in which our plucky heroine makes a good lunch...
you'll just have to imagine it, even more than is usual, since there will be no photos til the new phone arrives. I cooked up the last of the bavette steak pieces (neatly cut against the grain into small paillons), and some kasha from the pantry, and steamed some of the green beans I froze months ago. It felt like a lunch for a functional adult, as well as being a Very Tasty Splurge indeed. I rarely have beef, but when the conjunction of Heather here shopping for me, and the meat counter having bavette steak, I indulge. I had four meals from that half pound, not including the deglazed pan drippings that go into the stock container in the freezer.
made some good progress on the cloak for Kestrel, just need to find something suitable for edge binding. I also started on my new fractal cardigan knitting, after deciding that I could simply use the colorwork charts from Mandlebrot, but do the gauge and sizing on my own. I began the first cuff, starting with an i-cord ring of the correct number of stitches, then picking up and knitting the 2K1P ribbing... I made it to the beginning of the colorwork cuff patterning, and had to review how color dominance in stranded knitting works. I shall also need to review two handed colorwork, though I suspect my difficulty is combining ribbing with colorwork, fortunately only two rows. (when it is time to knit the yoke, though, there will be rather a lot of three color rows, but the beautiful design is worth it.
no new news about Mom; there will be a zoom meeting tomorrow where we can all see one another and it will be obvious what her physical status is. We had a long family zoom today.
today's gratitude - I realised that I can phone my local friends using my land line.
Showing posts with label SWAP2021. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SWAP2021. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Sunday snippets and bits
in which our plucky heroine attempts forward momentum...
Last night I had Horrible Nightmares that woke me up, all about attempting to get somewhere important, and the train was actually a plague train with plank beds full of sick people; once I managed to catch the train, I then immediately was trying to escape from the moving train car. Not surprising given the current pandemic. There has not much change in the family situation, though I did find out that there is an "activities coordinator" at the care/rehab where my mother is currently, and that is the person to ask about setting up a video call, which may be helpful, and I plan on calling tomorrow
Given the above, it took me hours to pull myself awake and out of bed... that done, I only managed a mile of walking today. I am considering trying to add some boning to the mask pattern, as a way of keeping the shape even more structured. Not sure if it is just that I huff and puff a lot while I walk, or that the weather is cold and damp, but over the time I am out and about, the mask gets damp and unpleasant. I saw a youTube where the stitcher used small zipties as mask boning...
Today was siblings and spouses zoom, while it was good to see faces, the content of our talk is hard and sad. Still, Sister and BIL are holding their own against the dread virus so far, as is my mother. When I brought up the idea of sending art or writing supplies to Mom, sister reminded me that despite having those all on hand while she was at home, none of them have been touched in the last year, and our attempts to interest her in them were not successful. I have no clue what to offer as an anodyne to the terrible boredom Mom is suffering from, as the only thing that helped prior to her medical crisis was the once a week reading aloud session...
My friend Eva also sent me more miniatures, and the tiny teakettle had two in the package instead of the one that was ordered, and so Gwen is getting a teakettle no bigger than the end of my thumb, as well... it will be time for getting cozy with tea and quilts in the dollhouses
wanted to change out the wall hook on the bedroom cabinet, to replace it with the sweet heart-shaped forged iron hook that was one of my holiday gifts. The only black headed screws on hand were much too long, and also much harder than any of the saws or sawblades could dent. It occurred to me that while I lacked something to cut the sheetrock screw to the right length, or to grind it down, I did have a vice, and a hammer... After carefully placing the screw so that the desired portion was inside the vice jaws, a few hammerblows to the excess length was all it took to shorten it. Easy-peasy vicey-squeezy! (another Tool Girl outside-the-box win!)
SWAP 2021 sewing/planning update - the navy mushroom print and the turquoise mushroom print turtleneck tops both fit seamlessly into my winter wardrobe rotatation. I had been thinking about making a new pinafore, but instead will be making a new rain capelet, since my oh-so-useful one I made in 2019 has somehow disappeared! (How? When Acorn Cottage is so small? And I've gone nowhere at all since the rains started? (actually since early last spring))
This time of year the rain capelet is a garment I don't want to do without. Fortunately I have most of the materials needed to make another one (I know I have some more of the supplex/goretex/fleece, some more Polartec, a separating zipper of robust construction, and hopefully can find some of the thinner nylon knit I used for edge binding)
I do wish that I had madesome any construction notes on my previous capelet, which had some tricksy zipper and binding details. Fortunately at least I do have the photos I took at the bottom of this blog post, and I hope that will be enough to help me reconstruct this beloved and long desired garment...
today's gratitude - yesterday Heather brought my packet of gifts to the Mud Bay crew, and Ariadne sent me a whole little photo essay of Kestrel opening her presents along with text commentary, and that Bill was delighted with the large bag of processed bay nuts.
Last night I had Horrible Nightmares that woke me up, all about attempting to get somewhere important, and the train was actually a plague train with plank beds full of sick people; once I managed to catch the train, I then immediately was trying to escape from the moving train car. Not surprising given the current pandemic. There has not much change in the family situation, though I did find out that there is an "activities coordinator" at the care/rehab where my mother is currently, and that is the person to ask about setting up a video call, which may be helpful, and I plan on calling tomorrow
Given the above, it took me hours to pull myself awake and out of bed... that done, I only managed a mile of walking today. I am considering trying to add some boning to the mask pattern, as a way of keeping the shape even more structured. Not sure if it is just that I huff and puff a lot while I walk, or that the weather is cold and damp, but over the time I am out and about, the mask gets damp and unpleasant. I saw a youTube where the stitcher used small zipties as mask boning...
