Febs

On a side street eating February ice cream cones in the rain, mine a crunch coat, yours a butterscotch dip.

Not going to lie we eat as much ice cream in winter as we do in summer, what’s unusual is we’ve been having spring like days in the 50s most of February, when we still should be frozen knee deep in snow.

This is all I’m really doing right now- something simple, linen stitch, no pattern.

Three shawl afternoon – the other two are the Romney Kerchief left and the Minai Shawl bottom right.

This color is extremely popular with me.

School Pictures (cat version)

Mae Mae a year in and she is still adjusting in one of the most important ways, learning to love Alexa. It’s been rough for these two, all Lex wants is to pet, snuggle and kiss this little grumpy kitty and mae isn’t having any of it. We’ve tried so many things to help them be friends, like having Lex be the treat giver, the soft food server, the playmate (mae will take treats, eat and play with her, but in the next breath is grumbling and hissing). We are currently using a Feliway diffuser, it works by emulating the natural pheromones released by a mother cat to help calm her kittens, it comforts and reassures scaredy cats reducing their stress response. We have it by her favorite hangout, so she can go get a hit if she starts having big feelings. Fingers crossed.

What’s worse is she is obsessed with Jason and I, purring at the sight of him, gazing up lovingly as he walks by, weaving through his legs as he stands in the kitchen, scrambling to her favorite tower as he leans in the entryway just so she can get in close and get held, or she’s following me around the house, then screaming “hello” when she can’t find me, climbing into my arms like a rubbery baby, getting up in my face shushing me with her paw (gross) if my voice gets loud, and when it’s time for bed, tucking herself in between us. I mean yeah, she gives attitude to everyone at times, she’s a tortie, you can definitely tell she misses being a wild girl. Current nicknames include: big girl, little bitch lasagna (kiki was the original bitch lasagna), beelzebub but drop the bub and say baby – beelzebaby. Oh and snake lady.

♡

delayed start

January happened, but did it tho? It’s now February so let’s begin.

I have to go through this space every few months just to reacquaint myself, organizing in here is part irregular shapes tetris and part reckoning what I have, with what will actually get used.

In a completely unlike me move, I finally opened my precious Beam Paints Good Dreams Gouache Set, it’s the cutest birch wood cookie palette ever!

Underappreciated little things corner.

Over the weekend we did it again, we sorted all afternoon, I found the real missing box of patterns (the one with the apron patterns I talked about in this post). I donated a dress form I had since my early 20s, it was one of my first big adult sewing purchases and hadn’t been out of storage in 20+ years. It was a weird moment for me, realizing whatever emotional tie it held was finally gone, because every other time we’ve sifted down the artroom stuff, it was never a question, it stayed and this time, it was one of the first things I knew I was ready to let go of. It makes me smile at the thought of another fat maker flipping out at the thrift store when they come across it!

More crochet hooks, why not, these are a (now retired) special edition clear glitter hook that I bought back in 2022.

I don’t often buy full sets and even when I want to I manage to not.. somehow I have two L’s and no N ..lol, sighs.

I’m such a chump for anything glittery.

My life at the moment is artificially pink. I jumped in on a test knit (it’s been years) and the morning was spent winding yarn and listening to my spotify daylist titled soft cinnamon twee.

..I had to look up twee..

twee • \TWEE\ • adjective. : (chiefly British) affectedly or excessively dainty, delicate, cute, sentimental or quaint. 

..I guess that’s pretty accurate.. 💕

Accidental milk inspired colors – vanilla, strawberry and coffee. Yes, my coffee is mostly milk, well heavy cream to be exact and I know I’ve added enough when it reaches that exact beige color, it’s almost a science.

So that’s the yarn, that’s the test, it’s my first time doing modular knitting and I’m making it work with stash. I wasn’t a sweater knittter when I began knitting and buying yarn, so I have a lot of singles and doubles to use up, and modular knitting seems perfect for that.

Last days of 2023

Years into working on my beekeeper’s quilt and I’m beginning to doubt I will ever finish, it still gets pulled out from time to time and I will occasionally make a puff or two, but mostly I just sit and think of it fondly.

Knitting the last something or other of the year with two cherished (deep stash) skeins.

One skein for increases, and the other for decreases. I want this to be that simple, but I have to use a row counter to keep track of them, it’s the worst part.

We’ve packed away the holidays and put the house back together, all of which poops little mae mae out ..and me too I guess.

That time I knit a cult scarf in like 2 days, look at me heading out of 2023 like a wrapped piece of candy.

p.s “that time” was literally yesterday and today.

Pattern: Sophie Scarf by PetiteKnit.

Yarn: Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe (dye code k718 / circa 2012).

A little year end wrap up of just enough.

I’m nothing if not consistent, at least when it comes to wool, bags and badges in my sad girl soft palette. I don’t mind really, at least you always know what you’re getting with me.

♡