Maybe I'll goof off today then

 Beautiful rainy cool morning

Good day for reading, knitting, traipsing about wondering what to do.

Yesterday was a maelstrom of activity

Tomatoes collected and and ripening, need another windowsill

I finished the sock heels, here's a clean pair of heels, so to speak

And I now have a completed vest, seen here with the pink top that used to be a dress I never wore

It's a pleasure handling that soft old denim and the sari silk.  And the vest slips on so smoothly. Lining for the win.

I did finish the Fethering audiobook while I was knitting and sewing. 

In the evening, comfort food, here pink blancmange, because I needed a little something

Marie's great explanation of the difference between viceroy and monarch butterflies over on her Island Musings blog (go there for wonderful wildlife photography and knowledgeable nature observations, from Prince Edward Island) set me off on a tangent, why are you not surprised.

It's this: what hierarchy-crazed lepidopterists ran about naming butterflies for monarchs, red admirals, viceroys, and moths for emperors? What equally crazed grammarian named the comma butterfly? Were they rewarding their benefactors who financed the expeditions maybe?

And what about the naturalists who angrily named beautiful plants lousewort, scabious, henbit, hogweed? Were they mad because all the grant money went to butterfly people flittting about with nets pretending to be Nabokov?  I only ask. Because that's how my frivolous mind works when I have no one to talk to.

Happy day everyone. Try to be silly, it's good for you and entertains the neighbors.

Busy day, bees aren't even in competition

So yesterday was a terrific day. Low humidity, sunshine, 80sf, just right for energy and ambition.

So I made the broth, not stock, because it had chicken bones. It also had ginger peelings, and the kitchen smelled lovely.

Maslen bread cooling here, and containers of broth for the freezer.

The bread, here showing the crumb, and toasted with Vermont butter, beside lunch salad of mixed lettuces, tomatoes, dates, scallions and spinach.

The bread was interesting, too heavy for my taste, and not enough salt. I'll make it again, though with a higher oven temp -- hers was 425°, and I usually use 450° -- and more salt. Less oat flour, more wheat and white. But in principle it's a very handy recipe. Definitely a keeper.

Then to the curtain work, which involved numerous climbings on and off a step stool, cutting, tearing and reaching and pinning.  Very aerobic.

The situation, sun way too bright in the morning, i don't like being dazzled awake.

Then the set-up

The idea was to pin the muslin in panels to the existing cotton tab curtains. This involved much fitting and tearing and pinning.

And it went pretty well. I left it to hang overnight before hemming, so as to let it relax to a stable length. Fabric is alive, needs to rest between stages. So does the maker.

And this morning I woke up very peacefully, light in the room muted as I'd hoped. I have many more yards for other purposes, including more window panels, but this was the main event. And the panels are now pre torn, main arithmetic done, so it will go faster.

Then for the blueberry hot biscuits. Only this happened. I ended up with Gary repotting a pony palm we've been going to do for ages and he suddenly showed up ready. He'd got new pot, soil, plant all assembled, who was I to say no, I'm busy?

Then we went on to other gardening tasks involving heaving container vegetables around, I now have cucumbers outside my fence.  To the accompaniment of a Nancy Wilson playlist, his music in the house growing up, his mom a keen fan. And some mainstream piano jazz here and there.

It was punctuated by conferences with neighbors, who are having their floor redone, and he wants to do likewise. Always several projects at once. 

So that's why no blueberry hot biscuits happened. Today.

So much for my short-lived policy of non involvement with the garden.

Hope springs eternal, and here are my embroidered 3D butterflies of hope for Ukraine, fighting more fiercely than ever.

Hope on, happy day everyone!

Swallowtail butterfly and Doll, Continued

Yesterday was cooler and I was able to sit out and read, also notice a mass of activity in the butterfly bush next to me. Many bees of different species, a hummingbird clearwing, the regular monarch and the second sighting this year of a tiger swallowtail butterfly. 

This year's been very poor for butterflies. Normally we see quite a few species routinely. This year almost none. I hope they're flourishing somewhere. They may have been blown off their usual paths by storms.

And the current doll now has arms so she can direct the activity as I make legs for her. I've inserted wire rather than pipe cleaners, and I like it better for posing. I ran it into the shoulders, for better effect, as you see. 

Soon I'll add clothes. I already have the next doll in mind. Each one opens the way to the next, by getting some needs accomplished, so I can move on.