aware of tapestry weaving and decided that was the fiber craft to use. It’s a long story but I took.a tapestry class that was way over my head. Had bought a simple frame loom from the instructor. It broke after I warped it too tight too many times. Ran away from tapestry and found pin loom weaving. Did go back to learning tapestry weaving and still am learning the fundamentals. Need to set a goal to work on the water and moss view in a tapestry.

    Back to moss. Okay, that “AI thing” is telling me there are more than 700 different species of moss in the Pacific Northwest.

    life

    I try not to sweat the small and medium stuff. But last Saturday my cell phone was missing in our home for four hours. Definitely was frazzled and of course found it in a spot I hardly ever place anything on.

    Many people here in western WA have a lot more problems than me. The atmospheric rivers have impacted some parts of the small city where I live. Farms, some with livestock, roads, businesses, homes and apartment buildings are impacted. And more adverse weather is forecasted. Had a new friend email me, asking how I was doing — that was special.

    reading

    Am listening to the longest downloadable audiobook to date for me — Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Road and Black Freedom during the Civil War. Published in 2024 and extensively researched and written by Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black, it’s 792 pages long and 25 1/2 hours long. Will need to renew the library audio book copy at least once. Began to read more history before taking a trip to North Carolina in mid-fall with a friend. The sad reality is my schooling didn’t cover much about slavery and the horrific treatment of blacks before, during, and after the Civil War. I still feel inadequate but am glad to be finally reading more about slavery in the United States. Acknowledging the writers and researchers who are continuing to seek out primary source materials that have yet to be shared. As well the libraries with resources which are accessible to the public.

    this week’s photo

    Photo is of a 4-inch square pin loom. What’s pin loom weaving?
    From Wikipedia: “Pin weaving is a form of small-scale weaving traditionally done on a frame made of pins; the warp and weft are wrapped around the pins.”

    More blog etiquette I’m working on:
    — Have changed the “books” theme to “reading.”
    — Sticking to posting on Mondays.
    — Shared about this blog with one of my Facebook groups, plan to share more broadly with this week’s post now up.
    — The other person in my life is not on social media and I don’t mention them by name – thanks for respecting our privacy. And, will likely say “friend, neighbor, fellow weaving friend, etc” rather than mentioning names of people.

  • getting into the groove

    artistry

    Over time, readers here will learn that I am a fiber artist in several mediums. One is pin loom weaving. The Pin Loom Weaving Support Group on Facebook is amazing for ideas, support and learning. My fellow pin loom weaving enthusiasts are wonderful. For several years, there has been a Mini Sweater Challenge Countdown. Lurked and watched in previous years and maybe contributed one sweater in the past.

    I’ve challenged myself to make three sweaters. The first one (below) uses variegated yarn from BJS Fiber Creations and I added shiny gold DK yarn for edge finishing and a faux collar. There’s a relationship to seeing moss on the rocks with this photo and the moss in the photo which was my very first blog post back on 07/20/25. Will share more on that next Monday.

    life

    This has been quite the year with retirement, my father’s passing in the spring after a wonderful long life, and having a fractured wrist (non-dominant hand, thank goodness) needing surgery in the summer.

    reading

    Have read several great books so far in 2025 — recommending Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson and The Field House: A Writer’s Life Lost and Found on an Island in Maine by Robin Clifford Wood.

    this week’s photo
    one of three sweaters for the Mini-Sweater Challenge for Facebook’s Pin Loom Weaving Support group. Background in some moss, and a few pebbles, in my backyard.

  • Making Mondays my blog posting day

    I am an off to a slow start with my blog. Next Monday, I’ll share about the photo I posted in July 2025. It’s from 2007 and has taken me on a journey for the last 18 years and counting.

    Have decided to add a post on Mondays and to include one photo from the previous week. Giving some structure here – will share about three things each week — artistry, life, reading.

    Looking forward to where blogging will take me.

  • my first post

    SAMSUNG