March is for mending

in which our plucky heroine is gradually recovering...

My eye is much better than it was a week ago, thanks to the use of multiple antibiotics and the assistance of the digital alarm on my phone. Still not sure what else the wakey wakey every three hours is doing to me other than keeping the level of medication as evenly distributed as possible, reckon that will be more obvious once it isn't necessary to get up and be functional quite that frequently. 

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~ cloud spirals~

Rather than drawing, cutting, and stencil-printing a new 3 part cave horse decoration for the pocket of the brown linen pinafore, my eye fell on this cloud motif from one of the 2023 stitchbook pages, and there will be a subtle bas-relief chain stitch embroidery instead. Eventually a new cave horse stencil as well (assuming that the old stencil remains mysteriously missing) to be used on a different pinafore, as the process of refurbishing the closet contents continues

Have been putting together "sewing kits" for garments - grey Chinese landscape shirt, teal floral blouse, 1 pr teal long janes, 2 pr brown long janes, brown/black pinafore overdyed waffle weave, teal pinafore overdyed herringbone, grey chambray linen pinafore, taupe/black shirt overdyed pinstripe. Blue black textured pinafore... This sounds like a lot, but almost all the current pinafores in my closet are wearing out, after anywhere from five to seven+ years of steady use. If I had more clothing, each individual garment would last longer as they wouldn't be worn as frequently. My goal is to have approximately 7 or 8 of my wardrobe basics: pinafores, knit tops, shirt/blouses, long janes, and summertime popover dresses; I don't usually meet that intention. There are also a few everyday dresses, a few popover tops and a nice assortment of handknit wool cardigans and pullovers. 

Managed to talk myself out of this very desirable fabric from Blackbird - brown black gingham linen!! (It is lovely but do not need to spend over $75 on shirt fabric, see above list of many potential new garments that are all using fabric currently on the resource shelves here in the "sewlarium")

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The original plan to use Ariadne's handmade lampwork glass buttons on the Chinese mountain print shirt didn't look great in the light of day. The taupe/black buttons got lost in the fabric rather than being the interesting focal point they really deserve. Instead, they will be used on a shirt made from the micro-stripe linen, which will be overdyed to be taupe/black, and have black pick-stitching along the edges. Just enough remains of that stripey fabric to cut out the shirt.

As part of my planning, have been looking over the assorted yarns on hand and thinking about what knitted accessories get worn the most often. Am always happiest to have various handwork projects set up so can work on things "as the spirit moves". The Murano Squares Bandana is a frequent first choice in cool weather, the pointed cowl shape, and the feel and drape of the Noro Kiri yarn combine to make it so. In June of 2025 I overdyed a skein of grey Noro Kiri to dark chocolate as contrast with vivid turquoise. 

My current thought is that the remainder of the chocolate brown yarn has good contrast with the grey; if knit counterchanged from the Cloud Mountain bandana (grey with dark brown spots instead of dark brown with turquoise spots) it will coordinate nicely with the grey/black/taupe section of my wardrobe. Note: was trying to figure out how much of each color was used the first time, so as to know if there was enough for a second go round... occurred to me to use my kitchen scale! If a whole skein weighs 4 ounces, and the finished scarf weighs less than that, and there are 2 ounces left of the already dyed dark brown, then it will all work out neatly. I am certain there is an algebraic equation that could be written to be more precise, but in the intervening decades, my algebra has all fled.

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~ not dogs-breakfast ~

This just doesn't look as photogenic as the Smitten Kitchen recipe images, probably since I accidentally overcooked the cauliflower.  Nonetheless, it is delicious. Even though I made a half-recipe of the "Cauliflower Tomato Masala with Peas", the greater portion of it is now in freezer cubes after a dinner, a lunch, and even using the last bits in the dish for breakfast, topped with egg and a slice of Havarti; it is quite filling. I did substitute snap peas for the regular peas called for, in order to use what was already here. This is tasty enough that it will be added to my hardcopy recipes as a template.

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this weeks whinges: Went all the way downtown to the Federal Building to the IRS office to pick up forms and instruction manuals for taxes this year... Bah! Despite all that time spent, and having to take off shoes/daypack/phone/charger/wallet/keys/jacket/wooly cardigan, and go through the x ray and wanding to get inside, when finally at the office, there were in fact no tax forms or their specific instructional booklets AT ALL! The paperwork kiosk was empty, and the singular clerk said, nope... no backstock and not getting more. 

