Still no Spinning Mojo

Still no spinning mojo.  This hasn't stopped the browsing and lusting for support spindles.  So far I have been successful in holding off.  Kiko the cat was diagnosed with cholangiohepatitis and generated some vet bills.  I felt so sorry for her, she looked so sick and couldn't eat.  She was strong enough to reject her medicine, even with the Landcaster helping me.  I watched the videos of how to administer medicine to a cat and all the cats in the demo held still, did not bite and in fact just sort of lay there. Kiko was able to tuck her chin down and jerk her head back and the medicine was sprayed everywhere.  Too bad it can't be absorbed through fur and whiskers.  One of the medicines, metronidazole is reported to be one of the most evil tasting ones.She is now on a long-acting injection, which may not cover all the bacteria that can infect the bile ducts. How she is improving and seems like a happy cat now. Always the finicky eater, she looked at her usual food and walked away as if to say, "How dare you feed me that stuff that made me sick!!"  I went to the pet store and bought an assortment of cat junk food to try.  She would eat Greenies.  Then found a wet food she would eat, although not with gusto.  Then discovered Instinct Raw mixers.  If I sprinkle this on her food, she goes crazy.  Blood test in a week or so.  Fingers are crossed.  

I had a sweater's worth of Beaverslide in Glacier Shadow.  I was thinking Starmore's St. Brigid.  The more I though about knitting a sweater, living in Hawaii, with global warming and all, I thought hats, maybe to donate to somewhere in the frigid north.  I used up six skeins so far.  List clockwise

1.  Lake Reed by Asita Krebs from Sidispinnt.   I love this pattern and have made several

2.  Palm readers, New Moon inspired Alice Cullen fingerless mittens by Nancy Fry from Vampire Knits.  These have gone off to my sister in the frigid north.  

3.  Bellevue Mittens by Elizabeth McCarten, Ravelry.  I struggled with these for some reason.  

4.  Merry by Amanda Schwabe from a k n i t i c a.  If you like cables, this was a fun knit.  I have pompoms to add yet.  

5.  Hat Not Hate Hat by Lion Brand Yarn from Lion Brand Yarn Website Patterns.  I practiced Norwegian knitting for this project learning from Arne and Carlos.  

6.  Another Bourbon by Thea Colman from Baby Cocktails.  Another fun cably hat from Thea Colman.  

7.  Beshert Chapeau by Jill Horwich.  This a fun, easy crochet stitch.   From Yarnover Chicago Downloads

I've now started on my Advent Christmas Balls from Arne and Carlos.  Arne says he can knit one in one hour.  I take longer, and have to perfect my two color knitting.  My first three are less then perfect and I still have to steam and stuff them.  

As if the pandemic, contentious election, and California burning were not enough, my 96 yo mom got sick and was hospitalized for 5 days. It was was strange not being able to visit.  She was so confused and sick.  She finally came home and has 24 hour care.  This was a good decision for her as we could still visit her.  She had her birthday on Thanksgiving Day,  and I'm so grateful for that.  She has had a wonderful 24 hour team watching over her and my worry level has decreased.  Not covid, and I'm grateful for that too.  

Stay safe everyone.  

Sept. 2, 2020 and Still no Spinning Mojo

 Tour de France changed their dates due to the Covid Pandemic and I was going to to start spinning August 1.  Well that never happened.  I am cancelling my Tour de Fleece until the spinning mojo returns.  

Stay safe.  I wear a mask.  It's seems the least I can do. 

Stashbusting Hats

1.  Classic Beanie by Woolly Wormhead.  Tangier by Cascade Yarns ®

2.  Night Caps, 11pm by Thea Colman from Baby Cocktails. Cascade 220® Heathers by Cascade Yarns ®

3.  Jason's Cashmere Hat, by Melissa Thomson from Sweet Fiber Yarns. Worsted

by Malabrigo Yarn.

