[New post] November 2023 Round-Up: Suddenly Winter
Rebecca posted: " I keep expecting some part of this fall to drag, and it keeps not happening. I can't believe it's December already. It honestly doesn't feel like much of anything is happening all month; I stay at home most of the time and the days start to blur together" Osborn Fiber Studio
I keep expecting some part of this fall to drag, and it keeps not happening. I can't believe it's December already. It honestly doesn't feel like much of anything is happening all month; I stay at home most of the time and the days start to blur together. So let me take a moment to pause, so I can recognize the beginning of one month from the next!
Home & Family
The bathroom took one giant leap in November. We spent a solid week with workers in our home. It started by asking them to install the new bathtub, but evolved into them laying a new floor and putting in our new vanity. We had hoped to install that ourselves with some help from a friend, but despite the extra cost, I'm very thankful we were able to just rip off that band-aid.
We're now at that over-the-hump stage where there are just a few more things to do, but I'm procrastinating getting them done. The walls need a couple more coats of paint to cover the plaster, the drawer pulls need to be added, and the towel racks and drying rack need to be put back up. Oh, and there are legs for the vanity. Oh, and we should get a proper new shower curtain rod. You know, that stage of things.
Regardless of the unfinished state of things, which will take us months to resolve, I'm so grateful we've been able to come this far, and for the support of the church and a generous donor that allowed it to happen. It's very humbling when you're allowed to have something nice when your livelihood is dependent on the generosity of others.
The weather continued to change at an aggressive pace this month. It had started to sink below freezing at the beginning of the month, but there was little to no snow on the ground. Now we have had blizzards, and a few nights below -30, which means plugging in the car. Climate change means not only warmer weather, but more dramatic extremes. We'll see what this winter has in store for us.
Jared did a lot of traveling, which we are growing in our ability to handle. My dad traveled a lot when I was young, which was really hard for me, so I'm working through those memories. The hardest part, of both winter and traveling, is staying present. I'm inclined to just spend way too much time on screens, which isn't good for me or our kids. I hope we can grow in our ability to actually enjoy each other this year. Thank goodness for the making we share.
In an effort to get my kids to EAT their LUNCH, I broke down and ordered them some bento boxes, and cutesy little food picks. They have really enjoyed planning these, and making them themselves when they are home. It sucks up a large portion of our grocery budget, and has meant simpler dinners, but it's worth it for more positivity around healthy food for us.
Sewing
Stringbean needed entirely new winter clothes this year. True to her nickname, her legs were much too long for her old snowpants, and too long even for the new snowpants Lorraine had made for her last year. I extended the life on these by adding long cuffs to the bottom. While they were disassembled, I added more waistband elastic and changed the trim to match the next project.
With Lorraine's help, I took apart an old parka from the thrift store and used it to draft a pattern for a new parka. This was the first parka I ever sewed. I was relieved to find that, generally speaking, I have enough sewing experience that this wasn't an onerous task. I purchased new outer fabric and trim, used the lining from the thrift store parka, and used the fur from an unused hand-me-down parka. Now my biggest baby is geared up and ready for winter!
During the big blizzard we had a couple weeks ago, while Jared was gone, Stringbean and I took on another sewing project.
This one started as a box of hand-me-down scraps sent up as a generous gift from a quilter down south. One of the bags of scraps was a collection of 2.5" squares. As I sorted them, I'm not quite sure how it happened, but the idea hatched between me and Stringbean to make a Harry Potter themed quilt. She came up with a basic design inspired by some photos we were browsing, and I helped her refine it into a complete plan.
She wanted it themed after the four Hogwarts houses. I did order one set of fat quarters in with the house themes to tie it all together, but aside from that, the whole project was made from these small squares and other scraps, leftovers, and donated fabrics.
It was the perfect opportunity to teach Stringbean how to use the machine, as those long legs can finally reach. With some help, she did probably 2/3 of the sewing to get the four-square units together. Over a few days, I assembled the nine patches that would make up the units of the quilt, and put the whole thing together. We bought some silver bias tape to topstitch on, and Stringbean likes the way it distinguishes the four quadrants.
