Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine is grateful for coolth...

Last night it was really too hot to sleep well, so time to push the magic button on the wall and let cooled air fall from the ceiling, and so very extravagently allowed it to continue all today... We are definitely heading into summer. My first thing this morning was getting outside and watering the baby fruit trees, peas, tomato, and potato plants. So far all are surviving, and there might be another round of peapods, though this weather is taking a toll on the plants. Next year plant peas earlier!!

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~ recombinant ~

Recent rummaging in the sewing resource center turned up some UFO bits: an unfinished embroidered felt flower, and some turquoise tatting from one of the Advent swaps, which just seemed to fall together into a botanical brooch to add to the indigo denim hat decorations...

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Wellington is visiting here for a few days, and is being his usual perky and peculiar self. I've been limiting our walkies to times when his wee paws won't be burned by the hot pavement, as it was close to 100°F today (when I returned from my early morning medical appointment it had already reached 34°C - 94°F) Tomorrow it should be a little cooler.

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~ Cloud Mountain cowl ~

Yesterday, once I finished the Cloud Mountain cowl and it was time to cast off, I decided that a two color I-cord cast off would look similar to the selvedge edge, and give a more symmetrical effect (rather than the single color cast off suggested in the pattern). After figuring out how to do a two-color I-cord cast off, and experimenting with how many stitches to include, it turned out that a two stitch tiny I-cord gave the best appearance. I am really pleased with the finished cowl and look forward to when the weather is cool enough that I can wear it! Three new skills learned on this project: mosaic knitting, Norwegian purl stitch, and two color I-cord cast off...

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Last Sunday was my second attempt to try making small batch fermented sauerkraut. And it turned out my second failure, as the whitish blobs on the surface of the brine developed black and greenish fuzz, a sure sign of mold. Sigh. I'll try again with a different sort of cabbage, maybe plain green instead of savoy cabbage is a better option? or maybe adding some lacto-starter to the brine might help?

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	Laeriel enamel	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	Laeriel setting	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	12 tiny Totoros	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	Cloud Mountain cowl	repair ropechain clasp	recycle bin
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Wellington is visiting here for a few days
- the water from steaming purple peas creates lavender color dye
- heat pump = cool air

Time of Isolation - Day 1806

wishful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine has more wishes than words...

but aside from the everpresent hopes and wishes for a timeline that makes sense, in the local and immediate, I wish I had known more about how to care for fruit trees when I planted the multi-apple tree twenty years ago now...

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~ now there is only one ~

The apple tree in my backyard broke. I am sad. Half of it is now lying on the ground. It is the oldest fruit tree in the yard, that I planted here twenty years ago, and started out as one of those trees that has multiple varieties grafted onto one trunk. Several of the grafts died over the years, but there have been two left for many years.

I suspect that there was/is internal decay, as there have been a lot of cankers on that part of the tree. I have been thinning the apples, maybe not enough soon enough?  It is going to be quite an effort to cut apart what is now on the ground, and either compost or greenwaste bin it, and some will be more than I can cut with loppers, so I will probably need someone to help who has a chain saw...

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Today I went to Portland Nursery to replenish my worm bin. Today I also walked almost six miles. My legs are tired and my feet are sore, but not impossibly so. I wish there was a bus that stopped closer than eleven blocks away, but I did it. Or maybe I wish I was robust enough to lift my bike onto the bus bike rack. Anyhow, there was a container of worms acquired. And the nursery was so unbusy at the time I was there that I had a conversation with the cashier and she asked if I wanted a drink of water, and brought me a cold bottle of spring water to take away with me! On a hot sunny afternoon, what a kindness!!

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I've been knitting on the bus. This is perfect, since it is knitting in discrete chunks of time, and forces me to take breaks. The Cloud Mountain bandana cowl is getting very close to when it will be necessary to figure out two color I-cord cast off; I think that there is one set of pattern rows left to finish. When this project is done, I am going to switch back to scribal arts. (Not that scribal things can be done on the bus, but because scribal scratches the same itch, being an activity that uses enough of my awareness to be restful, and also one ends up with a Useful and Decorative "whatsit"

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Sugar Magnolia peas from the yard, plus some onion slow cooked enough to be sweet, plus a few frozen shrimp and a cube of frozen coconut milk... I'd meant to add some Thai curry paste, but on examination, it had been in the back of the fridge for several years! so some good Penzeys curry powder had to do instead. Made a yummy meal. 