And in the further enshittification of Walgreens saga: The prescription ordered a week ago (with 7 still left in the container) had still not arrived, and they couldn't say when it would show up. Maybe by the end of next week? They apparently only order things once a week nowadays. It sure would have been be good to know that, so as to request refill several weeks earlier. Am now trying to transfer that scrip to a different pharmacy, further away but still accessibly by bike, that is open 7 days a week instead of 5, and that has what I need in stock (I called and checked first)

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	ruffle pillow shams	cardigan length	recycle bin
2	clothespin bag	cardigan button bands	recycle bin
3	brown linen pinafore	cardigan ribbon facings	-
4	-	planted rhubarb	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- line dried laundry, even in the city it still smells wonderful, plus yesterday was dry and breezy, so laundry chore is just about caught up, save for putting it away
- found two Talenti tubs of pecans stashed in the bottom of the freezer. Breakfast museli will be much nicer now.
- this is the children's book I really enjoyed this week: "The Puppets of Spelhorst" by Kate DiCamillo

Time of Isolation - Day 2087

shades of green

in which our plucky heroine does a little overdyeing...

Last year I picked up two native mock orange from the EMWSCD plant sale, and along with those bare root baby plants, there were giveaway treats: pamphlets about native landscaping, and a bandana with line drawings of invertebrates and plants. While the bandana was useful, it was also "caution sign" yellow, not a favorite color... so it had long been my intention to overdye it. Thinking about what color could combine with the vivid golden yellow and give a wearable-by-me result, it had to be a cool blue (hoping for a turquoise or teal result) 

While the initial dip into the Procion dye was not very promising, looking more like army-man green, eventually, and with the addition of the soda ash solution and some strong salt solution, after 40+ minutes of stirring over a simmer heat on the stove, the results are much improved: turquoise green. Actually the colorway is a lovely match for one of my summertime popover dresses, and will be a good addition to my headscarf and bandana collection

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The basil picked yesterday and tucked into the dehydrator is mostly crisply dry, and has yielded almost a 4oz spice jar full of spicy herbal goodness. Winter will be less dull for my preparing ahead...

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~ so kawaii ~

This painting of a tiny green cat sitting in the flowers (tulips?) is the other bit of artwork I brought back from my trip to the St Johns F.L.A.G. Some of my miniature linocuts are good to bring with to swap for new artwork.

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Listening to Grateful Dead - Live at Harpur College 1970-05-02

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 jar storage trays	tiger block	greenwaste bin
2	4 jar storage lids	bright rayon top width	recycle bin
3	dried basil	indigotiger popover  hem extension	recycle bin
4	-	bike rear wheel	window AC
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- Internet Archive Grateful Dead archives of live music
- past me made tasty applesauce
- My friend Maeva is recovering really well from her knee replacement

Time of Isolation - Day 1854

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

Friday fragments and figments

in which our plucky heroine is tired...

Today started with an early wakeup call on the landline, from a bot. Adrenaline is my least favorite drug.

Today I
- snuck out on my bike just before sunset to go to Grocery Outlet and get some produce.
- signed the pledge to not shop at New Seasons until the workers get a contract and they reinstate Randy
- started looking up what alternate sources are accessible for the groceries I had been getting at NS
- zoom chat with Karen, whilst also began the reconfigued armholes of the dreaded knit vest
- gave my input into the reconfiguration of the Madrona Tribe discord
- pre-cooked a big box of greens, and chicken legs, to make future meal prep easier. Put the chicken leg bones in the freezer until I make broth.

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~ this is not a bowl of soup ~

Last night I put in a few hours overdyeing the bandana for Acantha. It has been years since I did suchlike, and never with green. The initial dyebath with salt (1½ C) and dye (1t) was very bright and transparent, and seemed perhaps too pale, though I was going for a light green. Then, when at the right time, I added the soda ash solution (¼ C/2C H₂0), the dyebath color immediately changed, to what at first looked like murky swampwater, and eventually to a deeper green. The bandana was rinsed out and on the drying rack overnight, this is what the final result looks like (the color is lighter once dried)

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this recipe for lemon potatoes sounds delicious; I will try it out next week when my grocery order arrives with both yellow potatoes and a few pounds of lemons

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I've been doing mental gymnastics trying to figure out the outdoor shoes/indoor shoes actual doorway logistics, if the goal is to not track in bird flu fomites. I've read various suggestions online, such as setting up a step in disinfection tray, spraying your shoes with various compounds, take your shoes off outside, or just inside, or etc... What I cannot suss out is how the procedure is supposed to work.

So, imagine that I want to return home, after being out for a walk. I sit down on my porch, and remove my outdoor shoes, and tuck them into a storage cubby on the porch. Now I am just wearing socks. And I am still outside, on a porch where birds and squirrels are known to cavort.

Do I walk over in my stocking feet and open the door, go inside and step all over the indoors to where there is a chair so I can put on indoor shoes (thereby walking fomite germs across the floor inside) OR do I put on the indoor shoes outside (thereby walking fomite germs across the floor inside) Do I, as one friend suggested, keep a set of towels to lay down in front of me for each step I take, and then disinfect them in the washer, thereby exponentially increasing my laundry expenses? (I have thought that perhaps this might be a good use for the throwaway newsprint junk mail)...

