Gorgeous hand spun yarn rescued at a thrift.
Treasures left to be discovered on my path by crows, jays, sea gulls, robins and chickadees.
Inspiration from Susan, a reader who shared a picture of a gift she made a good friend.
The seeds of a new God's Eye (Ojos de Dios) to add to my collection.
I have never outgrown my absolute enjoyment of weaving a God's Eye. Perhaps it has to do with something Susan said about "the symmetry and intent of protection of the God's Eye".
I still remember learning to weave my first - at Girl Scout camp - sitting at a long table placed near a smoldering fire in the huge, old stone fireplace which also served in winter to keep skiers warm and toasty after a day on the slopes. (My summertime Girl Scout camp was a ski "resort" in winter!)
We were each given two pine twigs and allowed to select our favorite yarn from the supply at hand.
Sitting down at a spot bathed in New Mexico sunshine, I struggled to follow the instructors words - "bind the two twigs together with a half hitch" (or was it a clove hitch). They wobbled and twisted out of place at first, seeming quite unruly and impossible. But slowly, as winding began and continued, the twigs settled down into their proper place and the pattern emerged. And a young girl found herself completely enchanted.
Some of you who are new to Gingerbread Snowflakes may not know that I have made three tutorials to share the enchantment. Links are included at the end of the post!
Susan Burnett, a reader who lives in Houston, Texas (and fellow ex-pait of New Mexico - yay!), left me a comment last summer telling me she had just made her first four God's Eyes. She gave them as gifts and the happy result - one of the recipients immediately took her to a craft shop to get her more dowels and yarn!
A month or so later she sent this picture of a God's Eye made for a very dear friend. I responded first to the yarn - muted, natural colors with interesting texture - and then to the little gather of feathers.
Something deep within began stirring. Not to make a God's Eye exactly - I have tons of colorful yarns for that! But something was stirring.
What I did know for certain was that my treasured feather gifts, picked from many paths and gently carried home, would definitely be a part of it. A beautiful way to honor the gift givers.
During a quick trip to a thrift last month, I happened upon this gorgeous stash of hand spun wool yarn - the natural, slightly silky/sticky feel of lanolin still clinging to the fibers.
$1.00 - including the plastic bin! How could this be? No way would I leave it there buried in piles of unwanted cast-offs. I brought it home where it would be appreciated! I know many of you reading understand.
And now that stirring again. And I knew!
I needed to create a God's Eye using this beautiful hand made yarn and my feather gifts.
Had it not been for Susan, I might have never have noticed.
Thank you Susan. Enchantment is back.
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For those of you wanting to seek your own enchantment making God's Eyes:
*Basic instructions for making a simple God's Eye
*God's Eyes as a display frame for found treasures (perfect for children who find treasure while at the beach or in the forest)
You can find links to Susan Burnett here
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Added January 21, 2012: I received a comment today (thank you Annette) linking me to Jay Mohler. I do not publish link posts from people I do not know and usually not even when I do know them.
However, I was thrilled to have his name and so now I am adding the following links to Jay's site Ojo de Dios by Jay Mohler because I had intended to leave you with a link to his incredible Ojos yesterday but neither an internet search or my brain would give up the information!
Go visit Jay's site. He is has devoted a good deal of his adult life to making Ojo de Dios and has become a master.
