Quilling and brownies

 I haven't talked about paper quilling for ages. I have done it, and taught, it, but long ago, so no samples to show you.

However, here are some masterworks instead

It's not a difficult basic skill -- strips of paper rolled into cylinders and scrolls and glued down. You could probably use a paper shredder to get uniform strips. 

Might be a fun thing for grandchildren to do. I've taught kids as young as six. They need to be able to handle small items, so that's different ages for different kids. But the art of it is endless.

And I did get the brownies made, using a different baking dish, worked better.

The blue and green potholder is one I made on that little loom I showed you recently. The red one is a corner to corner knitted one. The handy testing skewer is really a baked potato nail from the days when you baked them in the oven, long since dedicated to testing cakes.

A supply of brownies went next door, so I expect Gary's pleased. I left a box of them for him when he was out.

And before we leave January which seems to have galloped by, here's a look at a page of Edith Holden's January 1904 entries

I think I still have the very end of that virus, after all this time. I did a bit of free weight work and some stair exercises because I didn't feel like walking. Then just about collapsed into sleep. Woke up sneezing and congested, dangit. 

It seems to abate for a couple of days, normal activity, then bang it's back. Never gets very bad, just not very good either. Good thing I have brownies in the house. End of grousing.

And while I was fussing about sneezing, I discovered a free streaming service has appeared on my tablet. Movies, tv. So maybe that's a good winter matinee idea.

Happy evening everyone, knit on, or grumble on,  whatever you're up for.

I'm still deep in This Golden Fleece, and totally recommend it as a history and a travelogue and a knitting and wool fiber primer. It's huge, about 500 pages, plenty of good research, footnotes, really well done.

Just finished the umpteenth reading of Pym's Crampton Hodnet, one of her funniest books, with great set pieces.  One of my favorites is the scene at the professor's house where there are about five agendas bumping into one another, one per participant plus Miss Morrow's observation.

A lot of wonderful antiphonal dialogue, really a masterpiece of writing, so understated that a lot of early critics didn't even grasp what was going on. Which was funny in itself.

And I've started the Trollope-as-Harvey book. We'll see how it works out. Hard to follow Pym though.

Misfits meets Imperfect

 Today was the first delivery of the new partnership of Misfits with Imperfect Foods, and I'm very happy. I'm hoping this how they go on.

The box arrived mid morning, many hours earlier than FedEx used to deliver, from the food folk's own delivery van 

 Both names on the box

And less insulation, probably because everything being delivered from the vehicle is produce, no need to insulate against other substances in a FedEx van.

Packing, which included cold pack items, was very well done

And the quality is excellent.

So tonight was panfried tilapia with steamed baby carrots, dessert Greek yogurt and blueberries.

I floured the fish with a mixture of flour, turmeric, salt, black pepper and lemon zest, left it all afternoon in the fridge, panfried it this evening. Just a couple of minutes each side.

Very happy with my results of the first week in the new partnership. 

I finished the flower puzzle, which turns out to be made by a flower farm in the pnw. 

I really couldn't have tolerated these reds for more than just the broken up section. 

But it's nice puzzle finished and ready to return.  Red has a seasick-inducing effect on me, a downside of synaesthesia, so I limit my exposure.

I'm still in the midst of This Golden Fleece, and it continues to be a great journey of learning.  In my own fiber world, I ran out of spun yarn last evening so I've been spinning a new supply, to knit off the spindle along with the other two yarns.

Spinning off the spindle involves keeping the spindle away from the other yarns, my afghan, sweater, etc, because it spins happily as the yarn comes off it, the unoccupied hook tangling merrily with whatever's near. I put it in a separate bag and it jumps out.

I may make it back to the knitting group tomorrow, we'll see. I'm wintering -- very willing to stay put, spin, knit, read, cook.  Icy rain and wind have contributed.

Happy evening everyone, stay warm or cool depending on which hemisphere you're reading from! From here it's hard to believe it will get warm again.