Today was siblings and spouses zoom, while it was good to see faces, the content of our talk is hard and sad. Still, Sister and BIL are holding their own against the dread virus so far, as is my mother. When I brought up the idea of sending art or writing supplies to Mom, sister reminded me that despite having those all on hand while she was at home, none of them have been touched in the last year, and our attempts to interest her in them were not successful. I have no clue what to offer as an anodyne to the terrible boredom Mom is suffering from, as the only thing that helped prior to her medical crisis was the once a week reading aloud session...
※※※
~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 83 ~
A fragment of another miniature quilt, this one green instead of red. The red one went to Kestrel, this one is for S (the girl next door with whom I share a love of the miniature world)... I had a few pretty scraps leftover from sewing masks, and thought that little Gwen might want additional bedding. As you may recall, S sent Nandina a sweet handknit afghan a while back, but January is cold, and so extra layers could be welcome~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 83 ~
My friend Eva also sent me more miniatures, and the tiny teakettle had two in the package instead of the one that was ordered, and so Gwen is getting a teakettle no bigger than the end of my thumb, as well... it will be time for getting cozy with tea and quilts in the dollhouses
※※※
wanted to change out the wall hook on the bedroom cabinet, to replace it with the sweet heart-shaped forged iron hook that was one of my holiday gifts. The only black headed screws on hand were much too long, and also much harder than any of the saws or sawblades could dent. It occurred to me that while I lacked something to cut the sheetrock screw to the right length, or to grind it down, I did have a vice, and a hammer... After carefully placing the screw so that the desired portion was inside the vice jaws, a few hammerblows to the excess length was all it took to shorten it. Easy-peasy vicey-squeezy! (another Tool Girl outside-the-box win!)
※※※
beauty in the time of isolation - day 301:
beauty in the time of isolation - day 301:
Callistemon fruit
※※※
SWAP 2021 sewing/planning update - the navy mushroom print and the turquoise mushroom print turtleneck tops both fit seamlessly into my winter wardrobe rotatation. I had been thinking about making a new pinafore, but instead will be making a new rain capelet, since my oh-so-useful one I made in 2019 has somehow disappeared! (How? When Acorn Cottage is so small? And I've gone nowhere at all since the rains started? (actually since early last spring))
This time of year the rain capelet is a garment I don't want to do without. Fortunately I have most of the materials needed to make another one (I know I have some more of the supplex/goretex/fleece, some more Polartec, a separating zipper of robust construction, and hopefully can find some of the thinner nylon knit I used for edge binding)
I do wish that I had made
※※※
January SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | postcard for Mom |
cardigan mended |
excess dust rhinos |
| 2 | candied grapefruit peel |
replace nose pads |
recycle bin |
| 3 | beaded stars |
replace wall hook |
- |
| 4 | miniature quilt |
- |
- |
| 5 | - |
- | - |
| 6 | x |
x | x |
| 7 | x |
x | x |
| 8 | x |
x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
Sunday, January 3, 2021
Sunday snippets
in which our plucky heroine gets off to a slow start...
...but gets somewhere nonetheless. During CraftyEvening, while zoomchatting with Riia in Sweden, Raven in Eugene, and Ursel over in SE PDX, I was able to finish mending my most venerable cardigan, which was showing a few threadbare patches from the reknit/refurbishment it underwent in 2000. (originally it was made back in the early 80's, and almost twenty years after that, I unraveled the very worn yarn and Mr Dawson respun and plied it so I could use it again) With care, it will see me out...
SWAP 2021 - Yesterday I decided to cut out another winter turtleneck, and use the other mushroom print cotton lycra. It will be more fun to have clothes to wear than to simply have shelves of full of decorative stashed fabric, and I'm currently feeling a lot of love for teal/turquoise. Since there isn'tmuch any more fabric on hand in those colors, I may have to indulge myself with finally making up a pair of turquoise earrings instead.
Today also was complete the belated holiday rum balls, and move the grapefruit peelings from the blanch stage to the simmer in sugar syrup stage. Hopefully by the time the post office delivers my shipping boxes, I will be able to mail a (somewhat late) birthday package to my father...
today's gratitude - a bit of sunshine and moderate temperature (48F) meant that my sanity stroll was rather pleasant, and coming home to the French onion soup for my lunch (that had been simmering in the crock pot for a day and a half) was a treat. The oxtails bought at the farmer's market a year ago turned into stew last week, the drippings cooked the onions for the soup, and the leftover broth from that one small package of locally grown beef has given savor to another three meals at least.
daily resolution - mend heraldic cardigan
...but gets somewhere nonetheless. During CraftyEvening, while zoomchatting with Riia in Sweden, Raven in Eugene, and Ursel over in SE PDX, I was able to finish mending my most venerable cardigan, which was showing a few threadbare patches from the reknit/refurbishment it underwent in 2000. (originally it was made back in the early 80's, and almost twenty years after that, I unraveled the very worn yarn and Mr Dawson respun and plied it so I could use it again) With care, it will see me out...
SWAP 2021 - Yesterday I decided to cut out another winter turtleneck, and use the other mushroom print cotton lycra. It will be more fun to have clothes to wear than to simply have shelves of full of decorative stashed fabric, and I'm currently feeling a lot of love for teal/turquoise. Since there isn't
Today also was complete the belated holiday rum balls, and move the grapefruit peelings from the blanch stage to the simmer in sugar syrup stage. Hopefully by the time the post office delivers my shipping boxes, I will be able to mail a (somewhat late) birthday package to my father...
