an interesting revelation

in which our plucky heroine has a new thought...

For many years, while I never doubted that I am a maker-of-things, indeed I apparently arrived with that characteristic, it never felt like I was an artist. I spent the philosophical aspect of my higher education learning about and thinking about why our culture chooses to draw a line between art and craft, the delineation began in the Renaissance. I don't identify as an artist, my self declared occupation on my tax forms is "artisan". To my mind and in my experience with other makers of things, "artists" are folks who make their art form irregardless of input or payment from others. And there is all the cultural baggage about what kinds of making are "art", which even if we don't agree with it, still permeates our lives, and the commentary from adults when we are children. I remember being told in reference to my creative endeavors as a teen and young adult "that is all well and good for a hobby, but you (will) need to major in something for a real job when you aren't in school. 

Our plucky heroine went on to have enough varied peculiar jobs to have an appropriate resume for a back of the novel blurb, should I have turned out to be a writer of words rather than a manipulator of stuff. None of those things was a career, a real job, though I have been a working taxpayer since I was fifteen. Since 1993 I have been making SCA regalia, using my enameling and metalworking skills. And while I am fairly competent at what I do, I rarely ever spend my non-work time in that genre, unlike the metalwork "gods" I have been fortunate enough to meet or know as friends. This disconnect is part of what manifests in my mind as imposter syndrome, my not having the behavior like the other artists I know. 

Whereas there is always part of my brain that is designing, not jewelry, not regalia, but my personal clothing. When talking about my dissatisfaction with Karen last week, I came up with the idea: "Making jewelry and regalia is my day job; creating whimsical unique garments is my art form."  This counterchange of how I think about what I spend my time doing may be a solution to a mental and emotional challenge that has caused me pain for decades.

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~ what a mess ~

Yesterday, when it became apparent my workshop wheelie chair(s) weren't rolling as well as formerly, it turned out that over the years the chair casters have been collecting random frelch, mostly snippets of thread that end up on the floor while sewing occurrs! This is not acceptable, and obviously my ongoing attempts to send bits and pieces into the large workshop wastebasket are ineffective. 

What to do, what to do? Aha! One of my favorite designers, Ann Wood, has a pattern tutorial for making "stitched vessels", little containers made from precious (or not so precious) scraps of fabric. I already bought this pattern last year, it is currently residing in my folder of assorted future/someday projects, and I've intended to do something about the growing pile of garment sewing cabbage*. A pair of smallish containers to be placed right next to the sewing machine and the serger will be next up on my handwork list, though for now some small teacups will have to suffice. 

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Finished up the stripey pinafore that is intended to be overdyed chocolate brown/black instead of off-white/black. Very pleased with the various width black linen bias edge binding and overlay. I used a second strip of bias to cover the places along the bottom edge of the skirt gores where it had been necessary to piece the fabric, and once I completed that, it reminds me very much of some Elizabethan skirt decoration.

My overdyeing turned out to be not quite as successful as hoped for. Apparently Procion MX #119 "Chocolate Brown" can be just a bit tricksy. The resulting color reads more like a dark grey than any sort of chocolate. It isn't perzactly brown at all, nor black, nor grey, but one of those betwixt-colors that I love but cannot name. And, since I didn't actually strain the dye (not having a suitable strainer) there are a few fairly subtle splotches here and there where the magenta in the dye mixture left speckles. Thankfully not alarmingly vivid given the overall darkcolor, but I notice them, sigh and alas. Once the pinafore is dry, it will get a careful looksee, (note from next morning, the magenta is in fact difficult to see if one isn't looking for it) and hopefully it will be friends with the rest of my wardrobe, despite being a peculiar dark rather than the hoped for chocolate brown.

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adorable Totoro ongiri bento

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Although Parkrose Hardware was having a 50% off sale, my plan to get over there and buy some Gamma lids ran headlong into the reality of spending multiple hours getting there and back. It is over an hour and a half each way on transit, with three transfers. Plus their full price is significantly higher than full price at TAP Plastics, so even the large discount turned out to be a little over $2 per lid. So, instead, time for a bit more housey chores to get done this weekend

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	accordion pouch	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	stripey pinafore	shirt sleeve length	-
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- my friend Claire is on vigil for the Order of the Laurel
- new stripey pinafore pleases me despite not being brown
- vocation avocation revelation

Time of Isolation - Day 2110

* "cabbage" is a collective noun for fabric scraps... 
some historical context in this post

paint it black

in which our plucky heroine makes steady if scant and erratic progress...

The most exciting and positive thing for Wednesday was dealing with the oak gall ink project. The container had been forgotten in the workroom, and was much evaporated, with a tiny mold colony growing in one corner, ugh. Some internet research actually stated that mold did oak gall ink no harm (and sometimes increased darkness??) Rather than discard the ink project entirely, the mold was carefully removed with a small stick; it came out neatly all in one tiny clump. Next, the very thickened proto-ink was reconstituted with distilled water, a few drops of clove oil added to forestall further decomposition, and then transferred to a sealed glass clamp top bottle. Am looking forward to finding out if it actually behaves like ink!