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	Laeriel enamel	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	Laeriel setting	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	12 tiny Totoros	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	-	repair ropechain clasp	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- today was a beautiful classic June gloom day. A misty moisty morning and a bit of afternoon sun
- the cashier at Portland Nursery gave me a chilled bottle of water to ease my return home
- today almost 16K steps (almost 6 miles)

Time of Isolation - Day 1801

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine makes use of what is on hand...

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~ backlit ~

Glowing sunset light turns the hardy fuchsia blossoms to gemstones...

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I've been knitting knitting knitting, probably more than is good for my wrists; knitting is a self-soothing activity, and this timeline is not what I signed up for. The mosaic knit square-and-dot motifs are very satisfying to watch unfold, and the bandana cowl will be such a cozy winter accessory. Going forward, must needs slow down and only do a few rows at a time, since my right wrist is feeling a bit sore (probably from too much knitting) and it will be months yet before it is cool enough to wear...

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Time to start getting up early to do yardwork again, as with two weeks of "neglect" ie no string trimming, the yard is getting very shaggy again. Last week's rain gave the grass and weeds a new lease on life!

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~ teeny tiny Totoro ~

A partially finished 1" square ornament for the future advent swap later this year, made from decorative origami paper glued to black Bristol board with toothpick frame...

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	Laeriel enamel	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	Laeriel setting	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	12 tiny Totoros	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- "How to Be A Normal Person" by T J Klune is such a sweet and funny book...
- long complex conversations with Mikki
- extra and very kawaii origami paper

Time of Isolation - Day 1799

sauerkraut Sunday

in which our plucky heroine had more zoom meetings today than time to attend them all. Feast or famine here, it seems... 

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~ experimental fermental ~

I realise this isn't the most appetizing photo. Today was the "Makin' Kraut With Moriarty & Sharon" zoom, and it seemed a great chance to jump back into my attempts to add more homemade probiotic goodness to my daily food scene. With the intent to use what is on hand, the small savoy cabbage from the bottom fridge drawer was shredded finely and combined with one of the purple carrots (grated) from last week's produce delivery. Now my fingertips are a peculiar blue, and the brine in the jar is a murky purple, but with luck, there will be some tasty tangy condiment in a week or two...

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Apparently I am still scared by dogs... Someone tied their lab cross to the same anchor I had used to lock my bike to while I was shopping in the store early today. I had to ask the store staff to intercom for the owner to come move their dog so I could unlock my bike and ride home...

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	Laeriel enamel	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	Laeriel setting	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	-	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- hope of future sauerkraut, after this mornings zoom tutorial
- some excellent book suggestions from Daniel
- Livestream of Junefaire court from last night, so I got to "watch" Laeriel's elevation ceremony
- The cashier at the grocery store kindly called on the intercom for the dog owner to come move their dog away from where I had locked my bike

Time of Isolation - Day 1798

Friday fragments and Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine takes a break from watering...

The weather yesterday was been reminiscent of New England early summer, if without the thunder and lightning. The night sound of rain on the window awnings, then sun and clouds enough to tease me into hanging laundry on the line, followed by dark sky, downpour and hail! Today has been all rain all the time! I love it, and it might soften the ground enough to allow for digging a spot for the mock orange (still in a pot on the porch).

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Thursday I spaced out that it was a holiday, and rode all the way to the post office only to see the parking lot empty. Sometimes I am a flake, though the extra riding time was very pleasant...

Friday I rode to the post office once again, cleverly timed between the unseasonable precipitation, and posted the assorted utility bills, and also sent back the Crushgrind Mill to Lee Valley for a refund. In all my many years purchasing things from their catalogs, this is the first time ever needing to take advantage of their no hassle return policy. Unfortunately, despite the encouraging photo on the website showing the mill grinding flax seeds onto breakfast porridge, it does not work at all well for grinding flax seeds. I turned and turned it for over fifteen minutes, without more than a tiny pinch of ground seeds in result. (shall consider small Krups electric grinder instead)

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Aline mentioned that Flambards had been adapted for British TV decades ago, and I've been watching it on youTube... I'd enjoyed the books years ago, but somehow forgotten all the political subtext in addition to the period drama.

