Random

I wanted to take lots of pictures when I visited my other sister, but I didn't. I don't go running with my camera, so there are no photos of the beautiful flora in the fields and woods. One plant had a gorgeous scent that filled the air; I vaguely recognised it, but I still don't know what it is, and I sniffed every flower I could reach, to no avail. This isn't a photo blog, of course, but my brain is fried and I can't put sentences together, and that's when I prefer to post lots of photos.

This week I spent two days painting a room in my mom's house and made a few crochet cuffs. I have been running a lot, am reading a great book, and now we are preparing for my sister and her husband's Polterabend (smashing crockery, traditionally on the eve of the wedding, but in this case a week beforehand). I say her husband because they are legally married already; this is going to be the church wedding.

 At my younger sister's place -sewing machine, book, slippers made by my older sister

 Old cabinet painted by my younger sister, mirror frame made by her, cards from the 1970s (?)

At my mom's house -freshly painted walls, old chest, stuffed toy my older sister made about 20 years ago, German magazines

Where she creates

I have mentioned here before that my sisters make amazing things. On a visit last week -I am in Germany for a month-, I got to see my older sister's new work space, which is a treasure trove. She also let me wear one of her new creations (she used a pattern from here). Excuse the blurry photo.

Squares

This is going to be an expensive throw, since each square costs about 2 euro in yarn (it's a gorgeous soft bamboo and wool blend intended for baby things) and I need about 5469 squares to make a throw. It's my new crochet obsession and summer holiday project, after I saw the blanket my sister is working on and another finished piece, whose creator lent me a book with lots of patterns. I have run out of yarn now and am experiencing withdrawal symptoms...

From island to island

I didn't go on my own or for a whole week, as planned, but our one-night holiday on this island was perfect. Our room was only a few metres from the sea (see first picture). I went for a lovely Sunday-morning run, startling chickens and rabbits and cows, and an even better naked swim in turquoise water. I had intended to sketch a bit, but instead we took pictures, and my main creative endeavour was devising the plot for a melodramatic film on island life, inspired by the people we met (one of whom looked like a man from my past, and we kept using the name of the latter when referring to him). I couldn't help myself; my mind kept inventing dialogue and assigning everybody a role. I quickly got over the fact that I had forgotten to buy The Guardian before we got on the ferry - and I do not like missing the weekend papers! Now I have renewed dreams of living on a small island...

Amateur Yoga

This photo sums up the last few weeks: painting, working on the computer, endless cups of tea and glasses of wine (not too many of the latter), and trying to stay sane and painless by doing bits of yoga (this is my attempt at Halasana, or the Plough Pose):

(also displaying a case of VPL)

I know you're not supposed to wear shoes. Or restricting dresses. Or risk carpet burn. That's not my house, by the way, only my paintings and my body.
I have posted photos of festival-related stuff here and here.
My holidays have finally properly begun!

New illustration-sketches

Two more pictures for our children's show (today is the last one for the festival).
If we ever decide to (self-)publish a book of the poems and pictures, I will polish all the pictures and redo a few that I have given away and create new ones, so that each stanza has a picture to go with it. And I will take better photographs. But for the screen (where each picture is up for only a few seconds to accompany Rab's reading), these will have to do.

Claddagh man (yes, this one has pink paint from a previous picture on it, and a bit of the anchor should show behind the sleeve on the right - it's a work-in-progress!)

Sophie