This may be overthinking, and bird flu has not quite yet reached human pandammit status, but I'd rather suss out the logistics before they would be vital. This reminds me of the word problems we had in elementary school. And it also reminds me of the S Harris cartoon:

>
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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blood orange marmalade	bike headlamp	yard waste bin
2	heraldic enamel	passport photo	recycle bin
3	crayon roll	crystal necklace	recycle bin
4	xp2 undies	pattern longjanes	recycle bin
5	pot lid rack	passport applied for	-
6	aluminum stitch markers	pear tree planted	x
7	x	stripe sleeves	x
8	x	milliput handles	x
9	x	horse earring	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Last nights over-dye project came out looking well, with the clear two-tone green effect I hoped for. This means I got the proportions correct on how much dye for how much fabric, which is a bit tricky when dyeing such a small amount. 
2. Since I am not knitting sleeves, I do not need to buy a new set of double pointed needles, and can wait for either a sale, or a gifted set...
3. Wellington arrived this evening; I am dogsitting for the next week.

Time of Isolation - Day 1660

throwback Thursday

in which our plucky heroine bakes cookies...

Remembering back in 2011, when my Resiliency Ranger pals and I baked dozens of cookies, and took them to the ILWU union hall in Longview. Today a much smaller strike, my local grocery store has had their NSLU picket lines out for the last three days, and I can't do much, but I can bake, and let them know I support them

I don't know where I read that if you crumple parchment paper and smooth it out two or three times, it will stay much flatter when placed on a cookie sheet, as opposed to if you just cut some off the roll, when it keeps trying to curl up. Makes life a bit easier when baking cookies

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Isn't this a pretty thing, a bit of a variation on a classic. I am keeping one for a summertime kerchief, and overdyeing one in green for Acantha...

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Back in the LongAgo, when my Crafternoon was a thing that happened once a month or so, a gathering of friends at my home, for treats and tea and talk... my friend Ian (may he find peace in the next world) and his lady Karen often made the trek here from their home in Silverdale. Because Ian was a committed vegan, I always made sure to have at least some of my provender something that he would enjoy.

In point of fact, almost everyone that has tried these cookies likes them. They do have sugar, and usually wheat flour and the cornstarch that in powdered sugar, and sesame seeds, but no eggs or dairy.

~ Open Sesames ~

Preheat the oven to 375F.

1½ c flour
1 t baking powder
½ c + 2 T olive oil
½ c sesame seeds, toasted
½ c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
½ T cold water
½ t cinammon
1¼ t nutmeg

In a bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In another bowl, combine the oil, sesames, sugar, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and the water alternately to the oil mix. The dough will look oily and crumbly. Divide it into portions and form into small rounds with your fingers. Set on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 20 min.When the cookies are lightly golden they are done. Let them cool, and enjoy!

These cookies are a kind of rich shortbread, not too sweet, and even with all the olive oil they do not taste like salad dressing! You could easily vary the spice mix. I usually divide the dough into enough pieces to make 4 dozen cookies , but then I like smallish dainty tea-cookies.

(I think that the next time I try making these, I will substitute rosewater for vanilla, and just nutmeg instead of cinnamon+..)

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My second trial of the frozen eggs went better than the first time. As before, they scramble up just fine, and mixing in just one little breakfast sausage, chopped fine and browned a bit, made the salt unnoticable. (Our plucky heroine does not salt her eggses, but sausage and its even more spendy cousin bacon are supposed to have salt as one of their flavors) I suspect that this could even be done without meat, by adding some smoked paprika to well seasoned veggie additions to the scramble.

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"The European Space Agency (ESA) has revealed it is closely monitoring an asteroid the size of a football pitch that could hit the Earth in a little over seven years"... I realise that 2032 is a way down the road, but I didn't have asteroid anywhere on my bingo card. I know that asteroid ≠ comet, but I've very vivid memories of reading "Lucifer's Hammer" when I was younger

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blood orange marmalade	bike headlamp	yard waste bin
2	heraldic enamel	passport photo	recycle bin
3	crayon roll	crystal necklace	recycle bin
4	xp2 undies	pattern longjanes	recycle bin
5	pot lid rack	passport applied for	-
6	aluminum stitch markers	pear tree planted	x
7	x	stripe sleeves	x
8	x	milliput handles	x
9	x	horse earring	x

today's gratitudes -
1. parchment paper for baking
2. "open sesame" cookies (I saved out 3 small ones for me)
3. purple carrots.
4. all the supplies for fiber reactive textile dyeing, neatly put away inside the dedicated dyeing kettle. Thank you Past Me.

Time of Isolation - Day 1659

shibori Saturday and other snippets

in which our plucky heroine is feeling blue, in more ways than one...

on the upside, creative cerulean enamelwork and indigo dyeing creative playtime, on the downside those sorts of nights where waking up at 3am with dark blue thoughts of wrong choices made and opportunities missed.

