And Then There Was Juggling

Last night I was reading a book about 3 Aboriginal artists that had converted their paintings into knitwear designs. While the designs themselves were pretty cool, that isn't the part of the book that spoke to me. They are telling their own personal stories on their sweaters. And I wanted to do the same. Kangaroos are lovely but don't have anything to do with my life.

So I grabbed some knitting graph paper, and designed something close to my own heart; a woman juggling. I've juggled since 1977. It put food on my table when I had no other income. So it means a lot to me. I hope I have time to make the design into a sweater, a vest, a pillow or something. But probably not until 2014. I'm swamped with projects right now. The juggler is juggling five balls, a goal I've worked on many times but never mastered. If I ever get to go to another juggling convention, I'll wear it.

Let's Make A Bow For Archery

Today was bow making day at Arroyo Seco and it was great to be out in nature. I stalked a squirrel and hopefully I got some good photos. I'll find out tomorrow when I find my camera. He didn't see me walk right up behind him and somehow I managed to take 3 photos before he spotted me in his peripheral vision and shot off like a rocket. Hope he doesn't need therapy. I wouldn't want him going nuts.

Getting ready to make board bows.

Gabriella finishes her first long bow.

Guy explaining how to make bows.

Splinters happen. Carry tweezers.

We had four new bow makers, all young women. Gabriella was also there and finished the bow she started 2 months ago. It came out lighter than she expected so it looks like she'll have to make a new bow. But it looks great and will make someone else the perfect bow. Ken and Barbara and little Jack couldn't make it.  Barbara is about to have a baby any day now, and going into labor 2 hours from home isn't really a risk they wanted to take. With any luck we'll get to see the new baby at the next meeting in a month, and if not then, maybe the following month.

Guy was busy every minute helping someone make a bowstring or string a bow or helping with the tillering. Busy busy busy.

I started knitting a jester hat. I only had brown with me, so I didn't get very far.  I didn't want to use too much brown because brown is just not a merry color.

Lizard sunning itself on the rocks.

I didn't take my juggling equipment because I thought it would be too hot.  Turns out it was just fine in the deep shade and I could have at least gotten 30 minutes of practice in. It's past my bedtime so I'll finish this tomorrow.

Taking My Medicine

I've decided I can be bitter and blue and melancholy about the mess my life has become. Or I can laugh.  Laugh at life, and myself, and my serious pouty face. My mother used to say , "You look just like an old bullfrog." I mean, in the worst of times life is pretty ridiculous. We get all caught up in dramas and we miss out on the simple beauty in life. I thought I had it bad until I talked to a guy on line last night.  He may be going to jail.  He can't pay child support. He can't see his kids because they are in another state.  His wife was such a bad mother the state gave custody of the two kids to their grandparents.  The grandparents have a six figure income.  So now the guy may well go to jail because he has no job and can't pay child support, can't see his kids.  Lost his wife because she cheated on him and dumped him.

So in hind site, my life could be worse. My kids are grown and raising healthy children. They are happily married as far as I know. I'm not on my way to jail.  I don't even have living grandparents to put the screws to me. I'm coping. I'm doing what I can to fix my life. I'm counting my blessings. And I'm laughing. I'm going to crochet a new jester hat.  I'm going to put on silly make-up. And I'm going to dance and juggle and make jokes and get more humor into my life. I am going to be the bright moment in somebody's day. Even if I die tomorrow I'm going to put a smile on someone's face before I go. Because laughter is the best medicine.

Rapier and Archery Practice

It was a very busy weekend. I hardly got to work on my clowny clown doll at all. But today at archery practice, I skipped the archery part and sewed on the clown hair, the hat, the mouth, the eyebrows and the costume trim.  One eye of the clown is made from a fabric button I learned how to make in a mini class on Saturday. Now I'm almost done except for the designer tag.

Juggling silhouette.

I spent Sat. at an SCA rapier championship and fiber play day and Sunday at the archery range in Long Beach and also grocery shopping.  I picked up a sleeping bag for Great Western War at Big Five for $20 on sale. I juggled both Sat. and Sunday and found out some of the rapier guys could juggle too.

Guy Taylor from http://www/greenmanarchery.com.

A self portrait.

There was a die with these symbols on it. Whatever the fencer rolled, that was the secondary weapon they used.

Duel

Chivalry

Herald and King

Waif with knitted sock monkey.

Archery and Fencing

It was a fantastic weekend. I was surrounded by creative interesting people all busy doing things they love. That makes the energy so contagious.  How many times can you see archery, sword fighting, fencing, weaving, costuming, harp playing and juggling all in one place? I took 174 photos. And that was just on Sat. I took more on Sunday but the camera is buried in the car.

On Sat. I worked on leather pouches.  I juggled for World Juggling Day. But mostly I just schmoozed with people.

Juggling for World Juggling Day

Lorenzo and Charles duel.

The front and back of the leather pouch I made on Sat.

Harpist

Jim tillering his first board bow while Guy helps mark the places that still need to be shaved.

