bee creative

finish is a strange thing

A late start today.

I am off work for the day and took an early morning nap.

And there are distractions.

Widget discovered a flock of birds outside the window.

Each time there is a gust of wind the flock flew up and then came back down.  This went on for about 30 minutes.

She would have been a good barn cat.

Finish is such a strange thing when considered.

It can mean being done with something in it's entirety (which I don't really believe in) or finishing a step, using something up.

Today I am setting myself a goal to finish 10 things. 

It could be as simple as finish this ball of yarn on the insomnia blanket.

(I work on this throughout the day, but it remains my go-to for early morning knitting.)

Or finish assembling this.

10 things because I don't want  it to be too easy to accomplish or impossible to well...

finish.

 

open house, day seven

A few seasonal favorites... Sorry for the ads.

 

 

And a current favorite that I would sneak into the playlist...

 

Anyone have a favorite to add to the playlist?

journal keeping

Current journal goals:

1. Reclaim a 2019 daily diary that was partially used as a work log as my current journal.
2. Let go of worrying about tidiness or it looking pretty or my handwriting being legible.
3. Let it be a keeper of many things...memorabilia, words, images, doodles, practice sketches, recipes, news headlines, quotes, lists, pattern ideas. Dump it all in there let the ideas layer and mesh and talk to each other.

Layering images digitally seems like a way to journal too...

I think I am going to print this and add it back into the journal.

And I will make more.

considerations

Pockets do better if they are reinforced.

This one hides a bleach mark.

Blue enough?

I think so.

Original plan was to be a poncho.

I think it would be better as a blanket.

Okay.

Have to consider where the bright stripes land.

Might need to dye more yarn.

 

two things

Insomnia knitting.

Sometimes altering the colors makes it seem more true.

I am hoping that I won't be working on this again at 3 AM but I probably will.

Lots of rain today.

6 bleach stains and counting: the COVID wardrobe

There are those who get to wear PJ's or casual clothes (a house dress?) if working from home, those who have uniforms, others who are business as usual and then some of us who have to decided how much of our wardrobe to sacrifice as we go of to work...

Bleach marks on clothing have always been a reality working at a childcare. It's much riskier now though, the recommended dilution has changed from one that didn't leave marks to 4 tablespoons of bleach per quart of water. And we are making up a lot of bleach dilution.

The joke around work is we need t-shirts that say "Bleach happens."

The majority of us choose to buy second hand clothing for work (considering budget and the general risk factors to clothing from young children). I also wear the things I've made.

Last week was bad...two more items with bleach spots.  This is not sustainable.

Solutions include:

• Only wear things that currently have bleach stains until the bleach to water ratio changes. It would be a uniform of sorts. A capsule wardrobe. 
• Make a set of aprons or smocks just for work. I would need a fresh one each day as it would have to be washed daily.  Having no dryer, I would need at least three.  Might as well stick with the "everything with bleach on it already" plan.  (I do already have one smock for emergency purposes.)
• Continue to mend anything that is a problem. Cut sleeves shorter, shorten dresses into tunics by making a seam that removes a bleach spot, add more pockets, dye things so that bleach spots blend in and so on.
• Add more bleach as a design element.  This isn't a great choice since using the minimum amount of bleach is a good environmental goal.
• Use markers to color in spots so that they aren't noticeable (a black sharpie for black clothing is a classic solution at work).

I am also considering something else... embracing the mark and make a heart patch or a label for each item of clothing with bleach on it... Essential worker, COVID 19. 

It's time to see the mark left behind as one of effort, not a stain.

 

holding things together

1. Everything's okay (that's for Mom).
2. It's been a very long week.
3. Always thankful for a knitting or stitching project, it's space to breath.
4. Phrase most often said this week: "If you want me to remember this, write it down."
5. Lists help immensely when things get busy.
6. The best thing about an on-line conference is being able to stay in pajamas and knit or sew during the presentation without feeling guilty.
7. I am grateful the "murder" hornets weren't found in my backyard. Or next door. Or within 5 miles of me. Bad enough they are in the same county.  Doubt it will effect the property values much though.
8. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" is absolutely going on the "GOOD Enough COVID 19" quilt. So is "deep breath."
9. The sauerkraut isn't growing any mold and is bubbling away nicely.
10. It's been a very long week.  Oops, I already said that...

prepare

1. Drying Calendula on top of the dehydrator before adding it to oil for salve making. A little sage too.

2. Chopping carrots to put in the dehydrator.

3. Step one of sauerkraut. 

not quite the "to-do" list

There was a lot of knitting this weekend, tangled yarn, tangled thoughts, chickadees, and soup. Also a couple naps.

Squash + onions + broth + pumpkin seeds toasted in olive oil + salt and pepper

reflecting

This morning, while journaling, I wrote, "If I added a finger to my hand I'd be able to count on one hand the places I've been since March."

It's not quite true, the count was eight when I really started considering.

Still, eight places in 6 months.

Today I spent a very wonderful few hours at my brother's, one of the eight places. 

(The other places: work, the grocery store, the farm store/pet store, the farm stand near work, buying a car, and getting a hair cut.)

It couldn't have been a more beautiful day.

I've had this fabric in my stash for a couple months.

There was no resisting. 

It will be the perfect fabric for the other side of my "Good Enough" quilt which I've renamed "GOOD enough COVID 19."

I keep making little paper boats and calling them life boats....