Whatsit???

I recently acquired this "whatsit" and it definitely has me a bit puzzled. 

The materials and techniques place it firmly in the Victorian  or perhaps Edwardian era. It is crocheted of red wool with a woven trim tacked about 1 1/2" from the edge. This trim includes a chenille fringe or tails that have been woven into the fringe.

None of this would be too terribly puzzling, except it is obviously not intended to lay flat:

But instead is designed to go over something domed - here it is on an upsidedown stainless bowl, approximately 16" across and and 5" deep:

My first thought was a cover for a glass lampshade of some kind, but it just doesn't seem likely, as there is no central hole to allow venting of the heat/fumes, as is typical for lighting of the era.

So any ideas???

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Seasonal Signs

Life on Mackinac is cyclic - and I don't mean bicycles!

As summer passes and we move into fall, there are certain signs that the season is changing and one of the most telling is the gradual, annual movement of the horses back onto the mainland.

I'm sure these were not the first batch to make the move, but they are the first I've seen. It's a bit bittersweet to see them go, but it's just part of the rhythm of life on this Island.

I recently became aware of a very special program filmed in 1988, When the Horses Leave: Metamorphosis at Mackinac. You can see the online version here.

It was made 25 years ago, but still illustrates the lifestyle of year round Mackinac today and it's great fun to watch and compare how some of our residents looked a quarter century ago!