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~ line items ~

Simple embroidery to decorate the sleeve extension on the stripey shirt, half done (still need to do the matching embroidery for the other sleeve) and well begun. Once the other band is embroidered, I will cut the sleeves just past the armscye and insert the sleeve extensions, correcting the length to be more comfortable.  

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Not much in the way of wardrobe sewing or knitting projects today, but rather more in the way of seeking and looking through paperwork preparatory to tax tasks. Tomorrow I'll hopefully be able to get the rest of the needed papers in order, and take a trip to the library to print out the not-Federal forms also needed. I'd have done that today, but there was minor confusion with when zoom needed to happen. Thursday addenda: forms acquired from library (yay!), and an error discovered in paperwork from last year, so Friday will be rather more problematic than I would have hoped, as it must needs sorted out. 

I did, however, while rummaging for paperwork, find a piece of lightweight black linen just large enough to cut out bias strips for edge binding the stripey pinafore, which is next on my sewing list. That one will definitely be overdyed in teal/turquoise. 

I also figured out a different way to combine wardrobe components - if I wear my huipil/popover tops over one of my pinafores, it gives the effect as if I was wearing it over a skirt! In the summer it is all about wearing popover dresses by themselves, but during the bridge season it will be fun to have an additional choice, and huipil tops can be made from leftover fabric from larger projects. Right now I've only three, but they fold up small, being basically just rectangles. 

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"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all..." 

One would think that after 70+ years, I'd have learned to converse in realtime with other human people. One would think wrongly. Despite my rather bodacious vocabulary, it is all the other aspects of verbal interaction that have been a challenge lifelong. There were whole chunks of my childhood where it was easier to just not talk; I always won "who can be quiet the longest" on the car trips. In the last decade or so I often try to remember that my best strategy is to only offer conversational comments about things that have been going well, or positive observations. When I ignore this hard won knowledge, it never goes well, and leads to hours (or days) of downward spiraling. I really should add putting together that notebook of "Anti-Weasel Serum" to my list of small hardcopy books of helpful info, along with "Useful Recipes" and "Origami Box Instructions"

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	-	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	-	electric bill found	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

Wednesday's gratitudes -
- when the weasels dig in, I eventually remember I have anti-weasel serum.
- new Penric and Desdemona novella
- the pharmacy tech is really trying hard to sort out my paperwork

today's gratitudes - 
- it is warm enough now to retire the rice bags til next winter
- moved all the marmalade into the pantry, incremental decluttering
- midday phone chat with Mikki
- most of a day before the return of the weasels
- the linear embroidery for the sleeve bands looks good

Time of Isolation - Day 2100

sociable Sunday

in which our plucky heroine leans into her current obsession...

It seems that lately all I want to do is refurbish my worn clothing, sew a few new garments to replace those too worn to mend, and plan out how they all will interact nicely. In this time of multiple systemic collapse, why am I focusing on such a frivolous thing. It isn't all I focus on or take action about, but it is the only thing that brings me any delight, pleasure or even satisfaction. I can't make there be snow in the mountains for summertime water, or sanity in the halls of power, but by golly I can have clothing that pleases me to wear and amuses and delights random folks out in the world. 

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~ is grey okay? ~

The finished stripey shirt finished, plus details... As currently existing, the fabric reads as light grey from any significant distance, with the handmade glass buttons definitely and defiantly taupe and black. While am still tempted to overdye it, so as to let it join with the brown sector of the wardrobe, that color group already has multiple shirts and blouses, while the grey/black group is quite sparse (and also missing any pinafores in good condition) Alternatively, a taupe overdye would let it play happily in both colorways.

... I tried on the finished shirt today, and discovered that I have two (2!) different and unmarked sleeve pattern pieces in my pattern envelope. One is for a three-quarter sleeve, and one for a full length. Guess which one was used to mark out the shirt fabric... Yup... a significant oops!... the shorter one, which makes the sleeves about two inches too short. Fortunately, there are fabric scraps remaining large enough to cut two wide strips, which will be given a bit of embroidery decoration, then used to lengthen the sleeves. A bit below the intersection of armscye and side seam the entire sleeve will be sliced open and the additional fabric will make the sleeve the correct length in the least disruptive way.  And, two new sleeve pattern pieces will be cut, and each one will be labeled with RED magic marker as either "full length sleeve" or "three-quarter sleeve"

 . 
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The beets that came in my produce box still had their tops. I remembered to cook the beet greens while they were still in good condition: first melting some butter in a saucepan, adding some of the Ethiopian spice alternative that the aunties gave me, then some green onion and the chopped up greens. It was, when mixed with a scoop of cottage cheese, just enough for a single lunchtime serving. I miss life in the Before Times when we could safely eat in restaurants, but at least the savory flavors can still be enjoyed. 

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Today was alarmingly warm, for the beginning of April. It was almost 85°F on my front porch this afternoon. This does not bode well.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	-	tiny beaded star>	greenwaste bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
-Sunday is the day of the week when I get the most social contact, usually three zoom meetings with different groups of people. - faux ayeb begomin for lunch
- Bartlett pears are so delicious
- being able to share a few sewing tips online
- most of the time, I've enough colors of embroidery floss for the projects that I want to make

Time of Isolation - Day 2096

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine becomes confused...

