No money pit, I mean place, like home

Yesterday was full of things happening, such as the knitting group playing with a yarn winder. One member had given this to another so it was in use instantly 

Then the resulting wound yarns 

A new member showed up with her current cross stitch, while a sweater and a bunny continued  

And a conscientious knitter who makes wonderful tops showed a couple of swatches she created to get gauge, meaning correct size to fit. We suggest that they become pockets, waste not, want not.

And here's her current cardigan with buttonholes. She's searching for leather or wood buttons 

She's interested in trying cross stitch so I plan to bring in some counted cloth for her to try it.

Home to an unexpected meeting in the street with my bathroom contractor who, despite my fears, has been researching.

He's found the insert he plans on, correct color, searching now for tiles and I assured him exact match not needed, but maybe close to wall color, peach, apricot.  He's over Thursday for final measurements before ordering the kit, yay.

Then, a bit late, to Textiles and Tea with Richard Vijgen, who does mysterious weaving on the Jacquard TC1 loom to translate computer chips to large and tactile artworks. 

I might have been less mystified if I'd been in time for the intro. I'd read his statement and was baffled. So I just let the work flow over me.

He's a Dutch designer working in various aspects of machine learning, of which his weaving is one aspect. 

Speaking of being challenged, I've started inquiries into installing a stair lift, well ahead of needing one, seems like a good idea rather than wait till it's urgent. 

This is a world of high pressure sales I'm navigating, all wanting tons of my information before giving theirs.  

But I'll wade through it, ready for installation after the bathroom is done. It's all go. And all $$. But cheaper than moving, and I keep my neighbors and my privacy, which would be all changed if I had to move. 

Happy day everyone. After I'd said yesterday to Codex the only limits are the ones you decide on, I realized that applies to a lot of contexts, including weaving and home reno.

And Freecycle, once again assisting with the decluttering of Handsome Son's condo. 

He brought this lot over when he gave me a ride to the lab this morning. After the labwork, we went to the bank so I could deposit a nice rebate check from the state, which will no doubt be turned over in due course to pay for the bathroom.  I'm getting to wave at it as it flies by.

Then tea and apple cake, which got a good review and request to bake it again. 

It's all good, and I'm happy the bathroom is finally about to see action.

Good news, baskets and towels

The medical testing went fine, no issues at all,  even the thing they spotted two weeks ago had gone away. So all's well, and thank you for your kind words and notes.

Home to Textiles and Tea and 

a basket maker working in twined fiber, embroidery floss over wire. She's interested in mythology and how it intersects with current situations. 

And she has a daily blog.

Before you go over there, take a look at her work. She started life as a painter then moved on to fiberarts when basketry appeared, after a foray into clay. Clay is too clumsy a medium for her fine lines and profiles, and twined fiber works better for her ideas.

Here she is in front of some of her materials

Fallen wings of Icarus, life-sized and can be attached to a person.

Cranes here, threatened by predator snakes

These are all poisonous plants, as in folklore

This linen thread as a drawing

She's a wildly inventive and fearless artist never repeats herself, only accepts commissions that fit what she already does. 

When people start to list what they want in a piece she declines the commission and gives them first refusal on her next piece instead. I find that an elegant approach to inappropriate demands.

She was a welcome soft landing after a tense day getting the exams done and read and the relief of a good verdict. 

I don't know if I can do this again. This is the third false alarm I've had, and at this age I am wondering how I'd handle a sad diagnosis. 

I certainly think radiation and chemo and the accompanying side effects are hardly worth it at my age with my life expectancy. 

I had already told Handsome Son that if it came to that, I'd do the least possible and get pain relief but not look for a cure or even remission. I'll bring it up to my doctor, again, when I see her next month. At this point I even resent the two weeks of worrying about the recall.

Happy day everyone, relief is lovely, and I was cheered by having a dishy Lyft driver home, Muhammad. I favorited him on my report (!)

 Here's the pancakes you may have seen on YouTube sizzling, served with macerated apples and nectarines. Breakfast of Queens.

And, since I'm getting my bathroom renovated a bit, if the contractor artist friend ever comes back to continue, he's taking longer than ever before, but I digress, I decided to ditch my threadbare towels.

Here's the replacements, hand towels and bath towels for both bathrooms, in fact very nice sage and mid green but photographing as grey. 

The old ones are decades old and really ready to be floor cloths. The new ones will go nicely with the peach walls in one bathroom and the pale blue in the other.

And here's the second sighting in over 35 years in this neighborhood of deer. There were twin fawns, still with juvenile coats, and the doe. They let me get close before moving on.  Couldn't catch both fawns at once, so typical of kids, different directions.

It's like herding artists, sez Ted and Big Ursy and Pony and Ursula 

Bouquets continue, Tuesday Knitting and Textiles and Tea

I'm more inclined to be home reading, walking, cooking than going out these days. 

But I did get to the knitting group yesterday, where there were great projects in progress, from a sock to my latest project 

The sock knitter is now the owner of all my size 2 bamboo needles, easier than using a circular needle. 

Here's my latest stitching, an old pair of jeans now to be embroidered. I've been thinking of this for ages and finally, needing a portable project for my group meetings, started on it. It's the kind of thing that can go in whenever I feel like it, but I can still wear the jeans at any point.

Talk ranged over sheep festivals -- local one this weekend, and I have two offers of rides, but it's crowds, not my thing, broken bones, travel, adult learners in the arts, cat rescue, fountains and more.

Home to Textiles and Tea with weaver and collage artist

She translates her collage work into her tapestry weaving. Her pieces often have political messages, such as race and the isolation of COVID. This was particularly significant to her as a Chinese-American woman when the Chinese were blamed for the pandemic. 

Her joyful and open attitude are a contrast to the seriousness of her subject matter, and the high level color and pattern skills of her work. More on her website. Go there!

Meanwhile food and flowers continue to feature around here.

Today's little bouquet, Flowers still going, but slower now. Soon I'll take out the foliage and get the garden ready for the next planting season. 

Meanwhile here's this year's entire potato harvest.

Last year I had a plateful, a glut. This year it's a platonic ideal of a potato, deserving some special tiny recipe to do it justice.

The garden is still green and growing but the season's showing, oh I'm a poet and I don't noet.

Another Large Quiche happened 

This one with red onions, fresh garlic, potatoes and a range of cheeses. The mozzarella accounts for the nice browning. I'm still calling it a quiche, though it's getting further away from the original recipe. 

More adaptation and I'll make a nice peach thing with a crumble and call it a peache quiche!

Happy day everyone, I think the more I'm in the company of books and plants the less interest I have in people's shenanigans.

Animals, too, I'm involved in helping rehome a rescued cat who needs a one-cat home. She's currently safe with a friend, but needs a permanent home.