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I've ordered Ann Tilley's "Magic Pants" pattern, with the hope that perhaps the unusual construction will result in something more comfortable to wear  than the common bifurcated garment. While I've not worn pants in years now, there are times where suchlike would be a Useful Option. Apparently this is a year of trying incremental new things. My knitting project added two new skills to my set, and these pants offer that possibility as well.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	Laeriel enamel	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	Laeriel setting	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	-	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- three tubes of my favorite, albeit discontinued, hand cream (via Ebay)
- Aline mentioned that Flambards had been adapted for British TV decades ago, and I've enjoyed watching it on youTube...
- the Totoro origami set has several additional pieces of paper, with tiny motifs that will be suitable to use for miniature wall art or advent treats

Time of Isolation - Day 1797

tragedy narrowly averted

in which our plucky heroine has tooth marks on her sandal straps...

Adrenaline is my least favorite drug. Today, while out on the way to get some errands done, riding my bike in the bike lane past a sidewalk cafe, an unleashed dog attacked me. First biting the front wheel, then immediately biting my foot. I started screaming. Some guy, presumably the dog's owner, came and pulled it away, but rather than asking if I was okay, left the scene (with the dog) as fast as possible. There were two other men also sitting eating lunch at the outdoor tables, one tried to follow dog boy, and the other helped me to sit down so I could remove my shoe and sock to check my bitten foot. Fortunately it is only bruised; had the skin been broken, I would need to get rabies shots, since no one managed to catch up with the dog or their person.

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~ progress ~

Slow knitting is what I do and enjoy... by the time this cowl is completed, the weather will be cool enough that wearing it will be a welcome treat. 

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I went out and walloped the hinges on one of the backyard gates, that had gone so awry as to make the gate hang crooked. Now that it is more correctly aligned, it is obvious that I need to do more re-contouring the surrounding area which has built up a layer of thatch and soil over the last howevermany years, which also impede the free motion of said gate. This latter task can wait, however, until the rains come again.

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Still working on adapting the recipe for fruit crisp bars. My most recent iteration had more pleasing texture, substituting my home canned fruit sauce for chunks of fresh fruit worked okay, but finding the best size of baking pan for a half recipe still needs attention. The 5"x5" pan was a bit too big. Might need to increase the crumble part of the recipe a bit, as I needed more than half of that to cover the base of the pan

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	Laeriel enamel	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	Laeriel setting	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	-	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the dog that bit me today did not break the skin on my foot, so I don't need rabies shots
- Ariadne sent me Kestrel's most excellent illustrated "resipei for straberie ice cubs". I shall have to acquire some strawberries and try it out!
- found a source for Very Small shipping boxes at Copy Pilot

Time of Isolation - Day 1793

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine is tuckered out...

Staying up late last night and working like a madwoman was needful, despite not having the stamina of thirty or more years ago. And my project is a success, both in itself and to remind folks that I am not gone but just isolated. And a success to remind self that I can do complicated things, which ever bears repeating.

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~ 15½ hours... ~

The Laurel medallion I finished working on last night... with a complex two-sided setting that required much cogitation to fabricate, and the disc background under the blue enamel engraved and stamped with a charge from Laeriel's heraldry. This is what I do. The whole piece is 1½" (38mm) in diameter.

Since it needs to be at JuneFaire for her elevation on Saturday, it was most propitious that Mr Dawson was coming down here today and could hand carry it north to Olympia. This meant it need not be trusted to the tender mercies of the USPS, and could be then carried the rest of the way to the event by Elanor. I love it when our impromptu SCA courier crew works out.

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Always a treat to see my friend and colleague Bill, though the days we shared a studio space are decades past. He's always a font of fascinating information, and today, among other topics, I learned about "pine bark iron", one of the materials in his most recent set of inlaid spindle whorls. The texture on the reverse of the one made from that iron was like Ponderosa bark made tiny, (those trees being what we called "ice cream trees" when I was a child, for the sweet vanilla scent). 

