trombonecat's blog

artistry

Community.
Started 2026 with going to St. Distaff’s Day, organized by a fiber arts group north of Seattle. Here’s a Wikipedia entry about this celebration throughout history, which has origins in the 1600s. It’s a spin-in where many people bring all sorts of spinning wheels and drop spindles. Spinners are almost always very welcoming of weavers, crocheters, and other fiber artists joining them. About 300 of us were together last Saturday. I get so much support and encouragement for my weaving and other handicraft pursuits from many people in the guilds and organizations that I belong to. And, I try to give that same help back to others.

life

Christmas.
It was nice to celebrate Christmas this year. In the last 5 months of 2024, we were dealing with a dishwasher failure and major flooring and cabinet damage. Our only decoration was a small live tree plant sent by some friends. My small family and our two poodles were at a hotel for three weeks in December 2024 when repairs were being done. So, decorating a few weeks ago and spending evenings reading and looking at the Christmas tree lights has been a very nice respite from a busy end of 2025, which had been a year of high highs and low lows for me. Hope readers here have enjoyed any of the holidays you celebrate or participate in during the months of December and January.

reading

Doll.
In my very first post, I recommended the book The Field House: A Writer’s Life Lost and Found on an Island in Maine by Robin Clifford Wood. It’s both a biography of Rachel Field and memoir about Wood. Field wrote material for adults and children in the early twentieth century, was very successful, and is one of the many authors forgotten in history. Wood’s book is the most authoritative and detailed book about Field to date. I got curious about several of Field’s works. Have just finished reading a library copy of Hittie: Her First Hundred Years, published in 1929 and now considered a collectible book. Yes, dolls have a life, a voice, feelings, dreams and more. Below is a photo of a replica of Hittie, who had an incredible life with several children and living in numerous countries. I now need to find and have a talk with Betty Ann, my childhood doll.

this week’s photo

gailwilsondesigns.com
Found this photo on Google images and believe I am understanding correctly it can be used and shared.