Careful Ventures

Quilters, I'm down to another corner.

The corners are much more interesting. However, the cross-hatching is easy to do and makes a nice background for the feathers.

I discovered I have a superpower! I can bring on spring. All I had to do was finish my mittens.

I used the Mummers pattern from Saltwater Mittens by Christine LeGrow and Shirley A. Scott. The yarn is Harrisville Highland Worsted in Aubergine and Silver Mist.

On Wednesday I CO the Brioche Shawl Feathers shawl. It's very complicated, so I will need something mindless to work on when I'm out and about (which is seldom these days) and I have enough dishcloths. The CO was strange, but there is a YouTube video that shows it, and it was helpful. There seem to be videos for just about every step, which is a welcome aberration. I'm ready to start the brioche section.

I needed 50" US2/2.75mm circular needles for this shawl, but the longest I had in that size were 42". I could have made do, but I wanted to be able to spread the stitches out, so after I had my bone-density scan on Wednesday I stopped at Fancywork Yarn Shop to see if I could pick up some. They had interchangeable needles (the kind where you can take the tips off and use them on a different size cable) in that size. I didn't know they came with tips that small. While I was there, we got to talking about my book, and the owner/manager asked for several copies to sell in her shop, even though they aren't about knitting, so I'll be going back on Tuesday to drop them off.

This week brought a friend to town, so we had our first nonfamily guests since the pandemic started. Carol and Jeff, in town to ski at Mt. Bachelor with Jeff's grandkids, came to lunch before flying home. They've each had their first dose of the vaccine, and we're fully vaccinated for more than a month, so it was relatively safe.

I gave Carol a copy of my book for her granddaughter, Stella. She asked me to sign it.

Carol and her husband were our last guests in January of the Pandemic Year, when they came for tea and DBIL Jim was here, too. We got a similar selfie this time. No Jim, but the knobs are on the kitchen cabinets now.

Carol's son Colby had a competition early the next morning, our time at 3:00 AM-something. I didn't get up to watch, but Carol sent me a text and said he got the gold!

This was the FIS World Cup Freestyle competition, and his event was Slopestyle.

If you have no idea what this is, here's a video of his winning run.

Colby inspired my character Jolena, who is on the US Doll Ski Team and tries to do some of the same tricks Colby does, but with the help of a little fishing line. I had hoped to get photos of her in her ski gear, flying through the air this past winter, but we didn't get enough snow down here, and I was reluctant to go up to the ski area to look for a tree in the open I could use. Next year.

I used some of my money from the government to buy some extra orthotics, so I don't have to switch them when I change shoes to go out. One of these pairs is for indoors and one is for outdoors. The Nikes on the right are water- and sand-resistant. (The orthotics maker bought one of my books!)

Saturday was a lovely day. It was almost warmer outdoors than in for the first time this year. (I did this by finishing my mittens, remember?) I sat out on the front deck and listened to the last two chapters of the book we're using for the Adult Forum on Sunday.

The lettuce in DH's AeroGarden is taking over. I will have to pick a couple of leaves each day to add to our regular lettuce for salad. The tomato plants are covered with blossoms!

We sang, virtually, on sunday. If you want to watch and listen, go to 1:06 on the video of the service (unless you want to watch the whole service, which is OK, too).

I went in to record my part for Easter Sunday on Saturday. If you watch the Palm Sunday piece or the Easter piece, you can tell by the background which people recorded at home and which ones went in to the church to record. We had 15-minute time slots for recording. We wore masks until it was time to sing. We never touched anything anyone else touched, and the director stood a long way back from the singer.

We live in challenging times.

What's on my needles: Brioche Shawl Feathers. Just starting the brioche.

What's on my sewing machine: Thoughts and ideas. My turtleneck shirts are wearing out right above the cuff. I'm thinking about taking the cuffs off and turning up a hem. They would be 3/4-length sleeves then. (They're almost that now, because my arms are too long for my shoulders and chest, but the shirts would still be useable. Sweaters will keep me warm. First I need to clean the workroom!

What's in my hoop: Still the Whole Cloth Quilt. We're getting there.

What's in The Doll's Storybook: "Ripples." Charlotte tells everyone about how she discovered that one simple thing she did to help a friend started a chain reaction that ended up helping another friend and herself.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Love Is the Way by Bishop Michael Curry. It was an amazing book and puts a lot of things in perspective for me. A little more progress made in The Black Madonna by Stella Reilly.

What's in my wine glass: Tucana Cabernet Sauvignon Pinotage 2019 from South Africa. Excellent, IMO.

What's my tip of the week: The ends of a loaf of bread often get left behind and shoved to the back of the fridge. I try to take them out before they get moldy and grind them up in my little food processor. Then I freeze the crumbs. They are good in faux meatloaf, mixed with texturized vegetable protein crumbles (but you could use ground beef or turkey, if you eat meat) or used as a topping for casseroles.

