Throughout my lifetime, I have found it quite curious that cultures - ancient cultures with no possible connection to each other - have developed artistic expressions that are quite similar.

Huichol Indians of Mexico weave Ojo de Dios - a similar weaving is practiced by Tibetan monks. Patterns in Navajo and Turkish rugs are amazingly similar.

Europe and Asia were connected and influenced by trade, but the ancient cultures in America pretty much developed in isolation. And yet these similarities exist even though until relatively recently (if current human migration theory is correct) there has been no connection between the people living on the Eurasian and the American continents since before the last ice age. (Weaving was developed in western Asia long after.)

Throughout history, we have given credit to certain individuals for significant discoveries - electric lights, heliocentric solar system, evolution, telescopes. But the fact of the matter is that these happen to be the individuals who simply have received credit for these theories and inventions. There were others working on the same problems at or near the same time, coming up with the same solutions and they were often unknown to each other.

I have come to believe that as humans we share what I call "intuitive consciousness".

I bet you are wondering why I am telling you all of this stuff?

Because I had a very surprising - almost mind blowing - experience happen to me over the holidays.

I had been influenced to create the tree by reading about the fact that in Iceland there are no evergreen trees so the early residents would cut down Rowan (Ash) trees, remove the limbs and then reinsert them in the trunk to resemble the branch pattern of an evergreen. When I first heard of this practice several years ago, I began trying to work out how I could make a simple tree to honor this tradition.

The full story of how I came to make the tree is here.

With the help of my sweetheart and a scary sketch of what I wanted to achieve, the final steps of the journey took place among the labyrinths of shelving and racks at our local Home Depot.

We came home with our purchases and went to work! Basic construction can be found here.

And then I posted! On Monday, November 7th, 2011!

Five days later, One Pretty Thing featured this project! Forgive me guys but &%$!#@&*?#

AND it was originally published on Lowe's site ion 12/09! Forgive me again! #@&?%$#!!!!!

Cross my heart - I NEVER, EVER set eyes on this tree before! But the similarities in construction and materials freaked me completely out!

Seriously, if this tree had appeared after mine, I would have been entertaining the thought that maybe the designer had been "influenced" by my tree. But clearly not. Nor, for that matter, was I influenced by Lowe's tree.

And get this - the construction - using the threaded rod so the branches could be folded flat - came from my sweetheart - who believe me does NOT spend any time looking at craft blogs - or online retail sites - even those involving tools! (He IS however, a brilliant engineer and worked out the design so he would not have to find room for a 18"x28" box in the garage!)

Having finally recovered from the shock - this beautiful tree appeared!

The idea didn't come entirely from Karah's imagination, she was influenced by this tree  while trying to figure out how to make a Christmas Tree using the natural materials at hand. (She lives on an island - lots of driftwood!)

Not long after I published this tutorial for Napkin Cuffs made from tooling foil, I found this tutorial for something very, very similar on Martha's site! And I am pretty darn sure Martha didn't find this idea so overwhelmingly brilliant that she just had to make them too! (And for the record, I have huge respect for Martha so no mean comments please.)

My point! Simply that two completely unconnected minds when searching for an answer to the same "problem" can and sometimes will come up with very similar solutions.

And while there might be the temptation to accuse another of "stealing" our ideas, the reality is that we don't actually own "our" ideas - they are simply a part of the collective intuitive consciousness.

Now, if I went over to Polka and Bloom, copied a pattern and then sold it or presented it as my own - THAT would clearly be stealing. But if I had never even heard of Carina or seen her work, and came up with a very similar design, then that would be the collective intuitive consciousness at work.

So - human intuitive consciousness! What do you think? Possible? Probable?

Did you know Meg is celebrating her third blogiversary?

Pop over to MegaCrafty and say happy happy and while you are there don't miss the chance to enter the blogiversary drawing for a Simply Screen - Silk Screen Kit by Plaid. She has already tried out a Simply Screen kit, loves it, and wants to share the fun!

I am NOT going to enter so that everyone will have a fighting chance to win!

I won her second blogiversary prize last January (that's how I met Meg!) and I just won the Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color! I LOVE winning Meg's giveaways but I think it only fair I give someone else a chance.

Pop over right now and enter! Giveaway entries close January 27th!

Happy Blogiversary Meg!  And many, many, many more!

This idea may or may not be terribly revolutionary in knitting circles. But it sure has been working great for me!

Wanting to block several cowls and not wanting to block them flat, I came up with this idea. And it works so well I thought I would share. All that is needed - bath towels and steam!

