Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Multi celebration day to you! And other things happening

 Today's Mardi Gras, Lunar New Year and Ramadan.

I'm an earth tiger. I wonder how they get along with fire horses. I checked out Handsome Partner's sign, water monkey, and found it's not supposed to be compatible with any tiger sign. Hm.

And I finished the scarf. I really like it. Because its a soft yarn, it feels very good, too. Sometimes you get a surprise when a yarn that feels good in your hands is scratchy on your neck.


Closer so you can see the shape better.

Yesterday also involved food, the soupe du jour being cream of red lentil and sweet potato. And enough for several more meals.

This used up the lentils left over from the tofu earlier. Sprig of fresh peppermint. I'm surprised how well the peppermint is doing in the kitchen. I'd expected it to wither.

Then today eating all the colors


Toast with butter and garlic paste, same old soup,  pureed pumpkin with blueberries and honey. Getting up my strength for Tuesday Knitting Group.


Modeling a newly knitted vest from yarn she spun.


Same knitter with Resistance Hat


Our new members, a married couple crocheting together.


A muff in progress.


Various projects lying around and Toad's bathing suit in progress.


Accomplished crochet by the earlier crocheter

Lovely shawl soon to go to a relative, while her neighbor considers a new color contrast.

Lovely lively time, with a lot of laughing and talk ranging over pets, cats hunting, smart dogs, animal rescue, music, parking, knitting classes, houses, Goodwill, German porcelain, guard dogs, FedEx, and more.

Home again in time for Textiles and Tea, and kente cloth and 


He inherited from his father a large weaving company in Ghana. The first president after Ghana got independence in 1957, Kwame Nkruma, often wore the traditional kente cloth of the region. He commissioned it from Kwasi's father, because of the cultural significance of the fabric.

It's woven in cotton and silk in strips on narrow looms, nowadays, wider ones are in use, joined into the finished yardage.






Here's a giant piece commissioned for the UN building in New York, with the UN insignia embroidered on. The group picture shows officials in front of it, showing its size and importance. He wove this in three months with a team of weavers.  His father had made one earlier and both are now in the UN archives.


Here's a traveling loom he likes to use. This makes me want to weave immediately.


Left, traditional design, right, his own design.

Here he is at his home loom, all handmade. He explained that kente cloth has deep cultural and traditional significance, including colors, some kinds such as Ashanti, preferring neutral and earth tones and others like his, the brighter colors, from which the Ghanaian flag is derived.

Full Tuesday again, though next Tuesday a doctor's appointment will cut in to both the group and T and T. 

Happy day everyone, let's all do our bit.  Baby Juan was treated for bronchitis, but returned to the Dilley concentration camp. At least he's in the medical unit now, and let's hope there's medical care. I've now written to all my reps insisting they push for the release of all children from every ICE camp and to hold fast on no further funding for ICE till our demands are met, not just promised.





29 comments:

  1. Glad to hear Baby Juan is at least getting medical care now. The kente cloth designs are gorgeous, as is your newly completed scarf!

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  2. Your scarf turned out lovely, as are all of the other photos of works in progress. That weaving is gorgeous too.
    I'm glad that baby Juan got some medical treatment but I don't know how people can live with themselves, doing these sorts of things to other humans. I know it's not new, but I thought we had evolved. Devolved is more like it sadly.
    What happened to your husband three weeks after you married, if you don't mind me asking? If you don't want to share it, no problem.
    Take care, and stay warm.

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    1. His life had a lot of emergencies, and this was a big collapse. But he recovered. Took me a while. First time it happened. Probably the combined stresses of the dissertation, the upcoming emigration and the wedding!

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  3. The scarf looks so nice, and the colours within, quite amazing.

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  4. I am glad the baby is being seen but he should be released...

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    1. We need to bring all the pressure we can, even on red reps, to released all imprisoned children and stop taking them.

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  5. I’m a Horse. This is supposed to be my year. Yeah, sure!
    SG is an Ox. Apparently, we‘re not very compatible.
    The scarf is perfection!

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  6. Your crafting group always seems to be very enjoyable.

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    Replies
    1. It is. There's a lot of talent and good will.

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  7. I tried to tell my husband yesterday, as we were on a drive, how you have opened my eyes to textiles throughout history and around the world. The art and the usefulness, the beauty and practicality. I think he mostly got it.

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    1. I'm guessing textiles haven't been much on his mind. But the need to make is there.

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    2. Yes! And that he can understand.

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  8. Love the soft neck scarf! I can imagine that soft embrace of warmth. Kente cloth is so beautiful, and I've long admired it. What a lot of talent at the library group.

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    1. I'm happy with the scarf. And the group liked it. Yes, talent abounds. Kente cloth is so significant, and became fashionable a while back, though not well understood.

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  9. I like the scarf. It looks soft. I also like the weaving a lot. Children in detention centers says all there is to say about what the country has become.

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    1. Yes, a sad state of affairs, worth fighting.

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  10. Your scarf is great! That shape is very nice. Thank you for the kente cloth information. Wow, very interesting! His travel loom looks inviting. And now Baby Juan has been deported?! Time for me to call again on that topic!

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    1. Deported? I hadn't got that news, thank you, I'll check it out.

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    2. I checked,yes, they're all back in Mexico, parents and two small children. With almost no money. Rep. Castro is at work trying to help. At least they're out of Dilley, but that's a low bar.

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    3. And the bar seems to lower daily, doesn't it? UGH. We are in a deep hole, morally.

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  12. Your scarf looks most comfortable and attractive, the sort of thing you put on first thing in the morning and don't take off all day - or is that just me?

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    1. I think it's that kind, yes. I need to watch out during meals...

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  13. Your scarf looks lovely and definitely suits you. I suspect it will get a lot of wear.
    I really love that the married couple are crocheting together - wish I could convince the RC to give it a try. (as a side note, don't know if you've heard about the numbers of Olympic athletes who are knitting during the games...both male and females).

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    1. The husband told us he wanted a hobby he could share with her, so nice. I didn't know about the knitting athletes, but I guess it would help with waiting.

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