Nalbinding and what happened next

 I got interested in nalbinding, after looking at sprang, which is a netting idea. Nalbinding is sn ancient Scandinavian textile form, related to knitting and crochet but done with a single large big-eyed needle .

In the course of doing that,  I noticed Sally Pointer was using her own natural cordage, string to me, so of course before doing sprang or nalbinding I thought I'd learn to make my own thread to use 

 Like spinning your own yarn, always more fun to make rather than buy. Also I can always use string for houseplants and outside.

And I found another maker showing how to make cordage from daylily foliage, of which I have plenty waiting to be tidied up.

In previous years I've converted daylily and iris foliage into hand made paper. This year it's string.

Up shortly after dawn, can't sleep well anyway propped up to protect my eye, I thought the heck with my shoulder, I can just do a bit of making or I'll perish from the need to make.

Out at five, still cool, and there's a supply right at the step. 

Already pre damped by the sprinkler, ready to go.

Pausing only to appreciate the Russian sage coming out with the last of the daylilies and the first of the brown eyed susans

I gathered up an armful of daylily foliage 

Separated out the green ones, split them and put them on the deck to dry out

Then started learning to make string.

And here's my first try, with two joins, so as to have a continuous length. It's bumpy beginner work but strong . 

Now I'm thinking of making a supply and dyeing it with some of the natural dyes I have in the freezer, so as to use it for a coiled basket kibd of container. 

What fun, all before breakfast. Temps will be high again today so I had to get out early to do this. Very happy despite whining shoulder.

Yesterday more kitchen table politics. Here's MoveOn's new sticker, now on my front door to greet anyone who comes.

Old, but not done yet!

Happy day everyone, keep hope alive. Si, se puede! And support Ukraine. Slava Ukraine! Home and abroad, it's all about freedom.

Transitions, Sally Pointer and Misfits

 Misfits arrived yesterday, interesting trying to bring it indoors without bending or lifting. It's mainly lovely summer fruit this week. 

Apricots have such a short season, here just a few days, blink and you've missed them, so I seized the chance. And since my breakfast is usually half a pita stuffed with fruit, I have my choice. This morning canteloupe.

I had an under the weather night, between shoulder issues and stomach still not sure what to do, so I did a bit of YouTube surfing and found  Sally Pointer's lovely channel about ancient textiles and making things from unusual threads.

This is so tempting, though I don't have enough hair to put in a net, but I really fancy trying this out. It's sprang, a kind of weaving, a bit like Maori finger weaving. She's working in linen thread.

All I needed, to learn one more textile art..

Yesterday's post operative checkup revealed a tiny leak in an incision, and I now have another set of drops on top of the others and a early morning appointment Monday to see if they worked. 

Gary dropped in last evening to talk about Where the Crawdads Sing which is apparently a movie now, and he'd just seen it and to panic over my eye. He commented that I'm calmer than he is about the latest development! 

One terrific thing I've noticed is that my walls, which had been looking dingy, and not in my repertoire to repaint these days, unlike the past, suddenly look a lot cleaner out of the good eye,  and not needing painting half as much as I thought. This is great. I used to do all my own house painting, but nowadays it's not such a good idea to be climbing. So I have a reprieve.

Yesterday's movie was a forgettable old comedy with all the usual suspects, 

Ladies who Do, meaning office cleaning women. They accidentally become capitalists after inadvertently getting inside information about upcoming financial projects their employers are involved in.  Bit of fluff, but well done. You'll recognize these faces, probably.

Also this

Basically a new kind of Whisky Galore, set in a remote Scottish island, okay, also forgettable. But worth a look.

And last evening I did a bit of color play

This morning Krista Tippett was so on point with a message about transitions, just where my tiny world is, speaking of lenses, never mind the stunning new pictures from space of even more of the universe than we knew

This is great stuff. And we're always in some transition or other, so it's useful for everyone.

Happy day everyone, hoping for a good day today, drops and all!