Last night the moon was so bright outside, shining through my window at 2 am that it felt like morning. Awakening, wondering why the light was coming from a different direction than usual... and after looking outside to see the moon floating above the houses to the south, crawled back into bed and eventually back to sleep

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~ well begun. a quarter done ~
.

After talking with Ariadne this evening, she identified this yarn as Patons and some online searching makes me think it is probably Kroy Socks FX, in the "Cascades" colorway. Which info I would have added to my Ravelry project page, save that the Ravelry website is having some Serious Issues tonight.

After dropping one of the glass lampwork buttons on the floor found me crawling under the computer desk looking for it, said rummage also turned up this long lost and tiny beaded star charm, which will become a sweet marker for "the right side" of my current knitting project. (Apparently I made this one star back in January 2021) That marker, along with using a strand of contrasting yarn to keep track of the increase rows, makes this Very Easy knitting.

This Sophie scarf, when completed, will be a great addition to my accessories "wardrobe". Just as my overall clothing goal is to have a small assortment of garments in a few colorways, that coordinate together well, it will be very pleasant to also have the scarves/jewelry/socks that allow me to feel like I have made an effort to look "put together". 

If it does what I hope (ie keeping my knit top turtlenecks from drooping) then I may need want to make one or two more. It is odd how only some knit fabric seems to lose its lycra aspect more quickly than others, but if it is cold enough to want that extra layer of warmth, it is cold enough that extra help in keeping my neck warm is also good.

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Today it got warmer and warmer and warmer all day, so much that the spring fruit tree flowers seem to being drawn out into the bright world. Yesterday the quinceling had clusters of leaves with the barest beginnings of pointed buds, and by the time it was dusk today, there were flowers scattered across the branches. Earlier this week I managed to get in some actual yardwork, cutting back the watersprouts on the apple tree, and carefully hacking away at thelower reaches of the feral roses so that they will be less likely to bite me when the yard gets string-trimmed. Speaking of which, today in the Very Warm afternoon, a trip to the hardware store meant that there is now a backup roll of nylon string trim cordage and a spare bobbin to keep filled so as to make tidying the yard at least a bit less of a trial. 

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The stripey shirt with the Ariadne lampwork buttons is just about complete. Three more buttons to sew in place and it can go live on a hanger next to my other shirts and blouses. I might not overdye it taupe after all, as the micro stripes are subtle enough that it reads as grey. The remaining blouse in my current sewing queue, will be from fabric purchased in 2022...

"I fell in love with this printed fabric last year, for some reason the combination of the complex colorway and the conversational landscape really spoke to me, so much so that I broke my intention to not purchase new fabric, and bought enough to make a blouse. There are practically all the colors in my wardrobe to a greater or lesser degree, as well as a whole variety of bright or subtle accent colors.

I see teal and turquoise, of course, which is what first attracted my eye, as those are the newest colors in my everyday clothing. In addition, there are indigo blues from dark navy to pale, taupe, greys dark and light, a number of green and greenish mixed hues, and some startling pinks and even a tiny bit of yellow and white. The landscape feels very PNW to me, with islands in water, and here and there the woodland rhododendrons."

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Why oh why is it always the best beloved items that go missing? Fingers crossed that my favorite retractable tape measure (the Clover "Shiro"), misplaced somewhere here in the house, will turn up again. I lost one three years ago, and managed to find another one online to buy, but the passage of time has only depleted whatever supply might have remained, and I am Out Of Luck.  Now mind, I do have several/plenty of other tape measures both for lumber and for fabric, but this one is has tactile superiority. It is/was a square with rounded corners and all the external edges gently rounded as well, and a smoothly recessed retractor button, all of which is much more pleasant to touch than the sharp corners or rough edges of lesser tools. Online searching has turned up nothing at all suitable as a replacement. It might be time for cakes and ale...

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 April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	-	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- helpful librarians + printer access = finally Federal tax forms
- finding a lost beaded star
- Past Me bought pretty fabric
- "Mirabile" by Janet Kagan - not sure how I found this book, but very glad I did. It can be added to my very short list of SF that has a protagonist who is both female and not young. In addition, it isn't about warfare, but rather about biology, and the worldbuilding/culture building in these short stories feels charming and diverse.

Time of Isolation - Day 2095

wardrobe Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine...

Rabbit rabbit rabbit! and another month begins. March felt very busy with many projects in process, but less completed progress than usual was logged in to the SMART goals matrix, so with effort April shall need to make up the difference.

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~ Fritillaria meleagris ~

A small but constant delight each spring, to see these tiny checquered flowers return. There is only one clump, underneath the star magnolia. They always remind me of my parents 50th anniversary party, when rather than cut flowers to decorate the tables, we filled bowls with arrangements of pots of flowering bulbs which could be replanted, to continue bringing joy and memory forward into the future.

