Happy Friday October 13th! It doesn’t happen that often, well, actually, it happens every eleven years that a Friday the 13th falls in October. There are all these superstitions attached to a Friday the 13th…black cats bringing bad luck (or…white cats when you are in Mexico…), don’t walk under ladders, etc etc.
Some people are so afraid of this day they don’t go out or want to do anything…There is actually a name for this phobia: Paraskevidekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th. The word "paraskevidekatriaphobia" was devised by Dr. Donald Dossey who told his patients that "when you learn to pronounce it, you're cured!" Paraskevidekatriaphobia is an extension of Triskaidekaphobia. It originates from Paraskevi, (Greek for Friday). So, what causes the fear? Both the number 13 and Fridays have negative connotations in many societies. For instance, some believe that because the Great Flood in the Bible occurred on a Friday, all Fridays are unlucky. In the Middle Ages, the day was associated with punishment: "This was the time when the Knights Templars were tortured by King Philip IV of France. The day of torture happened to be Friday the 13th."
In British culture, Friday "was the day of the hangman or the noose, as many public hangings took place on this day. Also there were exactly 13 steps to the gallows." Thankfully for those with the phobia, Friday the 13ths never occur more than three times a year and usually occur only twice. Some years have only one.
Well, let’s just make this Friday the 13th a lucky one 😉 with heaps of new spindles and handdyed tops!
I have had lots of fun dyeing this batch of superfine cashmere merino and silk tops: new colourways and new experiments with dye pigments!
Here are some to choose from, starting with some cherry blossom romance:
and then there is Coraline of course:
and some pumpkin patches with gorgeous autumnal colours:
I have added some videos on my social media for the Tibetan spindles Paul aka the Lair of the Bearded Dragon has turned with some gorgeous inlay of rose quarts, malachite, Howlite and azurite. I really love how the Peruvian walnut and the American walnut looks and the cypress with a gorgeous natural feature ! Paul did tell me that he is almost out of Peruvian walnut and it is almost impossible to get hold of, so if you like what you see, don’t wait too long to snaffle!
The October clubs are almost done and will be shipped off next week Tuesday. The super wet weather has set me back a bit. It’s Spring here in the southern hemisphere but it is brrrrr cold and wet here at the moment. Mind you, up north the temperatures are soaring: Australia is a HUGE country, well, a continent actually….lol
well, I better keep going! I feel like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland! “I’m late! I’m late! For an important date with my dye cauldron” 😉
Have a fabulous weekend and happy crafting !
big hugs
Charly