The Sound of a Hammer and Anvil

I have been doing lots of smithing. I love the sound of the hammer hitting hot metal on the big old anvil, that nice bright ringing sound. I ought to be using ear protcetion, and I do on heavier things. But I'm doing double pointed knitting needles now, in both silver and bronze. All size #1. I've got other sizes in the works too, but today its size #1's. Which are slender.
Heating and pounding on metal is fun. It becomes as ductile as, say, modeling clay. I hammer on the rod...make, lets see, a squared off design in cross-section. Then when I heat up one little spot with the oxy-propane torch I can twist the metal in just that spot. And it makes such wonderful patterns. I can stop and spot heat and twist the other way. I can do layers of patterning, one over the other, to get more complex and interesting designs. Or I can keep it simple. The twists in the middle of the needle shafts keep the yarn from sliding off too easily. Since what I do is just like jewelry work, the final shine I put on, with jeweler's rouge, is really shiny.
While I'm on a flagrant 'brag' here, my poetry is on my web site, and John has recorded me reading a number of them. You might like Interisland Ferry. http://www.celticswan.com/poems.htm is where you can find them.
Back to the smithy! Ding, ding, ding!!!

Imbolc/Brigid's Day/Candlemas at the Druid Chamber

Happy Imbolc! Here are some photos of the Druid Chamber. To the left you can see the central chimney-niche. Below, you can see the left wall. The stone work is very nice.

You can see on the left how the chamber has been built below the roots of a huge old tree. And above, how the roots are incorporated in the structure. There are also boulders which are left in place as part of the walls.
It is a very sweet place, up on the side of a hill. And no one around here seems to know about it! It looks like its been here awhile. John found it one day a few years ago. He tends to find magical places.
Meanwhile, I am slowly smithing my way through a long list of people who have ordered double pointed knitting needles. I seem so slow! Well, my back has not been good lately.
Brigid and Evan came for the weekend, and we had a lovely time. We hiked to Watmough Head in the rain. But we never made it to the Druid Chamber!
John has recorded a number of my poems being read aloud. Thats on our web site.
I got an order for a shawl pin last night. They are so much fun to make. Metalsmithing is fun.