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Yesterday morning I rode back to the Safeway pharmacy to get my vaccine booster. (still no word on my missing test strips). The technician was so new that he asked if I was okay with him doing the jab, or if I would prefer the pharmacist. I chose to give him the benefit of his training, and since he was so very new there, the pharmacist also came in to supervise. Young man did so well that it was not at all painful, indeed was done practically before I felt it. I complimented him on doing better than some of the techs at the big hospital

That afternoon during my video chat with Karen, I was noticeably more tired than usual, (possibly as a result of my vaccine booster), so it was early bedtime and not all my daily chores were completed, much less my intended daily writing. Still catching up today, and still a bit tired.

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Rummaging through the fabric shelves, a shortish length of grey linen turned up, though not quite the same as the worn out grey pinafore, it is close enough that my thought is to simply replace the bodice entirely, and thereby gain at least a few more years of wear. The skirt is only worn right at the center front waistline, where the countertop rubs while I am washing dishes. A shaped waistband could take care of that as well, and give a bit of a different style. Worth the effort, and have added to the list. 

Looking at the closet for further refurbishment, a black linen pinafore that never gets worn any more is also a good candidate. It was originally made as part of my black travel/capsule wardrobe when we went to Paris, and is significantly longer than anything else in my wardrobe. If hemmed to the same length as all the others (ie safe for riding my bike), it then would become suitable for everyday wear instead of only for funerals. I don't want to have things in my closet that aren't being worn, just like I don't want to keep saving fabric for "something special" but rather continue my current practice of making things I will wear now.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes -
- Pharmacy tech gave me a painless jab, and I now have had my 6 month booster. Wish there was a way to have the vaccines be a better match to the actual circulating virus instead of being several generations behind; would be great good fortune should that someday be possible.
- the blue-green sock yarn I started knitting into a Sophie scarf has a subtle and pleasant variegation. Given the gauge, it will be a slow project, but it is almost mindless garter stitch, so ideal for pickup work, and when eventually finished, will be a great addition to my coordinated accessories in the teal/turquoise group.
- managed to trap the Very Annoying housefly between the window and the screen.
- my DIY goddess dressing turned out quite good, even though it needed the stick blender to deal with the lumpy tahini

Time of Isolation - Day 2092

Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine tries to look forward...

Looked around the yard, which desperately needs mowed, but was too damp a day to do that safely. The apple tree, just barely thinking about leafing out, could be pruned, as it is obvious at this point that a lot of the tallest sprouting growth is not going to bloom and make apples. Removing these will let a lot more sunlight into the tree and help keep it "reachable". The quinceling is the only fruit tree with leaves and now showing signs of starting flower buds. There are a few tiny leaves on one of the fig trees. Plums, persimmons, and the elderberry are not fully awake yet.

The forsythia is glorious, the star magnolia is just past it's peak, and Euphorbia wulfenni is decorating the front yard with tall lime green banners. Here and there are a few pink violets just starting, and the small clump of grape hyacinths are in full flower, and the last of the hellebore flowers are a bit droopy but still visible.

There are sprouting leaves that promise lovage* stalks later this year, and I expect to see some growth in the bed of walking onions. Adding chives to the front yard would be a nice addition to "allium self sufficiency". Other perennial seasoning herbs here are rosemary, sage, thyme, and marjoram.

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~ both sides now ~

Final detailing on the new brown linen pinafore... brown chain stitch cloud motif, embroidered on a scrap of the same linen, then appliqued to the bib pocket. It was a little tricky getting the stitching done while making sure to only catch the outer layer of the pocket, and in fact there was one spot where it was necessary to clip a stitch and undo the thread back far enough to knot it off and restitch. Going forward, I'll be sure to add any and all of the pocket decoration before attaching the pocket rather than afterwards!

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Just about finished with the grey Chinese landscape print shirt. By piecing the few remaining scraps it was possible to cut out five of the seven peplum pieces, and some of the linen chambray subbed in for the rest. It felt a bit like some of those online no-waste videos, as all that was left was a literally small handful of tiny scraps. Once button locations are marked, machine buttonholes made, and the shell buttons stitched on, it will be done!

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Tamra mentioned the idea of finding an outdoor space to be social. This brought to mind my former idea of using the carport as outdoor living and crafting space, which would allow for more than one or two visitors at a time... Making that happen requires clearing years of junk from the carport, which is quite a challenge but doable, finding storage space for plywood and lumber (much more difficult), and finding tool storage space for yard tools. While I don't miss the moldy shed in the backyard, I do very much miss having some sort of garage-equivalent storage space. I've just been ignoring the issue for the last ten years, but bringing it back to the front part of my brain will hopefully eventually yield solution(s).

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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	cracked tote
4	grey shirt	planted rhubarb	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- dental care as a child, which has made my adult life less traumatic
- new Charles de Lint story: ICE Out
- figured out that the reason my keyboard was being weird and some keys not functioning was that the batteries were almost dead, freshly charged cured the problem.

Time of Isolation - Day 2089

* it will be worthwhile to try out making "herbal salt" from the lovage leaves, as a way to preserve the flavor for wintertime use. It was originally planted a few years after moving here as a backup celery flavor source in soups and stews. It grows without trouble or fuss and creates a spectacular vertical display, and should supply chain issues arise, having multiple ways to season food is never a bad idea.

