Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine is absent-minded...

While the art store does not, the hardware store does have 28ga brass wire, and I'd only enough left on the current spool to make 8 more frogs. Forgot there was a whole box on the workshop shelf of  "thin wire", including several spools of 28ga brass. And now I've run out of suitable beads. Monday spent part of the day out looking for frog beads size 8/0. There were none, and if more frogs are desired, beads will need to be ordered from an online shop.

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~ "3rd times the charm" ~

Assorted printed rayon pieces, along with the wee floral embroidered piece will all be stitched together as a long narrow panel to embellish the center front of my new summer popover dress.

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Visited the newly reopened St Johns Library. The Carson Ellis mural in the children's room is spectacular! It covers all four walls from the top edge of the shelves to the ceiling, and I must return again just to take the photos I was too dazzled to get at the time.

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Homeostasis. Never not grateful for the ongoing efforts. The cut on my left hand from pruning last week is almost completely healed. While not deep, it did require several days of bandaging while the inflammation did its job, and continued to itch ferociously for several more days. Now there is barely even a scarred place for most of the line, and a small centimeter long section still busy transforming back into me again... and I just learned that the muscular part of the palm below the thumb is called the "thenar eminence". What a great term!!

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After failing to locate any suitable beads on Monday, whilst heading to catch the bus towards home, Village Merchants resale shop caught my attention and I'd not intended to, but came home with a set of very melodic (and not very spendy) wind chimes. I have always wanted some, and shall enjoy the random pleasant sounds very much.

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So far have been struggling to access Knitter's Magazine #45 Winter 1996 which contains the pattern with the acorn and oak leaf cable pattern. Not via the library, which has it in their collection but lost somewhere in "offsite storage", not via ILL; and not on Ravelry or for sale online somewhere. Have put in another ILL request for just the pattern and not the whole magazine, and also an email request to "cocoknits" which is affilliated with the designer, and answered my Ravelry query. We shall see... I did locate a similar oak leaf cable here though sans acorns, and a blog post and photo of a different oak leaf cable from a Japanese knitting pattern book. In other knitting news, my Lettlopi order arrived yesterday and soon it will be time to begin knitting the northern lights cardigan 

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	add under elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	white scarf hem	recycle bin
4	enamels for John	add more elastics	greenwaste bin
5	tie-dye pillowcases	Viking bag strap	greenwaste bin
6	bead frogs	x	recycle bin
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- public libraries 
- after many years, finally lovely windchimes
- homeostasis

Time of Isolation - Day 2179

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine reconfigures a recipe...

Earlier this week, in Ann Wood's newsletter, there was a link to a recipe for a sort of asian inspired carrot and cucumber slaw with chickpeas, and it sounded tasty. My first attempt was rather too improvisational, and turned out unbalanced, with an overabundance of cilantro and garlic, and nowhere near enough cucumber. It was obviously user error on my part, so in hope of a better outcome, a quick ride to the store before the thunderstorm arrived for more ingredients was in order. This version was much improved. Following the proportions of the recipe but scaled down for a single dinner serving. Slice the cucumbers thin instead of grating them. Substitute some green onion tops for raw red onion. Skip adding raw garlic to the dressing at all. Slice up some of the fermented daikon pickle and add to the vegetables. This is a winner, and deserves to be added to the recipe file. The pink daikon ferment has turned out to be something I like very much, and that too will be added to the files and made again.

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~ it's not easy being green ~

...especially if you are this small! Today our plucky heroine learned how to make wee beaded amphibians. In keeping with my intention to use what is on hand, the bucket-o-beads yielded some suitably green seed beads, and the remains of a spool of 28ga brass wire that is probably at least 40 or more years old. Still good. The tutorial for these showed up on social media and my immediate thought was that they would be an ideal Advent Swap treat, as they are about an inch long. There isn't enough wire to make a set of 31 froglettes, but the internets tell me that the local hardware stores will be a good source. Already checked the local art store, but unfortunately they do not carry much in the way of beadcraft supplies.

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Found a few nature magazines in the free bin at the library earlier this week, so I've been gradually cutting out origami squares from the colorful pages, and now there are 62 squares enough to fold another set of 31 masu boxes to wrap another full set of Advent Swap gifts.