Juggling

I've been hand-stitching some little Japanese style juggling balls today. I can't finish them up until I get some millet. They are smaller than the usual juggling balls, but they will be good for kids or people with small hands. There is more about them in my juggling blog.

It was so toasty out today that I did some juggling outside. At least it's a bit of exercise. I got tired so quickly though. Some days I just don't have any energy.

This weekend we'll be selling arrows at another event. So most of Friday will be loading the truck and getting our outfits together and deciding on food. If you are going to the Robin Hood Tourney, we'll see you there. I think it's Sunday but I'm not the driver so don't take my word for it.

Leather Juggling Balls

A friend gave me some used suede leather and I'm thinking I might be able to use it for juggling balls. I've made juggling balls before back in the '70's but I'm not sure my sewing machine can handle leather. We'll see I guess.

Juggling v the Green Man

I was up to my eyeballs working on my juggling club project.  I got all the dowels sawed and was working on cutting the tennis balls in half when my boyfriend comes over to my work area. He asked me if I could paint him a green man banner for his archery booth from the logo I designed for his website. And the event is Saturday.

I explained to him how important is was to me to make some forward progress on the juggling clubs. And I finally had some momentum going. He said I didn't have to drop everything. But dropping everything is the only way I'm going to have time to paint a 2' x 2' canvas banner, let it all dry, heat set it and hem it in time for the event.

So he offered to keep working on the juggling clubs if I'd get started on the banner.  So that's what I did.  I was back in my comfort zone and he was back in his. I didn't finish the painting before it got dark though so I'll have to paint all day tomorrow.

Don't Worry Be Happy

The CA weather has been beautiful. I spend as much time as I can outdoors. I know I may not always live where the weather is so consistently perfect. After I make some breakfast, I'll pick a craft project to work on outdoors. I have all the parts for the juggling club (I think) so I could start working on those.  That ought to keep me busy.
And I have the sweater I'm crocheting in a retro 80's style.  I need to take photos of that to share with you guys.
And I always have sewing to do. I wish I'd finished some of the warmer clothes I was making. I could really use them right now, since it is winter and the nights are cold enough for the heater to come on.

Busy Shopping Day.

Yesterday morning I got two paintings started.  Then I ended up being out of town the rest of the day. It was a fun shopping day though. I picked up an office chair I found on Craig's list, went to the Asian market and food court, the pet store, the dollar type store, and the hardware store.
At the hardware store I got most of the parts for the juggling pins (clubs) that I want to make. Go me.
At the dollar store I got some very nice Dazzleaire yarn. It seems a bit different from the Dazzleaire yarn from the '70's, but it's soft and fluffy and should make nice hats.

Got New Belly Dance Bling Oooh Shiny

I thought I'd make a goofy new hat for my juggling persona.  Only the event is tomorrow and I didn't work on it today at all. Some days I just can't seem to drag myself away from the computer. At least I juggled today. And I'll go work on the hat right now, which is crocheted.
I'm thinking of making juggling balls again, to be used for teaching at SCA events. Corduroy bags filled with millet work very well for juggling balls. It's really hard to make the balls a consistent size though.

What A Weekend

I had a fantastic weekend that included archery, juggling, singing, belly dancing, crocheting, homemade cheese, balloon animals, birthday cake and ginger cookies and 2 meals out on the town. And it wasn't even my birthday. I definitely prefer this to staying home all the time.

Me as Sapphira of Alexandria in the SCA.

Mike and Paige in their new garb.

My daily self portrait on Sat.

Storyteller True Thomas

Our cavemen try to make fire.

Guy's birthday party.

Recovering From A Fun Weekend

After a long dry spell, I sold something over the weekend on Etsy. So I've been floating on a cloud of optimism all day. I just hope the post office delivers, and the buyer loves it, and we all live happily ever after.

I'm so tired from the weekend. I went to World Juggling Day/World Knit in Public Day on Sat. and our monthly Pasadena archery gathering on Sunday. I juggled, did atlatl, hula hooped, hiked to and from the truck about 99 times and generally didn't sit still for the whole weekend. Today I'm stiff, tired and a bit spacey. Somehow I took my bow and arrows both days and never managed to shoot a single arrow. I won some cotton yarn in the raffle on Sat. and also got some free yarn, needles and a knitting magazine. I was in the pictionary style contest and the card I drew was virgin wool. Good luck on drawing that! After much drawing and redrawing one guy finally got it! Not a woman, but a guy!

Yesterday I tried to make a five ball juggling video, but all I did was wear myself out, and then I was too tired to practice juggling today at all. I think I'll put in a good solid two weeks of five ball practice and then try again to make a video.

World Juggling Day, Knitting and Etsy Party

To read about the knitting, archery juggling event today go here: KAJ I'm headed off to bed but will post photos tomorrow. Great weather, mostly happy times.

Videoblog

I just started a craft videoblog on ustream. This is such a good idea because now I can have live craft chats whenever I want to and also record craft videos as I go along so I'm very excited. http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/431021