Radical self care, Greek food

This morning has been about ocular migraine, vision disturbance, result of stress, probably a side effect of the Ukrainian invasion today.

I can't write about that, too huge and terrible. And I've once again put on hold the Moroccan women artists presentation, too difficult to see.

I did make it to the library though, before my vision went sideways, and here's what's up with that. I'm seizing intervals when I can see without jagged lines and flashing lights showing instead of what's there, to quick do this post.

Brandi Cheyenne Harper's radical self care book is very important. It's about knitting, designing, art, and about race and  gender bias impeding minority people. 

To straight white knitters it comes as a nasty surprise to hear about bias against minorities, aren't we all just enjoying our craft and art? 

Well, no, turns out that from even a young age, black and brown people are hindered, shoved aside, their designs swiped, and white people either actively or passively, are responsible. 

From yarn stores being unwelcoming, knitting groups likewise, to minority designers not being invited to yarn festivals, conventions, it happens up and down. This despite the long history of minority women's textile arts history and dazzling design skills.

If you didn't know this before, now you do. We can all be more inclusive, starting with buying this terrific book. This is a particularly a good day to look at it, beautiful layout, design, patterns, words. Just go there!

And the Greek cookbook is a foray into food i haven't had a lot of happiness with, from local restaurants indigestible souvlaki sandwiches to Greek friends  drenching everything in honey and trying to force us to eat way beyond our capacity, hospitality run amok. I'm sure I can find a centrist approach! The layout is lovely, get that flyleaf, so I'm hopeful.

Praying for better days in Ukraine. 

Textiles and Tea, sockmageddon, food sourced here and there

Yesterday, as I was finishing up the first sock of pair two, a bigger size than pair one

doorbell rings. There's across the street friend and contractor, also great cook and baker, with this

Four slices of banana bread, two with, two without, chocolate chips. If you're a musician, augmented and diminished.

Supper involved wondering what to make from my bare kitchen. Then using the last of the cooked mushrooms from the previous night's omelette, with Vermont butter, capers Parmesan cheese, to make a pasta Alfredo kind of thing.

Leftover pasta to go with today's roast chicken thighs. There's always a chain of evidence going on around here.

But meanwhile a Textiles and Tea program,

with Carol Irving, a little technical for non weavers, where she got into shed switching or something. There's a slide demoing this. Joanne and Judy probably will get this. The rest of us are free to say well, would ya look at that, then.

Her work is large, about five by three feet, and you can see she likes color and flow.  

I enjoyed the works, not many because they're large and slow to make. Also she was employed full-time her whole life, supporting her weaving habit.  

And like many of the guests on t and t, she started life in the sciences. Weaving  involves a lot of calculations and careful planning, so it so appeals to the linear thinker.

Full day there.

Twosday

 If you're reading this at 2.22 pm, you're on point.

And, as a change from human-made art, look at this

Later today is Textiles and Tea, and at some point the women artists of Morocco. I'm in danger of a backlog of images, bear with me.

Meanwhile, the latest sock, bigger size this pair, is coming along. 

I decided to do the cuff in black, not to match toe and heel after all, otherwise it would look too much like a future sock monkey. I'm knitting rapidly because of the exciting thriller I'm listening to. Also to dispel my tension over events in Europe. 

Germany has applied the next turn of the screw by banning the second pipeline. Sanctions soon I hope, to choke off Russian funding. And I imagine Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are on high alert. I remember when they finally got out from the Iron Curtain. Putin would like to build a Russian empire again. Deza galore on social media claiming Ukraine is Russian.

Ukrainian Americans, I know some blogistas are, my heart is with you.

Happy Presidents' Day

We used to have Lincoln's birthday and Washington's birthday on whatever days they fell. Then they reorganized national holidays to fall on the nearest Monday, to give people long weekends, so they both got shoved into one day. Some people lost a holiday there, sneaky. The Fourth of July is pretty much stuck on that date, with adjustments made for when to observe it.

Meanwhile one great NJ legislator recognizes a real president, skipping over TFG.

And finally, a playlist I can get behind!

This is some Sagittarius! Speaking as one meself

Then, in case you're a newer follower, here's the latest in the Great Fence Saga, which is now two years and counting, has felled two contractors and two site managers, and now may yet come to pass. This taped to my door this morning.

Finally for the day, proof that Whining Works

Not sayin' Joe reads my blog, what with Ukraine and Putin and all, but here we are.

Happy day, everyone!

Empty the freezer soup

I'll be reordering Misfits  this afternoon, so made soup with all the vegetables left in the freezer.

Onions cooking gently while I chop garlic and get ready to tip in the remaining cauliflower, broccoli, spinach and scallions.

Green Powerhouse soup, seasoned with salt, Old Bay, Bill Veach curry recipe, lemon juice.

All the freezer bags are now washed and draining ready for next Friday's Misfits delivery.

Meanwhile knitting is clicking away and I find I'm a bit allergic to the black merino wool. 