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This showed up on my media feed; "Grateful Dead of the Day" is a website unfamiliar to me, and apparently one can click and listen to entire concerts...UMass Amherst Spring Concert; 5/12/79; I was there. Missed the first opening act, second opening act was Patti Smith! (very mixed genre crowd that day)...

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I was amused the last time out on my bike, to find a little free library that also had a separate low-to-the-ground open bin labeled "dog tales" and filled with a nice assortment of sticks.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	add under elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	white scarf hem	recycle bin
4	enamels for John	add more elastics	greenwaste bin
5	tie-dye pillowcases	Viking bag strap	greenwaste bin
6	bead frogs	x	recycle bin
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- an unexpected visit from Mindy
- learning to make tiny frogs 
- improved the tasty 4C salad recipe

Time of Isolation - Day 2178

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine runs some errands...

Today was lovely, as the weather shifted to a soft grey sky and the temperature dropped about 30 degrees. Time to enjoy bike-riding and getting a few errands done. Returned a library book, then decided to splurge by getting a coffee shop bacon/cheddar scone, which was just as delicious as the former time months ago. Hunger is the best sauce, and I'd forgotten to eat breakfast!

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~ better now... ~

The bag shoulder strap repair begun Tuesday is now finished. It was a bit tricksy getting all the stitching holes lined up once the Barge contact cement was ready, but the final re-stitched effect is quite tidy. It's good to have another small (indoor) task crossed off the to-do list!

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Made several attempts over the last few weeks to turn cottage cheese and almond flour into pseudo-bread and it just isn't something I like. Maybe try something else with cottage cheese, these crackers from cottage and cheddar or parmesan might be a better choice? Or I could rummage around and find the recipe I used ages ago for cheddar biscotti aka waybread (that was not gluten free, but was tasty and filling. Hmmm...

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Other chores got done prior to the rain arriving: the laundry (Mt. Washmore) was mostly dry on the line, and is now indoors to finish on the drying rack. And a bit more yard work to help fill up the greenwaste wheelie bin with more deadheaded sage and almost all the bunches of unripe grapes (which get removed before ripening to prevent the Invasion of the Danger Bugs) 

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Looking back on late June in years past: 2008 teaching cloisonne, 2010 Tigress Can Jam (strawberry rhubarb), 2012 saw the King Tut exhibition in Seattle, 2014 tiny Anglo-Saxon enamels, 2016 a sleeping hood for camping warmth, 2018 returning to tablet weaving, 2020 Nandina made her first appearance, 2022 a tinyworld Norse long-tent, 2024 in a world where everything falls apart, there is still beauty to listen to 

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Thought about getting an S-hook extension from the garden store so as to be able to hang my new cookpot to the pot-rack, then realised it would be useful to have measured the necessary distance first. Next time, or maybe get one of my blacksmith friends to custom make one that will be Just Right.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	add under elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	white scarf hem	recycle bin
4	enamels for John	add more elastics	greenwaste bin
5	tie-dye pillowcases	Viking bag strap	greenwaste bin
6	x	x	recycle bin
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the pixel world lets me still hear music
- that very tasty bacon and cheddar scone
- today was cool, and not-sunny... my kind of weather perzactly

Time of Isolation - Day 2176

Ninety at noon

in which our plucky heroine considers crepuscularity...

It has been hot, not as HOT as my friends on the other side of the big water are dealing with, but still quite unpleasantly so. There has been napping in the middle of the day, and getting up Quite Early in the morning. Monday night, in the vain hope of cooler temperatures I chose to put of grocery shopping until 10:30PM, just before the shop closes at 11. At that point it was still over 81°F (27°C). Tuesday at noon it was just over 90°F on my shady front porch.

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~ inspired by canal roses ~

While the 3rd attempt on the batik summertime popover dress has moved down a notch on my wardrobe priority list, the tiny (3½"x2½") embroidered patch to decorate the neckline edge of the center front is a perfect size for working during online craft-n-chat visits. The embroidery floss colors are chosen as friends with scraps of printed rayon collected over many years, all the bits to become narrow pieced stripe down the center front. I suspect that this dress will likely be finished before the magic pants (I am still looking for some suitable fabric for a fitting toile, which is the very first step in that process) as the dress can be stitched back together in very incremental bits of found time...