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~ mood indigo ~

I am quite pleased with how my new linen gauze scarf turned out... the doubled horses teeth border surrounding a medallion of acorns and oak leaves taken from my SCA badge. Since I knew about the indigo dyeing demo at the local art store more than a week ahead, there was time enough to prepare this more structured shibori design. Quite a few days "spare time" went into yards and yards of running stitches. Even so, I was up far beyond my bedtime on Friday night, pulling up the stitchery as tightly as possible to form the resist pattern ready for dyeing:

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After hours of work, (more than one would expect for something so tiny), I finally finished the Very Small (⅞") heraldic blue wolf enamel, and I shall ask C if he can send me a photo of the finished coronet, once it is set in place and all assembled.

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thanks to Vestia for sharing this, it sure made me smile...

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On a hunch, on Friday I took myself off to Immediate Care (the storefront doc-in-the-box for my health plan) when I realised that the ongoing pain in my back might be my kidney and not referred SI joint pain. While the quickie-tests were clear, the sample they decided to send off for culturing apparently came back chock full of bacteria, despite my not having any of the usual symptoms. Indeed, I got an early morning! call on Sunday! from the doctor to let me know that they wanted me on antibiotics right away. Do not pass go, do not collect $200...

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	ScribeTober 1	-	yard waste bin
2	blue wolf enamel	-	-
3	shibori scarf	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I now am on antibiotic medication for a systemic infection I have had for who knows how long. Hopefully this will reduce pain, help my body heal, and maybe even improve my mood...
2. My shibori project at the free indigo dyeing demo turned out really well
3. I am more than halfway done making my advent swap treats

Time of Isolation - Day 1546

cool cats and other artwork

in which our plucky heroine starts a new month...

Today is the first day of "Scribetober", which has a whole month of daily prompts for calligraphy, illuminations, tutorials, and other scribal art fun. I intend to use the month to make at least one 1" square per day of something, to try out different techniques and also incidentally to build up my stock of tiny artworks to share at the various Free Little Art Galleries

Day 1 - a combination of this Zentangle tutorial and "Gem", the tutorial being modified for scale, and with the gemstone being pearls. I decided that the best way to encourage myself to actually do something each day was to start small, so I have cut out 31 pieces that are one inch squares... This one is a combination of .005 Micron pen, gouache paint, and some Finetec "Arabic Gold" metallic color. The metallic paint is really hard to photograph.

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Since Saturday is the free indigo dyeing workshop at Artist and Craftsman Supply, it would be good if I started setting up the piece of linen to do shibori. The last time I tried making anything other than the random rubberband patterns I did last time was probably nine years ago, when making pieces to use for the Japanese kosode for Honor Feast. Time goes by in a flash. I want to make the scarf border using the "horses teeth" pattern, which I think is really pretty. Fortunately I was able to track down the instructions via the Wayback Machine, since many of the links in my older blog posts need that extra help.

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~ cool cats ~

When the new art for this month was posted online, I had to set off immediately for the St Johns Free Little Art Gallery, even though it was almost dusk (I did think to grab my set of bike lights), as last month I waited until the next day and the tiny sculpture I had hoped for was already gone. Of course, I did bring some of my own tiny art bits to trade, and how could I resist this pair of 1" tall portraits? While they are intended as fridge magnets, I will add them as part of the decor for Tansu Terrace, perhaps on either side of the fireplace mantle in the library...

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This morning was a Costco run, with much thanks to a local friend with a car and a membership, which allowed me to replenish my stocks of "loo rolls" and Q-Tips,as well as a few sharp Tillamook bricks, (and a 25# bag of sugar - a year or more supply for making preserves and condiments).  I also picked up a few bags of pecans to store in the freezer for special treats, and impulsively decided to add some vinegar, and a box of shelf stable milk to my haul... I try and get to Costco two or three times a year, for the particular staple items that are worth organising a trip there. The best part is having a chance for a small visit with my friend, which we both enjoy.

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Scribtober 1	-	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. a fun drawing tutorial for ScribeTober day one. I have never heard of Zentangle before.
2. getting to have a bit of a visit with Beth when we went to Costco. Plus being able to afford to stock up on various items, and having enough extra dosh to get two unplanned but useful pantry items (milk in a box, and cider vinegar)
3. The Wayback Machine! most of the time I can retrieve images and instructions no longer easy to access. It is a priceless resource!!

Time of Isolation - Day 1541

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine toddles along...

Spent time the last several early mornings doing various and assorted pruning, cutting back the fig which is starting to overgrow into the good neighbors yard, trimming the flower heads off the nandina, and cutting back the shoots of Wanda plum. Incremental progress is still progress!

After a few days of not-watering, the large potted Oregon Spring tomato was just enough lighter that I could lift it down to the porch floor. I am going to use the luggage cart to roll it into the side yard, next to the clothesline, so I can still check on it frequently, but it can get a bit more sunshine than the shady front porch allows.

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~ do not eat ~
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Back in 2009 I bought a set of gel paste food coloring, to make a rainbow cake for a "hippie food" theme tween's birthday party. (while I always find the taste of artificial coloring quite abhorrent, no one else seemed to mind?!) Since then, however, rather than for cookery I have used the colors several times to dye wool yarn, when I need small quantities of colors I don't have. In the past I have dyed wool a cheerful orange, to make a Laurel headband for my pal Marya, for example...