Where's my book: Mariah: Stories from the Doll's Storybook is available from Amazon worldwide. Also available from BookBaby, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. Royalties go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. The three stories in the book first appeared in the blog and they are reproduced with few changes. The stories (and links to them) are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Warm Hands, Hot Tea and Clean Dishes

The tea cozy is done. This one seems to keep the tea hotter than the old one. Maybe it's the deep ribs.

I altered the pattern a bit, because my teapot is smaller, really a one-person teapot. Here is the Ravelry project page with information on my minor modifications.

Before casting on for the mittens, I really needed to make myself a new nylon scrubbie. Here's a link to the free pattern. You use a size K crochet hook and six 1 3/4" strips of nylon net tied together.

It was time for some more kimchi. I started this before last week's blog post and it was ready o Wednesday. My head of cabbage (I used regular green cabbage) was a bit small, so I sliced up a zucchini and added that with a very large carrot and the usual green onion. You can add other kinds of vegetables, too. I've added sweet pepper when I've had it (bell pepper or the little sweet peppers).

My sourdough is still going strong. I make a new loaf at least once a week for sandwiches.

DH started his new Aerogarden going a few weeks back. We have been harvesting leaves from the one lettuce plant, and the little tomatoes already have flowers on them.

Tuesday I cast on the first Mummers Mitten. I finished it on Friday. Here's the back showing the pattern.

Here is the palm of the hand. This "pattern" is called Salt and Pepper.

I got the pattern from this book, Salt Water Mittens by Christine LeGrow and Shirley A. Scott. 

The Ravelry pattern page is here. I'm at the top of the pattern on the second mitten. There's just a few rows of salt and pepper and then the shaping for the top of the fingers, and then the thumb to go.

Friday I dropped off some shoes and the molds of my feet at the place that makes my orthotics. I had been saving money to get a pair for my outdoor shoes, so I wouldn't have to keep changing the orthotics from one pair of shoes to another when we go for walks and come home. My Covid money came in handy, so I was able to do it right away. There's quite a bit left over to go into the publishing expense pot for the next book.

Speaking of the book, I stopped in at our local Barnes & Noble store here in Bend after dropping off my shoes at the orthotics lab. I had noticed that my book was finally available at B&N online, but not for pick up in the local store, so I took them a preview copy. I got to speak to one of the managers. She looked at the book and then looked it up on her system, found it, and said she would order copies. B&N has been taken over by a company that wants to turn the shops into something more like a local bookstore, and they are looking for local authors to promote.

What's on my needles: The second "Mummers" mitten.

What's on my sewing machine: Cobwebs.

What's in my hoop: Still the Whole Cloth Quilt. A little more progress this week. When it gets late before bedtime 

What's in The Doll's Storybook: Special Glasses. Pippa wonders why Mandy only wears her glasses when she's reading or doing close work, and Emil never seems to take his glasses off. He explains his disability and his special gift to her. 

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still The Black Madonna by Stella Reilly, more progress made, and Love Is the Way by Bishop Michael Curry, Chapters 9 and 10. My church's Adult Forum is discussing it, two chapters at a time. In Chapter 10, reference was made to the Project for Deeper Understanding, which was started by Charles Robinson, the priest at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Park City, which was my church and my priest when we lived there. We attended some of the sessions when we lived there, each covering a different topic. The idea is, if someone has a different opinion from you, you ask them to explain what in their life led them to that opinion, instead of just saying they're wrong.

What's in my wine glass: Purple Moon Shiraz 2018. I liked it a lot.

What's my tip of the week: Live basil plants will live longer if the roots are kept wet. We keep ours in a dish that's slightly larger than the base of the pot and more than 2" deep. When I see that the water is mostly gone, I refill it. The plant is happier with bright daylight and some sun. It doesn't do well if it gets cold.

Where's my book: Mariah: Stories from the Doll's Storybook is available from Amazon worldwide. Also available from BookBaby, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. Royalties go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. The three stories in the book first appeared in the blog and they are reproduced with few changes. The stories (and links to them) are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Think Pink

Monday was a holiday, so we took the pups to Run-A-Muk Dog Park, so they could have a good run.

This is "Think Pink" time. Various groups on Ravelry are running activities to support breast-cancer awareness. The Götz group has had a different theme for each day, October 11-20. Here's what I've done so far. Each day is listed, with what I wrote about each one.

Wednesday's Theme--Favorite pink possession:

We just got back from the local "Walk To End Breast Cancer," but I got this photo at the top of the bleachers in the gym right before the event began.

They were giving each participant a "Think Pink" water bottle. Can you guess what their favorite pink possession is now? Hint: it’s the same for all four.

Dolly had to dash off to get in line. (She was the rest room putting up her hair when the others were signing in. She just stuck her head in now to be in the photo.)

