New venture into glimpses

The adventures with video yesterday have brought me to an interesting enterprise. Since I accidentally started a YouTube channel, now named Boud's Glimpses @ChezBoud, Glimpses of a small old life, yeah, get me, huh? I now realize a few things.

One is that I don't want to blather away about myself on video -- I tried a couple of test videos talking and though my voice sounds okay, I look so old and crumpled I can't see anyone wanting to look! Also talking heads are usually pretty dull.

And I certainly don't want to fiddle around editing and captioning and working my phone to the bone on full length videos.

The other is something I really would like -- I can create and upload brief content I like, to YouTube Shorts, just 15-20 seconds, catching a moment. 

This could be fun, not lengthy editing, just brief forays to make videolettes. I like this a lot. I'm hoping, but not promising, daily uploads, to follow the seasons.

I uploaded a second one today. Yesterday's already has nearly 700 views. I suppose it's a nice antidote to doomscrolling.

So I appear to have accidentally found a new thing to look forward to each day. Who knew.  All I intended was to upload a video to this blog now and then. What I'm in for now is so much better.

This morning I baked banana bread 

Gary missed out on this, but my local drivers will get a share.

In other exciting news I picked up tonight's DVD entertainment 

Old movie I watched years ago about the WI women creating a nude calendar as a fund raiser for cancer research.  In the comments Debra reminded me of it, and I thought, hm, why not revisit it.

And in the same trip I sent off the last socks plus weavings to the Sock 'n Glove Ministry.  Sister M was so gracious about my sock farewell, though I'll still do a bit of weaving and maybe crochet for them. 

After I got home I went out walking, a bit hot and very bitey, but I saw the first monarch on a butterfly bush this year see YouTube short ;), and a cornflower has appeared on the patio 

About nine last evening, there was a bang at  the door and suddenly Gary was in my midst. Rapid fire exchange of news, and he was off again! He says he will pick up the plants, just not yet. Right. 

Happy day everyone, hang in there.  You never know when a struggle will result in unexpected fun. Ask me how I know this.

I found a bench for Steve on Freecycle. 

The ides of March, French knitting and diy

The Ides of March today -- it's all go, Friday the Thirteenth, then Pi Day, now it's the Ides.

Anyway I finished that narrow spiral sock,  

and, while I was polishing it off I was thinking about French, or spool, knitting. I'd been reading Noreen Crone-Findlay' blog, Tottie Talks Crafts.

She's doing 100 days of creating knitting spools and little looms, along with her son in law. I suddenly thought why not make one with exactly what I have. I'd just replaced the tissue box in the bedroom and thought I'd make a spool.

This worked pretty well. Then I thought I might as well make the classic wooden cotton reel with nails tapped in, as  in our youth. 

I searched everywhere, and couldn't find any nails, anywhere. However in the course of searching I came across my little trusty folding Japanese saw, and remembered I planned to prune the overgrown butterfly bush. 

So I pulled it out of the cabinet, causing a landslide of plastic bags and small tools. And a little box of nails fell with them.

Anyway, all the neighbors were out and it was a windy cold day, perfect for cutting down the butterfly bush, from about twelve feet to what you see between the garden chairs.

So no helpful neighbor was going to run out and insist on doing it and ruining my fun. I love a bit of outdoor strenuous work. Then I swept all the debris off the deck, and we're good.

Finally, home again,  I found wooden spools and chose one, put on rubber bands to secure the thread, nobody said you had to use up the thread before you can knit on it. Then I tapped in the nails and set up the new, less Rube Goldberg, spool, and cast on.

This will probably be a whistle lanyard. Yellow for resistance.

This has been a productive day, one way and another. I think I'm in pretty good shape, considering the task of dragging several enormous, twice my size, craggy branches out about a hundred yards to the trees.  My hands are tired and a bit crampy, but otherwise all's well, as handsome Son often texts in the morning.

Happy day everyone, haul stuff around. Or just point and let someone else do the heavy lifting.

Time change, Sock 'n glove Ministry, J,Draper, IWD

I got a late start this morning, between catching up on lost sleep and the time change, and hurried off a text in response to Handsome Son's regular check in text, to which he responded "As I thought, np". 

The weather was like this 

Opened windows upstairs to air the rooms, so long since I could.  The local kids are mad with joy, rushing about shouting and chasing, no coats on. I feel like doing that myself. I did get out for a walk though I refrained from shouting and chasing, and did wear a jacket. 

Then I had to consider lunch, all the times  being mixed up, and ended with this 

Brown rice cooked with scallions and butter, broiled spicy sausage and banana with lemon juice. Sprig of fresh peppermint for garnish. 