The roll of bath towels can be made to fit almost any size and the loops work great to gently hold the wool in place. (Pins could be used if desired but in my case - absolutely NOT necessary.)

Steam irons work for steam blocking; however, I have an even better tool! A "vintage", I suppose, Steamstress II - see image here! No hot surfaces - just lovely steam! I originally purchased this tool when I was sewing every garment I wore and used it a great deal when setting seams in wool fabrics and when sewing with velvet.

Don't know it something similar is still available - mine still is working like a champ so no need to find out! Many of my brides are using "commercial type" steamers on their gowns and I suppose those would work too.

Technique!

Roll bath towels to the circumference of the cowl. Don't make it so small the stitches bunch up or so big that it stretches the stitches.

Place the cowl on the rolled towel as shown above, nudging the edges into shape so that the width of the cowl is nice and even all the way around.

Place the rolled towel on a flat surface in the position shown above. Thoroughly steam one half of the roll and let the knitted fabric sit until it feels mostly dry. Roll over, steam the other side and let sit until it feels dry. 

At this point, I will usually set the towel roll on one end and let the cowl dry completely overnight. In case you are thinking the cowl will slide off - the lovely little towel loops will hold your cowl in place.

It really does a great job of wrangling those stitches into sweet symmetry!

I used the same technique on Diane's market bag. This is the after felting before blocking shot when I was testing how much produce the bag would hold. 40 lbs of fruit and veggie goodness in case you are wondering!

After felting, I filled the bag with plastic baggies and let it dry. It really didn't look so great! So I built an oval roll of bath towels and placed the bag on the towels so that the bottom was facing up.

Then I steamed away! I think the results speak for themselves!

And if anyone owns or knows of a newer steam tool that works without getting hot like an iron, please let me know because this much loved Steamstress may not last forever!

Me learning to crochet! No longer impossible, improbable, unimaginable, or 'not going to happen'!

I am thrilled, and totally surprised, to share my very first crochet project!

A whole finished project!

Diane is amazing - I mean it - AMAZINGLY thorough and thoughtful teacher! She presented the whole process logically and so clearly that my mind had no problem grasping the stitches.

And my fears that my hands could never adapt to one hooked needle - totally unfounded! Apparently they have become quite nimble over the past two + years of knitting, knitting, knitting.

To get me started at a place where she felt I would be most comfortable, Diane made the magic ring and the first row of stitches (top photo). The rest is my work.

She used this pattern for crocheted snowballs (which I found on Holly Days Closet) as a guide for the stitches to teach me. I believe she had simply intended to share how to make basic stitches and let me practice on a swatch.

However, once she saw how simple this pattern is, she decided to use it as the basis for teaching me stitches!  I am so glad she did because I LOVE making projects!  I hate to practice!  And she knows that about her mother!

I am quite happy with the first 2/3 of the ball - basically single crochet and increases. The last third of the pattern calls for a series of decreases which were so much fun and I was so relaxed with it that apparently my tension got sloppy!

So I am not too crazy about the holes on one side - you can see them quite clearly in the second image! (Diane was not nearby when I finished the ball or I am SURE she would have caught my uneven stitching!)

But it is not so bad - and it is ready to claim it's rightful place on my Christmas tree right next to my very first knitted sock!

Diane tells me I have a lot left to learn. On darn! So I can't really say I can crochet yet?

But - I did realize my goal for the "Imagine the Impossibilities Challenge" going on over on Karah's blog thespacebetween.

And that was - to get over my fear and my firmly held belief that I can't crochet.

Now I am going to practice, practice, practice so I can make these most beautiful crocheted balls designed by Greta Tulner at ATERGcrochet.

No longer impossible!

Congratulations Maureen!

You have won a copy of the very first ever issue of Colour &Stitches!

I will be contacting you by e-mail so we can get your copy to you right away!

And a big heartfelt thank you to all of you who entered! I wish I could have given each and every one of you a copy because Colour &Stitches is absolutely beautiful and packed with stitchy goodness including color theory, seriously charming embroidery patterns, and an excellent applique tutorial!

You can order your very own copy right here!

To wind up January - fiber month on Gingerbread Snowflakes - I will be holding  another giveaway a week from tomorrow on January 29th.

In the meantime, don't miss the giveaway taking place on MegaCrafty beginning Monday, January 23. Meg is celebrating her third blogiversary!  And if her prize is anything like last year (which I won BTW), you won't want to miss the chance to win!!

I will be back tomorrow to remind you! :-)