Projekt52 - Relatives

This is my brother, Geb Squallguard. People don't believe that we're really brothers but we are. Geb used to look like me but he had a growth spurt when he was a teenager. We tend to keep to ourselves here at Feronia's house because there's lots of other stuffed animals and furry creatures to compete with, which I guess has brought us closer together. That, and we always catch up for beer and nachos on Friday nights.

Knitting, Nalbinding and the Art of Hygge

Some Nalbinding needles

Some Nalbinding-ed boots (image from http://www.flickr.com/, Anna-Kika)

Now that the weather here is slowly starting to turn (the nights are cooler, it's getting darker sooner), my crafty thoughts are turning to knitting. At present I am pretty much your standard plain-stitch-only (purl at a push) knitter who so far hasn't advanced beyond scarves (although, as you may recall, these segued into a button-up neck warmer last year). So last night I started another scarf for myself. It's blue and green at present but I am planning on a trailing Tom-Baker-as-Dr-Who style number, so once the blue and green is finished, I'm going to charge on with some multi-coloured hand-woven yarn I bought recently.

Also, I may just try my hand at Nalbinding, a one-needle style of knitting originally practiced by the Vikings. I only discovered it last night. Does anyone else know anything about it? It seems to produce a lovely chunky stitch. Looking at it, it comes as no surprise to me that the Danes have the word 'Hygge' to describe the process of gaining warmth and comfort and solace at home during the winter months (see http://www.visitdenmark.com/usa/en-us/menu/turist/nyheder/nyheder/kunstenathyggesig.htm for more on 'Hygge').

The Pre-Raphaelites

William Morris, wallpaper pattern

William Morris, Queen Guenevere

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Proserpine

John Everett Millais, Ophelia

John Everett Millais, Mariana (and don't forget that tragic, swoon-worthy line from Tennyson's poem of the same name: "He cometh not, she said.")

William Holman Hunt, The Awakening Conscience.

Watched the final episode of Desperate Romantics last night, a mini-series all about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood painters - John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt. It was quite well done with lots of high drama and gorgeous bohemian interiors. It also reminded me of how much I loved these painters when I was an Arts undergrad. Tragic women with long flowing hair and beautiful gowns? All literary heroines too? Oh yes. Quite the thing for the delicate humanities' students amongst us. So here's a taste of the Pre-Raphaelites and some William Morris too who was late to join the Brotherhood and went on to be a founding figure of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Just the sound of determined crunching...

Image from Google Images

Our skies have been besieged by these guys - sulphur-crested cockatoos. A native of Australia, they have an unusual, screeching call. They eat the acorn-like nuts that are in the plane trees that line our streets and at about this time of year - when the nuts are just right, presumably - they descend en masse. There are probably 200 in the trees surrounding our house right now. And when they're not screeching all you hear is a determined crunch, crunch, crunch of nuts.

PS I've posted this pic in preference to one of my own - every time I got near them, they all flew away!

Pomegranates

Image from www.askville.amzon.com

In honour of Autumn Equinox (or Mabon) which comes to us in the Southern Hemisphere this weekend, I am trying to cook with that evocative fruit, the pomegranate, this week. Last night, we had a lovely salad comprised of -

Mixed salad greens

Feta

Green peas

Mint leaves

Sliced cucumber

Pomegranate seeds

Quantaties are whatever you choose. I used about half a bag of salad greens, a cup of peas, 1 cucumber and 1 pomegranate. Beautiful. The lovely coolness of the mixed lettuce, the green veggies and the mint, combined with the tang of the feta and the pomegranate.

Being peaceful

As I play hide-and-seek with my black dog, I find myself subdued this week and needing to be quiet, calm and slow. The beautiful, mystical music of Faun matches the mood perfectly, especially the snowy forest landscapes of this clip, "Egil Saga".

Enjoy and be at peace :)

Projekt52 - Caught in the Act

Now if I can just find my way into this packet of Tim Tams before anyone sees me...oh...