※※※
~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 81 ~
Instead of breakfast to begin my day, I wanted to create a decorative postcard to send my mom (before the postman arrived)... Friday I had found some papercuts I made last year prior to isolation, and with a bit of marker magic for the background, and some packing tape to laminate the surface, hopefully this little blue bird of happiness will wing its way to her so many thousands of miles away...~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 81 ~
※※※
beauty in the time of isolation - day 294:
never get tired of mossworlds
※※※
January SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | postcard for Mom |
cardigan mended |
excess dust rhinos |
| 2 | - |
- |
- |
| 3 | - |
- |
- |
| 4 | - |
- |
- |
| 5 | - |
- | - |
| 6 | x |
x | x |
| 7 | x |
x | x |
| 8 | x |
x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - a bit of sunshine and moderate temperature (48F) meant that my sanity stroll was rather pleasant, and coming home to the French onion soup for my lunch (that had been simmering in the crock pot for a day and a half) was a treat. The oxtails bought at the farmer's market a year ago turned into stew last week, the drippings cooked the onions for the soup, and the leftover broth from that one small package of locally grown beef has given savor to another three meals at least.
daily resolution - mend heraldic cardigan
Friday, January 1, 2021
Friday folderol
in which our plucky heroine considers modest hopes...
I don't plan on deciding on any overarching goals or resolutions today, but am rather taken with the idea of "one-day resolutions"... which connect rather neatly with my personal motto "Proficere lente sed proficere" (incremental progress is still progress). Am wondering how a year of one day resolutions would turn out... Wake up in the morning, make a resolution, and have the whole day to fit it in.
Today I dealt with my shoe shelf/bench, took everything out of it, vaccumed up the dust rhinos, and made it all tidy. (which then led to my also chasing away the underbed dust rhino herd as well, to greatly benefit my being able to breathe a little easier tonight, I expect.
well that was a successful and hopefully repeatable experiment! As there is no cornmeal in the house, I decided to use masa instead in the recipe for Sister Gigi's Sweet Corn Pancakes... Masa has a distinctive and IMHO stronger corn flavor, and is much less "crunchy" (as well as having more of the nutritional value accessible to humans), all of which were an improvement on the original. I shall be updating my copy of the recipe.
Sweet corn pancakes (as in made with sweet corn, not "sweet") are a savory treat, and I had a few hot off the griddle for breakfast. The remainder will be frozen for future meals, with a few more part of the ritual New Years meal, along with black-eyed peas, carrot "coins", and some well cooked collards and kale from the yard... Wishing all of you a year of successful experiments!
I probably will not make more thumbhole cuffs in the future. The concept works just fine, but when the cuffs are not being used in that way, the cuffs look "odd" with either an opening that shows the wrist, or if turned back and "cuffed" they have a weird layered gap where the thumbhole is. OTOH my turtleneck experiment turned out just right, and the paper pattern piece has been transferred to cardboard and strung on the hook with the rest of that pattern in my TNT pattern storage
today's gratitude - homemade condiments, such as salsa verde, or awesome sauce, which add so much savor to everyday meals. This time of year, the newly arriving seed catalogs do much to encourage dreaming of harvest times to come, and preserving for the future... I enjoyed briefly chatting with Ariadne about possible things to grow in the year ahead
I don't plan on deciding on any overarching goals or resolutions today, but am rather taken with the idea of "one-day resolutions"... which connect rather neatly with my personal motto "Proficere lente sed proficere" (incremental progress is still progress). Am wondering how a year of one day resolutions would turn out... Wake up in the morning, make a resolution, and have the whole day to fit it in.
Today I dealt with my shoe shelf/bench, took everything out of it, vaccumed up the dust rhinos, and made it all tidy. (which then led to my also chasing away the underbed dust rhino herd as well, to greatly benefit my being able to breathe a little easier tonight, I expect.
※※※
※※※
(homegrown perennial tree collard leaves)
※※※
(homegrown perennial tree collard leaves)
well that was a successful and hopefully repeatable experiment! As there is no cornmeal in the house, I decided to use masa instead in the recipe for Sister Gigi's Sweet Corn Pancakes... Masa has a distinctive and IMHO stronger corn flavor, and is much less "crunchy" (as well as having more of the nutritional value accessible to humans), all of which were an improvement on the original. I shall be updating my copy of the recipe.
Sweet corn pancakes (as in made with sweet corn, not "sweet") are a savory treat, and I had a few hot off the griddle for breakfast. The remainder will be frozen for future meals, with a few more part of the ritual New Years meal, along with black-eyed peas, carrot "coins", and some well cooked collards and kale from the yard... Wishing all of you a year of successful experiments!
※※※
I probably will not make more thumbhole cuffs in the future. The concept works just fine, but when the cuffs are not being used in that way, the cuffs look "odd" with either an opening that shows the wrist, or if turned back and "cuffed" they have a weird layered gap where the thumbhole is. OTOH my turtleneck experiment turned out just right, and the paper pattern piece has been transferred to cardboard and strung on the hook with the rest of that pattern in my TNT pattern storage
※※※
January SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | - |
- |
excess dust rhinos |
| 2 | - |
- |
- |
| 3 | - |
- |
- |
| 4 | - |
- |
- |
| 5 | - |
- | - |
| 6 | x |
x | x |
| 7 | x |
x | x |
| 8 | x |
x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - homemade condiments, such as salsa verde, or awesome sauce, which add so much savor to everyday meals. This time of year, the newly arriving seed catalogs do much to encourage dreaming of harvest times to come, and preserving for the future... I enjoyed briefly chatting with Ariadne about possible things to grow in the year ahead
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
wishful Wednesday - need more data
in which our plucky heroine somewhat futilely attempts to generate forward momentum...
It has been a difficult few days, still no real information about how my Mom is doing. I phoned the rehab place today to try and get some idea about what her plan of care is intended to be, what room she is in, if I can mail things to her, and if we can set up some video calls in the future. Dad said he spoke with her briefly? I do not understand why the facility and the staff have not contacted my father with thorough, accurate, and current information about his wife, my mother?? I was able to get her room number, but actual details about her condition and treatment as well as what the schedule there is, requires speaking to the social worker, or the nurses, apparently. I have tried repeatedly (at least five times or more in a day) to phone her in her room there, but there is never any answer. One fears the worst; I had been speaking with my mom at least every other day up until her collapse last week, and she must be wondering if I have abandoned her... My heart remains broken and I am determined to find a way to renew the ability to connect with her. It cannot be good for her to be out of contact with her family
SWAP sewing: finished the navy mushroom print turtleneck top... It will look quite fetching with my turquoise pinafore, as well as with either of the denim ones. I wish I could find some more excellent small-scale graphical prints in cotton/lycra.