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While my allergy medication takes a few weeks to become effective, (I started it this past weekend, in the hope of being able to eventually tackle the dreadful state of the back yard) smaller shorter yard tasks each day can only help to make a modicum of difference. The sage at the end of the front walkway is a beautiful pollinator magnet when in flower, and provides culinary additions the year round but when the blossoms fall, the seedheads are quite sharp, prickly and unpleasant to brush against. So early this morning I got about halfway through dead-heading them before the hot yellow day-star rose high enough over the roofline to chase me indoors. That sage plant has been my boon companion for almost 30 years, it lived in a pot until Acorn Cottage, and planting it in the ground was one of the first things I did when moving here.

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Recently the soft light just before sunrise has been full of the lively sounds of noisy corbies. My guess is that they are young and hungry, though I've not yet managed to get our of bed and my curtains open early enough to see them, though it sometimes seems that they must be right outside the bedroom window.. 

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	add under elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	white scarf hem	recycle bin
4	enamels for John	add more elastics	greenwaste bin
5	tie-dye pillowcases	Viking bag strap	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- blinky rear bike light, a gift from Ariadne years ago
- deadheading the sage, half done 
- clever Past Me has put lots of soup cubes in the freezer, and yesterday's leftover chicken + a cube of Roman lentil/barley/leek soup made an easy dinner that didn't need time on the stove. 

Time of Isolation - Day 2175

Monday miscellany and memory

in which our plucky heroine remembers...

There are never very many, since I only have the one blueberry bush, but this morning I realised that what had been all green clusters of berries were scattered with some dusky blue. Picked still warm from the sun they will grace my breakfast yogurt, and remind me of longago in the Before Times, when I first moved to Acorn Cottage, when my friend Larissa was still in the bright world and she and her husband Gryphon brought me future blueberries all in a garden center pot to plant in the yard. I think of her with every bite of the tart sweetness, and miss our younger selves.

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~ fearless mending ~

Ten years ago I made this purse, inspired by Viking Age wooden artifacts thought to be bag components. The cross-body strap has always been a few inches too long, and it finally occurred to me how best to shorten it. Some excess length was removed, and the strap layers separated and enough stitching and the now inner layers cut away to allow them to just meet, and the outer layers overlap. Had the two ends simply been overlapped and stitched it would make a clunky 4 layer join, but by trimming out parts of the straps it takes the thickness down to 3 layers instead, which will give a somewhat smoother final result. The strap will all be re-glued and re-stitched using the original punched holes and fresh waxed linen thread, and now ride on my hip at a more comfortable length.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	add under elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	white scarf hem	recycle bin
4	enamels for John	add more elastics	greenwaste bin
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- my assortment of Acantha-made pottery bowls
- ripe sun warmed blueberries from the plant Gryphon and Larissa gave me years ago as a housewarming gift
- handmade goat milk soap from Drusa

Time of Isolation - Day 2173

weekend wanderings and wonderings

in which our plucky heroine makes it to the library...

... and picks up 2 relevant to one of my current rabbit hole reference books to greatly enjoy. The more I read, the more possible it seems to design my own variation on an Aran style cardigan. Alice Starmore's "Aran Knitting" and Norah Gaughn's "Knitted Cable Sourcebook. By also combining the information in these with the "Twisted Stitch Sourcebook" (also Norah Gaughn's). I forsee much pleasurable time spent sketching ideas, and studying my "favorites" list from Ravelry.

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~ Brambly Hedge? ~

Vestia sent me a whole box full of pieces of fabric, assorted blue plush upholstery scraps, a length of very fancy trim, smaller bits of gingham and stripes, and a six yard piece of cotton, in an allover print of leafy foliage in blue on a white background. Not sure what the various bits will become, other than the generous length of blue and white botanical printed cotton is asking to become a Brambly Hedge dress. That has long been a fantasy of mine (dress, petticoat, apron, and flower trimmed hat); perhaps it shall now have a chance to become real. 

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A while back the Magic Pants pattern came across my radar, and the idea of nether garments that don't bite the waist or tummy is really appealing (that discomfort being why there is such an significant gap in my wardrobe. Given the current yardwork challenge of dealing with the back yard, this project is heading to the top of my priority list. Obviously there will need to be a toile made to check the fit, but somewhere in their wide size range ought to be something suitable. Once I unearth some muslin fabric, it will be full steam ahead. There are YouTube tutorials from the designer, and also multiple positive reviews such as this one online...

