Saturday Morning Tea

Oct6

A couple of weeks ago, I brewed a cup of green (raw) Pu-ehr tea and I talked about how there are 2 types of Pu-ehr. Today I am enjoying a cup of black (cooked ) Pu-ehr tea called Ancient Pu-ehr Mini Tuo Cha. This tea is from the same area in Yunnan province as the green Pu-ehr.

Another name for this black Pu-ehr tea is dark green “pile fermented” tea. It is created with a special pile fermentation process, a fairly new method in existence since the 1970s. Think compost piles. The tea leaves are heaped into measured piles in a well ventilated, climate controlled room and water is added to each pile to moisten it. The tea master will turn each pile periodically to evenly disperse heat, moisture and bacteria for proper fermentation. After approximately 90 day, the leaves are steamed and compressed into little cakes and then dried.

Look how black both the tea leaves and the liquor are. Even a China black like Keemun or Yunnan or an Assam tea are not this dark. It looks like black coffee. However, the aroma and taste are very different form coffee! The aroma is sweet and earthy with a hint of woodiness to it. The flavor is also sweet, like molasses, and has a very full mouth feel. I drink it straight but it would probably stand up very well to milk or cream. I don’t recommend sweetener though as it has its own sweetness to enjoy.

One of the most interesting things about Pu-ehr tea is that it gets better with age, like a fine wine does. There are people who collect aged Pu-ehr cakes and some cakes are up to 150 years old! It is also reputed to have medicinal benefits, especially for the digestive system, and has been used as such in China for hundreds of years.

I enjoy tea because of its taste but it’s nice to know that there are health benefits, too!

Chunky Bead Crochet Bracelet

Oct5

My first experiment with bead crochet resulted in this chunky bracelet. When I was in Michigan last month, I visited a yarn shop with my Mom who is an avid stitcher and knitter. From the moment I stepped through the front door, I was entranced with the bins upon bins of colorful, textured yarn skeins. All of those colors! It was like opening up a new box of crayons. I carefully made a couple of selections, having no idea what I was going to do with them. I just liked to look at them and feel their weight in my hands.

After reading Lindly Haunani’s post about setting creative goals for the fall, I wrote down 4 things that I would like to accomplish and explore. One of them was to teach myself bead crochet and experiment with various fibers and beads. A great resource for helping me achieve this goal is Bethany Barry’s Bead Crochet. So, I went through my bead stash and choose some colorful size 6 beads to match the colorful yarn I had purchased.

I single crocheted a tube 6 beads around and then finished it with a vintage button clasp. With a chain loop that fits over the button, I was amazed at how easy it is to put it on and take it off. My next experiment is going to be with size 8 beads and C-Lon cord. Stay tuned!

September Page Progress

Oct1

The beading on the Harvest Goddess is finished. For her long, luxuriant hair, I used a twisted fringe technique with my variegated beads and then tacked down the fringe. My eyes happened upon these lovely golden amber glass leaves in my bead stash and I couldn’t resist giving her a crown. I’ve been fascinated by crowns ever since I was in kindergarten. I loved to draw crowns on all of the ladies in my pictures. When my Mom took me to the library, I always made a beeline for the adult section to find my precious treasure – a big, heavy dusty old book containing color photos of the crown jewels of England. I loved thumbing through that book to gaze upon all of the beautiful, sparkly objects it contained.

Ideas about my October page are starting to glimmer in my mind. The image of a candle has been present in my thoughts all day. I think I will start with that and then see where it takes me.