I decided that I really wanted some purple yarn to knit a tiny poncho for Kenya, so I got out my little jars of coloring, some white vinegar, the cone of white fingering wt wool, and a saucepan. Before my evening zoom, I measured out 4 yard lengths of yarn, made some mini-skeins, and set them soaking in warm water vinegar bath. Later, after playing alchemist for a bit before bedtime with more simmering water, toothpicks dipped in dye/gel paste, damp yarn skeins, and spoonfuls of white vinegar, I had three different purple bundles of yarn hanging up to dry.

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It is Thursday, which means that the garment for week 6 of the tiny doll wardrobe challenge has been posted -  pants! After checking my dolly clothing tin, all four of mine already have a pair of pants, of various styles. This greatly reduces the number of pairs I will want to make (only a few to send to Kestrel) but gives me a number of examples to share ways to vary the two basic patterns I have used. And maybe an impetus, should I feel inspired, to move forward on making a new denizen of Tansu Terrace, Nandina's father and Kenya's partner Raúl... (I recently found the brown chambray I used making Nandina, which may be a hint that Raúl needs to turn up soon)

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• food for hope: "Trial Results for Longer-Lasting Covid Vaccines and More (Next Generation Update 17)"
• a dangerously wrong turn: "What Went Wrong with a Highly Publicized COVID Mask Analysis?"
• food for thought: "Some Thoughts On The Society For Creative Anachronism" by zzambrosius
• currently reading for fun: "Reaper Man"
• currently listening to: "A Closed and Common Orbit"

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	horses blouse	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	some more pruning	yard waste bin
5	4 reversible skirts	even more pruning	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I picked more blueberries - thinking about pancakes
2. scientists continue to strive for better ways to keep folks healthy in this (and future) pandammits.
3. Sewlarium had packages of 0.9mm white marking leads. I brought some home to use in one of my several Sumogrip mechanical pencils; they fit perfectly. It leaves a very narrow line, less bright and blurry than my chalk marker, but will be most useful for tiny stitchery. I wrapped the barrel of that particular pencil with some washi tape, to better identify it in the pencil jar.

Time of Isolation - Day 1475

Weekend whatnots

in which our plucky heroine woke up to a grey morning...

which is in fact my favorite thing to see out the window. It was cool and not-sunny, so once I was up I headed out for a bike ride, even before I checked the weather forecast. I finally turned around when it began to rain, and I could hear thunder in the distance. Then I saw a flash of lightning, probably across the river, and was glad I was almost home. 

We often had summer thunderstorms when I lived in New England, but they have been rare here, at least in the past. As the noise of the storm increased, I shut down the electronics, and instead decided to tackle the rest of the ever renewing Mt Dishmore. The lights flickered a few times, but we didn't lose power here. I am worried about how all the lightning has probably started many more fires, without enough ensuing rain to douse them. For now, for here, though, all is well

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~ moody blues ~

Yesterday my local art store, Artist and Craftstman Supply, held a hands on indigo dyeing demo, and I couldn't resist (ha ha!)... I took a largeish piece of lightweight linen from my resource shelves, 32" square after hemming the edges, and headed over there early in the day. I hadn't really planned ahead, or I would have tried preparing some more elaborate stitched shibori, so I decided to see what I could do using the rubber bands that were provided. I am quite pleased with the finished results, which will be a great addition to my scarf wardrobe. I am also curious about the internal variegation of the dyed portion, which has an almost crystalline appearance that is very pleasant, but I've no idea what caused it

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Today I finally tackled altering/refurbishing the horses print blouse I made a few years ago, the one I recently decided the ¾ sleeves were too short. I cut away the peplum to use it for fabric to lengthen the sleeves. There was enough fabric, other than that I was unable to come anywhere close to matching the print, and in places that mad my efforts looks peculiar. But at least the color and hand of the cotton is identical, and often the sleeves are sort of scrunched up onto my forearms so the alteration is not that visible.

The missing peplum is being replaced with the other fabric I bought online. I had hoped for the exact same print, but the background color is slightly darker brighter blue, and the substrate is more like quilt cotton than like cotton lawn. Thankfully no one will ever see the mismatch, since I only wear blouses under my pinafores.

Reattaching the peplum is a bit tricky, part machine work and part hand stitchery, because I didn't want to remove the front button band section and the bias trim. Once that is done I will do a narrow bias bound hemline and call it done. The whole recombinant effect is a bit kludgy, but I am hoping it will turn a blouse that mostly just sat in my closet into one that I will be able to wear regularly...

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I opened the bedroom curtains Saturday morning: lo and behold, a bunny was sitting under the Wanda plum tree! Apparently the rabbit population here is increasing, as I have seen more rabbits in the last few months than in the twenty years I have been living here. Prior to this year, I think I only ever saw one, several years ago in my front yard. This is the third one I have seen this summer!