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Freezer with no fridge is better than fridge with no freezer... This afternoons' discussion during the Sewing the Way Forward meeting, about someone who unplugged their their fridge to turn it into an icebox, by freezing containers of water, and transferring them to the fridge, which had been adapted with insulated containers or some kind of liner flaps to help keep the cold air from falling out when the door was opened. Also talked about regional variations in what foods are stored "cold" at the grocery store. Very interesting topic.

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Saturday headed out for assorted errands and discovered my Hop card (transit pass) was empty. It was unexpectedly difficult, though ulimately possible, to refill it at the grocery store. Once back on the pleasantly air conditioned bus I wanted to check out the White Lotus Market set up in the parking lot behind Fubonn. Was not as much of a treat as I had hoped: a few rows of albeit interesting food booths and some crafts booths that mostly offered plastic trinkets. 

Takoyaki is not something I'm likely to make at home, so a tray with a few of those was my lunch, and I headed over to the far end of the parking lot where there were trees, hence shade, and no people to unmask and enjoy. I'd never had it topped with shaved bonito before, which added another layer of flavor and texture. 

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	add under elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	white scarf hem	recycle bin
4	enamels for John	add more elastics	greenwaste bin
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- blue leafy calico from Vestia
- takoyaki, a rare treat
- my Moody Blues summer coverlet

Time of Isolation - Day 2172

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine reads and naps, and does chores, and cogitates...

Today I washed the grids and cleaned the blades of the box fans, and remembered that after three weeks of taking my allergy meds, the pollen should no longer be incapacitating. I've not needed it in the summer before, but usually have managed to keep the backyard less of a jungle. So, start the meds now, and make a note in the bujo for next year about being better about yardwork once the grass starts.

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Read two different post-change books this week. Ariadne had recommended Station Eleven, and though I can only sometimes bear to read post-viral post-apocalyptic tales, this one was richly told and well worth reading.  Libby links from that novel led to Arboreality, set in a future Vancouver Island. I'll be recommending that one back to her the next time we chat.

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Doing a rolled hem on the black cotton voile headscarf is even more tedious than on the white one, since it is more difficult to see clearly, might be worth adding an extra lamp while working on this one. Am about a quarter of the way done, probably by the end of next week it will be ready for blockprinted decoration. If it didn't make such a significant difference in appearance (to me) I would machine hem them.  Current plan is for opaque white printing of 5th god motifs on the black scarf, and the white scarf will be overdyed first with either pale brown or pale blue, and I'll revisit the breeze block print design in chocolate brown printing.

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Whoops I forgot that B&K were getting ready to leave for Junefaire and therefore no video chat this morning. Zoomed home from the launderette (shrink-drying the new rayon batik fabric) only to look at the crossed out note on my calendar. Sigh... Multiple nightmares last night so didn't manage to get up early enough for yardwork, shall have to check on temperatures in the crepuscular evening and maybe get some done then? (early evening note: 90°F/32°C at 6pm on the front porch, so no yardwork tonight, it won't be cool enough until it is too dark for yardwork)

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Unearthed the missing utility bill hiding under origami paper?! Since today the post office is closed for Juneteenth, tomorrow's chores will include taking all the bills to the post office and then the library as a treat.

Several of my holds are in, including the Alice Starmore book of Aran knitting. It seems contrary to think about knitting this time of year heading into even hotter weather, but planning a future textured cardigan for later in the year is on my mind. Between Knitting In The Old Way, several Elizabeth Zimmerman books, Norah Gaughn's book of textured patterns, and what I hope to harvest from Alice Starmore, it might be possible to assemble my favorite parts of Aran style knitting into a future cardigan. I mostly knit colorwork, but greatly admire the textured knits my dear friend Ariadne makes for her family. I've been perusing Ravelry and tagging my favorites in that genre to gather ideas about what best pleases me...

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	add under elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	white scarf hem	recycle bin
4	enamels for John	add more elastics	greenwaste bin
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- ebooks 
- the scent of linden, and of summer jasmine
- remembering that I still have friends

Time of Isolation - Day 2170

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine has been keeping busy...

Probably the best thing this past week was Sunday when I gave an online presentation about "Objects of Affection - a 100 day drawing project". As it is a topic I'm quite familiar with, I sat down at the worktable Sunday morning to turn my outline (and summary of the talk I gave three years ago "what is a 100 day project and why you might want to do one") into six pages of coherent notes, then gave talk at noon. It was well received and generated plenty of discussion, which are my goals...