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

QID

in which our plucky heroine is still slightly off balance, but improving...

Not sure what waking every three hours does to one "proper" sleep cycles, and I've never timed how often my non-alarm-driven night waking occurs. There were no nightmares last night, though. And most remarkably, in my final dream before getting up today, I dreamed I could skip! Would that it were true, as I've been peculiarly disturbed by the loss of that coordinated ability, and have tried from time to time to re-learn it.

There was also a benign verbal interchange with an analog dreamland person (who was reminiscent in ways to both G and to B) concurrent with my skipping down a woodland pathway similar to but not OCF... (it most certainly wasn't OCF or analog OCF, as it was empty of any other human people)

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~ 3 color stenciling ~

My intent had been to stencil a patch for the pocket of the new brown linen pinafore with a cave horse, just like the one that is "worn to a ravelling" and past re-use. However, apparently my cave horse stencil set has been misplaced, alas... Fortunately I did write up the process used to create the stencil, and posted it to my blog years ago. Making up a new stencil likely guarantees that the missing one will show up soon; it will also be good to have a second stencil, albeit slightly different. Before long, there will be a new cave horse patch for the pocket, just requiring a few additional steps.  

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I put up various foods in shelf stable jars all year long, as a way to have things otherwise unobtainable, or just for the frugal pleasure of storing local bounty. The few apples from the backyard tree, and the quinces from the side yard often end up as "sauce" for pantry storage, and are usually brought out as a special treat for dessert from time to time. This week, however, those jars are a necessity. Antibiotics four times a day ie every six hours, that are best taken with food, but not with dairy. The dairy, in the form of live culture yogurt, is also every six hours, on an alternating schedule. (My phone alarms every three hours 24/7 for the next week, sigh) Other than the doses that line up with mealtimes, food with pills seemed a bit challenging, as string cheese or cottage cheese are my snack of choice. Turns out that a few spoonfuls of applesauce, or in my case quince-apple sauce is both easy to deal with nocturnally, and light on the tummy. 

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Today there was also a midafternoon trip to the store to get some crackers, and Toby's Tofu Pate, which will work well for another speedy middle of the night micro-meal option. I rarely keep crackers in the house, and rarely eat soy products, so ditto for Toby's, and they are spendy for how "easy to eat" they are. I tend to forget though, how delicious they are. Somewhere I have a recipe for DIY tofu pate that is very similar to Toby's, and it is likely time to return to making my own version of "Goddess Dressing", which has completely vanished from the local grocery stores One recipe lasts me for about a week of everyday salad dressing, and is also delicious instead of mayo for use in tuna, egg, or noodle salads:

Tahini Goddess Salad Dressing

⅓ c oil 2¾ T tahini 2½ T cider vinegar 2 t tamari 2¼ t lemon juice ¾ t salt 1 T minced parsley 1 T minced chives 1 minced clove garlic (or ¼ t garlic granules)

Mix together the tahini and the oil first, to allow the tahini to be smoothly incorporated. Then mix in all the other ingredients. You can add some water at the end, if the dressing is thicker than you prefer.

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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	-
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 -
- homemade apple-quince sauce
- a useful and useable search box on my blog
- single use bandage scissors turned into kitchen scissors, still going strong ten years later
- the metal lid I found at Goodwill that fits venerable crock pot perfectly  

Time of Isolation - Day 2082

somewhat less than ideal

in which our plucky heroine has eye trouble...

I woke up this morning with my right eye very swollen and painful, burning and gritty feeling, and have booked an express care medical visit. The first available appointment was at 8:40 am... And with my right eye so wonky/painful it means I can't do anything at all as sewing, knitting, embroidery, workshop tasks etc all require binocular vision (Last night it didn't feel quite right, so I used extra of my regular before bedtime eye drops).

There seems to be not only an eyelid infection, but it may be spreading to the eye socket, so the plan is for both antibiotic eye drops and daily pills (for the whole system) for a whole week. Yogurt will be a daily necessity, and my sleep wake will become very wonky indeed as every three hours I will be either medicating, or, alternately ingesting probiotic substances, as the pharmacist said to eat with medicines, but not dairy, and then to eat yogurt after a three hour window. Lather rinse repeat.  

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~ was a sunny day ~

The westside esplanade, where the Willamette River bisects Portland, has a short season of springtime when the cherry trees bloom. Usually I only notice this when riding transit over one of our many bridges, but since today was both not-raining, and not-cold, and since I could do none of my usual preferred activites with only one fully functional eye... it seemed that a local "adventure" was a good plan. It turned out that what seemed like half the city also thought it was a good plan! There were dogs, and kiddos, and young families with babies on blankets, new lovers and old ones, folks on wheels: bicycles, and chairs, and skateboards, and rollerblades. There were buskers, and the venerable Saturday Market handcraft tents. It was far more crowded than our plucky heroine prefers to subject herself to, but in this world of trouble and turmoil, it was actually quite lovely and benign.

