Not just purl and plain anymore!

I just love taking my time and visiting blogfriends.  There's always something interesting going on out there.

Alongside her many interests, Maria of  The Next Stage blogspot does an enormous amount of knitting for her family, friends and various charities in her area.
She has also kindly shared her easy "I don't do difficult" Wavy Slipstitch Knitting Pattern on her blog.
Here is a link:  The Next Stage: Slipstitches 

When you first enter Maria's blog, one of her beautiful throws is displayed as her header.  The use of the wavy slipstitch really caught my eye - it adds real "oomph".

I can turn out a not too bad purl and plain...  perhaps a moss stitch if pressed, but never could get my mind (or fingers) around a pattern stitch .... UNTIL NOW !!   Yay!  Look what I produced thanks to Maria's thoughtfulness in sharing her talents:

This is what I've done by following Maria's simple instructions and, wow,
am so pleased - the possibilities are endless!!

An Interlude

... just a quiet little interlude while I catch up with vists to blogfriends.

Letterbox Laughs - Ocker style

Reckon its time for some more letterbox laughs.  

We saw this beauty or, bewdy... 'cos I'm indulging in some Aussie Speak (translations available in the Aussie Speak Page, for my overseas bloggerfriends).

Meet a typical Ocker...

... and his little mate

This is where we found them

Thanks Reidy at # 12 

The Umbrella Making Centre (Part three)

One would think I've exhausted this subject - lol, not quite!  There's the papermaking, fans and the final putting together of the umbrellas I wish to natter about.

Paper used to cover some umbrella frames is handmade at the Centre from the bark of the Sa-Tree (Mulberry Tree) and is referred to as Sa Paper.

Mulberry tree grown in the Centre

The bark is soaked in clean water for about 24 hours.  Then it is boiled with several kinds of ashes for about 3-4 hours and rinsed cleaned with water.

Next,  the material is beaten with mallets until tender:

I helped with the beating ... a little bit!

... and then the fibres are put into a water-filled tank and stirred with a paddle until the fibres are suspended in the water.

The fibres are then sifted with a screen and dried in the sun for about 20 minutes.

Once dried, the sheets of paper are formed and can be peeled off the frame easily.

The water-filled tank with suspended fibres being sifted by a screen.
The lady in red was so keen to let me have a go at the sifting as well.
(You'll notice that my hat never leaves my head now!)

The Sa Paper is also fashioned into notebooks and various souvenirs for sale at the Centre.

~ o~o~o~

Back to the umbrellas.
A final touch to the umbrella frame before glueing on the silk covering:

Glueing completed and then a dry in the sun:

All dried... now for a trim - by an expert trimmer too:

Tassels added, and finally some beautiful artwork:

Silk and Sa Paper Fans are also made in the Centre....

... and lampshades as seen in the background

I had no hesitation in choosing a Koi decoration on my silk fan:

MD dearly wanted to buy this gorgeous umbrella for me also,  but I was (sadly) reluctant, worrying that, because it was partly wood, it may not get through Customs.

He insisted it was worth taking the chance, and I was so glad he did... Customs reject wood that clearly contains insects, so there were no problems with our excellent quality items from the Umbrella Making Centre!

Thank you MD... we have such good yin and yang :D) xx

Source: Megan Pritchard [click for link to her blogspot]

Thank you everyone for your comments in regard to these posts.

It has truly been a delight sharing the fine talents of the lovely people at the Umbrella Making Centre in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

Susan xx

Sunday Serenity - Mr and Mrs Wattlebird

The Umbrella Making Centre (Part two)

 Continuing along the assembly line of construction of the various umbrella parts:

Taking  people photos is my special interest.
This is a particular favourite of mine.  I can't really say why.
Perhaps it's the way she held her head while she worked.  Her utter focus and concentration.
Or, perhaps she's thinking of something else as she works.  
Something's on her mind, or, perhaps she's just plain tired out.
I don't know, I just know I felt drawn to her.
After I took the photo, she looked up and we exchanged a smile - that lovely universal connection.
Does anyone else have any thoughts about this photo?

A close-up of what has been the result of all those shavings in the previous pic:

Everyone plays their part.  I may have gotten the photos out of sequence.  I was just fascinated seeing each element being produced.


On to this fellow, who carved the spindles.

Then,  back to the ladies' work platforms for the final touches before going further down the line.

The umbrella shape is evident now

More later, in part three.

Update on post "lost but at least I am dynamic - huh?"

oh dear... blogger has been threatening that the old interface is going to end soon, so I thought I should change over once and for all and learn the new one - just do it susan!!!

so I did and, as is my nature to go overboard with things at times, I also thought I'd change over to a dynamic view (whatever that was) ... well, I'm in dynamic view now but I don't feel dynamic - I feel LOST ...

UPDATE:  I got myself hopelessly confused trying to do things in the Dynamic view and so have scurried back to my usual Simple Template.  However, I shall persist with the new blogger interface... learn that and then, perhaps, play around with the Dynamic View.

The Umbrella Making Centre (Part one)

Popping back over to Thailand again!

We were lucky enough to visit the Umbrella Making Centre in Chiang Mai.

Hand made bamboo umbrella making at Borsang Village has been performed for over two centuries.  Formerly, villagers made only paper umbrellas for the purpose of offering them to monasteries on ritual occasions.

A display in the grounds of the
Umbrella Making Centre
depicting a monk carrying a paper umbrella
for ceremonial purposes

Their umbrellas became so widely known that the villagers developed methods to improve the quality and the uniqueness of them.
Years ago, villagers made each part of the bamboo umbrellas at home, especially during the post-harvest season and  their children learned the trade by helping their parents, in a tradition passed down from generation to generation.
During the past 50 years, the local area was confronted with a serious decline.  Similar to what has been happening to our smaller country towns, young people gravitated to the cities and so the traditional ways were quickly being lost.
The Umbrella Making Centre was established in 1978 by a local resident in order to retain the traditional and unique skills of handmade bamboo umbrella making.

By way of a Welcome to the Centre, we were invited to have something hand-painted.  I chose my recently purchased hat as the subject and was totally delighted with the result.

Design chosen. This skilled lady starts on a blank canvas hat

Within minutes, she creates a beautiful picture

Bit of a pause so that her work can be dried

I loved that MD suggested that perhaps my name (in Thai) be also put on the hat.  This charming lady was only too delighted to oblige.  

That's it, in red, in the photo below.

Here's the finished hat - a real work of art too isn't it.

I guess I've digressed from the umbrella-making, but we enjoyed every aspect of this Centre, so I'm including everything!

Now to start with the assembly line of construction of the various parts that make up an umbrella.

I would like to add that all the ladies were only too happy for their photos to be taken and shared. I always like to ask permission before snapping away.  

Here's a close-up of the previous picture

Even though totally engrossed in their work, these ladies were still chatting and singing away to each other and would beckon us to take a closer look.  

Each step in the process was incredibly hands-on and they were, justifiably, proud of their skills.

More later :D)