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~ Eryngium giganteum? ~

despite my attempts to identify what variety of plant this flower belongs to, it is still a mystery, though the internets did let me know it is some flavor of Eryngium aka "sea holly" My best guess is Eryngium giganteum based on the light coloring. It is in fact very spikey, though unrelated to holly the tree.

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This morning managed over two hours of yardwork effort in the backyard, including pruning hacking back feral grape overgrowth, (which made obvious how prolific the grape bunches are this year) and more string trimmer effort around the apple tree. Also managed to pull up enough of the huge really tall weeds to fill the remaining space in the wheelie bin. The grass pollen was so bad that despite my "yard armor" (knee high boots, leggings, long sleeves, denim pinafore, gloves, hat, and P100 mask) and immediate shower and hair wash when returning indoors, compulsive sneezing was the result.

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a new Becky Chambers book will be released this coming October

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All the experimental unders have now have supplemental elastic added to their waistbands, and are much more secure than they were with only cotton lycra. (probably jersey with a stronger lycra content would have worked) Have added a note to the pattern about the best length to use for that particular type of elastic, and it might be worth checking out what other elastics WAWAK has on offer...   

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	replace elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	replace more elastics	-
4	enamels for John	-	-
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- cold air from heat pump
- brine fermented pink daikon pickle: tasty and really pretty!
- Podiatry as a new closer location, so will be only one bus line away instead of two starting in September

Time of Isolation - Day 2169

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine keeps busy and tries to keep cool...

The current task is preparing my talk for tomorrow on the "100 day drawing project - objects of my affection". Back in 2023 I gave a talk on "what is a 100 day challenge and why to do one"... This is a little more specific, so I plan on reviewing my former talk and then going into why drawing is so important.

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~ making the resipie ~

Kestrel sent me the instructions for making strawberry ice cubes, as a two page drawing, which I have turned into a redwork embroidery for the kitchen. I still need to make a proper frame to hang the embroidery, but today I went to the farmers market Really Early when they first opened, to get some local organic strawberries, with the intention of actually following her recipe. Aren't they pretty?

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I solved a specific problem I was having on one particular Discord server, by searching out information on how to "ignore" (mute) one specific individual. It turns out this is possible, and it doesn't notify them of the change, or create any changes in the server itself for anyone else. I just won't see their posts. Apparently I am the only one in that group disturbed by frequent paeans to how wonderful AI is.

I have tried other ways to change the situation, both messaging the person directly, and having a channel on the server for the topic they are enthused about (to keep the topic out of immediate view and let those interested enjoy it). Instead, they keep posting in the general conversation channel. It makes me sad that no one other than myself has brought up the physical effects on the surrounding environment (constant noise pollution, emissons from their power generators, massive increased water use and pollution, and increased electrical rates for ordinary folks that live in the area) of the data centers that run AI, or about any of the ethical issues with generative AI. But at least now I will no longer have my nose rubbed in it each time I go online to find out what my other friends are up to...

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Just finished reading T Kingfisher's "Snake-Eater" and really enjoyed it. Loved the found family aspect, and the details of the southwest desert biome. I'm not much into the horror genre usually, but if there was a subset "cozy horror" this would fit the category.

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I saw online that someone made corn fritters that included shredded zucchini. Since there is zucchini in the freezer, it will be worth trying it added to Sister Gigi's Corn Cakes recipe. My thought is thaw and then drain out as much extra liquid before incorporation into the batter. Stay tuned after the heat wave breaks, no cooking that heats up the kitchen until the middle of next week...

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	replace elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	-	-
4	enamels for John	-	-
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- local strawberries
- today Teams interface worked okay, and I was able to have a visit with Ariadne. We exchanged suggestions for books to read. Kestrel showed me a book she is working on about cats and parakeets.
- blog search box = improved access to my own archive

Time of Isolation - Day 2165

egg-centricity

in which our plucky heroine considers the importance of proportion...

