a million stairs and a million stares

Im ernsten Beinhaus wars, wo ich beschaute, Wie Schädel Schädeln angeordnet paßten; Die alte Zeit gedacht ich, die ergraute. Sie stehn in Reih geklemmt, die sonst sich haßten, Und derbe Knochen, die sich tödlich schlugen, Sie liegen kreuzweis, zahm allhier zu rasten. Entrenkte Schulterblätter! was sie trugen, Fragt niemand mehr, und zierlich tätge Glieder, Die Hand, der Fuß, zerstreut aus Lebensfugen. Ihr Müden also lagt vergebens nieder, Nicht Ruh im Grabe ließ man euch, vertrieben Seid ihr herauf zum lichten Tage wieder, Und niemand kann die dürre Schale lieben, Welch herrlich edlen Kern sie auch bewahrte, Doch mir Adepten war die Schrift geschrieben, Die heilgen Sinn nicht jedem offenbarte, Als ich inmitten solcher starren Menge Unschätzbar herrlich ein Gebild gewahrte, Daß in des Raumes Moderkält und Enge Ich frei und wärmefühlend mich erquickte, Als ob ein Lebensquell dem Tod entspränge, Wie mich geheimnisvoll die Form entzückte! Die gottgedachte Spur, die sich erhalten! Ein Blick, der mich an jenes Meer entrückte, Das flutend strömt gesteigerte Gestalten. Geheim Gefäß! Orakelsprüche spendend, Wie bin ich wert, dich in der Hand zu halten? Dich höchsten Schatz aus Moder fromm entwendend Und in die freie Luft, zu freiem Sinnen, Zum Sonnenlicht andächtig hin mich wendend. Was kann der Mensch im Leben mehr gewinnen, Als daß sich Gott-Natur ihm offenbare? Wie sie das Feste läßt zu Geist verrinnen, Wie sie das Geisterzeugte fest bewahre.

Im ernsten Beinhaus wars, wo ich beschaute, Wie Schädel Schädeln angeordnet paßten; Die alte Zeit gedacht ich, die ergraute. Sie stehn in Reih geklemmt, die sonst sich haßten, Und derbe Knochen, die sich tödlich schlugen, Sie liegen kreuzweis, zahm allhier zu rasten. Entrenkte Schulterblätter! was sie trugen, Fragt niemand mehr, und zierlich tätge Glieder, Die Hand, der Fuß, zerstreut aus Lebensfugen. Ihr Müden also lagt vergebens nieder, Nicht Ruh im Grabe ließ man euch, vertrieben Seid ihr herauf zum lichten Tage wieder, Und niemand kann die dürre Schale lieben, Welch herrlich edlen Kern sie auch bewahrte, Doch mir Adepten war die Schrift geschrieben, Die heilgen Sinn nicht jedem offenbarte, Als ich inmitten solcher starren Menge Unschätzbar herrlich ein Gebild gewahrte, Daß in des Raumes Moderkält und Enge Ich frei und wärmefühlend mich erquickte, Als ob ein Lebensquell dem Tod entspränge, Wie mich geheimnisvoll die Form entzückte! Die gottgedachte Spur, die sich erhalten! Ein Blick, der mich an jenes Meer entrückte, Das flutend strömt gesteigerte Gestalten. Geheim Gefäß! Orakelsprüche spendend, Wie bin ich wert, dich in der Hand zu halten? Dich höchsten Schatz aus Moder fromm entwendend Und in die freie Luft, zu freiem Sinnen, Zum Sonnenlicht andächtig hin mich wendend. Was kann der Mensch im Leben mehr gewinnen, Als daß sich Gott-Natur ihm offenbare? Wie sie das Feste läßt zu Geist verrinnen, Wie sie das Geisterzeugte fest bewahre.

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My sister took more photos of my dress. I am very happy with how this turned out :)))))

I'm getting a late start because I had to finish the Fluffy Yarn first (not yet skeined or washed so no pics, but it is Done). Which, I suppose, technically still counts towards the "spinning every day" goal, so I only started one day late.

My goal this year is to spin one kg of wool, so about one and a half sweater quantities. Will I be able to accomplish this? Who knows! I feel it's ambitious but not crazy. Contrary to the Tour de France, which is insane.

First batch is these two braids from my dyeing spell in spring:

About 400g Cheviot which I did not split into even amounts because I'm an idiot, so the blue braid is much larger than the green. 400g isn't enough for a sweater, so I'll need to combine it with something else. I have these two to chose from:

Beige didn't-write-down-the-breed wool (carded) from local sheep that I got at the shepherd's day a year or two back (top) and grey Corrie (bottom).

