White rabbits a bit late

I forgot my last post would appear on December 1, so here's my belated white rabbits for luck all month. White Rabbits!

I got a short walk this morning, and despite 32°f , it still looks like fall to me. 

I broke out the new long coat, seemed the right time. Nice and draft proof.

Saturday, among other discussions, I said since I definitely am not using serving pieces and a posh table anymore, I may as well Freecycle them. Offered them to HS, who said thanks but no thanks, so I've put them up. They might just be the thing for someone's Christmas table. 

Within an hour a nice lady wanted them all to share with her niece.  Good.

I'm rapidly finished the current gloves because I have plans for the new yarn and Tunisian crochet.

Later, here's the second one finished. 

The blue is brighter than it shows here. Pictures seem to pick up the grey more 

Now for the next plan.

And here's my December reminder to self 

Happy day everyone,  nature's slowing down, maybe we can, too.

Here's the current knitting, gloves for the Ministry

To a background of this, very well read, out of my usual repertoire, and interesting, thanks for the recommendation, Mary Anne. It's not the title you suggested, but just a try with the same writer.

I finally got a walk again today, after rain had kept me home for a couple of days. It's surprising how soon your walking stamina decreases if you don't get out every day. No pictures, too busy keeping going and dealing with an icy wind when I wasn't in a sheltered section of the area. 

The storm beat down a couple of daffodils, so they're indoors now, scenting the air.

And I saw an idea that I hadn't thought of: cooking and freezing breakfasts ahead.  I do other meals all the time, but cook and freeze breakfast is new to me. The breakfast I went for is French toast, which I don't have the energy for cooking in the morning, and it's best set up the day before anyway.

Cinnamon, agave syrup, multi grain bread 

And I tested one with an afternoon pot of tea. This is a humble version of the gracious home YouTube channel, with rolling lawns and vistas and a dining room set up with log fire, fresh flowers on the table, and a gracious host.  

But it was fine, and now I have several breakfasts to microwave while the kettle boils. 

I've also been experimenting with a personal hearing amplifier, low budget hearing aids which just amplify sound without differentiating background from speech.

It's a kind of prequel to getting my hearing test soon, and I can, and probably will, return them.  Meanwhile I've learned a couple of things 

One is that if I get hearing aids at some point, the over the ear type won't work for me. Small ears, glasses and mask already hard to manage, and adding the ear hook is more than I have room for. This is something I hadn't thought of. 

So now I know that part. I've also found that fitting the plug bit to my small ear canal will take skill, judging from the lack of success with any of the three sizes provided in this set. 

And I now have experience of amplifying all sounds, a bit confusing, especially hearing my own voice while wearing them, very echoing. But I notice I do pick up more speech with amplifying, so there are advantages, too. 

The controls are tiny, not easy to operate, and definitely not while wearing them, because I can't tell whether I'm pushing the right part without seeing. The instructions say to adjust volume etc while wearing them, but that's not an option for this numb fingered user.

All in all, a useful intro to the notion of wearing something in my ears, that's new in itself, and worth a try.

Happy day everyone, and don't mumble!

Misfits and decor

 Yesterday's Misfits box brought the makings of granola, among other things 

And a pumpkin for the doorstep for a few days before becoming soup

This is my entire Fall decorating. When the weather turns wintry, the wooden cat comes indoors.

The beauty of fruit, never fails 

And here's the granola, oats, walnuts, dried apricots, soaked overnight, cut small, caraway seeds, vanilla, dried cranberries.

Plus its friend, the yogurt in action. Notes on the granola: I forgot how oily walnuts are, and next time I'll toast them first to release oil before baking them. I might rebake them a bit. It tastes fine, particularly when you get a hit of caraway, but it's less crunchy than the last batch. Definitely edible.

And, as my tired back could explain, I removed the zinnias, hauling them into the trees to feed the earth and shelter little animals. So here's the meter, accessible to whoever comes to change it for a new updated version.

And here's where I think the hibiscus will be, if it ever arrives, supposedly last week, but maybe they're waiting for cooler weather to ship it.

Happy day,  everyone, knitting group this afternoon, all being well.  The sock is looking more and more psychedelic as it goes.

The good news is that I can use a second ball of yarn for the second sock, so it will be a pair, and I won't have to knit a third sock to make a point 

I'm returning the final season of Suits, to the same library, ready for the quiz. I'd certainly like to know who thought peplums were a great idea. They certainly frump up even the most beautiful actors, gah. Maybe they were a thing when Suits came out.

Anyway, change of viewing pace, I've requested the first season of Sherlock, so we'll see. 

And, for listening, I hugely recommend Rachel Maddow reading Blowout. So much explanation of events and disasters in the fuel industry that didn't get coverage over the years. She's an engaging reader and a brilliant writer.

Everything everywhere all at once, wheee!

Yesterday was a perfect sitting outside and reading day. Warm enough, but no mosquitoes yet. 

I was reading Lucy Worsley's Agatha Christie bio, and noting changes of the dove guard, and sleeping until the sound of happy kids climbing trees woke me.

I'd made a gallon of lemon scented laundry detergent earlier

The original recipe was for five gallons, so one gallon was very cheap to make. I'll report back on how effective it is.

And knitting, spinning and weaving are plunging on

And, in case you think I've forgotten how to sew, here I am this morning, feeling good and rockin' my handsewn jacket I made from fabric woven by Joanne. 

Outside, the potatoes are coming through, white and red, and I forget which is which.

And Mrs Dove is still at work. 

If my math is right, we should see hatching by later this week. 

Meanwhile, do you fancy a Haggard Hawks puzzle?

Happy day everyone I'm making All The Things, so you don't have to.

May The Fourth be with you

Today, here's the wish of the day*

*Written in Pitman. For those few who may need a translation: 

The Fourth of May is Star Wars Day. May the Force be with you.

And the last word from the Treasury Mog

On to less important things, yesterday was a knitting, weaving, spinning day. 

Sock Ministry sock, weaving of scarf/panel, and spinning of sari and other silk roving for future weaving in future panels.

I think the current weaving may be part of a bigger thing I've had in mind, a skirt with woven front and back panels, knitted shaped sides.  The idea is from Sarah Swett.  I'll use a mixture of artisan yarn and my handspun yarn.

Which means spinning. Some of my roving supplies 

And here left roving, middle current yarn on spindle, right handspun yarn, various fibers

This is a really exciting idea from years ago, I have notes and sketched pattern shapes that came back last night, as a side effect of reading this

It's a guided tour of his house, containing home and studio, shared with longtime business and life partner Brandon Mabley. It's a color riot of stitching and knitting and quilting, and collections of great decorative art pieces.

And here's a source of his inspiration

In Havana, Cuba, Fusterlandia, the creation of artist Jose Fuster, playful and happy work, full of color and movement.

It's a far cry from all this exuberance to my simple art weaving and knitting, but the Force is with me!  

My doctor agrees, after this morning's physical, which showed my mortal coil to be holding up nicely, all parts working, nothing hurting. She kept telling me how lucky I am. Well, I did know that.

And outside, Mrs Dove continues to do her bit for the life force

Happy day everyone, enjoy your life force!