My idea for the shaped turtleneck collar worked quite well. I measured some RTW ones that fit me comfortably, and used that for the baseline measurement, and added on to the bottom edge a curved addition that I hoped would both fill in the neckline scoop, and also incidentally increase the length of the bottom edge to neatly fit the neckline measurement. Double win! (given that it is a print, the seamlines are not really even visible)
I did make the thumbhole cuffs, which were only slightly annoying to sew. (I am curious if I will end up liking the ability to have integral hand warmers) I did notice that neither of the instructional tutorials I looked at had accurate information about how to correctly align the cuffs to the sleeves. One left that aspect completely off the tutorial, and the other said to align the cuff seam to the underarm seam, which is dead wrong! If you look at where your thumbs are on your arm, and compare that to where your underarm seam runs on a sleeve, it is obvious that the cuff seam (which includes the thumb opening) needs to be offset from the underarm seam!! Rather than guess, I simply tried on the almost completed top, and slid the finished cuffs underneath the sleeves so I could chalk a mark on each one where to place the seams..
Not sure what I will work on next for SWAP 2021. (probably the first thing will be to muck out the sewing/guest room which has turned into more of a scrap/rubbish heap) I need to do some swatching for my knitted cardigan, and the easiest things to sew would be to make up either another top from the other mushroom knit, or more likely some leggings, as we have weeks and weeks of winter yet ahead
I have started soaking the black-eyed peas for Saturday's meal. The greens will be from the kale growing in the salad table. I may make Sister Gigi's Sweet Corn Cakes, if I can find the ingredients (somewhere in the pantry is a can of corn, as the frozen corn is long used up, and I suspect I can substitute masa for cornmeal...)
today's gratitude - packages on my doorstep today, including the hard plastic nose pads for my new glasses (thanks to the Nose Pad King shop) as well as two different birthday treats from the B's: a Very Robust insulated travel tumbler, and a set of two teal silicone spatulas, one really large, and one that is probably skinny enough to get inside jars of things.
It has been a difficult few days, still no real information about how my Mom is doing. I phoned the rehab place today to try and get some idea about what her plan of care is intended to be, what room she is in, if I can mail things to her, and if we can set up some video calls in the future. Dad said he spoke with her briefly? I do not understand why the facility and the staff have not contacted my father with thorough, accurate, and current information about his wife, my mother?? I was able to get her room number, but actual details about her condition and treatment as well as what the schedule there is, requires speaking to the social worker, or the nurses, apparently. I have tried repeatedly (at least five times or more in a day) to phone her in her room there, but there is never any answer. One fears the worst; I had been speaking with my mom at least every other day up until her collapse last week, and she must be wondering if I have abandoned her... My heart remains broken and I am determined to find a way to renew the ability to connect with her. It cannot be good for her to be out of contact with her family
※※※
~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 80 ~
This is a silly if cheerful thing, the top of my birthday turnip! I decided to put it in a saucer of water like kids do with carrot tops and sure enough, it is growing a turnip top tree...~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 80 ~
※※※
SWAP sewing: finished the navy mushroom print turtleneck top... It will look quite fetching with my turquoise pinafore, as well as with either of the denim ones. I wish I could find some more excellent small-scale graphical prints in cotton/lycra.
My idea for the shaped turtleneck collar worked quite well. I measured some RTW ones that fit me comfortably, and used that for the baseline measurement, and added on to the bottom edge a curved addition that I hoped would both fill in the neckline scoop, and also incidentally increase the length of the bottom edge to neatly fit the neckline measurement. Double win! (given that it is a print, the seamlines are not really even visible)
Not sure what I will work on next for SWAP 2021. (probably the first thing will be to muck out the sewing/guest room which has turned into more of a scrap/rubbish heap) I need to do some swatching for my knitted cardigan, and the easiest things to sew would be to make up either another top from the other mushroom knit, or more likely some leggings, as we have weeks and weeks of winter yet ahead
※※※
beauty in the time of isolation - day 291:
this is Edgeworthia, growing in Karla's front yard, and not yet blooming...beauty in the time of isolation - day 291:
※※※
I have started soaking the black-eyed peas for Saturday's meal. The greens will be from the kale growing in the salad table. I may make Sister Gigi's Sweet Corn Cakes, if I can find the ingredients (somewhere in the pantry is a can of corn, as the frozen corn is long used up, and I suspect I can substitute masa for cornmeal...)
※※※
December SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | tiny patchwork |
Nandina's nose |
recycle bin |
| 2 | 2 Kiki biscornu |
worm bin rebedded |
yard waste bin |
| 3 | 2 sample masks |
dainties bag patched |
yard waste bin |
| 4 | spiral tea towel |
x |
recycle bin |
| 5 | new spice rack |
x | knitting sets |
| 6 | 10 wire stitch markers |
x | moar cardboard! |
| 7 | dawnlight partlet |
x | x |
| 8 | wall caddy |
x | x |
| 9 | navy mushroom top | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - packages on my doorstep today, including the hard plastic nose pads for my new glasses (thanks to the Nose Pad King shop) as well as two different birthday treats from the B's: a Very Robust insulated travel tumbler, and a set of two teal silicone spatulas, one really large, and one that is probably skinny enough to get inside jars of things.
Monday, December 28, 2020
Monday miscellany
in which our plucky heroine finishes some things, and begins others...