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Long ago, there was soup made, but spell check translated "avgolemono" as "demonology" (which says something about common vocabulary?!?) and so it has been renamed in my lexicon. Nonetheless, it is a favorite simple meal. As I also wanted to bake a lemon cookie, which requires 1 egg yolk, the extra white was added to a second egg, and along with a cube of rice from the freezer and a heaping spoonful of "better than bouillon", dinner was ready in a trice. The cookie(s) baked while I was eating my soup, and now the kitchen is filled with a toasty lemony fragrance.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	Laeriel enamel	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	Laeriel setting	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	-	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- demonology soup (avgolemono, according to spell check)
- gifts from Jen: Totoro origami, and a recipe from Kestrel
- a visit from Mr Dawson, with conversation and a hug
- many positive comments on social media (re my handiwork)

Time of Isolation - Day 1792

weekend wonderments

in which our plucky heroine pays attention...

Whilst riding my bike early this morning, saw Coyote being chased by a pair of crows across the park near Acorn Cottage. Felt like I'd fallen into a Charles DeLint tale...

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~ halfway there ~

The heraldic enamel Laurel cloisonné work is done, (after grinding away the four tiny air bubbles not visible last night, and re-firing this morning). Everything always takes longer than estimated or expected. Now to build the complex hexafoil setting, hope to have it completed tonight...

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The titanium soldering strips really made a difference in placing the bail and anchor loop, letting me angle the shaped setting and space the finding parts appropriately and easily. They are a good simple bit of technology that I've had for a while, but am still figuring out how best to use.

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~ time it was and what a time it was... ~

Dad was young, and I was even younger... I will never not miss you.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	Laeriel enamel	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	Laeriel setting	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	-	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- seeing Coyote
- enamel turned out well
- titanium soldering strips

Time of Isolation - Day 1791

werk werk werk

in which our plucky heroine enjoys a reprieve...

This morning has my favorite weather pattern - "June Gloom", where the morning sky is grey and the air gentle and cool, which made my morning constitutional very pleasant indeed. Today will possibly stay that way all day, so my plan is to turn on Mr Hot, my venerable enameling kiln, and spend the day in the workroom Getting Stuff Done!

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~ and it's blueberries all the way down ~
>

not sure what went right that hasn't ever in the past, but there's more than a handful of unripe berries... Might need netting for protection later, 'cos our plucky heroine isn't the only one who likes blueberries!

A quick check of the backyard plantings, and there are more sugar snap peas coming on, and the smallest signs of tomato formation on Juliet's lowest blossoms. The potato greens keep growing, and I'll try to fill just a bit more mulch atop them before the pot is too full.  

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I'd pretty much given up on finding any more, but I found someone on Ebay selling three tubes of my best beloved hand cream, the one that keeps the skin on my paws from cracking, and doesn't smell horrible. Soon it will be in the post headed my way. This bit of slightly spendy self-indulgence will push back a little further in time the necessity of settling for a less functional bit of everyday body care. 

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~ just the start ~

Custom SCA Laurel regalia project. This is about 6+ hours into it so far (not including design prep time; am trying to do a better job of keeping track of how many hours each part of the process takes). Hoping to get the cloisonné enameling finished tonight (that may be a bit optimistic) so I can start building the complex setting tomorrow.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	-	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	-	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	-	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- June Gloom is my favorite weather
- Sharpies are so useful! 
- denatured alcohol to remove sharpie ink
- finding my favorite discontinued hand cream on Ebay

Time of Isolation - Day 1789

somewhat Seussian

in which our plucky heroine wishes for a different timeline, one where the people on the planet all worked together to ameliorate the human-caused damages to the biosphere, instead of infighting among ourselves...

Now and again, while I am riding my bike around parts of the peninsula this time of year, there is a whiff of something delightfully floral. I am suspecting summer jasmine, which I see blooming nowadays. I could go over to the part of Karla's fence covered in jasmine and have a sniff, to check my surmise.