4.   Night Caps, 10 pm by Thea Colman from Baby Cocktails. Cascade 128 Superwash, by Cascade Yarns ®

5.  Classic Octopus Hat, by Molly Kent from Molly Kent's Ravelry Store.   Cascade 220® Heathers by Cascade Yarns ®

6.  Lake Reed by Asita Krebsnfrom Sidispinnt.  Shelter by Brooklyn Tweed.  Colorway buttonjar :)

7.  Night Caps, 10 pm by Thea Colman from Baby Cocktails. Cascade 220® Heathers by Cascade Yarns ®.  Mods due to running out of yarn.  Strip3 with heathers in gold and buttonjar Shelter.  

8.  Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague from Ysolda.  Tosh Sock by madelinetosh

9.  Ribbed Watchman's Hat by Channah Koppel from Channah Koppel Designs.  Shepherd Worsted Solid by Lorna's Laces

10. Ribbed Hat & Scarf (Hat) by Lion Brand Yarn.  Wool-Ease Thick & Quick

by Lion Brand.  

Long Time No See

Strange times right now. 

Corona-virus pandemic since the beginning of the year, started here in March.  We are now up to 800 cases, with 18 deaths.  Small numbers compared to elsewhere, but being an island economy the prospects of a surge are especially scary as the resources can easily be overwhelmed.  We are entirely dependent on shipping by land and sea to survive.  The economy is pretty much dependent on tourism and people travel not knowing the are ill, or even worse when they are ill.  I can only hope our state figures out a way to mitigate the influx of new cases.  Meanwhile all I can do is self-isolate, wear my mask and wash hands frequently.  I only go out for groceries when I need them.  There was a brief moment when Hawaii Farm to Car, the perfect solution for me, existed.  They have moved the pick up location to an inconvenient time and location. (sad face)

The political scene.  I have a friend who kept telling me 45 has dementia.  I didn't believe it thinking his odd way of speaking with very little vocabulary, hunting for words, and not actually answering point blank questions was a personality flaw or educational issue.  After I saw his interview with Oprah in 1988 I saw that the comparison of the man then and the man now was dramatic, the diagnosis is obvious.  Something has happened.  It's scary to think he is supposedly manning the helm.    There are so many issues that are pressing,  Black lives matter, police violence, gun violence, health care crisis, immigration, women's rights, LGBT community issues, relationships with allies and the world.  It's a lot for any person, especially one who is impaired.  Hopefully he won't be 46, and whoever that person is, they will surround themselves with the best people to help solve these problems and not fire them willy nilly.  

There is some drama going on Ravelry...a disturbance in the Force! I bet I visit Ravelry more then once a day.  I don't do any business on Raverly other then buy the occasional pattern.  It has been a wonderful place to spend time.  One day without warning, it looked different.  I read the explanation and understood the reasons behind changing certain things, but was sure glad when Classic Ravelry became an option.  A group of designers that I follow said they had disabilities that made the new design dangerous for them, causing migraines and seizures.  Wow!  What will come of it?  Hope they can make the site stop jiggling.  It may be an optical illusion, but everything seems smaller to me.  

My friends and I talk about how lucky we are to be in a stage of life where we don't have to go to work, have health insurance and income to meet our daily needs. friends and family to weather these trying times.  Of course, the eyes and ears are going, and the aches and pains...haha.

I am have been thinking about personal commitment lately.  I avoid certain types of commitment because I am afraid to fail and once I make a commitment it's all or none.  A good example is that when I joined Noom briefly, I was able to make some changes, like weigh daily and do a food diary.  A difficult thing was tell the world about my Noom journey so they could support me.  If I did not lose weight, I would be a failure and the world would know.  I know these are irrational thoughts.  So I'm taking a chance and putting this out there.  

Since I have Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy, and I am not physically able to march or demonstrate, I will knit a hat a month for the rest of year.  What my family in the frigid north do not take a fancy to, I will donate, problably to Friends of Pineridge.  Something small, but very doable.

Here's May.  Classic Beanie, Cascade Tangier

Here's June.  Musselburgh, Madeleine Tosh Sock, color way Thunderstorm. 

July should be Tour de Fleece but I'm holding off until August.
The July hat is another Lake Reed, in Shelter

by Brooklyn Tweed