I wanted to try making some of the cottage cheese/almond meal/egg "protein bread/rolls" that seem to be currently popular on social media, but made the mistake of using the first recipe that showed up. The photos looked very appetizing, but I suspect that there was either a significant typo, or the whole thing was AI. Instead of a dough that could be formed into a disc, the mixture was more like cake batter, and baked up more like a large piece of flatbread than "biscuits". Still tasty, and suitable for pseudo-sandwiches, but it would have worked better with only one egg instead of two. Further research showed a wide variety/proportion of egg to dry ingredients, but none that were as egg-centric as the initial online recipe.

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~ hot pink ~

Summer is here. This morning before it got too hot, bicycle errands were on the agenda. First up was a trip to the library, to drop off former books and pick up the new T Kingfisher novel "Snake-Eater" which had been on my holds list for weeks. Checked the drug store and the mundane grocery looking for binder clips (no joy), but my heart lifted at the vivid color of this potted plant. Geranium??

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What a delight to read about humans putting effort into doing good for the planet.... McKenzie River Watershed restoration

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Almost finished with the hand-rolled hem* on the unbleached cotton voile headscarf. It will get overdyed to a light/medium brown as that color is sorely lacking in my headwear collection. The other color option is a very light blue overdye, and then block print the design motifs in a dark/medium brown... Either way, the next home handwork project will be a hand-rolled hem on the black voile, which will get block printed with the 5th god motifs in opaque white.  

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Found the folded up shade cloth in the SCA closet, and refolded it to a suitable size and hung it over the west facing window. Four layers. It makes a difference, and will do moreso this weekend. Maybe even adding a few more reflectix pieces to fit into the corner panes of the living room window wall, where sunlight beams in (even through the double layered curtains) in the middle of the day.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	replace elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	-	-
4	enamels for John	-	-
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- reflectix mylar bubblepack
- blogland is still full of interesting things
- solar attic vent fan

Time of Isolation - Day 2164

* sigh and alas, it turns out I cannot work on the rolled hem while riding transit, since a vital part of the process is licking my finger before rolling the fabric. Can't do that without removing my P100, which would be foolish while out in close quarters public world. However, embroidery has no such necessity, so my next transit project will be the tiny floral embroidery panel for my batik dress.

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine continues forward momentum...

leaving some tasks undone to deal with long delayed commissions

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~ more than half done ~

Golden Torc and Purple Fret award enamels for Ian

3 partial days in front of the kiln, but all this enameling done before the heat wave sets in... Once the tiny pendant settings are made, this project will be complete and ready to post. While other house tasks fall by the wayside (I see you Mt Dishmore) it feels really great to be tackling and finishing the various projects that have been on hold.

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Yesterday decided to take a chunk of the afternoon to go downtown to the "Clay Commons" market. The park it is in has a fun fountain, and there were maybe a dozen different booths with a wide variety of pottery arts. There were two different artists that had tiny ceramic pieces as well as more usual sizes, so it might be necessary to return prepared to shop for the tinyworld. Since I was downtown already, also stopped at Dick Blick to get a tube of Caligo Safe Wash ink in opaque white for future printing of the 5th god blocks on a black voile scarf...

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As part of my ongoing sew as much as I can for myself, have been continuing to work out TNT patterns for everything. Underthings have particular challenges in finding a balance between stretch and comfort. I'd hoped that using cotton lycra bands to replace waist and leg elastics would work well, but waist bands were not robust enough to hold the undies up where they belong, leading to an annoying case of "droopy drawers". Have ordered elastic from WAWAK and am now committed to refurbishing the 7 pairs already made. 

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I want to find the shade cloth curtain so it can be put in place over the western window before the heat really hits us. I've moved the worm bin back into the laundry zone for now. Might find one of the extra watering buckets and prep it to keep my rhubarb happy, ditto for the backyard persimmon. Also making some extra ice cubes will help for my own comfort, and it is finally time to switch to summer bedding and put away the flannel sheets and the comforter... There was a piece of tie dyed fabric from a play day at the local art store, and it turned out to be just the right size to make two small summertime pillowcases for the buckwheat hull pillows.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	replace elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	-	-
4	enamels for John	-	-
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- white nectarines are the best
- finished enameling before the heat danger set in
- new T Kingfisher library hold waiting to be picked up tomorrow 
- tie-dye pillowcases

Time of Isolation - Day 2163

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine makes progress...

Today was a good day for working on the enameling for John, as it is rainy and pleasantly cool. It'll be good to get the time spent in front of the kiln over with in the next few days, as the weather forecast is for the temperatures to rise 30 degrees by next Monday.

