Makings, all kinds

Warm today and here's the first wild violet I've seen this year, before I came across beds of them underfoot 

On the way home I saw Gary in search of me and found he was out pruning, and soliciting my opinion on where to cut. 

I suggested he start with the ivy that was growing tightly around the butterfly bush. And to give me the prunings. Granddaughter K was over, playing with Billy the Pup, so I explained about making soap..

And here it is, using a dedicated dyeing and fiber-boiling pot

It's cooled down now and showing signs of frothing up when beaten, so later I'll strain and jar the liquid,  for laundry.

Today's winnowing is proxy for Gary,  a doll setup, and he has to find a third section before I Freecycle it. 

K helped put the parts together, assured me she was fine with letting it go. I think she's probably outgrown this now.

Lent is now over, with the arrival of the Triduum, the three days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

So my Lenten winnowing practice is done, too. It seems appropriate to be doing the final one for  friends.

And here's the fabulous art I just found. Yes, before you ask, I have in the past used my knitting and crochet also old doilies, to ink up and print from, as an experiment.  But this artist takes it to a different order of magnitude!

 Check her out, she's lovely.

And of course food happened, fast food, shrimp tossed in Old Bay, and jasmine rice.

Note the high proportion of shrimp to rice. I like my shrimp.

Then in the mail this afternoon, wheeee

The heddle maker is in St Paul, the warping post maker in Ohio.

What with the terrific election this week in Wisconsin, turning the State Supreme Court liberal, ready to address the abortion ban and the gerrymandered voting maps, and the arrival of my weaving tools for a new adventure, I think the Midwest is on a roll!  

Yes, I know they're not exactly comparable in significance, but where you stand depends on where you sit.

Happy day everyone, Misfits hasn't shown up yet, so your produce unboxing pleasure is postponed till tomorrow.

To think this morning there was nothing on my calendar..you simply never know.