Don't ask me when I'll get around to making a backing and quilting it. As far as I'm concerned, the project is finished for the time being. She can hang it on the wall if she can't wait.
Knitting
I have been knitting a huge amount. But most of it was on a secret project, and some on hexies.
My hexie knitting has finally caught up to my spinning, and I'm about to catch up to it on the Wool Circle. For January I'll need to prep, spin, and knit new hexies, which I'm excited about, but a little worried about finding the time for.
In between things, I managed to get a surprising distance on my Attune shawl. I got through the third ball of handspun and started the fourth. I thought I would hate this method of doing garter stitch, where you purl half the rows, but it actually breaks the garter into chunks. You notice every time you've finished four rows. I don't mind purling as much as I think I do.
I think I need to quit now, though. I wanted to use up my handspun, but I don't want it to be so large that I'm sitting on it. I'm thinking I-cord bind-off.
Spinning
I made another big chunk of holiday-themed art-yarn!
This is the "content" work for the previous and next episodes of the Wool Circle. There's corespun, spiral ply, and supercoils in there, and I had a breakthrough with supercoils that I can't wait to talk about. I am almost ready to record that episode, after which I plan to use all these to make ornaments and wreaths.
When I haven't been spinning these crazy art yarns, I've been trying to keep a faithful fifteen minutes a day. I started by spinning this silk blend, heavy on the silk, which I decided to make into a skein of wool singles. I have no idea what I'll do with it.
Since that skein was finished, I've been spinning the much less interesting-looking (but conceptually plenty interesting) qiviut blends. I finished up a 50/50 BFL/qiviut blend, and started an 80/20 cormo/qiviut blend. I'm just trying to spin an honest fifteen minutes a day.
Podcasting
It's been everything corespinning on the Wool Circle this month. Episode 105 was about the basic techniques of corespinning, and Episode 106 was about spiral plying, mostly with corespun. Next episode I'll get into beehives and supercoils.
Rachel and I recorded a new episode of the Wool n' Spinning Radio show, which is free to listen to. We took some time to reflect on the Year of Colour and this year of working together. We get into the nitty gritty of the behind the scenes of making these podcasts, which is a bit cathartic for both of us!
We've been conniving together on plans for the next year. I'm unreasonably excited about what's coming next year on Wool n' Spinning, not only because it will be super fun for members, but also because we're making some changes that will (hopefully) make it more streamlined and sustainable for both of us. THANK YOU so much for those who listen, watch, and support this work; it's a joy-filled part of my life!
Advent
It's December 1st, and Advent officially starts on Sunday. It's the shortest possible Advent this year, with the fourth Sunday being the day before Christmas!
We're not doing chocolate calendars for the girls this year; instead I'm trying something inspired by a friend of mine and doing envelopes. Each envelope has an advent colouring page, and a couple candies. The idea is for them to colour during our family Bible reading time, which I've finally successfully got rolling in the last couple of weeks. (The key for me: candles, lights out, dessert, and doing it right after dishes and before we do anything else, meaning screens).
On the less spiritual side, the girls also have a Lego Star Wars Advent calendar which Jared snagged for them on a deep discount after Christmas last year. And he surprised me yesterday with grown-up Advent calendars for us, coffee for him and tea for me. It's my first adult Advent calendar, and I feel awfully spoiled.
I have Things to Say about the current hyper-consumerist Advent calendar thing that has quite permeated our culture. I don't think the average non-church goer even knows that Advent means "coming," or "arrival," and is a reference to the first coming of Christ. Also, it's supposed to be a season of penitence, which I think has been mostly lost even in churches.
But that's also very curmudgeonly. I dislike curmudgeonliness even more than consumerism. Advent is also about anticipation of joy, and taking small moments each day to enjoy nice things can also be a way to anticipate the joy of Christmas.
I have given up engineering Advent and Christmas. I just try to influence it, and enjoy it. And today, I shall enjoy it with a cup of fancy Chai.
I hope your season of anticipating the holidays can be exactly what it is supposed to be for you. Blessings from our snowy place!
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