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Colour Cottage

~ little house in a field

Colour Cottage

Tag Archives: writing

Dear diary

21 Thursday May 2015

Posted by Pia in Chit Chat, Photography, Thoughts

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

blogging, cake, creativity, intention, life, spring, weather, weaving, whining, writing

rhododendron

As you’ve noticed, I don’t have much to tell these days, but since my loom room remains under siege so often, I’m going to make an effort down here in the office rather than just sit around and wait for opportunity.

  • Patience is not about waiting; it’s the ability to keep a good attitude while working hard for what you believe in.

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Your blog and you

18 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by Pia in Books & reading, Chit Chat, Thoughts

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

blogging, inner conviction, inspiration, intention, life, personality, writing

orchids

Uglemor sent me this link earlier, which “analyzes” your blog (first page?). Now, it may be a totally random result that hasn’t even read your page, but it was still fun. The results vary depending on which blog post you get it to “analyze”, but I was surprised each time. Or not, really! I knew I was a doer, I just didn’t think that was an extrovert quality only.

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Night

04 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by Pia in Chit Chat

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

life, winter, writing

I’m often awake nights at the moment and the question is usually what to do with my time. Am I tired? Yes. Can I sleep? No. I don’t wake up, I simply never fall asleep. For various reasons which I won’t bore you with, but out of my control, and it’s not just the full moon blaring invisibly behind the dark curtain, sucking at my brains. Do I get up or just twirl in endless frustration, hating my bed in the end?

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Slow AND hot – book tip

06 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by Pia in Books & reading, Chit Chat

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

link love, relax, seasons, writing

While we’re all too sluggish to get near the keyboard, perhaps somebody needs a bit of summer reading? (or winter as it were)

driftways

I just finished reading a collection of short stories, and while I get various things out of the way, so I can finish all the projects I want to show you, I’d like to recommend this beautiful book. If you enjoy poetry and fairy tales I’m sure you’ll like it!

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Not much of anything

23 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by Pia in Chit Chat, Critters, Keywords, Photography, Thoughts, Weaving

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

cat, creativity, inner conviction, inspiration, intention, kitten, life, pets, Photoshop, weather, winter, writing

A couple of weeks ago I had a million things I wanted to write about, words and ideas were in a queue. In fact I was on such a roll that I thought I could take a break and not be stopped!

Well baahaa. Come Monday and my head was completely empty. That was Monday before last. It appears that if I don’t go with the flow, the flow goes on without me and when I look up, the view is different. Right now, my brain is doing textiles, no words. Apparently I have no say in the matter. I’m doing a lot of things, they’re just not what I thought I’d be doing. I’ve not even been reading anything.

Ok, I do know what happened – last week I had some really bad headaches. And these happened. I guess I should have known that would throw my focus.

Emil Leo

So we took your seat, you weren’t using it!

I hope I can get back to what I wanted to say on Focus and Intention. Or perhaps what I had to say wasn’t all that important and I was therefore saved by circumstances. 😉

I do keep up the Bullet Journal. It’s not a planner, although it has dates and lists in it, I see it more as a suggestion. I write things down as I think of them and they may get done sooner or later. An upgrade from my previous napkin/post-it/envelope note system. And that works pretty well for emptying my head, I even remember to write down some of my design ideas.

I also work pretty hard on not postponing the little things. Yes, the wash room is cold, but you can go pick up the laundry, it takes 15 seconds. Yes, you can put that crochet hook back where it belongs NOW and not just leave it where you’re standing. All those things that are a tiny bit inconvenient right now but won’t kill you. I even finally whipped out the new sewing machine that I got ages ago when I broke my old one mending horse blankets. I simply could not face it if there was issues with the thread tension or something and I’d have to fiddle for ages and not get it quite right. With some things, I can do that dance forever if I feel out of my league. Well I made myself do it and while not as good a machine as the old one, it does, in fact, sew.

Now I’m in a bit of trouble because I’ve also run out of photos for my other blog. I could use some similar shots and whatnot, but we’ll see if I can keep it up. No painting has happened here since before xmas break, that’s the one thing I need the most quiet and the longest time to wind myself up to, and I just don’t seem to get it very often. So I have to dive into the old photo archives again. Because weather. Yuck. Why didn’t I spend all autumn making huge ponchos and hoods and cowls and sweaters from super bulky yarn on size 10 mm needles? Facemasks. Don’t get me started on the mud, at least we seem to get a short break from that now.