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The last week has been a challenge in various ways. Never a good sign when I stop writing here, and stop contacting folks. The nightmares that in the Before Times could more often be left at sleeps door when they awakened me in the wee small hours are now far too similar to current events, and have several times made further sleep that night impossible. Fortunately being semi-retired/work from home means that while it isn't ideal, rearranging the daytime to allow for an afternoon nap is at least possible. Reminders from beloved if faraway friends that my being in their lives is helpful and a treat for them, helps my equilbrium. May the week ahead bring, if not fewer daytime horrors, at least some peaceful dreams.

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Lastly, hand stitching ribbon facings to cover the (slightly wonky) steek edges inside the Icelandic cardigan really added a finished look. This was a technique I had seen in some vintage knitwear, but never tried. I found some chocolate brown 1" wide rayon petersham ribbon on Etsy, and the instructions shared by Hélène Magnússon on her blog made the process really clear. It turned out quite pleasingly tidy, and was not difficult. Should I make another steeked cardigan, this will be good to remember...

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Last year a wee baby Victoria rhubarb came to live here, from the plant store at the end of the street. It survived in a pot on the porch next to the front door, where it was very visible, and hence watered often enough. After winter dormancy, it sent out some pencil thin stalks with leaves smaller than my palm, and surely it needed a bigger home. Earlier this week it moved to the raised bed in the backyard. That bed still needs quite a bit of topping up with good soil, but after shifting some all to one end, and adding a few shovels worth of compost, the rhubarb has a new home, where it will get good sunlight all day, and has good rich soil to send roots into. My hope is that if I can manage to care for it well, and feed it richly with compost and worm castings, in a few years I may have homegrown rhubarb. Fingers crossed and notes made on the calendar to keep it watered.

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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	-
3	-	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 -
- I walked five miles today
- cherry blossoms along the esplanade
- being able to get medical attention for my eye, and having the medicine needed be available
- zoom with Jen and a bit of Cathy
- baby rhubarb remains alive and well
- making it back from my doctor visit in time to have some Sewing Nomads zoom this morning

Time of Isolation - Day 2081

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine returns to the workbench...

My video chat last night with Mischa was wonderful and wide ranging, as it often is, and in response to one of the topics we talked about, my day began with setting up my workbench zone to tackle the setting for Babs' heraldic regalia brooch. Of course, before that could happen, there were other morning chores, but turning on the shop pickle pot first of all meant that later, it would be ready for dealing with soldering or annealling... 

And before returning to the workshop, there was adding fresh food and bedding to the worm habitat, and dealing with laundry. Washing the duvet cover means first taking it outside to untie it and remove the inner duvet, since there are always bits of downy feathers that come loose, which is better outdoors. That washed while breakfast happened, and as today was going to be chilly and sort of damp-ish, a quick bike ride to the laundromat (+ 75¢) spun the cover warm and dry, ready to tied back on the duvet...

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~ third time is the charm? ~

Truth be told, this project has been sitting on the workbench for more time than clearly remembered, as there were first one and then another failure. The brain weasels of Imposter Syndrome had more than one field day. The first enamel had to be redone (which happens occasionally, sometimes for unknown reasons), and then my initial attempt to fabricate the complex setting failed when about halfway done. Ugh! And it sat in a box on the workbench for months and months, sticking its tiny little tongue out at me...

Yesterday, when it turned out that there would be an unexpected porch visit today, Karen suggested that if one or both of the Olympia projects were done, they could courier it back north. Well, that suggestion combined with the "Do One Thing Different" conversation was enough torque for a restart. While it may not look like much, and being only 1" x 1½", the setting is really complicated. The upper layer has the serrated bezel to hold the enamel, and will be riveted to the lower layer through the four lugs on each point of the diamond shape. The lower layer, which is not yet completed, has four additional lugs centered on the sides of the diamond shape, which now have "pearl cups" attached. That soldering task was nerve wracking, as possible failure then was at the highest point, until all four were well placed and not melted. It still needs to have the pin findings soldered to the back, holes drilled for rivets and pearl pins, the upper and lower pieces riveted together, the setting polished, the enamel set, and the pearls attached. Fingers crossed that all goes smoothly.

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When Beth and Karen stopped by today, they dropped off some interesting potential pinafore fabric for me. Cotton herringbone in medium blue warp and light blue weft, so the overall color is sort of pale denim-ish, and the herringbone stripes are really wide, like 1⅜". While it isn't perzacktly my color, it is adjacent, and I'd been wishing for a wide stripe to play with seamline zigzags on skirt gores. I'm taking this as the universe delivering just such a thing!

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	plaid flannel shirt	rice bags	greenwaste bin
2	23 postcards	INTERNET!!	recycle bin
3	teal linen pinafore	hydration station	greenwaste bin
4	bedroom shelves	grey felt slipper	recycle bin
5	tiger pocket	teal turtleneck	greenwaste bin
6	teal long janes	long jane borders	recycle bin
7	lots of drawings	removed 2 ferns	greenwaste bin
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- starting the day differently yielded different results
- a porch visit from Beth and Karen
- more than halfway done with Babs brooch
- the worm bin appears to be thriving

Time of Isolation - Day 2060

red sky at night...

in which our plucky heroine rides home into the sunset...