I was gonna do a poll, but I mean. Obviously it's gotta be the Corrie.

That brings me to about 650g total which should be just enough for a sweater.

The dyed braids came as "multicolor" wool, meaning white and grey fibre carded together. The colour difference was kind of subtle in the undyed fibre already, and now it is almost invisible but still there when you look closely.

This is probably the best blue I have ever done it's so nice. I want to peacefully drown in this colour.

And here's all of that yarn done! This is all 3-ply, and I managed to keep it at a more-or-less uniform weight, please applaud 🙂‍↕️ Even though the Corrie is a bit more dense than the Cheviot.

The light is abysmal today, and apparently my phone camera hates subtle tones. This has a bit more of a green tinge irl. About 600m.

An extremely nice, foresty, summer-leaf green, I love how this turned out. 360m.

And of course Corrie, my beloved, who never disappoints me 💖 about 630m.

(imagine me like the retro astronaut from the Lego movie but instead of Spaceship!! I'm yelling Sweater!!)

Some time ago I came across this gorgeous piece made by @ratatoskrr and I loved it so much. Look at that XOX detail around the hem! Isn't that brilliant!

However, the way the pattern is designed, the horizontally striped body does not meet up with the underarm, and I - don't love that. So I'm gonna go the easy route and make a T-shaped tunic thing. Iron age vibes :D

Behold my very professional schematic!

I'm gonna start at the left sleeve with a provisional cast-on (the cuff will come later as I'm not sure what I want to do with it yet) then knit in the round up to the shoulder, change to flat knitting, split for the neckhole, join everything together for the right shoulder, and make the right sleeve.

Or, on second thought, knit the second sleeve from the wrist up too and graft everything together, so the sleeves are symmetric.

Then pick up stitches around the chest and knit the rest of the body in the round. Simple.

I factored in about 10-15cm of positive ease around the chest, but that's adjustable, depending on how everything develops.

Obviously I don't have equal amounts of each colour, so it took some thinking to figure out a stripe pattern that would work. More or less.

Not perfect but that's as good as it's gonna get.

I've realized that subconsciously I tend to think of arts and crafts as two separate things. And I think it comes down to the amount of time spent on the object being made / its intent.

Quilts and sweaters and crochet and embroidery? That's art. My tiny arrows and the various trinkets people make for trading? Those are crafts.

I dunno, it feels almost... Diminishing to call the former category crafts too, because so much time and effort went into them. Or perhaps I think of crafts having a more playful, less structured element to them, whereas there's established technique and rules and patterns for the fiber arts.

But I imagine that there's an element I'm overlooking here where I'm undervaluing crafts as a term.

What is the line between an art and a craft to you, and why? Do you even make a distinction, or are they the same to you?

And while I do think there is plenty of wiggle room on both sides, I'm curious to see what y'all think, too. I'm open and any and all interpretations!

I don't really think there's a "hard" definition of art, I think everything and anything can be art, and the lines between art and craft are blurred anyway. I think a lot of craftsmanship goes into making traditional art; I think painting and sculpting and things like that are as much a craft as anything else.

Where I would make the distinction, I think (carefully and with the caveat that it's a case-by-case kind of thing) is intent. Art, to me, is about communication, about expression, doing unexpected or creative things with a craft. Putting form over function, so to speak. Regardless of the medium. And regardless of the quality of the item (I have seen my fair share of sweaters where "fibre art" was certainly appropriate, because they sure as hell aren't wearable garments).

Idk. I think it's important to me to point out that "art" can be just as snide as "craft". Again, it comes down to intent.

I'm getting a late start because I had to finish the Fluffy Yarn first (not yet skeined or washed so no pics, but it is Done). Which, I suppose, technically still counts towards the "spinning every day" goal, so I only started one day late.

My goal this year is to spin one kg of wool, so about one and a half sweater quantities. Will I be able to accomplish this? Who knows! I feel it's ambitious but not crazy. Contrary to the Tour de France, which is insane.

First batch is these two braids from my dyeing spell in spring:

About 400g Cheviot which I did not split into even amounts because I'm an idiot, so the blue braid is much larger than the green. 400g isn't enough for a sweater, so I'll need to combine it with something else. I have these two to chose from:

Beige didn't-write-down-the-breed wool (carded) from local sheep that I got at the shepherd's day a year or two back (top) and grey Corrie (bottom).