While I listened to audiobooks and JDraper on YouTube, I got on with the socks which are almost done. A couple of my knitting buds are interested in trying this idea, too.

I've done this in different stitch counts, to change the spaces between the spiral as it develops. It takes a bit of computation.

About J Draper, who's a historian and brilliantly funny presenter, currently honoring women, take a look. Cycling and women's history today, intrepid. 

Turns out you need to be tall to get a penny farthing going, and to get on and off. Costume history and the vote get into this account.  She's always so well researched, a free-lance historian. Definitely worth following.

Meanwhile here's what pretty much fits my celebration of women today.

Happy day everyone, especially those of the female persuasion. And those who support them, she adds hastily.

How does the indoor garden grow, lanyards

 I chilled my Christmas cactus accidentally when I opened the patio door, making it drop its buds, sigh, just when it was going nicely. So I've moved it to the kitchen with that collection, and it's made a couple of new buds.

All the plants in the kitchen are doing well, the ivy sprouting, the wandering dude wandering and even the peppermint which I thought was dead suddenly sprang up when I put ivy in the same pot. My first aid aloe plant, which I use regularly for cooking burns, is happy.  So all's well in the kitchen. It's west facing, and most plants seem to do well.

Meanwhile back in the studio, well the living room where the weaving was set up,  I finished the band weaving for the lanyard. I had crocheted another, and I can stickweave another.

The woven lanyard still needs finishing and joining. Meanwhile I've contacted Sister M. at the Knitting Ministry to ask if she'd like some for the people we're providing with gloves and socks. They're certainly at risk of harassment, I think. If she agrees, I'll send them.

I have more warp threads ready for another weaving, so that will happen.

And the Christmas newsletter from the sisters arrived with a picture of some of the knitted items from the Knitting Ministry. 

The gloves and socks are from your humble blogista. Nice to know they arrived safely.

Happy day everyone, keep warm if you're in the US. Well even the southern hemisphere doesn't seem to be very summery yet.

Everything's relative, socks, shortbread and time travel

 Just sayin

And finally despite the spazzing finger, the socks are finished. Onto gloves next

They're cheerful, large size ankle socks. I'll steam press them before I send them.

And in case Handsome Son visits this week, I'm making his favorite shortbread from my favorite YouTuber, Baking on a Budget. 

Simple recipe as you see.  Nice crisp results. I don't like making shortbread though I like eating it. It's a very dry dough you have to press together. But it came out okay.  

I tested those little pieces which broke off as I was putting the batch in the oven. With an afternoon pot of tea. Pretty good.

 

My latest library ebook arrived, another Elly, not so sure about this one. Still police mystery, but this one involves time travel. I'll see how it goes. Not my thing, a bit woowoo.

I'm still in Small Island in book form and another Elly on Hoopla.

 I'm pretty well supplied.

 

The weird thing about the hour change is that it works like jetlag. I keep waking up and falling asleep at weird times. In between, I'm getting the laundry, the bed changing, the garbage and recycle and the knitting and baking, so I'm not exactly out of action, come to think of it.  

But I did a nice workout, strength, balance and cardio

With April and Aiko. 

Happy day everyone, hoping all has gone well with the friends handling medical issues today and that travelers have had happy landings.

Still my flag dammit 

Grey and windy but spring anyway

Today, Sunday, is warm,  nearly 70°f and very windy, roaring in the trees. I went for what Handsome Partner used to call a little stumble round the block, stopping for a chat with Billie the Pup, then sat on the patio.

admiring the end of the snowdrops, there at the left of the deck, and the arrival of daffodil buds, squint, you'll see.

 

I thought of bringing out my tea on the deck, then considered whether it was advisable to be out in high winds, however warm, around very large old trees.  Tea and knitting indoors instead.

English breakfast as usual. This is from a different supplier and has a lovely fruity scent while being as snarling strong as I like it.

Minimal exercise today, no activism, just a quiet knitting reading napping stumbling day.  I'm using the hip kit tools, especially the grab thing, gosh, it's easier than hoisting myself about to reach things. I should have got one years ago. I'd have been less of a grouch. 

The completion of the glove is a good sign. I just didn't feel up to it the last few days, couldn't settle. 

I returned the puzzle untouched to the library, couldn't settle to that either. So I think I'm now getting a handle on what's up. It's hard in a time of national chaos, so I have to limit my exposure and response. 

The currently available Andy Carpenter is an audiobook, so that encouraged me to knit while I listen. When this pair is done, I'll send it off with the socks and gloves waiting to be mailed. Then I will take a knitting ministry break, first in five years.

Happy day everyone, pace yourself. That means do as I say, not as I do!  I'm delegating the pacing. Also the St Patrick's Day observance. My long-late Irish grandmother, from Tipperary, will just have to cope.