It’s impossible to get four girls to look at the camera at the same time and not blink. I took a bunch of photos, and this was the best. Vroni just glanced away as I snapped the shutter. There was probably a cute boy walking by. Either that or a dog.

Thursday's Theme--Post your doll saying hi from your part of the world, wearing pink mittens or a ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness, or the appropriate color if you choose to support a different cancer on this day:

Vroni and Mandy wanted to honor their two aunties today. Vroni is wearing a magenta ribbon for Auntie Eileen, (although the Götz girls always wear their magenta bracelets) but the best Mandy could do was wear teal pants for Auntie Cheryl, the mother of Amanda, after whom Mandy was named. However, Mandy thought that pink mittens were a great idea, so she CO a pair. Winter is coming.... 

Mandy has to sit, because she has only just learned to knit with DPNs. 

She made me take another photo because she said that one looks like she’s just holding yarn. 

Friday's Theme--Hair Loss is common with chemo. Post a photo of your doll wearing pink headgear:

My girls had a little fun/discussion over today’s task. Here’s what ensued—

Mandy: "I made a pink hat."

Vroni: "That’s a boat, not a hat! THIS is a hat!"

Mandy: "Well, at least mine is pink!"

Vroni: "Well, mine is pretty, and it has pink on it."

Me: "Girls, girls! They’re both great. Vroni's hat is very pretty, and Mandy's hat is fun—and handy in case of a flood."

Saturday's Theme--Invited to a dance wearing pink:

October is known for Think Pink and Halloween, but it's also time for...Oktoberfest! Vroni was invited to come to Oktoberfest and dance the polka with some other girls and boys.

When it was time to get ready, she dressed, put on her dancing shoes and checked herself out in the mirror.

She even did a few dance moves to make sure her costume looked OK in motion.

Vroni's new coat and hat were ready just in time for this occasion. Of course, she had to look in the mirror again, just to make sure everything looked OK.

It was just a short walk through the woods to get to the hall where the Oktoberfest is held each year.

The children's performance went well, and Vroni loves to dance, but this is what she really came for.

Even though Vroni was born in China, she is German, and she has been allowed small amounts of beer since she was very small. (Actually, she's still small....)

Sunday's Theme--What does your doll like to do best on Sunday:

Mandy came home from church. She says her Sunday School teacher asked each of them to think of something they could do today for someone who was in need. Mandy decided that since Dolly has a cold (she got it from me, I think), she could read to her in bed to try to make her feel better.

After Dolly fell asleep, Mandy came out to the kitchen to work on the mittens she has been knitting. She has only just started learning to use DPNs, and she's so excited. She loves knitting, especially when the weather is too unpleasant to play outdoors.

Mandy sat where she could use the light from the big window and watch the squirrels while she knitted. She is so sad that Dolly isn't feeling well, so she has decided that she will give the mittens to Dolly, to keep her hands warm when they play in the snow. (Pink is Dolly's favorite color.) 

Mandy has already made some progress on the first mitten. She says her favorite thing to do on a Sunday is to do something nice for someone else. She will try this every Sunday from now on.

Monday's Theme--Hot or cold? What would you wear when you exercise where you are?:

This morning, while Dolly was asleep, Mandy crept into the bedroom and put the finished mittens on Dolly’s hands. 

Dolly woke up and saw the mittens. She is feeling better today, although she still looks pale.

Dolly loves her new mittens. She hopes there is still some snow when she’s well enough to go outside and play.

There are four more days of photos to take and stories to make up.

Obviously, I finished the Tyrolean coat, using the Kitty Cat 3 pattern, a hooded cape in two lengths (only I shortened it further), as a jumping-off place for the coat. The coat pattern was Jacknits Town and Country Coat, which included the hat. 

Here's the coat with the hood up.

And here is the hat.

I had planned to go to Vintage Stitchers on Thursday. It met at Rebecca's. However, I woke up with a cold that morning. (Don't blame Dolly. I probably gave it to her.) I have no doubt I will recover in due course. I missed the opera yesterday, which made me sad, but I knew I wouldn't enjoy it, trying not to cough and knowing I was sharing my germs with everyone. DH went and said it was excellent. It was La Boheme. You know, the one where Mimi spends a good part of the opera in bed, dying of consumption.

I was doing my best Mimi impersonation, but without the singing. Or the dying

What's on my needles: Mandy’s Winter Coat, using the Cabbagetown Jacket pattern. 

What's on my Featherweight: There are still more doll clothes to be made.

What's on my loom: Still waiting.

What's on my wheel: Stanzi is still awaiting her next task. 

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Kill Me Again, by Rachel Abbott. I’m a little more than halfway through Amy Corwin’s novel All She Loves on the Kindle app.

What's in my wine glass: Lindeman’s Cawarra Shiraz-Cabernet. Quite acceptable.

What's my tip of the week: Don't get sick. If you do, stay home so you don't share.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.