Textiles and Tea, Misfits, Knitting group, third party Freecycle

I made it to the knitting group this week, bringing my new portable weaving.

M brought her wheel and was spinning some bluefaced Leicester and silk roving. I made a video for the YouTube channel which caught her explaining the process. 

Here's my new little weaving, a seamless pouch for my phone. The loom is the side of the box my Ashford loom clamps came in.

You see how you weave round and round to make it a seamless tube.

Such talent in this little group. Chat fell into many tributaries rather than group, for various social reasons.

Home again for Textiles and Tea with high energy 

She's an English woman, former professional oboeist, now wildly creative weaver and teacher, currently based in southwest France, in this great studio/teaching space 

 Here's her latest book, full of fearless ideas and philosophy 

Behind her are stalactite forms woven in a variety of threads including paper

She pursues seemingly impossible results and gets them. When she teaches, she limits the group to two or three so as to give maximum attention to each person's journey. 

I asked her if high jinks pretty much summarized her life and adventures and she cheerfully agreed that was a fair assessment.  I've rarely seen a happier more joyful worker, who tackles steep learning curves with total energy. 

Meanwhile back on earth, Wednesday saw me in the cardiologist office 

Shortly before being seen by a procession of nurses, nps, and the cardio, all of whom told me I was doing well and needed an annual ultrasound, or something, come back in two weeks. 

I notice my doctors now all have a walker at the scale, good thinking. Stepping onto that wobbly platform is a fall waiting to happen.

Then Misfits arrived so early today I never saw the driver, being upstairs getting dressed.

A couple of items were out of stock, dandelion greens and salty chocolate mix. Too bad about the greens.. 

I ordered a couple of starkrimson pears, of one of which I gave a sample slice to contractor Mike, who made a note. He and his wife are once again eating healthier, so he was glad to learn about a pear he'd never had.

The carrots are partly cooked for future quiche purposes, with the rest of the kale and maybe mushrooms from the freezer.

This is why I stocked up on the various cheeses. They're not in stock often, so I seized the day. Lunch may be a tuna melt, haven't had that in a while.

The strawberries will accompany the favorite yogurt, now back in stock. And maybe a smoothie or two involving bananas. Black beans to go with other pulse foods in the house. 

The bathroom is almost complete, soon to be usable again. I'll be glad to get my house back. I haven't seen so many people in years, more than I need really. 

The knitting group, all the doctor personnel, Handsome Son, who's always welcome, contractor Mike, neighbor who brought over a fall chrysanthemum, on and on.  My social cup is overflowing and I need recovery time. 

I put up a "spotted locally" Freecycle notice about this bicycle 

I know little about bikes, but I see the chain is rusty and needs attention. Maybe someone will want to rehab it.

Happy day everyone, well done, Alberta,  and everyone keep pushing for the good people. Most countries are in a right wing wave just now, and resistance is required, sez Ted and Big Ursy and Pony and Ursula 

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.

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.