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	horses blouse	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	-	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. The thunderstorm today has probably improved the air quality locally, at least for a while
2. One of the store clerks yesterday complimented my clothing ('cos apparently my attire is noticeable enough that they recognise me!) while I was unlocking my bike to ride home, and we had a short chat about sewing. I encouraged her to be brave and try it, and pointed out that making mistakes is part of learning.
3. There are currently 14 people signed up for the Advent swap. Almost halfway to 31. I hope I can encourage more folks to participate, to increase the ambient random whimsy!

Time of Isolation - Day 1471

watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat

in which our plucky heroine continues very tiny incremental progress...

Despite the level of pain high enough that I couldn't sit at the computer but needed to arrange the desk setup so I could stand, and type, and use the trackball, I managed to put together, and then present, the short online talk about "what is a 100 day challenge and why to do one"*. It helped that I have been spending a short time for the last few days creating a rough framework, which made it easier to not forget what I consider vital points. I wonder, are children still taught about "the six W's": Who, What, When, Where, Why, and HoW...  I never really get a sense of how folks take my presentations, which are much more in a sort of  practical/experiential mode than the conceptual/intellectual mode that seems to be the prevailing flavor of that group.

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~ serendipity ~

I was very surprised at how little the dye spread into the folded and tied textiles after yesterday's experiments, give how thoroughly I tried to apply the dye to the rolled or coiled fabric. These finished pieces are very much the work of an amateur; I've never done much with classic tie-dye, but it will be fun to have a few more colorful pieces or fabric to play with. The resulting head scarf reminds me of when in the Before Before Times I could attend Oregon Country Fair, that renowned hippie festival in Veneta in July.

The larger piece of linen (shown above being rinsed after being dyed, and below as the long coiled "rainbow snake" after sitting overnight to help set the dye) is destined to make treats and gifts and probably some pennants. It would be lovely to have some tie-dyed pride pennants for my pavilion, should SCA camping ever be possible for me again, and I am thinking that some of my pals would enjoy some spiffy new rainbow kitchen pot holders

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I'm excited, the intaglio ink I accidentally ordered from London is not just in North America, but is actually in Portland and supposedly arriving this coming week. The package went from Great Britain, to Sweden, to several different cities in the USA. It will be a challenge for me to rearrange my studio space enough to set up the Tiny Press, which I've wanted to do for ages! I will need to clear away the standing workbench, which is currently covered in random scribal, printmaking, basketry, and miniature making bits and bobs and detritus. The arrival of the ink will be just the impetus I need.

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It has been just pouring rain on and off all day here.  It sounds almost like a New England summer storm, but with somewhat less in the way of thunder and lightning...

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	some quilt squares	tea rose temperature	rose and grapevines
2	tinyprint fox	partial backyard mown	some grass
3	arm protectors	Acantha cereal bowl	some more grass
4	moar quilt squares	tie dye scarf	recycle bin
5	tinyprint fan	-	yard waste bin
6	denim daypack	x	yard waste bin
7	x	x	recycle bin
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 gratitudes -
1. rain, always... with a side order of being grateful that I live atop a bluff and not in a flood plain!
2. I was able to get my presentation written, and shared, despite a woeful lack of bodily cooperation.
3. dear Toshi is still in the bright world, one day at a time...

a bird list for Kestrel: House Finch, Scrub Jay, Crow, Dark Eyed Junco, Starlings, Peacocks, and a few days ago, I saw some Barn Swallows in the local park.

Time of Isolation - Day 1092

* The text of my presentation, should any be interested:

"The 100 day creative challenge:  or as Jess Greenleaf says "it is about the experience, not the results..." I first encountered this concept via the artist Ann Wood, who has used it a number of times over the years. It is a way to foster personal creativity and exploration, without pressure, in a very accessible way. One could think of it as a way to leverage kaizen and create progress and momentum in your imaginative and intuitive self. I have subsequently found that there are many other folks who also use a 100 day challenge in various different modes and disciplines. An online search for "100 day challenge" will turn up assorted suggestions in artistic, literary and physical realms.

The basic premise as I understand it is to commit to and take a very small chunk of time (ie 15 minutes) EVERY DAY for 100 days, to do the activity or action you have chosen. It will seem odd or even uncomfortable at first, but most of us can break loose such a small increment of our waking day FOR OURSELVES. By making it a routine, over time it allows us to become comfortable with making a space in our life for our creative self to emerge.

Ann Wood is a textile and multimedia artist whose creativity and creations I greatly admire. Having seen previous long term projects she has done, when early this year she announced a 2023 stitchbook sewalong I decided to join in...

"the 2023 stitch book begins on january 20th and ends on april 29th... The project is a slow stitch (20 page)textile book with slot and tab binding. To participate you just need some fabric scraps and a willingness to show up everyday for 100 days and stitch for 15 minutes."

I went into the project with no preconceived idea about how my pages would look, or what I would do with the time. For me, I wanted this, as my everyday life and work are very much the opposite, being specifically determined by the commisions of my clients and by my own temperment. I rarely if ever give myself open ended time to just play, and experimentation is usually in service to a desired result. I was curious what would happen if, for fifteen minutes a day, I threw all that out the window.