The westering sky this evening was really spectacular, painted with various colors of red, magenta, and vivid madder. Had I not been on my bicycle I'd have tried harder to capture it on camera. This week has been a good one for noticing nature. I saw a house finch perched on the salad table cages, a hummingbird just sitting in the Japanese maple next to my porch, and the goldfinches are definitely here, at least for the moment.

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~ potsticker lasagna ~

Made up my usual filling (ground pork, minced Napa cabbage, green onions, and cilantro, seasoned with tamari, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, xiaoshing wine, and sesame oil), but set layered flattened tablespoons of filling between four wrappers in a custard cup and steamed for about 20 minutes... it cooked while I made up the rest of the filling into individual gyoza. I'd been seeing this concept in various places online and wanted to try it. Was not difficult, and results were successful as a dinner ready by the time the rest of the gyoza were formed and in the freezer... 

...but, in the future, I'm more likely to mostly continue my habit of making a large batch of individual dumplings, as once frozen they store really well, but this, while it wouldn't store well made ahead, was an easy meal to cook at the same time as doing the rest of the prep work. Next time remember to be a bit more generous with adding broth or water over the top before steaming, as the wrappers were partially stuck to the sides of the custard cup. And, while wandering online checking out the concept, also saw an easier way to fold the individual dumpling wrappers. Double win!

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Yesterday started with a kitchen crash, as while barely awake I somehow knocked one of my quart mason jars off the countertop, to shatter when it hit the concrete floor. Ugh, and alas, since it was one of my favorites, being turquoise blue rather than the more usual clear.  So, instead of continuing to make breakfast, it was necessary to find a paper sack, Very Carefully pick up the larger shards of glass, go get the vacuum to gather up as much of the smaller bits as possible, and finally with great care wipe down the entire area with damp paper towels. Do you know that tip? The damp paper towel grabs the tiniest glass fragments, the ones almost (or actually) too small to see, but after wiping the area, if you hold the paper at an angle, the bits of glass sparkle. Once there are no more sparkles, then the area is clean and safe again!

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~ simple decoration ~

Though the teal long janes were technically complete, one design detail often part of my style is to decorate hemline edges in one way or another. In this case, rather than add block printed trim, a faster option was to use Alabama Chanin reverse applique with several layers of scrap cabbage from the teal jersey fabric. One of the easiest options that came to mind was to simply trace around the edge of a thread spool in a line of dots, far enough apart to allow for stitching, and then cut away inside the dots. The tone-on-tone textured border is subtle, and, as the dots are stitched one at a time, is also flexible enough to allow for needed stretch.

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While am still wishing for the Exactly Right Sort of grey fabric for a new pinafore, there are enough much higher priority projects and garments on my list to keep me busy for months. It recently occurred to me to modify my TNT pinafore pattern into a cross back apron... as both a kitchen apron  and a workshop apron would be most useful. I'll use some of the odd greenish-grey Ikea curtain fabric (I've no idea why that is on my resource shelves) to sample the concept, and if it works as well as imagined, that will become a shop apron, and the Marimekko poppy fabric can be a somewhat more decorative kitchen apron. Use what is on hand.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	plaid flannel shirt	rice bags	greenwaste bin
2	23 postcards	INTERNET!!	recycle bin
3	teal linen pinafore	hydration station	greenwaste bin
4	bedroom shelves	grey felt slipper	recycle bin
5	tiger pocket	teal turtleneck	greenwaste bin
6	teal long janes	long jane borders	recycle bin
7	lots of drawings	removed 2 ferns	greenwaste bin
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

assorted gratitudes -
- sleep when tired. After bad insomnia, was so tired by late afternoon that a nap was essential. Set alarm for an hour and managed to wake back up and be functional.
- easier faster way to fold dumpling wrappers (not that my other way was difficult)
- Karen is going to send me a mini skein of red sock yarn to make tinyfolk hats.
- almost caught up on drawings.
- my good neighbors have several bird feeders in the side yard between our houses, which means I can enjoy the birds as well!
- the cotton lawn fabric from the Sewlarium is fabulous! Finely woven, not slubby, can be neatly snipped and torn, 60" wide and only $8/yd!!

Time of Isolation - Day 2058

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine makes plans...

Found this madder red yarn in my storage box; it was obvious what it needed to be made into. I have no idea where or why it was acquired, since I pretty much don't wear red. Still, it is lovely and soft, and the alpaca content means it will be very warm. I'll start off with the medium stitch count, and go down at least one needle size, as per my usual

As often attempted, I plan to try and learn at least one new thing with this project, in this case a tubular start for 1x1 ribbing, which will also require me to use Judys magic cast on, which I've never done before. My initial numbers based on the pattern are: 108 stitches - 1x1 ribbing - 28 st/4" over unblocked ribbing... (unfortunately, there is no red yarn in my tablet weaving supply box, as my tinyfolk, (especially Kenya and Nandina), are clamoring for tiny red hats of their own. I do have a cone of undyed yarn, though, which is easily transformed by using food coloring + vinegar.