It has been a rough few days, and it isn't over by any means. Mom was transfered to a rehab facility. Fortunately it is close to where my Dad lives, and he was able to see her through a glass door today, when he went over there to bring her some clothing and her eyeglasses. The two times I called over there it was almost impossible to speak with her over the phone, as there was a lot of ambient noise, and her answers were monosyllabic. I remain worried. I hope we can find a way to have her return home safely. I keep myself sane with knitting and other handwork, and watching Ruth Goodman on the BBC historical programming
※※※
beauty in the time of isolation - day 289:
The winter has been fairly mild, and all sorts of flowers are either still blooming, or have begun to bloom. This one is unknown to me, but lovely!
We just finished up yesterday with our online daily reading aloud group for "The Dark Is Rising", and the consensus was yes for reading aloud continuing, but that once a week or so would be better than daily I was noticing that knowing that there was no reading today gave me a small sad, and concomitant with that, the realisation that knowing that there was a thing happening each day that was contact with other humans was somehow deeply reassuring to me...I am still mulling this over.
started new navy mushroom knit top for SWAP 2021... cut out the pieces,
and once the body and sleeves were stitched together, realised that I
ought to have cut the neckline higher, as a turtleneck top usually has a
jewel neckline. Since there wasn't enough fabric left to cut a new
front panel, I am going to experiment by creating a shaped turtleneck
collar, cut deeper in the front. Every project something new is
learned...
today's gratitude - Yesterday my friend Marya brought me black-eyed peas from the grocery, so I am now set to be able to cook the ritual new-year meal. And we actually went out for a walk, all masked up and socially distant but walking around like friends do! I have not done that since maybe sometime a year ago... It felt not-lonely!
It has been a rough few days, and it isn't over by any means. Mom was transfered to a rehab facility. Fortunately it is close to where my Dad lives, and he was able to see her through a glass door today, when he went over there to bring her some clothing and her eyeglasses. The two times I called over there it was almost impossible to speak with her over the phone, as there was a lot of ambient noise, and her answers were monosyllabic. I remain worried. I hope we can find a way to have her return home safely. I keep myself sane with knitting and other handwork, and watching Ruth Goodman on the BBC historical programming
※※※
observe
the proto-cardigan... the yarn I ordered from Iceland on December 2nd arrived on my front porch today! I foresee many pleasurable hours of slow knitting in my future, (even with all those three-color-rows) as I gradually work my way through making a Mandelbrot lopapeysa cardigan.
※※※
~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 79 ~
. 
Finished knitting the new "dawnlight" partlet (to replace my beloved and long lost "nightsky" partlet). This time I left better notes on Ravelry about the changes I made in the pattern(s) for future reference. I really really like the textural Roman Rib knitting, which is simple but extra cozy, and the border I modified works really well with it... am considering the option of a self designed sweater using the same stitches. As always, midwinter brings with it a great desire to knit!~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 79 ~
. 
※※※
beauty in the time of isolation - day 289:
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We just finished up yesterday with our online daily reading aloud group for "The Dark Is Rising", and the consensus was yes for reading aloud continuing, but that once a week or so would be better than daily I was noticing that knowing that there was no reading today gave me a small sad, and concomitant with that, the realisation that knowing that there was a thing happening each day that was contact with other humans was somehow deeply reassuring to me...I am still mulling this over.
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December SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | tiny patchwork |
Nandina's nose |
recycle bin |
| 2 | 2 Kiki biscornu |
worm bin rebedded |
yard waste bin |
| 3 | 2 sample masks |
dainties bag patched |
yard waste bin |
| 4 | spiral tea towel |
x |
recycle bin |
| 5 | new spice rack |
x | knitting sets |
| 6 | 10 wire stitch markers |
x | moar cardboard! |
| 7 | dawnlight partlet |
x | x |
| 8 | wall caddy |
x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - Yesterday my friend Marya brought me black-eyed peas from the grocery, so I am now set to be able to cook the ritual new-year meal. And we actually went out for a walk, all masked up and socially distant but walking around like friends do! I have not done that since maybe sometime a year ago... It felt not-lonely!
Thursday, December 24, 2020
Thursday thoughts
in which our plucky heroine has some wishes arrive on the doorstep, and others seem further away than ever...
Yesterday it was quite exciting to find a new ergonomic and wireless keyboard arrive on the front porch, having it interact with the laptop to make my wee paws happier was one of the least painful tech setup experiences. It was literally "plug and play"! Now my fingers need to learn a new orientation, again, but my understanding is that those sorts of neural activities are actually good for our brains. Rather in the same way that I am oh-so-slowly plinking away at learning to play the harp...
Today I looked at the calendar and realised there is only today and tomorrow until official SWAP sewing starts, and I have done nothing so far other than daydream! There isn't time for me to do any new patterning before Boxing Day, so I am thinking a quick TNT knit pattern; my long sleeve top with a turtleneck collar would be a cozy addition to my winter wardrobe. (I've had this lovely Cotton+Steel navy mushroom print cotton knit aging on my resource shelves for quite a while, and I would rather have it in my wearable rotation...) If I cut out the pieces later today tonight, then it is only an hour or so to run it up on the serger... of course I have also been doing handstitched cuff bindings on my knit tops, which while adding to the stitch time, also adds in some peaceful slow stitching into my day.
for quite a few days now, I had been trying to suss out if the return address on my sekrit santa package was some sort of anagram of the senders name... then I was this many days old when it occurred to me to google it. Turns out that "Nadolig Llawen" is Welsh for "Merry Christmas", and not some sekrit code!
today's gratitude - a little help from my friends... (actually more than just a little...)
Yesterday it was quite exciting to find a new ergonomic and wireless keyboard arrive on the front porch, having it interact with the laptop to make my wee paws happier was one of the least painful tech setup experiences. It was literally "plug and play"! Now my fingers need to learn a new orientation, again, but my understanding is that those sorts of neural activities are actually good for our brains. Rather in the same way that I am oh-so-slowly plinking away at learning to play the harp...