It was fascinating, from just about the first day. I started by placing one scrap of fabric on a base rectangle, and imagined what to do next. Somehow, that then inspired, over the days, various additions either fabric scraps or stitchery, and I kept allowing my imagination free reign. I was surprised at how the ideas kept bubbling up, often more than I could ever use. As the weeks went by, I began to see what sorts of overarching design concepts my brain and personal style found appealling, which was, while not surprising, something I hadn't really thought about before.

 (share the finished 2023 Stitchbook here)

As well, the interest and cameraderie of sharing the journey with other folks all over the world was very enjoyable, and led, once the 100 day stitchbook challenge ended, to my starting a new 100 day challenge of exploring printmaking, in conjunction with my online pal Leslie. She and I meet on zoom once a week to check in with each other about our art life and printmaking challenge. (She lives in the New Forest in Britain, so we would never likely meet any other way!)

So, you may be wondering about how to set up a 100 day challenge for yourself... Once you have decided on what action or activity you would like to focus on, it will be helpful to think about where you will engage in your challenge. If it is an indoor or desktop activity, having at least a placemat size spot cleared away ahead of time, or that is easy to clear will be helpful. If it is an outdoor action, think about what you can do to make it easy for you to engage in it.

You will want to set some parameters or boundaries to your challenge, within which your imagination and effort will have free rein. In my stitchbook project, for example, in addition to the page size provided in Ann Woods "directions", I also chose to pre-select a grocery bag full of fabric scraps in colors I found appealing, which were soon supplemented by some vintage japanese fabric scraps sent to me by friends who read about my efforts.

Another think that can be really helpful is to put together a "kit" for your challenge. A basket full of supplies, a pad of paper or a notebook and some writing implements in a container, a raincoat/sunhat/camera etc for outdoor adventures, a handy yoga mat, etc. Most important is a timer, either analog or digital, to signal to yourself the beginning and if needed end time of your daily activity.

I have found that accountability is crucial to my being successful at such a long term project. Ideally it really is something that happens every day, though we are all human and there can be unavoidable interruptions. But having partners in our challenge, whether friends cheering us on, or online compatriots also participating, really helps. When I was doing the stitchbook project, there were hundreds of other folks also stitching away, and Ann Woods online community was a place to share our progress, ask questions, and enjoy kudos. For less extensive challenges, an online or IRL partner or partners can serve a similar function.

I hope I have give some food for thought, and encourage folks to consider coming up with or joining in a 100 day challenge, it is a wonderful way to enrich your life in unexpected ways"

brought to you by the letter W

in which our plucky heroine feels slightly amused ...

'Tis time to think of an improvement in waterproofing, of the personal and wearable sort... and I had almost forgotten, that this was also a weekend of dogsitting, for little Wellington (though he has no footgear of his own) has come to stay here while his local person spends the weekend being very busy.

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autumnal still life:

The persimmons are from a local tree that I had permission to pick some from, and the pomegranate is from Green Zebra. I plan on using the rind of the pomegranate for a natural dyeing experiment, tangential to my plan for colors of the neighborhood. While this particular fruit did not grow within walking distance of Acorn Cottage, there are in fact pomegranates growing less than a mile from here, but as they are in someone's yard and obviously purposefully planted, it seemed better to buy one. The rind supposedly yields a yellow dye. I will be curious to find out, and also to compare to the supposed yellow of rosemary sprigs. It is going to be a year of experiment and learning...

baby pomegranates photographed earlier this year...
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Today I finally begin the Raincoat Project. To be sure, the project started years ago, nay, decades. I have several lengths of suitable fabric on my resource shelves. (I remember buying black "London Fog" yardage when I lived in Seattle back in the late 80's, which is still waits for the perfect pattern.) I intend, however, to use the chocolate microfiber (lined with microfleece, with a layer of Goretex fused between them) that was the last of my special fabric purchases from the late lamented Rose City Textiles...

This morning I pulled that stack down to see how many yards there were. Folded inside the yardage was a length of thin slippery black lining material, and two different sizes of robust separating zippers. Past Me was clever and thoughtful - I would be hard put to easily acquire nowadays the necessary supplies I had bundled in with the intended raincoat fabric! I lack for nothing to turn my idea into reality. Today I will chalk out the pattern pieces, and do some thinking about what specific adaptations my chore coat pattern needs to turn it into a raincoat.

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Earlier this year, I bought strawberries, and froze them, and bought rhubarb, and cut up and froze that as well. Now I am preparing to make strawberry rhubarb sauce, which is, other than quince or marmalade, my favorite to spoon over yogurt. And once that is done, it will be time to make persimmon ketchup for gifts for my no nightshade friends. I do enjoy putting up preserves, it is so comforting, both in the doing and in the eating afterwards. I wish I had a bigger pantry...

