Time gets away from me.  Therefore, posting to this blog gets away from me.  It’s now May 11th, and I haven’t posted since September.  Most of my online activity is centered, for better or for worse, on Facebook; or for simple documenting of crochet projects, Ravelry. 

I’ll occasionally dip into Discord for the Old Gods of Appalachia channel, but seriously, most of my online time is spent on the Book of Face. 

Anyway – since I last wrote here, there have been a lot of crochet projects started, finished, put into hibernation, or just given up on.  The loom has been sadly neglected over the winter, because our basement is just too cold to work down there.   Well, and also I made the mistake of trying to do a project under a deadline, had to trash a warp, and walked away in disgust.  Now I’m about ready to tackle it again, but have decided to go back to what I know for the time being – worsted weight cotton, for placemats and table runners.  I don’t actually know anyone who doesn’t need these items, so if I end up with a surplus, I have gifts.  Then I’ll work on some DK or worsted weight cheap yarn for scarves and see what that gets me.  The fine stuff, for dish-towels, for right now  is off the schedule.  I want to enjoy the loom, not want to chop it into kindling.  

Thanks to a dear friend who decided I needed to be introduced to the world of “fancy” yarn, I am now an addict.  In addition to the five totes of acrylic downstairs, I now have a full basket of “fancy” yarn upstairs.  What is “fancy”  yarn?  Well, in my case it’s usually fingering weight, from indie dyers or brands like Malabrigo or Zen Yarn Garden.  My sweet mother-in-love got me exactly what I asked for, for Yule – a gift certificate for yarn.  She got it from Fabulous Yarn dot com, and that opened up yet MORE brands I fell in love with.  I spent the certificate on two hanks of Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 merino, in Jazzberry.  It will eventually become a shawl – probably using the Kizilkaya pattern from Andrea Cretu.  I’ve already made one thing with that pattern (Let There Be Green, my OGOA tribute)  and have it memorized.  It’s a four-row repeat and very easy to do while listening to an audiobook or “watching” TV. 

I also subscribe to Hypnotic Yarn’s monthly box, called Yarnable.  It’s been well worth the money, in my opinion. I get a full size (100 gram, about 400 plus yards usually) hank, plus goodies. Last month’s goodies were a vial of bath salts, a stitch marker, and some stickers.  In addition, I succumbed to Jimmy Beans Wool’s  Malabrigo Shawl Club.  At $14 a month, this is the best value around. I got in late, so my first three shipments all came together.  I got a Della Q. maker’s bag, my three balls of Malabrigo sock  yarn, stitch markers, etc.  With this month’s shipment I got a matching scissor pouch, complete with scissors, for the bag.  I’m also loving the jewel tone colorways they’re sending me.  I really want Jimmy Bean’s Birthday Box for my birthday.  31 days of boxes to open with yarn, notions, and more.  

One of my first forays into “fancy” yarn was with Expression Fiber Arts.  I bought her Seashell Hues and the Melody Dora Hues kits.  Seashell Hues was worked into the Free Spirit wrap by Kristina Smiley.  I’ve loved it and have worn it a lot.  But I had enough yarn left for a whole other project, so the rest of it is being turned into an asymmetrical triangle shawl, in stripes. I haven’t even wound the Melody Dora Hues set, I keep changing my mind on what pattern I want to use it for!  

Current projects?  Yes, I have them, *laugh*.  Out the ears.  But they’re getting their own post.

In other news?  I have no spoons.  Basically,  my coping mechanisms are crochet, reading, and not participating in much else.   News is just depressing.  More COVID, more rights taken away, more encroachment by the far right that wants to turn us into Gilead.  I’m so done with all of it.  But there are rants all over the internet, written by far more eloquent voices than mine, so I will express my opinion at the ballot box and try not to feel helpless.

The cats are thriving.  Chris and I are doing well, avoiding COVID, and absorbed in our various projects. And for now, that’s good enough.