I was gonna do a poll, but I mean. Obviously it's gotta be the Corrie.

That brings me to about 650g total which should be just enough for a sweater.

The dyed braids came as "multicolor" wool, meaning white and grey fibre carded together. The colour difference was kind of subtle in the undyed fibre already, and now it is almost invisible but still there when you look closely.

This is probably the best blue I have ever done it's so nice. I want to peacefully drown in this colour.

And here's all of that yarn done! This is all 3-ply, and I managed to keep it at a more-or-less uniform weight, please applaud 🙂‍↕️ Even though the Corrie is a bit more dense than the Cheviot.

The light is abysmal today, and apparently my phone camera hates subtle tones. This has a bit more of a green tinge irl. About 600m.

An extremely nice, foresty, summer-leaf green, I love how this turned out. 360m.

And of course Corrie, my beloved, who never disappoints me 💖 about 630m.

(imagine me like the retro astronaut from the Lego movie but instead of Spaceship!! I'm yelling Sweater!!)

Some time ago I came across this gorgeous piece made by @ratatoskrr and I loved it so much. Look at that XOX detail around the hem! Isn't that brilliant!

However, the way the pattern is designed, the horizontally striped body does not meet up with the underarm, and I - don't love that. So I'm gonna go the easy route and make a T-shaped tunic thing. Iron age vibes :D

Behold my very professional schematic!

I'm gonna start at the left sleeve with a provisional cast-on (the cuff will come later as I'm not sure what I want to do with it yet) then knit in the round up to the shoulder, change to flat knitting, split for the neckhole, join everything together for the right shoulder, and make the right sleeve.

Or, on second thought, knit the second sleeve from the wrist up too and graft everything together, so the sleeves are symmetric.

Then pick up stitches around the chest and knit the rest of the body in the round. Simple.

I factored in about 10-15cm of positive ease around the chest, but that's adjustable, depending on how everything develops.

Obviously I don't have equal amounts of each colour, so it took some thinking to figure out a stripe pattern that would work. More or less.

Not perfect but that's as good as it's gonna get.

Because in the German edition they call him "Eichelhäher", which is Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) in English and looks like this:

But in English they call him "Blue Jay" (Cyanocitta cristata), which would be Blauhäher in German and looks like this:

Those are different birds!! Granted they're both jays and in the same Family (Corvidae), but they're different species! They don't even share the same Genus. Eurasian Jays are in the Genus Garrulus (Old World Jays) while Blue Jays are Cyanocitta (New World Jays)

Like, I understand why this was done and that nobody else cares about the classifications of these birds, but I still think it's interesting. I mean these birds do look very different and depending on the translation you read, you might get a different idea of what the Blue Jay/Eichelhäher looks like.

You're so right @bookshelfdreams!!

I got distracted by my obsession with classifications didn't even think about the symbolism, but an Eurasian Jay really is a better namesake for a robber.

I can even read way to much into those conspicpuous blue feathers...

One could see the blue feathers as representing the scar on Mo's arm that reveals him as the Eichelhäher. Without those feathers, the Eurasian Jay would just be another inconspicuous brown bird, just like Mo not be a robber without the scar that connects him to the character Fenoglio has created. Now, you might be thinking: but Luna, aren't you forgetting that Fenoglio also gave the Eichelhäher Mo's general features (height, hair colour, etc). Well, I think this actually fits my point. An Eurasian Jay without the blue feathers is still an Eurasian Jay, just not as easily identifiable as one. And Mo would still look like the Eichelhäher without the scar, but the feature that proves to people that he must be the actual Eichelhäher would be gone.

The striped head! The black spots on his cheeks, and the bright white above his tail! They're so beautiful aren't they?

Has anyone spun cat hair before? My sister collected some of her cat's undercoat (maybe 10-20g or so, haven't weighed it yet) and asked me to try and make some yarn for her. The cat is your standard european shorthair, so the staple length is very short.

I thought I might blend it with something to make it workable. BFL maybe? But I'm not sure.

It's a bit dirty but I haven't washed it. I think that would just make everything worse, tbh.

Pictures! Apologies for the quality, the light is abysmal today.

I personally haven't spun cat hair yet, but i do have some of Grushka's fur around as well that I really want to try and spin. I would think BFL would be a good choice, though idk if something a bit coarser with slightly shorter staple would be better? I once tried spinning a silk/yak blend and the yak hairs, because they were so short, kept falling out. So maybe Corrie could help 'lock' the cat hair in?