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	skull collar #2	-	recycle bin
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 gratitudes -
1. the scent of summer strawberries, when I stir the bowl where they macerate in sugar
2. Sometimes Past Me is smart - I would be hard put to easily acquire nowadays the supplies I bundled in with the intended raincoat fabric!
3. The vivid colors of the wet leaves against the grey sidewalks

Time of Isolation - Day 1003

eye spy

in which our plucky heroine is extra tired...

... so much so that I almost fell asleep on the bus on the way home from my eye exam. I woke before my alarm, and since I was awake, it made no sense to go back to sleep for another 20 minutes. Though maybe I needed that rest I didn't get? It will be an early night tonight for certain. I've not had any of the specialty eye exam portions in several years, for obvious reasons, as things like the visual fields test is only done in one or two locations.

I have some optical oddities that need checked regularly, as well as the normal issues of age and some medical risks, so it was more than time for an exam. That said, it was awful to be in the busy waiting room... and, then to discover that my nice secure P100 mask was too large for the machinery to cope with. I actually started to cry in the exam room, which was terribly embarrassing. The technician handed me some tissues, and gave me the option to simply go home and not do the exams... or, she suggested that she could instead get me some of the N95 masks the doctors wear there. Ugh, having to choose between possible Covid and possible blindness, I hate this pandammit with a terrible hate!

I decided that wearing a surgical mask, and then an N95 over it would have to do. The tech was very understanding and kind, and had a fun sort of jokey patter about the various machinery, which I appreciated. In the end, the doctor let me know that my eyes are still in good shape, that my range of peripheral sight is still complete, and that the other issues are only slightly changed from three years ago and that there is no need for either medication or surgery. Yay for decent (if myopic) vision!

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signs of autumn:

I was looking down whilst walking back to the Joan of Arc traffic circle in the middle of the day today, and found these absolutely splendid fractal patterned fallen leaves. Since I had no easy way to bring them home, I carefully tucked them inside my folded up printout of my future appointments, in the hope of being able to photograph them before they crumbled away to bright dust. Obviously I was successful, though it did take my being rather careful to not squash them inside my chore coat pocket.

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I don't have any more rosewater. I thought I had another bottle in the back of the pantry. I do have a bottle of orange flower water though, that might work as a substitute flavor/scent addition. Oh, why am I looking for my bottle of rosewater? I started making some quince jelly, and I like to add just a bit of rosewater to help bring out the floral aspect. (note: I just found a BBC recipe that calls for orange flower water, and several of my online more foodie friends had good things to say about the use of same with quince jelly) Since I still have about another 20# of quinces, there is room for trying a new thing...

My quince paste experiment is a qualified success... I have a tray full of very dark gelid sweet/tart highly flavored confection all about 3/8" thick. I have cut it into tiny rectangles, which I plan on wrapping in squares of parchment paper, since I cannot think of what other way to neatly store it, as it is still very slightly sticky on the outside. It could be served dusted with bakers superfine sugar, or even perhaps with confectioner sugar, or just laid out in a fan on a plate with some sharp cheese. I may send some along with a jar of quince jelly, and some quincemeat, as a holiday gift box to family or friends.

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Today seemed very cold, at least, the wind was strong so the wind chill made it feel a lot colder than the bright sun would have one believe. Another day with over 10K steps outdoors, so there is that. I am thinking I need to either buy or knit a pair of thin gloves to wear underneath my knitted wristers, to keep my fingertips warm, as my former pair of gloves is nowhere to be found. Since they were the tiny extra stretchy synthetic ones from a dollar store, they are no great loss to my budget, but the niche in my wardrobe still needs something. Maybe I should try the glove pattern I generated a few years ago, intended to be made up as outdoor garden gloves, I could use some thin leather as a sort of "wearable muslin"...

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	skull brooch	vacuum heat intake	broken porch planter
2	salsa verde	new pinback on flower	recycle bin
3	pale grey long janes	26# quinces picked	recycle bin
4	trim for long janes	black embroidered slip	-
5	quince paste	-	-
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 gratitudes -
1. My eyes are healthy, whew!
2. I did not need to get my eyes dilated. There had been some miscommunication, and the dilation portion done earlier this year is recent enough. While I understand the necessity, and am grateful for being able to get my eyes examined, it takes almost a full day for the dilation to wear off, and until it does, I cannot do anything that requires my eyes to focus. No reading, or any handwork, and even cookery is a bit dicey, at least the kind that requires sharp knives. So, I was quite happy to forgo that!
3. I rode my bike in the afternoon, and found a pokeberry plant full of berries. I will ride back again later this week and gather some to use to dye a small skein of wool. It makes a reasonably fast deep red dye (do not eat). It would be fun to do a bit of card weaving with home dyed wool using dyestuff from my own neighborhood. My freezer has a container with rather a lot of clerodendrum berries, gathered over several years, which would give me a blue. I might want a yellow as well, hmmm, must ask my more expert friends about that. At any rate this would be a fun middle of the winter project.

Time of Isolation - Day 986