Nothing but rain, so let's think silk

We're in the middle of an endless drenching windy storm, so I was happy to have interesting material in the inbox today. 

Like a good student, I give my source so you can follow up if you want to. It's about textiles, particularly silk, that almost mystical thread, strong, fine, beautiful, warm, cool, takes dyes, and is almost indestructible.

Here's something that intrigues historians, weavers, and miniature makers, a threefer

Chinese knowledge was so far ahead of Western thought, it makes me stop dead every time I come across something like this.

And this early fabric store

I can see some blogistas peering eagerly at these stacks to pick out their quilting fat quarters!

And this one really has my heart

In giant stone form, this is the singles thread I spin with my spindle. I feel commemorated! 

So that's my joy for today. I think I'll do a bit of spinning to celebrate. The wet weather is certainly good for spinning natural fibers. In Northern England, the damp climate was very helpful to the spinning of cotton, thread didn't snap. 

Alas cotton has a  terrible history, from the slavery of growing it on the plantations of the American South and the Dutch colonies, to the dark satanic mills of Northern England, quoting Blake,  where little children worked long days and their elders died young from exhaustion and  the brown lung disease resulting from inhaling cotton fibers. 

We can't celebrate fibers without acknowledging the abuses. But we can protect today's workers, and ourselves if we engage in textile work. And we can refuse fast fashion which now traps textile workers in Asia in long days of dangerous, badly paid work. We can push for better regulation and  worker protection. Closer to home,  when we make for ourselves, buy our raw materials from indie producers,  and make an art of visible mending, we're making a political statement.  

This simple wonderment about silk then cotton, quickly became a soapbox! But this thinking, thanks to my enlightened working class parents, really does underpin my life. 

Art and power, despite the denials  of the society I grew up in and escaped, absolutely are for the likes of me! And the history teacher who told me a foundry worker's daughter, me, had no business taking the national exams, because they were for future leaders, has long been proved mistaken. 

Onward, and happy day,  everyone, breathe, I'll try to, while I fight the good fight with my trusty spindle! Yes, I do laugh at myself, too, getting all worked up when nobody's disagreeing with me.

Puzzle, plain sewing and food, near and far

Yesterday I made a humble fryup, onions, a baked potato, spinach, the rest of the Gary turkey, the kind of meal I wouldn't offer anyone but liked for myself.

Which reminded me of a couple of wonderful non-textile references in the Silk and Cotton book

Flatbreads, and

melons, pride of Central Asia, wonderful climate for them.

But I can't resist, before I leave the book, which I hugely recommend, this great temptation to the quilters and sewing enthusiasts among us, looking at you, Magpie! You'd dive in here

Back at home, more humble doings, a bit of plain sewing. A (long) while back I upcycled a couple of heavy cotton turtleneck sweaters to make useful jackets, by opening up the front. I'd worn them for years, after getting them at a garage sale for $2 each, until the neck went a little tight. 

The cut edges of one curled back on themselves after cutting, so  didn't need any finishing. 

The other is this one which had been fraying a bit, and I finally hemmed it

So it continues to be useful. Now in its probably 25th year of use, along with the other one. Land's End made good quality back then.

And the puzzle, which has more than one possible answer

I've thought of two: garlic and gothic. Gaelic isn't admissible because it's a proper noun, usually not an option in word puzzles. Did you find any others? It has to be six letters, which rules out gastric, sadly.

The pattern, for those still baffled, is that the initial letter advances through the alphabet, the final letter retreats. 

Happy day everyone, use, reuse, enjoy!

Cotton, silk and doing hard things

 The Cotton and Silk book is a great history of how the politics of Central Asia have affected their culture and with it, their textiles. 

The different powers that have swept over the area, from Tamerlane to Genghis Khan to the USSR, have impacted the available materials and markets. The basic cultural assumptions seem to have survived though, despite mass displacement and famines.

Some great illustrations of clothes and hats in this collection. Sleeves are long enough to cover the hands, and a lot of sparkle and tassels and complicated decorations, particularly on baby clothes, are believed to ward off the evil eye. Women's head dresses have a long back panel to cover the braid, same reason.

These short dresses are a modern adaptation, seen at a folk festival in the late 20th century.

Some women's hems are left raw, unfinished, as a symbol of hope for more children, and, in children, the hope of healthy growth. Images such as the ram's horn, are seen as protective. Interestingly, the women's tall head dresses and dark face coverings, looking very ominous to onlookers, are often lined with brightly patterned fabrics, usually Russian printed cotton. Veiling has pretty much gone into disuse in modern days.

On to other grown up things, which I'm taking care of next week

 It's the DNR (do not resuscitate) order, along with other instructions to medical personnel when I get to that point. It's the actual medical orders, to be signed by my doctor and copy with her files, copy on my fridge door.

Handsome Son is coming with me to the doctor meeting where doctor and I will  review and sign.  Seems like a good idea for him to meet my doctor under calm circumstances when I'm feeling pretty well, definitely lucid and able to decide these things. 

Also for him it's useful to see what decisions there are. I already have a Living Will, aka Expression of Wishes on file and Mike has a copy, but that's about final illness. This one is specifically about last moments, when medical personnel are involved.

Not saying it's easy. Especially when I'm clawing my way back to health from this draggy old virus. But I don't want any dispute over it later, with medical personnel assuming life at all costs, as I believe they usually are supposed to.

Anyway I'll set it and forget it. Meanwhile wondering what to do with my wild and beautiful today..

Happy day everyone, enjoy whatever your day is full of!