Come to think of it, I’m not doing too well in the quote department either. Do I really have to start writing more bad poetry to fill in?! I mean, it’s not like I can give up on the project less than half a year in… Can I?

I’m thinking of weaving things but I can’t show you the inside of my head. (I should be making more colour sketches, so I don’t forget) So many preparations, warping tapestry looms takes days when you get tired. And make mistakes. I’ve learned tonnes already. But I don’t know what to show you to make this post a little interesting. What would you like to see?

(And then I was saved by Pat Tyler. Off to play with orbs! I see collage-mandala potential here.)

orb01

orb02

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Solstice

21 Saturday Dec 2013

Posted by Pia in Chit Chat, På dansk, Thoughts, Writing

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

haiku, inspiration, intention, seasons, writing

The shortest day yet
King Frost declines invitation
Green holidays ahead

A scent of Christmas
decorated forest floor
green tufts underfoot

Den korteste dag
Kong Frost takker nej til fest
Grøn jul i sigte

My interest in haiku a few weeks ago lasted exactly 2 days. Not that I don’t like them anymore, I just haven’t bothered. I think my brain simply thrives on new challenges? The thrill of firing untried combinations of neurons, no reason to go bungee jumping, you can get your kicks inside your own skull!

“Change all begins with thinking: we can immediately form new neurological connections and circuits that reflect our new thoughts. And nothing gets the brain more excited than when it’s learning – assimilating knowledge and experiences.” (“Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” by Joe Dispenza)

It would seem, to stay alert and on your toes, learning new things is indeed the way to go. So I guess I’ll just carry on like I’ve always done, LOL. Multicraftual, multilingual, diving into all sorts of weird subjects just because. I read somewhere that bilingual people are less affected by Alzheimers and other forms of dementia because they have more word combinations to choose from. Well, I’ll have to get back to you on that one in 25-30 years, that is, if I remember to.

There will be more on this topic later as I hinted on Monday.

On a holiday note, well, I can eat good food and take a wee bit of time off (ok, the latter is untrue), but I don’t do holy days or anything ceremonial. I’m guessing most of you out there will be busy with your families the coming week, so I’m wishing you all the best and I hope to see everyone on the other side of xmas or in the new year! I’ll probably keep posting if I feel like it, regardless of a drop in readers, or I may not get enough uninterrupted time to do anything useful whatsoever.

I’m really looking forward to the afternoons getting longer, as my outside time is suffering, I go about my things in here and before I know it the sun is down. But outside things also wear me out physically, so it’s no use doing them in the morning, as I’ll then be napping most of the day.

Date night, a movie.
Off to see the bad dragon,
but not in 3D.

solstice08
The birds
The birds
solstice02
solstice03
Stubborn apples
Stubborn apples
solstice05
Everybody look at the dog now!
Everybody look at the dog now!
The dog
The dog
Woody and the wool tree
Woody and the wool tree

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More poems and spin progress

08 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by Pia in Chit Chat, Spinning, Writing, Yarn and Fiber

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

forest, haiku, impressions, inspiration, nature, weather, writing

sweden

I have no idea why these things have started to land in my head, since it’s very out of character, but I’m having fun while it lasts. And making sure I have a small notepad/pen in every jacket and bag I might carry.

It’s a bit fascinating that you can in fact describe your whole day like this, and I’m also intrigued to find out whether I can eventually become any good if I keep it up. My previous experience in these matters is basically knowing one limerick by heart… And now, ever since I had the notion yesterday, my brain is completely set up to think 5-7-5!

********************

Trees groan against grey.
A sea of susurration.
Red boots keep walking.

Fallen giant is now
tree stump troll with hair of grass.
Storm debris in the rain.

Another dark day.
I think the couch is calling.
Too tired to doodle.

Finding my ponies
in a dark and stormy night
is no easy quest.

