Roving going a-roving, Misfits and Mutts

After getting back into a bit of spinning I realized that's what's left of my roving is either better for needlefelting or is in colors I don't like. So I put this up on Freecycle 

and got a taker within about five minutes. 

Ed note: I noticed later it had gone much earlier than arranged and hoped the right person picked it up. 

Then this afternoon my neighbor contractor friend came over with it. He'd found it across the street under his car, probably blown there, a bit too light to stay in the step. He tied it to the outside door for me the contents fine, the bag a bit battered. 

He was going to toss it thinking it was his own garbage until he saw the word Freecycle, assumed that was me, and it's back now. Fortunately the taker hadn't been and gone and wondered about what I was up to. She messaged to say she was on her way. Phew! So that roving definitely went roving.

Since today is much milder, I seized the day to take out garbage and recycle before the expected return of cold and a large snowstorm, and picked up the mail. 

Then I got a short walk, as you see 

Many kids out playing yesterday even in frigid cold.

It feels better even to get out briefly, before we get a return of severe cold and many inches of snow. They say.

It's Misfits day

This is a much better day for delivery man Haleem.

Small order this week, chocolate chips for baking upcoming cake or bread, one bag for the freezer, black beans, free with points, Mary made me do it, Bananaz, so good to have them again, usual daily Gala small apples, multicolored carrots to parsteam ready for roasting or something. I think I made up parsteam. But we say parboil, so there.

 Blueberries and yogurt to go together, beaten with lime juice and cane sugar, like berry lime pie but better, the tiny package at the front is a sample date stuffed with peanut butter, one sixth ounce (!), grape tomatoes, so long since I had fresh tomatoes, this will be good.

Such beauty, like jewels. I'll never get used to it.

Next week I will catch up on extra for the food pantry. I waited to get a bit of advice from my friend who has started volunteering there, any items they just never get and would like. 

One is smaller bags of ground coffee so they can give to more people rather than one huge bag which can go in only one box.  I expect the same principle applies to condiments too.

Thank you for all the responses about self care, that's great, we may get ideas from each other.  My next bit of self care is a helping of yogurt with the fancy berries.

But first I wash the produce, sweep the floor break down the box and invent a new vaccine. After that I'm free.

Happy day everyone, if you've also got this one milder day -- up to the 40s f -- enjoy it. Because winter will be back. The HOA just emailed to say the snow folk are bringing out the big guns, I mean plows,  for the forecast foot of snow, and staging them onsite ready. Oo-er. Cue dramatic music.

The sympathy flags and symbols I put up are getting out of hand. I might open a Flag Blog. Or just list the people he hasn't insulted and harassed, might be fewer.

Chair yoga, tuesday knitting group, Textiles and Tea

Tuesday started with April and Aiko, fifteen minutes of chair yoga great for my stiff neck from sleeping wrong.

Very helpful, too. 

My day starts at the moment by checking in to my online advent calendar, finding the day's elf, arranging flowers on Tuesday, and getting very engrossed in a game about placing gems on a board. I may go into withdrawal when I lose access to this game, just sayin'. 

• Tuesday Knitting Group was large and fun, new members, returning former members. New people included a beginner, and a great knitter, working on yarn she'd spun, with a lot of great projects either worn by participants or in progress or both.

Toad in progress to join frog already finished and played with by a grandchild 

Here are double-knitted mittens in progress and a great cabled sweater in action 

Here's a finished sweater we've seen as it was made, and a better view of the cabled sweater 

Your humble blogger is currently assembling pin woven squares into a shawl, with many helpful suggestions..

New member here knitting alpaca and her handspun, see that ball? She's an accomplished spinner and knitter

Here's a keen beginner on her first project 

And a total beginner getting to grips with crochet 

Here's the start of tacking the woven pieces into a draft shape, ready to attach together 

And here's what I was wearing today, the spun, plied, knitted woven vest you lived with me through several years ago. The picture is me cracking up at my attempt to show you the back. 

I spun and plied the yarn with my trusty Schacht spindle, knitted the sections following Sarah Swett's slanted concept, then wove the yokes using a cardboard loom I cut to size. The reason I wove was to keep the shape of the heavy wool vest, and in fact it has done that, no sagging nor stretching out.

Conversation ranged over many subjects, often several at once, Quebec hotels, Lyft, selling cars, English vs Continental style knitting, wheel vs spindle spinning, our exhibit, art, bequests, cats assisting in fiber arts, and more. 

Speaking of our exhibit at the library, here we are 

Embroidery, Tunisian crochet, knitting, beading, so many great things. We decided we're wonderful.

Home to Textiles and Tea with 

A raku potter and wet felter who combines both forms in her art. These pieces are bigger than you might think at first sight.

She created these hug scarves as gifts,  at a time when people had given her a lot of help.

This is an unusual combination of the potter's art with the felter's art. The flowers are felted and sit like lids on top of the raku pots, and can be lifted off just like lids. She's getting more into acrylic clay in addition to earth clay, to use for fine detail. As you see, she loves color. 

Typically she makes wet felt projects indoors in winter and raku firing outdoors in summer. Well, if you've done raku, with the smoke and burning paper and all, yes it's an outdoor pursuit.

Happy day, everyone, another great Tuesday happened. Just go with it. Or lie down for a few minutes.

Some day of rest!

Sunday was all go, dishes, laundry, changing bed, taking out garbage, cooking, planning and ordering Misfits food, stitching the hat, see later, knitting more of the sock, Freecycling.

The most interesting is the hat.

Many pins in place to ease the crown and side together 

Then fine whipstitching, with a small needle and silk thread. I chose a long eyed needle to slide through the fabric easily, and thread easily, too, then enjoyed my favorite of all stitches.

As soon as I start this very small stitching over the top of the edges, holding two fabrics together, I'm flooded with calm. It's about using a skill, honoring the women who taught me, and being in a long tradition of handmade clothes 

Then to try on and see, yay, that's the fit I want. My head is small -- those one-size hats fall over my nose and have to rest on my glasses. This one is snug enough to stay on.

There was a pause when my scissors fell apart, and I repaired them, then I continued with a new idea I thought of while I was stitching 

Here's a different brim, not yet attached but looking promising. It's a straw (or something) round placemat. 

I cut out the center -- a crown for yet another hat -- and I need to bind the edge of the inner brim to stitch it to the crown section.

So that's where we are. I think I may end up being the Hat Lady before I'm done. I'm really pleased with what I learned making this one up to now. Then there'll be a hatband.  I have enough brown batik for the brim of another hat, and a band for this one.

This is the only way I can get a hat that fits. I have a another, cotton, one round the inside of which I had to run elastic to keep it up enough so I could see ahead of me.

One good reason for a hat with a brim when you're walking, aside from shade, is that it keeps insects off your face, a big point where I walk near trees. They land on the brim and get confused.

Happy day everyone, wear a hat, confuse everyone while you're applying sand to the gears.  My daily sand was getting my mail in ballot filled out to drop off Monday. We're electing a governor, and the red guy is a wildeyed MAGA, so I need to put in my vote. Many dirty tricks on the other side to overcome.