Embodied Weaving

02/27/2026

a detailed reference sheet showcasing various traditional weaving and lashing techniques using natural materials like bamboo, rattan, or willow. It highlights the intersection of functional construction and organic artistry.
The collection is organized into nine distinct samples, demonstrating different levels of structural complexity and decorative flair.

1. STRUCTURAL GRID & LATTICE WEAVES
These patterns focus on stability and are common in fencing, walls, or furniture backing.
• Top Right (Simple Grid): A basic perpendicular "over-under" weave. This is the most foundational form of joinery, providing a clean, minimalist aesthetic.
• Bottom Left (Tight Diagonal Weave): A dense, basket-weave style where multiple strands are bundled together. This creates a solid surface with high structural integrity and a rich texture.
• Middle Left & Bottom Right (Vertical Rails): These show vertical stalks bound by horizontal supports. They mimic traditional garden fencing, where the focus is on the upright linear elements.

2. DECORATIVE KNOTS AND LOOPS
These samples introduce "fancy" joinery that serves as a visual accent.
• Middle Right (Clove/Loop Lashing): This is the most intricate piece, featuring decorative loops that resemble a series of knots or "figures." It creates a diamond-shaped negative space that is highly ornamental.
• Center Left (Double Loop Bind): A heavy horizontal rail is secured by looped lashings that wrap around vertical posts. This technique is often used in high-end bamboo architecture to hide the actual structural pins or screws.

3. GEOMETRIC BRACING
These patterns use diagonal elements to prevent "racking" (leaning) in a structure.
• Center Right (Cross-Braced Panel): Vertical posts are reinforced with thin diagonal strips that form an "X" pattern between them. This is a classic engineering technique for stability.
• Middle Left (Zig-Zag Lacing): A thin strand is woven back and forth between two parallel rails, creating a series of triangles.

VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Material: The light tan color and visible grain suggest dried rattan peel or split bamboo. The texture appears smooth but slightly fibrous at the joints.
• Color Palette: Monochromatic and earthy, ranging from pale cream to deep honey-gold.
• Style: It evokes a sense of sustainable craftsmanship, often associated with tropical architecture or Japanese "Sudare" (bamboo screens).
• Note: Many of these patterns are used today in sustainable interior design, specifically for room dividers, cabinet door inserts, and outdoor privacy screens.

02/25/2026

02/23/2026

02/18/2026

The British landscape artist Andy Goldsworthy is famed for his use of natural materials. His projects include stone walls that snake across a landscape, like the one at the Storm King Art Center, in New York’s Hudson Valley, and ochre-colored rammed-earth walls that resemble ancient earthworks, as in an installation for a private museum in San Francisco. As he approaches his 70th birthday, he feels at the peak of his creative powers. The artist is currently completing a major new work in rural Scotland: “Gravestones,” involving thousands of stones dislodged by gravediggers. Read Rebecca Mead’s full story: https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/QtCbXO

02/11/2026

A new analysis shows that moving to music with others can be a powerful way to ease symptoms of depression. Unlike walking or yoga, dance engages the brain in a unique “neurochemical symphony,” blending physical activity with joy, connection, and self-expression. Here's why it helps and how to harness it, according to experts: https://on.natgeo.com/4cgaQxw

02/01/2026

One more post about Brighid:

To my question on whether the English word “bride” is related to the goddess Brighid:

Yes, the English word bride is closely related to and, in many traditions, derived from the name Brighid (or Brigid), the Irish goddess of spring, fertility, and healing.
Here is the breakdown of the relationship between the two:
* Etymological Connection: Brighidstems from the Proto-Celtic word Briganti, meaning "the High One" or "the Exalted One". Over time, in Scotland and parts of Ireland, the name was Anglicized in multiple ways, including Brigit, Brighid, and crucially, Bride (pronounced breedin some Gaelic contexts).
* The Goddess and the Word: In Scottish Gaelic tradition, the goddess Brigid is often referred to as Bride. As Christianity spread, this figure merged with St. Brigid of Kildare, who was often called "St. Bride". The word "bride" (meaning a newly married woman) in English is considered by many sources to have originated from the popularity and reverence for this figure.
* Similarities in Meaning: Brighid is a sun goddess, often associated with light and the "bright" aspect of the dawn. The name is believed to be derived from the same Proto-Indo-European root for "to rise" or "high," which is also the origin of the English word bright.
* Cultural Evidence: A Brideog(Little Brigid) is a doll of the goddess carried during the festival of Imbolc, demonstrating the linguistic, symbolic, and phonetic link.
Note: While some etymological dictionaries might distinguish the Old English word for a newly married woman (bryd) from the Celtic name Brighid, in folklore, Irish history, and cultural studies, the two are heavily intertwined, and many sources directly link the English word "bride" to the veneration of St. Bride/Brigid.

02/01/2026

I love that she is the inventor of keening, a form of lament 😭 through singing.

Brigid, the “Exalted One,” was a Celtic goddess of fertility and motherhood. Venerated throughout Ireland, she held sway over passion, poetry, and invention, and her favor inspired craftsmen of all trades.

02/01/2026

To celebrate the halfway mark between Winter and Spring you can make a cross which recalls the Irish goddess Brighid.

🟩 How to Make a St Brigid’s Cross

Made each year for St Brigid’s Day on February 1st, the St Brigid’s Cross is one of Ireland’s most enduring household traditions. Traditionally woven from fresh rushes, it was made to mark the turning of the year and hung in the home for protection and blessing in the months ahead.

Materials needed
16-20 fresh rushes
(If rushes are unavailable, straw or paper strips may be used)
Scissors
String or thread

How it’s made
Begin by cutting all rushes to the same length. Exact measurements matter less than keeping them uniform.

Fold one rush in half to form a loop. Slide a second rush through the loop so the two pieces form an L-shape.

Rotate the piece a quarter-turn to the right. Fold another rush in half and slide its loop over the arm you’ve just rotated, keeping the centre tight.

Continue the sequence: rotate, add a folded rush, rotate again, and add another. As you work, the cross will grow evenly on all four sides.

When finished, tie each arm a short distance in from the ends to secure the shape. Trim if needed.

Traditionally, the completed cross was hung above the door, near the hearth, or in a byre to guard the home for the year ahead.



📸 Irish Roots

01/31/2026

01/31/2026

Happy Imbolc!