A day of many parts

Yesterday was the first day of great weather for walking in the evening, light enough, warm enough and insect free enough. A stroll to the pond happened.

There's  a scruffy old squirrel's nest up there.  The nest, I don't know if the squirrel is scruffy.

Today started before dawn, when I woke ready to start the day. I was out watering plants outside because the forecast was for this 

and it's been dry for days. Then I watered all the indoor plants, same reason, the house will be warm and they'll appreciate the help.

And a session with April and Aiko, for lower back issues. My sciatic ouch has diminished significantly since I got back into these particular exercises. Also since the cold finally went away, taking the jaw pain and leg pain with it. I suppose a virus attacks the weakest links. 

Then for some plain repairs, starting with Gary's hoodie, which is not a good design. 

A nice screen printed image on woven gauze, bonded onto a knitted hoodie. Recipe for failure, and it happened. He put it on, the hoodie stretched, the screen print tore away. I put in a few stitches, allowing for stretch and we'll see.

Then there are my favorite jeans which either have stretched or I've shrunk. So I did my favorite simple alteration.

Inserted elastic inside the back of the waistband to draw it in a bit. That should save endless hitching up.

At noon there was an AARP online Tai chi session with a very good instructor.

After half an hour of moves, Tai chi not my strength, I get my arms mixed up, he had us sit to do more, this being designed for older people. 

So I took his picture at that point and next thing I knew after breathing and relaxing, I was waking up to his thanks for a lovely session.

This was a nice afternoon for sitting in the shade listening to birds and dozing and generally enjoying the day.  There was the last of the daffodils, the distant trees starting to leaf out, the spicebush at peak and the honesty getting into bloom.

Braiding is continuing with the shoelaces moving along. I have ideas for aglets in fact I dreamed of one idea

The notebook I made the other day has been received happily by a knitting friend, and there will be a couple more 

This is another couple of images from the same art catalog.

Happy day everyone, online this evening with friends. Such a rich day.

Food and fiberarts, such a sustaining day

This morning I made a Spanish rice and beans dish from Spain on a Fork, with substitutions galore and it came out fine. Mine had more liquid but it cooked down further and tomorrow it will look like Alberto's picture.

Mine subbed mixed greens for bell pepper, curry leaves for bay leaf, diced tomatoes for tomato sauce, Better than Bouillon for vegetable stock, black beans for kidney beans and brown jasmine rice for Spanish white rice. It made four meals and was really good. The Better than Bouillon was great, thank you Sandra and Mary for talking about it.

Here's where the cotton seeds are as of today 

100% germination, and they need to be indoors till warmer weather. 

Then on to the Tuesday knitting group, and all kinds of interesting stuff going on.

Toad got his bathing suit, needs some finishing, so this is a try on

And here's a silk camisole, plus a closeup to show you the stitch pattern 

This sweater is racing ahead, beautiful choice of contrast for the yoke. It's pale blue and reads as off-white against the darker color, really great color design choice 

Then she learned the lucet, two views. She caught on fast, as did another participant who tried it. Both now fancy owning one, so Beka should pay me a commission.

Chat ranged widely, over travel in India, driving in the mountains, Sikkim,  building a trebuchet in the basement, the trebuchet at Les Baumes that the public can fire, music, quilting, tai chi, cotton seeds, shoelaces, No Kings, Earth Day, Stand up for Science, shoulders, orthopedics, physical therapy, and much more.

Home to Textiles and Tea and weaver Emerson Croft, pronoun they.  A teacher/director of the weaving program at Berea College Kentucky, the work skills college which teaches crafts with output to sell to help support the program, they're endlessly inventive and playful. 

Emerson explains they have no minds eye,  that ability to visualize, so the creative work happens in the making.  And humor gets in all over.

Being non-binary, Emerson  first had an impact as a student on the baby blanket design from the college weaving program. All pink and blue and they suggested more inclusive colors, which the weaving studio now routinely uses and sells.

I've included a bit about the college and its sales aspect, artisanal small production items 

Emerson as a student with the inclusive baby blankets 

This was a great episode with a gifted thinker and artisan, and I wonder if I can get a broom from Berea. I can use one.

Happy day everyone, mine was full! Roger that, sez Ted and Big Ursy and Pony and Ursula 

Youth art and April's bustin out all over

Cleaners day today meant I stayed out of their way, at the local library. There was a new puzzle tipped out of the box, so I organized it and started the edges.

A while later, another person came and continued that bottom section.

The gallery is packed with youth art from the school district, a dazzling three walls full of energy and some talent.

And I fell for a couple of pieces, one high school painting, one first grader's foam block printing a la Warhol.

This is an annual event, and I always look forward to it. We have a great art faculty in our school system, as you see. Their ideas are great. Everything from image transfer to portraiture to drawing to paperweaving to printmaking to abstract expression, realism, many approaches.

At home nature's on a roll. The cotton seeds are germinating. Yesterday a tiny shoot, today a leaf opening, amazing speed. 

The friend who gave me the bolls told me they germinate like an earthquake, and she wasn't kidding. You can almost watch it. Between breakfast and lunch, two more shoots appeared. 

When the weather's warmer, I'll plant them outside because they'll quickly outgrow the starter pot.

Outside the spicebush is in full bloom, and the bees are at work.

We still have daffodils and the tulips are now blooming 

Speaking of earthquakes, this year is a bumper year for honesty. Aside from what I know I planted from last year's seeds, there's the volunteer Mary and Steve identified and another is growing in the pot of sage.

I'll have a good harvest of everlasting seedpods for my collection this year after several lean years.

Happy day everyone. Here's tonight's entertainment. DVD from the library. 

Most of what used to be on YouTube has now evidently gone to subscription streaming services, but I did find this. One of Alec Guinness and cast's funniest movies. It's an all star cast. This will be good. I've seen it several times but it never fails.