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~ heat whiplash ~

The forecast is for almost a 40 degree temperature rise between today and this coming weekend...

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It does me good to notice that various of my friends do think of me despite my absence. Meagn rather amusingly refers to me as the "Anchorite of Arbor Lodge" but nonetheless stopped by on Saturday and gifted me with a maneki neko treat box containing two pair of chopsticks, condiment bowls and chopstick rests. So kawaii! And Dear Vestia messaged me about some assorted blue upholstery fabric remnant pieces she found and will be sending me. 

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Yesterday I started a small jar ferment of daikon, colored pink with a few slices of beet. There are some signs of activity, at least there are tiny bubbles forming around the slices. Hopefully this will be more successful than my attempt at sauerkraut. It should be pretty, too

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	-	-
3	5th god corner block	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- found the missing box of 31 owls, hidden in plain sight
- the heat pump makes cooler air fall from the ceiling, and the solar attic fan pulls the superheated attic air out whenever the sun shines
- made good progress today on the enamels for John

Time of Isolation - Day 2160

Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine appreciates...

... words of wisdom from my friend Eulalia:

"Irregularly unscheduled reminder about how to endure the world you’re in right now:
- Survival is an act of resistance under fascism. If “all” you can manage is keeping yourself alive, you are still in the fight. It still counts
- If you have capacity to help others in your direct circle survive, that’s a radical act. Mutual aid is real. It can be very small. It still counts. Tell a trans person how much their friendship means to you. Deliver a meal or send a gift card to a disabled friend. Offer to run an errand. Buy a little extra on your next grocery trip. (If you don’t have capacity for any of that, go back to point one and keep yourself alive!)
- Part of why we are so fractured is a lack of opportunities for the small, repeated interactions that build trust. Being nice to people is a step towards demolishing structural oppression. Thank a worker doing a hard job. Give a kind word to a parent with young children at the grocery store. Be thankful and open-hearted as you walk in the world.
- Arguing on the internet burns your energy with very little impact. If you are someone who is recharged by arguing on the internet, go ahead! But if you aren’t, there are plenty of other ways to channel that urge. I recommend choosing an issue and working on it locally — you’ll make actual progress and you can use that to build momentum. If you don’t have capacity for any of it, go back to mutual aid or keeping yourself alive and celebrate what you can do, because it also counts.
- When you have the opportunity to talk to someone in the real world who has a radically different perspective from yours, if you actually want to change their beliefs and actions, questions and personal experiences will go farther than tirades, no matter how well researched and reasoned. You also don’t have to - revisit point one as often as you need to: survival is a radical act, if the only person you save is yourself that still counts." 

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~ next up ~

an example of the kind of detail possible

Back in 2015 I made a set of very tiny ½" enamel brooches for Tullia, as seen above, then added a few more to her collection in in 2019... 

I will be starting on pair of ¾" enamel award medallions (Golden Torc, and Purple Fret) for my next workshop project, with the hope of completing the enameling before the temperature shifts back to dreadfully warm. Running the 1500°F oven is lovely in the winter when it becomes a sort of electric hearth, but less lovely at the other side of the seasonal calendar. Looks like about another 4 days of reasonably cooler weather, fingers crossed; it is at least a two to three day process. First the base disc gets enameled with the background color, then the various painting enamels get mixed up, sampled, and placed as desired. They need to dry fully before they are then fired in place, then any further layers or details get added. Finally the settings get built, but that doesn't require the use of the kiln. Stay tuned...

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Just about finished with carving both the border block and the corner block of the Bujold 5th god motifs, intended for a decorative design along the edge of a new cotton voile headscarf. Once the rolled hem(s) are done, it will be fun to start using them. The white voile will be overdyed, probably in a pale turquoise/teal/indigo before printing. If I can find white ink get some Cranfield's Caligo Safe Wash opaque white,  it would be great to print the same design on the black voile

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As jasmine will always be for me the delightful scent of our travels in Berkeley in January, so is linden the scent of early summer here in Portland. Not all the linden trees are blooming at once, but today, while riding my bike, I passed beneath one and it was magnificent! Might be worth riding over to the park near the closed public pool, which had a number of venerable linden trees, to see if they are in bloom as well. (hmmm... autumn's best scent might be glorybower, and I'm still mulling over what to pick for springtime...)