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beauty in the time of isolation - day 285:
The true beauty of the season is the kindness and thought and caring we share with one another... this miniature Viking style 6-board chest, handmade and hand carved, was made for Nandina by my pal Ursel... actual chest is about 2" tall; it is just perfect, and brought me such delight when I unwrapped it!
beauty in the time of isolation - day 285:
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for quite a few days now, I had been trying to suss out if the return address on my sekrit santa package was some sort of anagram of the senders name... then I was this many days old when it occurred to me to google it. Turns out that "Nadolig Llawen" is Welsh for "Merry Christmas", and not some sekrit code!
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December SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | tiny patchwork |
Nandina's nose |
recycle bin |
| 2 | 2 Kiki biscornu |
worm bin rebedded |
yard waste bin |
| 3 | 2 sample masks |
dainties bag patched |
yard waste bin |
| 4 | spiral tea towel |
x |
recycle bin |
| 5 | new spice rack |
x | knitting sets |
| 6 | 10 wire stitch markers |
x | moar cardboard! |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - a little help from my friends... (actually more than just a little...)
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
cold hands warm heart
in which our plucky heroine warmed by kindnesses...
My friends love me. I got birthday checks. I turned up the furnace today, all the way to 65! and it was delightful to not be all shivery. I put my Solitary Foxen back in the drawer, and put on a pretty necklace instead. Not that my special scarf isn't also pretty, but even my Dad on Zoom asked me why I was all bundled up first thing this morning...
Not sure if I will in fact knit a cardigan, but I did bribe myself and ordered both a new knitting pattern AND new yarn to go with it. I chose the gorgeous new lopapeysa-style pattern "Mandelbrot" (designed to evoke the concept of fractals)
and picked out some chocolate brown Lettlopi for the main color, with black sheep off black, a deep turquoise, and a murky taupe
for the patterning... I always feel a bit planetary when I order yarn
from afar, this is coming from Iceland! Why mostly brown yarn?...
because I have two brown pinafores, and no knitted sweater to
coordinate. Last year, for the first time in decades, I knit myself two
wool sweaters: an indigo lopapeysa in a modern design, and a V-neck pullover in "galaxy" a kind of dark dark turquoise/black oilslick color, and I have enjoyed wearing them very much
In answering Acantha's recent query, I realised that one thing I really want is a regular (weekly?) circle of (mutual aid human contact) support and accountability... checking in with one another on how projects are going, what progress has been made... several folks expressed interest. I'd like to facilitate this happening, either on FB or on some other venue (Zoom, Google Meet, Discord, or ??) and sooner rather than weeks from now.
I am really struggling with getting any forward momentum (other than managing the activity of daily living such as getting dressed, cooking and eating meals, etc.) House has backslid something fierce into a cluttered mess. etc etc. I have Crafternoon, which is more of a social hangout time, and multiple family zoom meetings each week, but what I really really want is a chance to check in regularly with a kind of a progress report, in a more "interactive" way than writing my blog posts. Thinking more like a support group for creativity and constructive action, where folks can take turns ....
today's gratitude - Today when Heather was shopping for me, she found two more turkey thighs! I am going to be able to have two more roulade-roasts later on this year. Yum yum yum!
My friends love me. I got birthday checks. I turned up the furnace today, all the way to 65! and it was delightful to not be all shivery. I put my Solitary Foxen back in the drawer, and put on a pretty necklace instead. Not that my special scarf isn't also pretty, but even my Dad on Zoom asked me why I was all bundled up first thing this morning...
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I'm still not sure what I will be making for SWAP 2021, but since this years rules state "These garments may or may not co-ordinate with each other, but should dovetail into your existing wardrobe" I'm not much worried. I seem to be incapable of making things that
don't coordinate, since I only have five basic colors in my wardrobe, and I am only going to make six garments, not eleven. I don't need eleven new garments this year.Not sure if I will in fact knit a cardigan, but I did bribe myself and ordered both a new knitting pattern AND new yarn to go with it. I chose the gorgeous new lopapeysa-style pattern "Mandelbrot" (designed to evoke the concept of fractals)
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beauty in the time of isolation - day 264:
tiny iconic autumnal glory
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beauty in the time of isolation - day 264:
tiny iconic autumnal glory
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In answering Acantha's recent query, I realised that one thing I really want is a regular (weekly?) circle of (mutual aid human contact) support and accountability... checking in with one another on how projects are going, what progress has been made... several folks expressed interest. I'd like to facilitate this happening, either on FB or on some other venue (Zoom, Google Meet, Discord, or ??) and sooner rather than weeks from now.
I am really struggling with getting any forward momentum (other than managing the activity of daily living such as getting dressed, cooking and eating meals, etc.) House has backslid something fierce into a cluttered mess. etc etc. I have Crafternoon, which is more of a social hangout time, and multiple family zoom meetings each week, but what I really really want is a chance to check in regularly with a kind of a progress report, in a more "interactive" way than writing my blog posts. Thinking more like a support group for creativity and constructive action, where folks can take turns ....
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today's gratitude - Today when Heather was shopping for me, she found two more turkey thighs! I am going to be able to have two more roulade-roasts later on this year. Yum yum yum!
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
join hands and twirl
in which our plucky heroine remembers things...
while out on my attempting-sanity stroll, I realised that there are still a lot of flowers out there, not in the profusion of summer, but welcome none the less for their persistence...
beauty in the time of isolation - day 263:
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when I was a child, my favorite PE activity was the rare times in 5th and 6th grade when we did square dancing. Rather like the year Bill and I went contra dancing almost every week. There is something, some kind of neural vitamin, that I have only ever found available in that specific kind of patterned physical/musical/rhythmic interchange. For some reason, this floated to the top of my mind as I consider that it feels like the year is swinging round towards midwinter and the eventual springtime, when last year the pandemic forced unwanted changes on us all.
