Happy Mother’s Day, neighborhood lake walk & crafty bits

Happiest Mother’s Day to all the moms and all those who “mother” in some way. Mothering is a creative gift of the heart, no matter its object.

There was a brisk wind yesterday which gave a lovely, gentle wave to the lake in my neighborhood. My pup Bo relishes these walks. Today in particular it was quiet along the path, unusual for a Sunday, but thanks to that we managed to get some nice photos. I am wearing the Frontier shawl a lot this Spring (see the post about it from last year).

PHOTOS: Gyeongsan Lake on Sunday, wearing my Frontier shawl, which coordinates so nicely with the roses and greenery. My best buddy is camera shy.

I don’t have any big project finishes to report yet, but I am on the verge of finishing at least three things. I’m creeping along with so many projects these days, but I’m trying to remember at least I’m moving forward and not completely stalled.

One thing I’m very excited to finish is my Sakura mandala pillow – the second cushion is about half-way done, and I’ve begun to make the 24 pompoms needed to decorate the edge. I’m using Scheepjes Softfun, an acrylic/cotton blend. Using my Clover 1 5/8″ (45mm) pompom maker, I’ve discovered that I can make at least six (maybe seven?) pompoms, using 120 yarn wraps on each end, per one skein of the Softfun. This may seem trivial, but it’s good to know when you have a finite amount of yarn, and need a specific number of pompoms 🙂

PHOTOS: Pompoms made with Scheepjes Softfun, saved for a large cushion currently in progress. Bottom pic: A peek at my local source for Copic brush markers (S-Dot, downtown Daegu, ROK).

Lastly, I can’t believe I’ve found a local source for Japanese-made Copic brush markers, and at a decent price. I went to S-Dot in downtown Daegu (one of my crafting havens in Korea), and I was floored to see the display. Was it here all along, and I’m just a space cadet? I have no idea, but now I’ve found it, so I’ll definitely be back to add to my Copic collection. I’ve been inspired to do a bit more drawing now that I have some new colors. It will tide me over until my next trip to Japan.