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~ unfolding ~

being as short as I am, and with my rubbishy memory I vastly overestimated the height of the agave stalk previously mentioned, it is probably about 12 feet tall, rather than 20+. Still quite impressive, and now much closer to flowering...(not sure if these are flowers or buds, so it will be necessary to keep checking it to find out)

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I think our culture ought to have a word for the meal between lunchtime and supper/dinner, in the similar vein to "brunch" in the mornings. I usually have my later in the day primary meal ideally sometime between 4 to 6 pm. which puts in in the UK category of "afternoon tea" or "high tea", though if I took tea as a beverage that late in the day, there would be no sleeping.

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Making good progress today on the Laurel enamel project, the disk is all laid out for engraving and stamping, and the outlines for the leafy wreath cloisons are all drawn out as well. I think I can... I think I can...

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A few just right things or ideas... I picked up a lid for wide mouth jars that has a capped pour spout, and it seems to work well. This will let me store the finished kombucha on the fridge shelf in a quart Mason jar instead of in the door baskets, as the heavy Grolsch bottle currently in service is so tall as to only fit in one spot.

I've an idea about the lower kitchen cupboards, many years an aggravation due to their extreme depth. Because the kitchen fittings are steel, attaching anything structural to them is challenging. It recently occurred to me that plywood, cut to fit the narrow but deep shelves, could have a shallow box also made to fit, with pull out extension slides on the bottom between the box and the plywood... This would make much better use of the spaces, which currently require crouching down and removing whatever things are in front. Then all that would be needed to make that whole side of the kitchen happier would be removing and replacing the countertop (and removing entirely the "stupid L") rather than removing the entire vintage built in lower wall. I shall be researching possibilities...

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	-	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	-	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	-	new smoke alarm battery	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- bats at dusk, fluttery silhouettes against the sky along the bluff.
- street sweeper = less broken glass in bike lane. Yesterday the pavement was still damp where it had passed along the roadway.
- My bike did not get stolen! (night before last I was foolishly tired when riding to the grocery, and simply went inside the shop without locking my bike... was shocked to find it sans lock when I came back, with the lock in the basket where it usually lives when I'm riding. Surely Dame Fortune was smiling in my direction !!)

Time of Isolation - Day 1788

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine...

Today was a little cooler than yesterday, and so far everything in the garden has survived, though my pea plants are looking a bit worse for wear (they hate hot weather) I hope that they will continue at least a little longer, since they have only just now started producing actual snap peas.

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~ fresh peas ~

The first harvest of very tasty Sugar Magnolia snap peas from the garden. Going to try and be a bit more patient and let the next ones fill out a bit more before picking them, these are barely thicker than snow peas. I was surprised twice when cooking them for lunch: first that the purple color only faded very slightly (was expecting them to turn green); second that the cooking water turned turquoise... (dissolved anthocyanins??)

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I found a hank of spare clothesline in the SCA closet, that was more than long enough to run a new double line to replace the old double line. They only last a few years at most* before sun and weather degrade the cordage, and as I could see where the line was already fraying, took time today to get that dealt with. The next time I am out at a hardware store, must remember to get another 23+ yard length of suitable cordage to keep on hand.

*apparently three years, since according to my records of SMART goals achieved, the clothesline was last replaced in June of 2022.

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I'd been craving Kale Bulgar Feta salad for a while now, so added kale, cilantro, and green onions to my produce order this week. Made it this afternoon, and ate some for dinner, yum! It is the only way I enjoy eating kale, as the complex flavors and textures work together really nicely. Also good with a tablespoon of raisins or dried currants added to the mixture.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	-	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	-	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- temperature drop at night = cooler mornings
- enough box fans
- spare clothesline cord, enough for one replacement set

Time of Isolation - Day 1786

deadheading the sage

in which our plucky heroine considers becoming crepuscular...

By midafternoon, it was just over 100°F (38°C) on the front porch in the shade. I gave in and turned on the heat pump to the cool setting, as it was over 80 inside the house and I was feeling ill from the heat. I'll be taking additional water out to the new young trees and vegetables this evening

First thing most mornings these days is to take a look around the yard and garden, and pick a few small tasks to do. Today that was getting the pruning saw and cutting away the chunk of the Wanda plum that is definitely defunct. Also adding some more water to the skirret in the side yard, and finally taking time to cut away at least some of the spent culinary sage flower clusters. Sage is beloved by pollinators when in full bloom, but once the flowers drop, they are just sticky and prickly between the driveway and the front door ramp.

