Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine enjoys the sunrise ~

Getting up and out the door while it is barely dawn is a challenge, but the benefit is a very pretty light show in the eastern sky. Always different, always worth seeing...

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~ e is for experimental ~

The STL file to print this cute trinket shelf has been unavailable for over a year, and the shop owner hasn't responded to my queries, so I decided to find out if I could create my own interpretation using the laser cutter... The first experiment was to see how narrow a structure could be cut, and it was a pleasant surprise that 1mm spaces between the cuts worked well and feels surprisingly sturdy! Definitely will continue with this (albeit rather rudimentary) designing process and create my own SVG cut file. Creating rectangles of specific sizes in the Glowforge interface, and placing them inside a larger specifically sized rectangle might not be rocket science, but one must needs begin somewhere.

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Baby bears portion: the meatball sundae at Ikea. By the time I made it out there, found the Raskog cartons, took photos of the labels, and started back towards the exits it was after 3 and there had been no lunch. Hot dogs or pizza rarely appeal, but then I noticed the handwritten sign at the bistro "meatball sundaes return"... a modestly sized ice cream cup but filled with a scoop of what tasted like actual mashed potatoes, and topped with 3 Swedish meatballs and gravy. It was a treat to be asked if I wanted lingonberry jam. I did. Before Ikea, it never would have occurred to me that jam was a suitable condiment for meatballs, although many folks in the USA eat red jam (aka cranberry sauce) with turkey.

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Today I went to the 3D print workshop at the Holgate Library, instead of Albina. Having done so this once, Albina will continue as first preference since the meeting room there is much more pleasant, being larger, with room to spread out and a whole wall of windows. Now all the pieces of tiny RÅSKOG are printed out. The next steps are to paint the tiny (faux) caster wheels, to figure out what glue to use to attach the extremely small PLA printed bits, and make to make jigs to hold the various parts in proper alignment. All of which was covered in the instructions that came with the print file with two words: "glue together"

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 sm jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	greenwaste bin
2	3D print Dala horse	extension cords coiled	recycle bin
3	3D print plant stands	wind chime suspension	recycle bin
4	3 pr dolly boots	more plums frozen	greenwaste bin
5	12+ jars elderberry syrup	new handheld shower	-
6	16 jars Awesome sauce	screen door painted	x
7	kitchen algebra tag	x	x
8	RÅSKOG pieces	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- early morning sunrise sky
- makerspace instructor Gretchen is a good communicator
- I have all the pieces for tiny RÅSKOG

Time of Isolation - Day 2259

it's magnetic

in which our plucky heroine slept well...

and this morning there were unfamiliar sounds from a flock of birds in the front yard tree, and I saw quite a few nuthatches clambering around?! Not something I've commonly seen around here. 

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~ kitchen algebra ~

(actual size 1¼" x 2⅛")

This was my laser cutting project today at the library workshop. My intention is to keep the formula readily available by turning it into a kitchen magnet. What I am particularly amused by is how the red acrylic and the cream color paint marker combine to give the artifact a "science lab" sort of appearance. Once I glue a magnet to the back, it will take pride of place as an aide-mémoire in the kitchen...

It remains Very Enjoyable to keep experimenting with the digital maker tools at the library, even though I'm not yet anywhere near being able to actually get more than one or two steps forward before calling for help in the design and setup stage. I spent some time today (after the algebra tag was engraved and cut) designing a very tiny sample as part of my ongoing wish to have more of the 1:12 scale trinket shelves to play with. Looks like barely over 1mm is possible when using 3mm plywood, and will do more design work at my next chance to play with the Glowforge. 

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In further magnetic adventures, I'd noticed after my most recent preserving session that the plastic lid lifter (used to remove lids and rings from the hot water when waterbath canning), washed along with all the rest of the paraphernalia, was missing its functional tip. This small tool is a necessity, so I was pleased to notice today that there was a small round disc under the kick plate between the sink cupboard and the cushion mat. Tiny magnet had fallen out and was hidden from view. Not sure what will be the best glue to reattach it, but very glad to not have to do unnecessary shopping.

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 sm jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	greenwaste bin
2	3D print Dala horse	extension cords coiled	recycle bin
3	3D print plant stands	wind chime suspension	recycle bin
4	3 pr dolly boots	more plums frozen	greenwaste bin
5	12+ jars elderberry syrup	new handheld shower	-
6	16 jars Awesome sauce	screen door painted	x
7	kitchen algebra tag	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- successful laser cutting experiments 
- had a good phone chat with Helga
- leek lentil barley soup cubes

Time of Isolation - Day 2258

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine is amused...

Woke up this morning with a jumpscare mistaking the frayed slightly tickle-y bandaid on my forearm for an insect. Then had to laugh at myself, which all in all was not a bad way to start the day...

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~ finally finished ~

The batik dress, subject of many revisions on the way to becoming a pleasing wardrobe additions, is completed, and turned out quite different in various ways from my other, simpler, popover summer dresses. The original fabric is particularly lovely, and each of the changes have only improved the garment. The neckline is just right in width, and the embroidered canal boat roses are a fun decoration. Using many of my rayon scraps for a patchwork stripe down the center front is a thrifty accent.

I'll have to try and get a photo of the dress as worn, since the additional new batik fabric around the hem edge is a subtle focal point. There won't be many more summertime days this year, but popover dresses are also good layering garments. In my continuing effort to try or learn new things, since there wasn't enough extra fabric to edgebind the hem, it was time to try out the "blind hem" stitch on my trusty venerable Bernette. Considering that I bought the machine new back in the 80's, it is surprising that I'd not had reason to use that built-in stitch anytime in the last 40 years! It was, in fact, the perfect choice for the yards and yards of straight hemming...

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This may have been the last of the really warm summer days, not sure, and so it was a good choice to spray paint the front screen door frame. Another "give a mouse a cookie" project, since painting the frame made the surrounding molding and house paint look even more shabby, but I do prefer the screen door frame being dark bronze to scratched up white. Also makes me think that the house trim really needs to be dark almost-black, at least somewhat darker than the screen door. It will be curious to see what it will look like with the inner door painted turquoise, instead of the current dark purple.

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The last of the plums are in the freezer. Guessing at least 30 pounds, which will be part of many many happy breakfast bowls of museli. The next big harvest season project will be applesauce, using most of the Acantha apples, and what remains on my backyard tree. Yum!

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This week I'll get to play with the laser cutter at the library again. Not sure if the PNG file for a criss cross proportional algebra magnet will work, but worth trying. Since last week I realised that magnets can be attached next to the digital dashboard on the stove. If there is some red plexiglass, that would be perfect. Also made a PNG file of a trinket shelf, again not sure it would be too detailed to be cut, given the very small size of the compartments, but I did figure out how to create a crisp black and white geometric image in Photoshop. Use what you have, before diving into an entirely different program.

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 sm jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	greenwaste bin
2	3D print Dala horse	extension cords coiled	recycle bin
3	3D print plant stands	wind chime suspension	recycle bin
4	3 pr dolly boots	more plums frozen	greenwaste bin
5	12+ jars elderberry syrup	new handheld shower	-
6	16 jars Awesome sauce	screen door painted	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the hand carved tasting spoons, made by Seb
- enough box fans to push the paint smell back out of the house
- spray paint is fast, but the masking and taping to prep is not easy
- organised categories and channels in my Discord server

Time of Isolation - Day 2257