I woke up sobbing today. Thinking that all I have learned in the last nine months is a doubling down on my stubborness, which has so far allowed me maintain isolation. I am direly envious of people who have been able to form quaranteam pods. I miss contact with other humans.
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Trying to jump start my creative self, which seems to be curled into a little sad ball under the bed right now, and scattered throughout Acorn Cottage are all manner of only partially worked on projects: Caer Cardboard along with many neatly cut sheets of the good parts of cardboard boxes, the remains of a pile of half sewn masks, a well coordinated stack of blue/indigo fabric for a future SWAP sewing, bags of yarn and a bin of knitting patterns, and the standing workbench is rather covered with loose paper, bits of wood, and the remnants of a partially carved lino block print... I have bribed myself with an order of a shiny new knitting cardigan pattern "Mandelbrot" and some cozy Lettlopi yarn.
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I keep reminding myself to hold on to hope, to remember that in time we will have vaccine helpers, and that life will resume a new and less awful configuration. What is unclear, and the other thing that brings me to tears, is all that we will have lost in the interim, not only
all our beloved dead, and all the folks living with permanent changes from the pandemic, but the web of culture is being broken, in a way that may be as irreparable as dredging a seafloor or bulldozing a marshland . ※※※
December SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | x | x | recycle bin |
| 2 | x | x | - |
| 3 | x | x | - |
| 4 | x | x | - |
| 5 | x | x | - |
| 6 | x | x | - |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - I have stashed supplies that allow me to do creative projects, to cook meals, and to keep myself in warm wooly bits and pieces.
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
wishful Wednesday: chaos or community
in which our plucky heroine notices plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose...
Small joys are still allowed, and in this difficult time, may help us hope for a somewhat brighter future. I don't know. Maybe those who are lucky enough to come of age in a bright if flawed world always look backward with regret, saying "we had a chance to do it right" even if all the force arrayed against that was too strong. I have been saying for years, that there are a myriad of ways to run a planet well, why on Earth have the collective we chosen to do it wrong... Still, this is the world we have now. This is the time we live in now. Stay safe, stay apart (for now) stay healthy. Do what you can find to do to shift the balance to sanity. Love.
today's gratitude - I have excellent friends! This morning, I awakened to a knocking on the front door, which turned out to be the postman, who had left a package for me from my friend Luz Clara. She sent me several yards of delightfully striped and patched japanese fabric, very boro-esque. I plan on using it for either a pinafore, or a loose lagenlook jacket. Not sure if I will leave it all black/stripey, or overdye in a light indigo, or taupe. Leaning towards light indigo. As an extra treat, she included a package of titanium strips for making soldering tools, which is a definite impetus for me to clear away the clutter on the workbench
Small joys are still allowed, and in this difficult time, may help us hope for a somewhat brighter future. I don't know. Maybe those who are lucky enough to come of age in a bright if flawed world always look backward with regret, saying "we had a chance to do it right" even if all the force arrayed against that was too strong. I have been saying for years, that there are a myriad of ways to run a planet well, why on Earth have the collective we chosen to do it wrong... Still, this is the world we have now. This is the time we live in now. Stay safe, stay apart (for now) stay healthy. Do what you can find to do to shift the balance to sanity. Love.
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~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 72 ~
I think it counts as creativity, as it is a new thing, and besides, I created the stuffing mix from my own imagination and the ingredients on hand! Technically this is for tomorrow. Turkey thigh roulade: I de-boned a turkey thigh, butterflied it, and made a stuffing with sourdough bread, herbs and green onions from the yard, and some of the oyster mushrooms that Nicole gave me earlier this year... rolled the whole thing up and roasted it for almost an hour and a half at 350° in the lil convection oven~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 72 ~
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a few weeks ago, I found "Dance The Eagle to Sleep" in a local Little Free Library. It is one of the few Marge Piercy books I'd not read, though I've been around and through her poetry often and some of her novels repeately. It was published in 1970, as a kind of near-future history relating to the new left and countercultural activity, and while some of the language is dated, the concepts dealt with are strongly and sadly still relevant fifty years later down the road “People were not getting back what they wanted for their sold labor. Taxes grew and services shrank. Prices rose and quality decayed. Everywhere people felt used and betrayed and coerced and cheated.”
"Some of the academic ex-radicals took the position that unrest among the youth would provoke fascism. They wrote about fascism as a dramatic change, a cop d'etat, the Pentagon marching on the White House. None of them imagined that it could come in like the morning paper, that it would be just the same families maintaining themselves in power by slightly different means. No swastikas, no eagles other than the Bald Eagle rendered extinct through DDT: only the American flag. No SS, no storm troopers, no blackshirts: only the regular police armed with tanks and gases and high explosives and trainging in riot control. They did not see that black people and kids already lived their lives in a police state."
"Some of the academic ex-radicals took the position that unrest among the youth would provoke fascism. They wrote about fascism as a dramatic change, a cop d'etat, the Pentagon marching on the White House. None of them imagined that it could come in like the morning paper, that it would be just the same families maintaining themselves in power by slightly different means. No swastikas, no eagles other than the Bald Eagle rendered extinct through DDT: only the American flag. No SS, no storm troopers, no blackshirts: only the regular police armed with tanks and gases and high explosives and trainging in riot control. They did not see that black people and kids already lived their lives in a police state."
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November SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | five new dishtowels | restring beads | recycle bin |
| 2 | new apron | 2 Gigi shirts | - |
| 3 | another new apron | x | - |
| 4 | two floral dishtowels | x | x |
| 5 | three pot holders | x | x |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - I have excellent friends! This morning, I awakened to a knocking on the front door, which turned out to be the postman, who had left a package for me from my friend Luz Clara. She sent me several yards of delightfully striped and patched japanese fabric, very boro-esque. I plan on using it for either a pinafore, or a loose lagenlook jacket. Not sure if I will leave it all black/stripey, or overdye in a light indigo, or taupe. Leaning towards light indigo. As an extra treat, she included a package of titanium strips for making soldering tools, which is a definite impetus for me to clear away the clutter on the workbench
Sunday, November 22, 2020
Monday music and miscellany
in which our plucky heroine notices rising winds...