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~ so tall ~

Along the edge of the bluff, someone planted an agave in their parking strip, and it is not quite starting to flower. After many years, agave send up a TALL flower spike, bloom, and then die. I must needs use the zoom function on my phone, as the spike is probably between 15 to 20 ft tall. You can observe how they are in the same plant family as asparagus...

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Last night managed a few more rows on what I am calling my Cloud Mountain bandana. The turquoise Noro Kiri yarn is actually much more variegated than I realised, with deep teal, bright turquoise, grey, and even flecks of white, in a very Noro-ish blend. I often name my Ravelry projects after what aspects of the natural world they evoke (for me), which I find amusing... Do other folks do this, I wonder? Thinking ahead to when it is time to bind off, I may attempt a two color I-cord bind off, to best echo the two color selvege on the other side of the bottom edge, rather than the MC bind off suggested in the pattern...  

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Today on her blog, Stephanie mentioned the idea about taking time to do small “artist date” travel locally which gave me the idea to try something similar in around the city, more than my usual bike rides or walks in my own neighborhood. I’ve read that finding ways to add “novelty” to our daily life is a way to extend time, in that routine becomes unnoticable sameness and time feels like it is passing in the blink of an eye, but doing something new can almost bring us back to that child state where time and days last for ages. When I am not bound up in work, and when we are not in the middle of a heat advisory, I shall do some urban exploration!

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This creative public art/climate initiative THE HERDS will have a myriad of life-size puppet animals making a 20,000 km journey from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle this year. Here also is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the puppets are made

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	-	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	-	-	danger bug
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- getting a bit braver or else just more accustomed to making phone calls
- the teal Noro Kiri yarn turns out to be pleasingly variegated
- one of my small metal mixing bowls, that has a hinged ring handle, works quite well as a second yarn bowl

Time of Isolation - Day 1785

"moderate" heat advisory

in which our plucky heroine attempts to keep cool...

Today, by midafternoon it was close to 100°F (38°C) on the front porch here at Acorn Cottage. Tomorrow the forecast is for several degrees hotter. I checked that there was water in the hydration station, and added a bit more midafternoon, just in case any of our buzzing friends found their way there. All the young plants were watered either last night or this morning, and I will be checking on them tomorrow early. I did manage to "hill up" the experimental potatoes by adding another layer of potting soil. I did get out for a bit of a bike ride before breakfast today, since most of the rest of the day I'd be spending indoors away from the sun.

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~ Cloud Mountain colors ~

Made a start on the bandana knit cowl, and just as described in some of the pattern notes on Ravelry, it is indeed an easy pattern to memorise, with most of it (other than the increase edge) being an eight stitch repeat and an eight row repeat... The blue-green variegated yarn I initially chose for this project was too close in value to the chocolate brown for good contrast, so I have switched to the other skein of Noro Kiri, a vivid turquoise/teal/grey combination.

Knit together in pattern with the darker Kiri, the overall effect of all the colors together reminds me of my Cloud Mountain Chinese turquoise (as seen in this blog post about halfway down) which often has dark matrix running through the brighter stone. Both colors of Noro yarns were a gift from Ariadne, and I am pleased to be able to turn them into something I will wear, and since Kiri is a high silk content blend it will feel softer against the skin than Noro usually does... 

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Yesterday, all the leftover cooked chicken was shredded and mixed with the last of the current batch of spicy peanut sauce and put in the fridge for a future meal. I'd been thinking about the way Hutch used to serve it, over rice with a heap of shredded iceberg lettuce, but there was no lettuce left in the fridge, so I just ate the chicken sans accoutrements. (the remaining iceberg had been part of the egg salad that was today's breakfast) Do you see a theme here? Hot weather makes cold food more appealing. 

Yesterday it also was time to swap out the flannel bedding for the percale bedding, and to return to keeping a filled tray of ice cubes in the chest freezer, and to remember to crack them out into a big ziploc whenever the thought occurrs. Hydration is more pleasant with a cube or two of ice.

