Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Pussy Willow Challenge

Late in February I posted an entry about a grafted pussy willow tree that we had just purchased.  It reminded me of the many iterations of pussy willows throughout time in songs, poetry, paintings, needle work - the list goes on and on.  There is something so tender about the fuzzy catkins and the languishing branches.  Here is the photo I posted then:

 
We've been watching it since then and everyday those catkins have grown larger and larger as you can see in the photo below:


 
Now they really look like big puffs of cotton - but weightier, don't they?  I put the plant where the light would shine directly down on those catkins so you could get the impression of the yellow halo surrounding them - or so it looks from a distance.  Seen closer they become something else entirely:
 
 
How would you describe them? draw them? embroider them?  Now there's a thought!  What would choose to do: stitch colonial knots at the end of a straight stitch with YLI silk thread? or sew tiny seed beads all over and floating around a white mohair yarn oval with no visible thread attaching it to the catkin?
 
It would be a challenge, wouldn't it?

2 comments:

  1. I think I'd go with the mohair and beads. It's so nice to see that spring really is coming. I hear tonight it's supposed to be more like Christmas than spring - but pussy willows don't lie! So spring is on its way!!

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  2. and you are always up for a challenge! I see them embroidered on one of your crazy quilt blocks :-)
    Oh yes, and I love the photo....sigh!!

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