is a lovely book, that is indeed true to it’s title: It is deeply contemplative.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Cindy Crandall-Frazier has written meditations that are linked to key issues in the life of anyone who is looking for ways of deepening their spiritual path.

Ms Crandall-Frazier writes from the perspective of being a Quaker, and her book reflects the gentleness and respectful approach to life of the Quaker’s path.

The book has 10 chapters. In each one there is an exploration of a spiritual concept, and musings about artists who are embodying those themes in their lives and work.

In each chapter, there is also a simple project that is meant to be created in a spirit of connection to the Divine Presence. As a finished object, it acts as a reminder of that spiritual process.

I highly recommend this book – in fact, I am one of the people on the back of the book who wrote endorsements for it before it was published.

My one disappointment with the book? That the publishers chose to print it in black and white and not in color.

One of the main strengths of crochet is that it is painterly, and by loosing the ability to see the works in the book in color, we loose a great deal of the impact that they should be conveying.

Lovely book, though…. so full hooks up to Cindy Crandall-Frazier!

If you have felt that the work of your hands is connected to your heart and spirit, you will definitely resonate with Contemplative Crochet.

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

This ……….

is a shot of my studio, taken from my computer desk,

looking across at  my design desks.

They are totally out of control right now.

I have just finished launching 2 self published books,

Rosie Recycle Dolls and Spooligarumi,

and am going like blazes on the next one……

as well as getting up to speed with Hankering for Yarn.

Because I have so many balls up in the air, things have just heaped up to the point of- ‘aaaaaaggggghhhhhhhh’

here in the studio….

So, when I read about Diane Dobson-Barton’s new book: Creative Clutter Control, I thought… oh yes!

Diane Dobson-Barton is an artist, so she knows the creative personality from the inside out!

Creative Clutter Control is written with humor and insight and is really well thought out.

I highly recommend it! And am going to work with many of her suggestions.

Now, you already know that Diane has kindly offered a copy of Creative Clutter Control as a prize – you saw the title to this entry!

How to win?

Leave an entry, and post a comment about your Creative Clutter !

The contest starts now and runs until March 22.

Who can enter? Anyone, anywhere.

Good luck!

Now… to deal with some of this clutter….

(photograph by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright)

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Nora Murphy weaves together the story of knitting her young son a sweater with stories about her life, as well as historical explorations of women’s connections to the making of yarn and clothing.

Reading the book is a lot like subscribing to a favorite blog and getting to know a very pleasant and intelligent person. Her style is very intimate and accessible.

Ms Murphy speaks passionately about the lives of women from ancient times right up to the present.

She talks from the heart about  women who work in abominable conditions now in order to clothe us….

and poses questions about how we can help to make their lives better.  Important information indeed!

I love Knitting the Threads of Time and HIGHLY recommend it!

By the way, I couldn’t resist looking up the url for the story about the exploding knitting needle.

I also went… cringe… and got out my bamboo needles to finish knitting the  sock in the picture above.

To photograph the book , I plunked the book and the sock in question on a sweater that I designed and knitted more than 20 years ago.  Why?

Because I have a fun story about this sweater.

I was wearing it to run errands. I was zooming into the grocery store, when a street person stopped me and did a happy little dance, and twirled his finger in the air, asking me to do a pirouette so he could see the back of the sweater.

He giggled gleefully and crowed: “Beautiful! Beautiful! and you did it all with 2 sticks and string!”

He then danced away, miming knitting and grinning over his shoulder at me, calling out:

“2 sticks and string! 2 sticks and string!”

Ah, yes … “2 sticks and string!”

There are so many stories about 2 sticks and string, and Nora Murphy tells all manner of them with grace  and intelligence.

(image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay. Copyright, not to be used without permission)

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

(what’s new?)

I borrowed ‘The Friday Night Knitting Club’ by Kate Jacobs on CD’s from the library.  (I love LOVE LOVE books on CD).

I’m working on a new book myself, so am busting my chops. And, I LOVE listening while I work.  The problem is that ‘The Friday Night Knitting Club’ is so compelling that I keep popping on ‘just one more disk’……. (It’s WHAT TIME? EEP!)

If you have a chance to read or listen to ‘The Friday Night Knitting Club’, grab it….. it’ll wind itself totally around your heart.

Don’t tell me how it ends….   but then, I”m on disk 10 now, so by the time you read this, I’ll know how it all turns out.

Bless Kate Jacobs. She’s done a fab job. Yarn up to her!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

It’s called Intertwined and  when you google,  it comes up on Amazon:  Link

It sounds absolutely wonderful! Everything that I have read about it makes it sound like a total thumbs up.

Post from: Hankering for Yarn