It has been a rough week. Two friends passed away, and my very favoritest canine pal Toshi (who lives up with the Mud Bay folks) may be following them across the Rainbow Bridge soon. Somehow, rather than these deaths feeling like an anomaly, in the way the few previous ones in the last few years have seemed, I sense a hinge in my arc, and that now this is the part of the story where my cohort starts leaving faster and faster. The image in mind is the old animated cartoon where the pages on the calendar start being blown off faster and faster by a rising wind
Two days ago the roof above my workroom began leaking, and it is unclear what is causing the problem. Figuring out what to do and how best to deal with the problem, difficult in the best of times, is made infinitely more complicated by the gorram pandemic. Still, I am still here, still above ground, still reasonably healthy. My closest circle of family and friends remains intact, at least for now.
There was adventure in cookery on Saturday - I took the "homemade pot stickers" class as part of the local online SCA event. Duchess Hlutwige was sharing her recipes, tips, and secrets for making them, and even though I have made my own previously, I learned a number of new-to-me details that will make a big difference. Her DIY wrappers worked out much better than the recipe I found online and attempted; these worked out really well. And I much prefer her "steam the napa cabbage" to soften it beforehand to the salt method I was using. There are now several containers full in the freezer, waiting for those nights when a readymade dinner will be a treat or a necessity.
I made more filling than the amount of dough matched up with, so tonight I attempted "scotch eggs" baked in the oven, as the difference between sausage and pot sticker filling is primarily one of vegetable content. The taste and texture was good, but there was what seemed to be some shrinkage of the meat layer possibly also because of the cabbage/scallion/cilantro content, and so the HB eggs rather burst out in a not very attractive way. Still, I am most unlikely to be going to a pub for pub-grub, but scotch eggs are a nice high protein occasional treat. I'll try again at some point with actual sausage and see if it makes a difference.
November SMART goals (x=extra)
today's gratitude - I returned this week to Stitcher's Guild, where I formerly spent a LOT of time. It had occurred to me that, in this time of plague, my simply dropping out could have seemed something much more dire than mere lack of sew-jo mojo. In fact it felt rather good to return there, as it is once again SWAP planning time, and while I do not intend to sew eleven garments, since I certainly do not need that many more, SWAP season is also a segment of my year-wheel. I also am back in touch with my online-to-IRL friend Claire, and we are going to do a wee small sewalong together. I actually purchased a pattern, a different style of pinafore, with some interesting seamlines and a "workwear" aesthetic; Claire had found the pattern online and wanted to try it.
It has been a rough week. Two friends passed away, and my very favoritest canine pal Toshi (who lives up with the Mud Bay folks) may be following them across the Rainbow Bridge soon. Somehow, rather than these deaths feeling like an anomaly, in the way the few previous ones in the last few years have seemed, I sense a hinge in my arc, and that now this is the part of the story where my cohort starts leaving faster and faster. The image in mind is the old animated cartoon where the pages on the calendar start being blown off faster and faster by a rising wind
Two days ago the roof above my workroom began leaking, and it is unclear what is causing the problem. Figuring out what to do and how best to deal with the problem, difficult in the best of times, is made infinitely more complicated by the gorram pandemic. Still, I am still here, still above ground, still reasonably healthy. My closest circle of family and friends remains intact, at least for now.
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beauty in the time of isolation - day 254:
all the rain has brought mushooms of various kinds to the yard
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beauty in the time of isolation - day 254:
all the rain has brought mushooms of various kinds to the yard
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※※※
There was adventure in cookery on Saturday - I took the "homemade pot stickers" class as part of the local online SCA event. Duchess Hlutwige was sharing her recipes, tips, and secrets for making them, and even though I have made my own previously, I learned a number of new-to-me details that will make a big difference. Her DIY wrappers worked out much better than the recipe I found online and attempted; these worked out really well. And I much prefer her "steam the napa cabbage" to soften it beforehand to the salt method I was using. There are now several containers full in the freezer, waiting for those nights when a readymade dinner will be a treat or a necessity.
I made more filling than the amount of dough matched up with, so tonight I attempted "scotch eggs" baked in the oven, as the difference between sausage and pot sticker filling is primarily one of vegetable content. The taste and texture was good, but there was what seemed to be some shrinkage of the meat layer possibly also because of the cabbage/scallion/cilantro content, and so the HB eggs rather burst out in a not very attractive way. Still, I am most unlikely to be going to a pub for pub-grub, but scotch eggs are a nice high protein occasional treat. I'll try again at some point with actual sausage and see if it makes a difference.
※※※
~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 72 ~
. 
Last week I spent two days working on a sample enamel for a potential project, to find out if it was possible to get that level of complexity in a piece only a bit more than an inch tall. It is, but it was quite challenging. ~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 72 ~
. 
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November SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | five new dishtowels | restring beads | recycle bin |
| 2 | new apron | x | - |
| 3 | another new apron | x | - |
| 4 | two floral dishtowels | x | x |
| 5 | x | x | x |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - I returned this week to Stitcher's Guild, where I formerly spent a LOT of time. It had occurred to me that, in this time of plague, my simply dropping out could have seemed something much more dire than mere lack of sew-jo mojo. In fact it felt rather good to return there, as it is once again SWAP planning time, and while I do not intend to sew eleven garments, since I certainly do not need that many more, SWAP season is also a segment of my year-wheel. I also am back in touch with my online-to-IRL friend Claire, and we are going to do a wee small sewalong together. I actually purchased a pattern, a different style of pinafore, with some interesting seamlines and a "workwear" aesthetic; Claire had found the pattern online and wanted to try it.
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