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A while back, promised to send Mischa some candied orange peel. As the Cara Cara oranges are very tasty this year, I've been indulging self with them, and saving the quartered peels in the freezer. Yesterday they were blanched, and today sliced into strips, and simmered in simple syrup until well saturated with the sugar solution. They drain and partially dry off on a cooling rack, and will get rolled in granulated sugar and finally run through the dehydrator for better storage. I still store mine in the freezer, as they don't get dry enough to be shelf safe for long, but they do okay for the few days it takes to post them to friends. In the Before Times, I would make them for my dad, and dip them in dark chocolate as that was his favorite confection.

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Remember, that even in the worst of times, there may be sparks of beauty, wonder, and whimsy. Don't give up, if you do, they win

“And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.”

- Kurt Vonnegut Jr., A Man Without a Country 
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Currently taking pleasure in thinking/planning about wardrobe refurbishment, and looking through my resource shelves to find possible fabric choices that coordinate. Have almost completed all of the teal selections (pinafore, plaid flannel shirt, long janes, long sleeve turtleneck); still have the cotton print for a blouse, and a partially finished teal/turquoise batik rayon popover dress that needs reconfigured. Am currently hand stitching some simple Alabama Chanin style reverse applique bands to add to the hemlines on the long janes.

Although there aren't the exact fabrics here I would choose for new pinafores, it is going to be interesting to figure out how to use what is here to create new coordinates to take the place of the worn out clothing. Next up, I think, will be the chocolate brown pinafore, as I do have that linen, plus matching corduroy for edge binding. All that will be needed for that one is for me to create a decorative pocket using the cave horse stencil. Another pair of brown replacement long janes as well. Other than that, there are enough other garments in that colorway still in good shape. Looking further ahead to grey/black/taupe. I've no solid grey garment fabric at all, so a new pinafore will require further thought. I do want to use the asian landscape fabric (grey and black with tiny metallic accents to make a shirt. There is just enough fabric, and it will provide an opportunity to use the set of lampwork glass buttons Ariadne made for me ages ago. 

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	plaid flannel shirt	rice bags	greenwaste bin
2	23 postcards	INTERNET!!	recycle bin
3	teal linen pinafore	hydration station	greenwaste bin
4	bedroom shelves	grey felt slipper	recycle bin
5	tiger pocket	teal turtleneck	greenwaste bin
6	teal long janes	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

Sunday's gratitudes -

- glass fermentation weights, that also keep orange peels properly submerged
- managed to get a bit of a bike ride today, between the rain
- the whistles are gradually disappearing from local little free libraries.
- found a skein of madder red alpaca yarn in one of the yarn boxes. It might need to become a MTI hat...

today's gratitudes -
- being able to use the search function on my blog to find a particular bit of info that one of my sewing nomad pals was looking for
- interesting fabrics on the resource shelves
- the "University of YouTube"

Time of Isolation - Day 2056

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine keeps warm...

on another cold and blustery day. Wearing all of my newly made and recently refurbished garments all at the same time, and also the multi-fabric flannel and batik slip from last year. I'd rather wear layers indoors than turn the heat further up. The new long janes (cut out yesterday) only took about an hour to stitch together, other than the elastic waistband which I am going to tackle after eating dinner. Am tempted to also add a strip of simple decorative Alabama Chanin style hemline trim for them, but that can be done afterwards, as a handwork project...

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~ if I fits, I sits... ~

One of the several maneki-neko from this year's Advent Swap has found their spot, inside one of the origami treat storage boxes...

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The final relic of the end of an era. Whilst clearing through a pile of random papers, found a cut out article from the NYT Style magazine "The Magicians Flight" dated 12/5/21, about Miyazaki the animator/filmmaker. For most of my adult life, once I was no longer living in my parents home, they would clip articles they thought would interest me, and mail them to wherever I was living at the time. I remember that my mother first introduced me to Miyazaki's works by taking me to the movie theater, certain I would enjoy Spirited Away! Somehow, finding this cut out article left me with a lump in my throat, remembering all the years of them both reaching out to me in what way they could, saying "we see you, we know you, we appreciate who you are..." and now knowing that those days are gone forever.

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It has been a while since I last read Super Supportive, which is now up to chapter 272 (I stopped at 269, when I lost internet access). Twice I've gone back to reread it from the beginning, as it is pretty complex and really long. Well worth reading, despite not being my usual preferred sort of tale.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	plaid flannel shirt	rice bags	greenwaste bin
2	23 postcards	INTERNET!!	recycle bin
3	teal linen pinafore	hydration station	greenwaste bin
4	bedroom shelves	grey felt slipper	recycle bin
5	tiger pocket	teal turtleneck	greenwaste bin
6	teal long janes	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Mikki took some time today to explain, in a rough and ready fashion, a bit about how electrical current flows, all in reference to my conversation about using extension cords and or power strips. I'm feeling reassured about safe useage.
- the very last article cut from the NYT and sent me by my parents
- new teal long janes

Time of Isolation - Day 2054