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	-	-
3	5th god corner block	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- being really nearsighted helps with my enameling work
- the scent of linden tree flowers
- the Clover third hand aka modern sewing bird

Time of Isolation - Day 2159

throwback Thursday and Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine remembers the past...

It is an ongoing challenge to remain in some sort of balance, but can do no less than make the attempt. Ten years ago had recently returned from Egils, where I'd both taught a simple leatherwork project and enjoyed the opportunity to take a workshop from Jarl Sir Styrkarr on a beautiful esoteric metalworking skill (Damasquinado de Oro - applying precious metal foil to steel, to create decorative motifs), and basically spend the long weekend camping with friends as had been happening for almost 20 years. The last time I camped was in June 2019, in July 2019 instead of more camping, there was a trip to the ER the day before and an unexpected appendectomy.

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~ incremental progress ~

Now that carving the lino block for the border of the dancing rats and crows is complete, I am starting on the design of the square corner block with the sigil of the 5th god. I found another scrap of the thin plywood that works so well to back the linoleum, and have glued it down and left to dry overnight under weights. I will cut away the extra backing and can start on the carving once the glue is dry . Eventually the plan is for a border around the edges of a new square cotton lawn headscarf; it will also take time to hand stitch tiny rolled hems on the fabric prior to printing.

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Thursday was warmer than yesterday, but not so hot that being outdoors was unbearable. I managed to get a good chunk of the backyard apple tree thinned, as well as a small amount of the water sprouts cut back, and a tiny amount of the beyond shaggy grass hacked off (enough to get to the apple tree) This time I remembered to wear my P100, so am not going to spend the rest of the day sneezing compulsively! Maybe it could be possible to find someone to mow "the back 40" for me, since my neglect has made it almost beyond the capability of my string trimmer.

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The leafy batik popover dress project remains problematic, it looks dowdy and hangs crookedly despite my effort yesterday recutting and re-sewing the bodice. Feels a bit like a sunk cost at this point, as I lack any suitable fabric to do more alterations... Very sad as that "Lake-Gardenista" batik colorway is lovely but out of stock. I shall put the whole thing aside for now awaiting further inspiration... 

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Always another missing item... now the box full of tiny origami boxes for future Advent Swap treats is missing, along with "The 31 Owls"... Doesn't that sound like the title to a YA mystery novel! My long range goal is to have the house tidy enough that things don't get misplaced. Of course, that has been my goal for years now. With luck and effort, might be possible to get there in this lifetime, or at least to find the box of owls before the end of this year!!

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- getting most of the apples thinned before wheelie bin day
- Muji pill container
- cooler weather

Time of Isolation - Day 2156

Third time is the charm

in which our plucky heroine makes further progress...

The curse is broken, the project that stymied my mojo has now been completed successfully. Dare I imagine that the impetus for more creative endeavors with metal and enamel may be stirring? Stay tuned... I suspect that next will be a few limoges style enameling projects, as that is the best option for Really Tiny tidbits of regalia.

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~ almost finished ~

This morning the base plate for this tiny 1" x 1½" heraldic brooch was in the pickle pot after the final soldering had been completed. The handwork that remains is all assembly. The bezel plate will be riveted to the base, the enamel will be set, the entire brooch polished a second time, and lastly the pin attached to the brooch hinge on the back, and the pearls attached to their cup settings...

~ and, finally done... ~

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Of course nothing else of note was finished today, the laundry is still on the line, and no dishes were washed or yardwork done, but given how long it has been since the beginning of the brooch project, that is a small price to pay. I did however make some really yummy chicken and bok choi stir fry for an early dinner when it got to be around 4pm and my tummy reminded me that there had been no lunch. 

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I finished carving the 5th god dancing crows and rats printing block over the weekend. It is intended as a border print, and also possibly for a scarf edging print, though for that use it will also be necessary to create a square corner block, perhaps with the sigil of the two hands and the motto "No Hands But Ours", and also for me to put a rolled hem on at least one of the squares of cotton lawn. Doing those hems may be my next bit of pickup work, being eminently suitable for not just working while in zoom meetings but also for stitching while on transit, (block carving is definitely not transit friendly).

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	-	-
2	5th god lino block	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- tricksy tiny brooch is finished
- did not run out of either propane or patience
- 5th god lino block finished

Time of Isolation - Day 2152