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Every morning in summer I open the windows and put up fans, when the outdoor temperature is cooler than inside. Today there was a surprise that was not a treat, when the stripey yellow and black insect turned out to be on my side of the screening! Thankfully I was able to safely remove the danger bug (wasp? hornet? yellowjacket?) since it had been cool enough overnight that the bug was quite sluggish. I keep a few clear plastic drink cups around the house, along with postcards, most often used to remove spiders from the bathtub, but in this case it served well to keep me safe from harm.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	-	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	-	-	danger bug
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- heat pump = cool air.
- cold leftover chicken in spicy peanut sauce
- ice cubes 
- danger bug safely gone

Time of Isolation - Day 1784

Wednesday whatnots

in which our plucky heroine enjoys some colorful treats...

...starting this morning, when the Sugar Magnolia peas had opened their first pink and purple flowers!

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~ very vegetal ~

Carrot coriander soup, via a BBC Food recipe ... Surprisingly mild, but very flavorful, and well worth adding to the keeper recipes. It makes a good starter or light meal; I turned the rest of the pan into frozen cubes for future meals. 

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Had appointments today for talking to two roofing estimators today, and am currently waiting on written estimates. Have a clearer idea of what probably needs done, though each one had different suggestions about how to best repair the damages, and different favorite brands of shingles. When we have all the numbers in hand, it will be challenging to make a choice.

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~ overdyed ~

1:3 vinegar to water ratio plus paste food color (in this case mostly brown with a bit of sky blue to keep the color from heading off towards orange) works so wonderfully to dye protein fiber, particularly wool. This grey Noro "Kiri" yarn is a 45% silk, 43% wool, 12% mohair blend, and I wanted some chocolate brown. I expected/hoped the lighter portions to shift more brown, and the darker sections to warm up, which is basically perzactly what occurred. Very very pleased!

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Moved the bike from the usual hallway spot to the bedroom temporarily, to make it easier for estimators to get up into the attic. I always forget how spacious it is when the bike is not in the hallway, and wonder if there is a different place to store it?

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	aminita softy	planted sprouty taters	-
2	-	dyed yarn brown	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- overdyed yarn turned out really well
- I had two roofing contractor consultations today, which took hours, since they were so thorough
- carrot coriander soup is really tasty
- the first Sugar Magnolia flowers are so pretty 

Time of Isolation - Day 1780

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine doesn't quite eat the frog...

It wasn't the first thing I did today (which was my go outside and get outdoor light into my eyeballs) or even the second thing, but I did make some of the needed phone calls this afternoon, and tomorrow! there will be two different estimators (one in the morning, one in late afternoon) showing up to have a look-see at the roof here at Acorn Cottage, and give their ideas and figures for what the labor costs and materials options for replacing the over twenty year old roof will require...

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~ imaginary aminitas

My current handwork fidget project is making some of the soft sculpture mushrooms that Margeaux Davis shared a tutorial for last week in the MakingZen series. Scraps of assorted red fabrics, unbleached muslin, and a few other bits and bobs get turned into what I think will become some fun ornament gifts for friends. I particularly love the way the gathered fabric becomes "mushroom gills" and the use of french knots for texture...

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"...we must, in the ways that we can, live the future we hope to bring into being."

~ Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

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I have misplaced my garden trowel! This object, unlike a number of other things around the place, actually has a specific home, but isn't in it. And isn't anywhere else I've looked. It is one of the few everyday tools I only have the one of, no backup. and apparently I've no memory of the most recent time it was in use, since I've looked in all the logical or possible spots, including in the garden beds themselves...  

In other garden news, the peas are enjoying their new climbing frame, almost two gallons of baby apples have been thinned (and still not done with that task) and assorted pruning continues to happen. Have been keeping the young trees watered as the temperature continues to increase. The sprouty yellow potatoes I planted in a spare pot have sent up actual leaves, and my intention is to see if I can harvest some spuds later in the year. They're not quite tall enough yet to add another layer of mulch.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	aminita softy	planted sprouty taters	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- being able to listen to recordings of Grateful Dead shows via Internet Archive, on my phone, while riding my bicycle...
- an adorable aminita made from scrap fabric
- I bravely called one law office and two roofing contractors today

Time of Isolation - Day 1779