My eyes are irritated. Might be the wool fibers, might be the dye, since I find occasionally that black dye causes me a bit of trouble.  

Anyway I'll do the socks, already knitting heels and toes in a cotton mix and maybe I'll also do the cuffs that way, too. That way the socks will still be warm to wear while I minimize my exposure. 

The day would not be complete without a bit of whining. I ordered the gov Covid test kits the very day the portal opened, way back in January. Also ordered a set for Handsome Son, different address. 

So, different households, same last name, same zip code, exact same date of ordering, separate order forms, mine officially numbered one digit ahead of his. His arrived a week ago. I'm happy he has them. However, no sign of mine. 

I know this is up to date because I checked this morning for yesterday's mail, after starting my car to keep the battery happy. I left the engine  running while I went to the mailbox. 

What about me, Joe? Have a word with DeJoy, please. 

Handsome Son reminded me same happened with the relief checks, received weeks apart.

Which reminds me that I had a letter a couple of days ago, from the IRS, telling me they owed me a large round sum, but hadn't received last year's (2020) return. 

Which I sent early last February. It contained a payment check which they presented five days from mailing. Which pretty much proves they did receive the return 

Sooooo they said if I had in fact filed, please copy and resend all forms and enclosures, sign the copy again and return immediately. Limited window to pay me. Huh? My money and a limited window?

Anyway I did all that, cranked up the printer and scanner and sent back the lot, with a copy of their own letter in case they forgot why I'm writing to them. So we'll see.

I just hope the new mailing gets attended to better than the last. I may be driven to electronic filing next time. I've filled out but not yet mailed this year. I really don't want the complication of online filing, though I do it with a lot of other paperwork. But the IRS is a last bastion.  And it worked fine until the former guy trashed the agency.

Oh well, happy day anyway!

Just knitting

 I have a large batch of screenshots of today's great talk on Moroccan women artisans, rug makers, which I'll hold off for now because

1. I've poured pictures over you lately about various textiles, you might like a break

2. I can't face a third day of editing

3. I have a batch of walnut muffins for tea, except for the ones that went next door

4. I'm busy with knitting news and show and tell.

Yesterday was the first indoor knitting group meeting since March 2020, or 1920 or however long. 

Four people, biggest crowd I've been in, literally since then. Two of them I hadn't seen since the Before Times. It was great. We're doing it again next week, all being well. It did my spirits a lot of good.

As did the  finishing of the first pair of Ministry Socks

Many ends woven in, pressed with steam

They're pretty cosy.

Then on to the next pair, these more somber. The foot is merino wool, so I'm knitting heels and toes in a mix of  wool, cotton and poly, for better wear. Nice color contrast of black with oatmeal/cream mix. There might be a stripe..

When I opened the wool cotton mix, I noticed a hard object stopping me from finding the end inside the skein. Fished around and it turned out to be a reel of matching thread, for assembling the parts, I suppose. It's a new one on me. Or it may be strengthening thread. Next time I'll try it that way. You can see it in the pic.

And here's where we are now

Next to read my latest Castillo thriller, accompanied by a warm walnut scone spread with lovely Vermont butter.

People starting a holiday weekend, Presidents' Day in the US, honoring  George and Abe, enjoy your weekend.  Everyone else, oh, just manage as best you can!

Hake, and suzani embroidery

Yesterday, I broke out the Misfits hake. Long time since I'd had hake, probably not since English fish and chips from the chippie. It's a nice white fish, not as moist as cod, but good.

So I breaded it with spiced-up Panko and an egg wash.

Roasted potatoes with scallions for a while at 400°f then put in the fish for the last twenty minutes.

And I happened to have ingredients to make a tartar sauce. If you have a different recipe please share!

This made three full meals plus extra for stuffing pita bread for  sandwiches.

In the middle of this I remembered an online presentation I'd signed up for, so I ended up cooking, photographing food, and doing screenshots more or less all at the same time.  Interesting thread on my camera.

It was a Hajji Baba club presentation on silk dowry embroideries. Central Asian suzani. Suzani means embroideries.

The speaker is a collector and trader, who loves the form but, like other collectors in this Club series, has only a passing interest in the actual execution. 

He skimmed over the stitches, saying chain stitch and others he wasn't sure about (!). He only once mentioned the ground fabric was linen, maybe wool. He never mentioned the size of the works. He did say they dated from the late 18th to early 20th century.

But he has a terrific knowledge of the geopolitics of the region and the theories of origin of the works.

They're in part the stitching done by young girls to demonstrate their skills and improve their chances of a favorable marriage. Works are purchased by the family to go with the daughter as a valuable dowry.

Most of the slides here show masterworks, luxury items, almost certainly group executed.

Whatever the origin, the beauty is undeniable, and he organized it clearly around the various regions and styles.

 So here's his slide selection.

He ended with this respectful montage, a tribute to the women, this is a women's art form, who created the artworks.