Fall walking, equinox flowers, hat thoughts

Saturday was about picking up library books, sleeping while reading, indoors and out, going to bed early, before 11 pm, and sleeping till 7. Sunday reaped the benefit. 

The luxury of being able to rest when you need to. After the caregiving years, I'll never take it for granted. And after the shenanigans with Helen Hip, and the grace of Hippolyta, I still marvel at just walking.

The sock advances, and I'll finish it today. The yarn and needles are a bit mismatched, but I hope it's all smoothed out when I steam press.

There's going to be a narrow band of the blue at the top of the ribbing.

On the subject of making things, I'm back thinking about a wide brimmed hat. Again. I've been thinking for years about this hat. No rush. I wear a tatty old straw one in sun, the one whose shadow you saw the other day,  and it's a shape I can model a pattern on.

So first I thought why not use some of that striped linen I showed you a while back. It's washed and needs to be pressed.

Then I thought what about the batik I made a favorite skirt of,  browns with a repeating leaf shaped design. I have a length of it hanging in a doorway, plenty to use.

Then I thought since it will need a stiffening lining,  which I can find, I could get some milliner's wire for the brim. Then I thought why not use the current hat as the base and just cover it with the batik.  

Then I thought why not do that and use the paper pieces I'll create as the pattern to make a second hat from the striped linen, stiffening the doubled brim with rows of stitching. 

And maybe even a third hat from cream unbleached muslin lined with dark green design sari silk, both of which I already have.

That might be where I go. I wasn't sitting like Rodin's thinker, lost in thought for ages. This entire rumination lasted maybe a couple of minutes.  It's how I roll.

Between reading and the Sock 'n Glove Ministry, and hat making, I may have designed my fall interests.

In other news, I took a different walk on Sunday,  further, brisker, because it's cool enough now, along the park path, through part of the park in case there's any fall color yet.  Not quite yet.

There were basketball players, a family at hitting practice with a cricket bat, and kids dribbling a soccer ball.

Home through another development, with newly planted trees. 

All the developments around here have grass everywhere to walk on, so you're never stuck with sidewalk unless you choose to be. I did use the sidewalk when I needed a cane, but now I can navigate the bumpy grass. 

And everywhere, flowers 

The zinnias are fading but marigolds and chrysanthemums are blooming away.

Back home I brought in a hanging basket from outside and moved a philodendron into it in the kitchen.  This is where the grabber stick came in handy, to slip the hanger hook over the bracket. No climbing involved. 

I plan to repot it and cut it back to get more growth going. I like the  structure though, and it will cast great shadows.

Happy day everyone, flowers all round, sez 

Ted and Big Ursy