“It’s the hard things that break; soft things don’t break. It was an epiphany I had today and I just wonder why it took me so very, very long to see it! You can waste so many years of your life trying to become something hard in order not to break; but it’s the soft things that can’t break! The hard things are the ones that shatter into a million pieces!”
C. JoyBell C.
Notes:
C. JoyBell C. has writes books of poetry and literature that delve into the mysterious, the philosophical and the esoteric. She is a leading spiritual thinker and mentor, as well as a source of inspiration to many. Her works include:
• All Things Dance Like Dragonflies: Transmundane Poetry Designed for Every Ordinary Day
• The Conversation of Merachefet: A Book of Secrets
• The Sun Is Snowing: The Scrapbook
Learn more at http://cjoybellc.com and follow this this influential author on Instagram @cjoybellc.
[Image: Ottoman Beauty with a Butterfly (1931) oil on canvas by British artist and illustrator Harold H. Piffard (1867-1938).]
Sunday, 30 January 2022
Jane Crewe, 57, from Corstohpine, Edinburgh, collects the hair from pooches
She uses a spinning wheel to turn Artemis and Phaidra's hair into yarn
The process involves washing the wool, leaving it to dry and then spinning it
Learnt to spin fur during lockdown after she was sent fur from Samoyed owners
A knitter has told how she makes clothes from hair belonging to her pet dogs.
Jane Crewe, 57, from Corstohpine, Edinburgh, has seven-year-old pet Samoyeds- a Siberian breed which are known for their thick white fur.
The 57-year-old collects the hair from pooches Artemis and Phaidra and uses a spinning wheel to turn it into yarn.
Her process involves washing the wool, leaving it to dry which takes two to three days and then spinning it into yarn, making around 50g an hour.
The mother-of-four then turns the yarn into fluffy hats and scarves.
Jane Crewe, 57, (left and right) from Corstohpine, Edinburgh, has seven-year-old pet Samoyeds- a Siberian breed which are known for their thick white fur and collects their hair, using a spinning wheel to turn it into yarn
During lockdown, she was sent fur from 100 Samoyed owners to see if she could learn to spin it and she then sent the yarn back to people.
Ms Crewe, who works in the gift shop at Edinburgh Zoo, said: 'It's a little bit of magic.
'I like the spinning but knitting takes a lot longer, I'm usually quite happy to pass it back to the owner.
'It is quite like angora, the fluff is called 'the halo. 'Alpaca wool is quite like that.
'It is quite hardwearing. You can do so much with it - using it for knitting, yarn or felt.'
Her process involves washing the wool, leaving it to dry which takes two to three days and then spinning it into yarn, making around 50g an hour. Pictured: The 57-year-old knits next to a basket of wool
During lockdown, she was sent fur from 100 Samoyed owners to see if she could learn to spin it and she then sent the yarn back to people. Pictured: Ms Crewe next to her wool and spinning wheel
The 57-year-old is currently knitting a jumper. She is using single ply yarn as double ply would be too warm to wear and also has plans to make a blanket.
Samoyeds are sometimes referred to as 'land clouds' because of their luminous white fur tinged with silver.
The undercoat on the pooches is called 'the halo'.
The 57-year-old is currently knitting a jumper. She is using single ply yarn as double ply would be too warm to wear. Ms Crewe also has plans to make a blanket. Pictured: Her balls of wool from Samoyed dogs
Ms Crewe said: 'You wouldn't be able to spin Labrador or spaniel hair as there's no undercoat.
'I learnt to spin a year before lockdown but wasn't really practicing enough. I knew if I wanted to get better I would need to do it every day.
'I've made all sorts of things - hats, scarves, teddies.'
The 57-year-old has made a number of items using the wool including hats, scarves and teddies (pictured)
The trend for 'chiengora'- Samoyed knitwear- originated in America in the 1970s.
Ms Crewe said the term 'chiengora' was coined as an American woman would spin and sell things made from Samoyed fur in her local market.
She put the French word for dog 'chien' and 'gora' together and called her knitwear 'chiengora.'
The 57-year-old said: 'It's so much nicer than sheep wool. You could crochet with it, or do house insulation with it, or make a duvet from it.'
Ms Crewe said the term 'chiengora' was coined as a woman in the country would spin and sell things made from Samoyed fur in her local market. Pictured: The Samoyed wool
A photographer has captured incredible photos of athletic dogs striking their best 'superman' poses
Nigel Wallace, from Suffolk, is a former Olympic rifle shooter who moved into dog photography in 2018
He explained: 'The shots are just fantastic. The dogs can easily get two or three feet off the ground. They do the paws-out "superman flight" as I like to call it. You can almost draw a cape on the back of them'
A photographer has captured incredible photos of athletic dogs striking their best 'superman' poses as they fly through the air.
The athletic pooches - from sausage dogs to Rottweilers - get up to three feet off the ground as they leap over fallen trees and branches.
They've been photographer by snapper Nigel Wallace, from Mildenhall, Suffolk - a former Olympic rifle shooter who moved into dog photography in 2018.
In one photo, Border Collie Darcie stares straight down the camera lens as she elegantly stretches out her paws in mid-flight. Other dogs are pictured with a tongue hanging to the side or fluffy ears bouncing above their heads.
Nigel, 54, competed in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and won gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. Now, he's using his eye for a good shot to produce these unique photos for dog owners.
He said: 'The shots are just fantastic. The dogs can easily get two or three feet off the ground. They do the paws-out "superman flight" as I like to call it. You can almost draw a cape on the back of them.'
Nigel retired from rifle shooting in 2002 and worked at BT for 16 years before starting his dog photography business. He works with dog owners to entice their pet to bolt towards the camera and jump over the obstacle - normally a fallen tree or branches.
Nigel added: 'It's just giving dog owners something fun and different. They can't capture this on a walk on their phone. All dogs are different - spaniels have really big ears and they'll look different each time, border collies will stare straight at you as they jump.
'We build the jumps according to the dog's ability and how big or small it is. I always make sure it's safe for the dog to do the photos, we check for back and hip problems beforehand.'
A photographer has captured incredible photos of athletic dogs striking their best 'superman' poses as they fly through the air. Bo the Viszla is pictured jumping over a branch
Even little dogs can do it! They've been photographer by snapper Nigel Wallace, from Mildenhall, Suffolk - a former Olympic rifle shooter who moved into dog photography in 2018. Pictured is Beanz the Dachshund leaping over a branch
In one photo, Border Collie Darcie stares straight down the camera lens as she elegantly stretches out her paws in mid-flight
Barley the Spaniel looks majestic as he jumps over a tree branch. Photographer Nigel said: 'The shots are just fantastic. The dogs can easily get two or three feet off the ground'
Big jump for Bella! Bella the Rottweiler was among the dogs pictured. Nigel retired from rifle shooting in 2002 and worked at BT for 16 years before starting his dog photography business.
I can do it too! This little pup called Gigi did a big leap over two tree branches. She is perfected hr best 'superman' pose mid-air
Nigel works with dog owners to entice their pet to bolt towards the camera and jump over the obstacle - normally a fallen tree or branches. Pictured: Lexi the Spaniel
Simba the pup is pictured. Nigel explained: ''It's just giving dog owners something fun and different. They can't capture this on a walk on their phone'
Jeb the black dog is pictured. Nigel explained: 'We build the jumps according to the dog's ability and how big or small it is. I always make sure it's safe for the dog to do the photos, we check for back and hip problems beforehand.''
Nigel, 54, competed in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and won gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. Now, he's using his eye for a good shot to produce these unique photos for dog owners.