********************

Both blues are done now.
Working on the purple batt.
Jumbo flyer – lace whorl. 😉

funyarn03 funyarn02

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Advent

07 Saturday Dec 2013

Posted by Pia in Chit Chat, På dansk, Writing

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

haiku, inspiration, seasons, writing

A cold afternoon
Fire crackles and warms the cat
inside – the wheel spins

I am no poet
Exercise in short writing
This is just a test

****************

Kold eftermiddag
Ild knitrer, varmer katten
indenfor – rokken går

Når man vil øve
sig i at skrive koncist –
Jeg leger poet

fire

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NoNoWriMo

04 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by Pia in Chit Chat

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

blogging, books, creativity, intention, life, reading, writing

As the season changes again from early autumn glory into endless darkness, I feel myself changing gears too. Not just in my activities as I’ve mentioned before, but also inside. It’s not yet noticable to you perhaps, but my blogging gear feels different somehow. I want to say other things, and differently, but how or what exactly hasn’t emerged yet.

November appears to be a silent month. A cold, grey, muddy silence, that is, when the winds aren’t howling with rage. Inside and out. Perhaps I don’t really want to say anything, but haven’t realized it yet. Or I do, but why?

I thought this was going to be a writing winter for me. Not any kind of monthly challenge or reporting to anyone; just because I felt like it and my thumb still can’t knit or the various other things I’d planned, but it can type, sortof. Or I can type without it, rather. But I could be wrong. My creative channels are static at the moment so I find myself on the sofa with Neil Gaiman, who appears to have fiber optics installed.

I may be back eventually, you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you. 😉 It could be tomorrow, or next year. I don’t even have a pretty picture for you today, you’ll have to go find one yourself on the other blog. Could be false alarm too, and I’ll continue my regular nonsense before you can blink an eye!

And no worries – I’m not any kind of depressed or such. Just odd. Probably a normal reaction when you have to adapt to an unwanted situation. From extreme high to wallowing in the mud!

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My homeschooling project

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by Pia in Chit Chat, Thoughts

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

blogging, creativity, determination, discipline, focus, inner conviction, intention, learner, learning, life, strength, study, superpower, writing

After debating this with myself and some of the regular readers (thank you for responding), I’ve decided to not embark on extra subjects just now, but instead try to structure my current activities better – which will incidentally also allow me to go deeper, make research and so, learn more. I will be diving into the Adobe Suite again, but since it’s related work I feel that it’s not too much of a distraction.

Perhaps these things (choosing and whatnot) are a lot easier if you have a vocation in life, I don’t know. Some say you should not be looking for your path, since you’re already on it – so perhaps it’s more a question whether you were gifted with streetlights or not?

I won’t be picking up Flash again any time soon, so that’s a huge chunk I’m leaving out. Photoshop I can use not only for photography but also tapestry designing and colour work, InDesign for my layout skills. I have some painterly books with tasks and tutorials I’d like to work with, some of which can be tied into Illustrator learning.

photoshopping

I have a library list of various authors I’d like to investigate, but it’s mostly fiction for a change, so not really a chore. My A-level French books have been sitting on a shelf waiting for 30 years, I don’t suppose they’ll disintegrate all of a sudden and they can’t get much dustier already, so there, another confusion/procrastination away from the list for now.

So while I’m still tackling many things, it mostly comes down to images, colour and yarn. And I’ve said that before, haven’t I, when I “gave up” knitting. I just have to remember and stop confusing myself.

The schooling I’m after then is more structure, better work ethic, being able to work on one project at a time and still tie things together.

I was looking at my goals list for 2013, and really, I’ve been all over the place and hardly completed any of it. Especially with my physical goals, all talk and no action (and it shows). I still can’t drink my water! (I went and got one glass now)

Ok, it was an ambitious plan where I was coming from, but if you aim low you never get off the ground. And tiny steps were very much allowed, but I got carried away with the gardening and the plant dyeing and spent the remaining time sleepy.

12 weeks of the year to go. I better get serious! Not that I put very much importance in paper calendars and numbers, but I do feel a tiny bit of failure here.

Did I forget something? Writing. Horses – they’re the only ones that don’t fit in apart from the spot on my idea list which says “draw and paint many horses”. And my body issues of course, exercise and stuff. I can use the horses for some of my body issues and save time that way. I just lack the discipline it seems. (I trained both ponies this morning! And I feel way better than before I decided to! Yay me!)

Will there be blogging? I have no idea! I have a feeling I’m using it to procrastinate bigtime (no, actually it’s not just a feeling, I know I do it), but one has to socialize just a little bit, so they say.

tea time

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