Another thrill packed Tuesday

It really helps keep fretting at bay when you get your daily activism done then hang out with your friends at a knitting group.

Today we had a new member, a young man who learned to crochet a chain, plus our regular recidivists, with new and completed projects.

This shawl is off to her sister soon.

Toad's bathing suit on its last leg

 New top down color work sweater in progress 

 

Baby blanket under way for a family member 

Demo of how to hold your yarns on two fingers, when you're weaving in floats as you go. At first she hadn't, as you see,  then she decided to take the extra step and it's making a much better fabric. 

Here's our new participant with his first crocheted chain, really good work for a first try.

Familiar stuff here:

Showing where the spiral pattern ends and the stocking stitch toe begins 

And the completed sock 

Taken in different lights and different colored backgrounds, but it's the same sock.

Convo ranged over stick weaving, age, cataract surgery, antiques, music, Joanne's fabrics, knitted rabbits, Maryland Sheep and Wool, cats,winnowing, Freecycle, languages and more.

Then home through pouring rain to make a pot of tea, get a piece of chocolate walnut cake and take part in Textiles and Tea with Judi Jetson. 

She's a fiber activist with WARP (Weave a Real Peace), multi talented herself, and committed to supporting social fairness, handmade textiles as employment, sheep farmers and the appreciation of the handmade in a techie world. 

She's a weaver, knitter (including yarn bombing), batik artist, dyer, spinner and more. 

This coat comes from a difficult period of her life when she was felled for a long time by Guillain-Barre syndrome, paralyzed and needing long-term rehab to recover to normal health. 

Many get-well cards came in during her illness, and, once well again, she collaborated with a stitcher to image transfer some of the cards onto fabric, to stitch together on a backing. She lined the coat with silk she custom dyed.  And here's the triumphant result.

Happy day everyone, fun with fibers. Or  cake. Why not both?

Hard at work cleaning her up