Then The Socks…

Thinking out loud…

I did not make those socks.  They fit.  And so far, none of my knitted socks have actually fit me.  Originally, I just wanted to figure out how it was done–to  follow directions of a somewhat inexplicable nature, and end up with a sock.  It didn’t matter so much to me that they were too big and floppy .

It bugged me a bit that they didn’t come out the same size (I seem to have difficulty getting two of anything to come out the same size).  But after a couple of pairs that could not be comfortably worn inside shoes, I decided I did not DO socks.

Lately, during one of those strange mid-night circular thinking episodes–you know, where you keep turning over a problem for which you never arrive at an answer–I distracted myself with thinking of socks.  The sudden urge to make well fitting socks seemed vitally important.

In the light of day, I remembered the frustration of poor fit.  I remembered my hands gripping the needles so tightly that my thumbs ached, and I remembered the pair that would not stretch onto my feet.  But the urge to knit a sock that fit, to master the darn thing was strong.  My answer to the unanswerable was to study up on socks.

Studying turns sock making into sock architecture.  It involves diagrams, and math, and measurements, and the relationships of those maths and measurements to the moon and the stars.  There is a thing called negative ease.  I’d never thought of that.  I overwhelmed myself with information and decisions and figuring, and what if I’m doing it wrong? and on and on.  It was like squeezing my brain to understand it all.

I just want to make a sock–well, two socks, and hopefully of similar size.  I know myself–I just have to jump in and DO it.  I just have to start.

I can start at the toe and work up.

I can start at the top and work down.

I can work two at a time, step by step, to help me remember what I did when and where.  I can knit a sock.

But, it turns out this isn’t really about socks.  It is about tackling something I can actually do something about.  It’s about taking my overwhelmed and chaotic thoughts and making sense out of them.  It is about trying to understand and master a technique, a problem, a skill.  It is about finding answers.

And then the urgency of this sock making impulse becomes clear to me.  Coping, it is how I am coping with all that I cannot control.  It is how I keep my balance in an unbalanced time.

First the pizza, then the socks….

One step at a time.

 

First the Pizza, then the socks

Thinking out loud…

Pizza.  Pizza is an elemental thing.   There is no real substitute.  It must be pizza, well made, well baked pizza.  In our neck of the woods, we have a beloved pizza place, Maltby Pizza and Pasta.  It was the last restaurant we visited before the shelter in place directives went into effect—that was about 2 months ago (it seems much longer).  We have missed their pizza in a big way.  A BIG way.

And so begins the story of our quest for pizza, home made pizza.  A further preface, we have a pizza stone in our oven—over the years it has been well used, resulting in pretty good pizza, but lately the pizza stone has been idle because Maltby Pizza became our favorite.

I have yearned for that pizza–out of reach for the time being.   Then I found 4 packets of old yeast in my spice drawer….note the expiration date–2018.

So, I decided to give it a test and see if it was still active.  I didn’t hold out much hope–2 years past expiration is significant.  In fact, I did two separate tests using two of the four packets…

It’s ALIVE!!  So I got my mise en place!!  I am no slouch at mise en place!

Our hopes were riding high as they came out of the oven.

I know, it looks fab!  But…the crust was disappointing, really.  Just too bready!  It did not have that pizza crust tang.   Bummed me out!

Then, a few days later, Jim took up the gauntlet! I asked him to photo document his experiment…  Then I stayed out of the kitchen.

While doing some research on line for pizza dough recipes, he found a recipe that proves overnight in the fridge, and since this yeast was a little sluggish, that seemed like a good idea.  And a longer proving results in more flavor–yes it does!

Somewhere along the line toppings occurred….

Believe me, we were eagerly awaiting our first taste.  It smelled sooo good!

This is the only only picture I got of Jim’s pizza before we devoured it.  Jim managed to save one slice for his lunch the next day.  I did not.  This pizza was so satisfying!  The crust was perfectly crisp and chewy, with really well developed yeasty flavor.  It was the real deal.  Jim’s pizza has now achieved mythic standing.  He IS the pizza man!

We have one packet of yeast left.

Plus!  We just found out our pizza place is on DoorDash for delivery!!

Oh yeah, I didn’t forget about the socks, but let’s take this time out to commemorate pizza.  First the pizza, then the socks…

 

 

 

Energy Check…Weird

Thinking out loud…

I don’t know about you, but my energy and attention have been all over the place.  Things come and go in quick bursts of enthusiasm.  I have two pair of socks in progress, one scarf, one sweater, and a list of over 100 in my Ravelry queue (read as “to do” list for those who are not familiar with Ravelry).  I plan meals with enthusiasm and fierce dedication to use everything up without wasting a single thing.  I am good at this…trust me.  I have a scrap quilt in progress on my design wall, and yarn stacks all over my work table for future color exploration.  Waste not want not.

Reading has been all over the map too, though mysteries set in particular locations seem to be winning at the moment.   Current favorite series is set in Shetland (by Marsali Taylor) and about sailing stuff.  I don’t sail…  Waiting in the wings is a stack of more substantial reads,  but I can’t get my mind to settle down to them just now.

In a way, I have made peace with this rapid energy shift.  I am letting it be that way, not fighting with it, just indulging my curiosity.  And that feels good.  I started off today to write a blog post about pizza, then that led to socks—don’t ask…I don’t know the train of thought answer to that one either.  Though I do have a lot to say about pizza.  And socks.

Instead you get my thoughts on energy, that strange powerhouse within.  I am giving mine free range at the moment, and I find it is a good thing.

Bearly There

Thinking out loud…

It is time to put away the bird feeders.

Hello, Bear!
Our visitor yesterday afternoon—a young Black Bear.  We haven’t seen one in the yard for several years, though we know they are around, getting into neighborhood garbage cans, wandering through yards.  We had heard there was a mom with two cubs out and about last summer—this must be one of her cubs.  Big enough to take down the feeders!

After he finished with the suet cakes, he made the rounds and checked out our garbage cans with a good sniff at each.   I swear the bears know the garbage pickup schedule.  We’ve seen bear tracks near our cans on pick up day.  We learned several years ago to freeze all food scraps, bagged in bio-bags, and put them in with yard waste (compost) on pickup morning.  This works!  We call them bear popsicles.

A handsome young bear.  We wish him well, and know it is time to take down the feeders.  We do live on the edge of the forest, his country too.  When he was ready, he disappeared back into the woods…

The bear pictures were taken by my husband, who grabbed his camera, and stationed himself in the sun room where he got a good view.  Thank you, Jim!

Watching the Fade…

Thinking out loud…

This is very much like watching paint dry, only much slower.  And, to me anyway, fascinating.

In 2013 I was going through my stash of commercial fabrics, and came across a collection of Yukatas and Ikats that I had purchased from Kasuri Dyeworks in Berkeley, CA (closed long ago).  My little stash of precious fabrics  had languished for years.  I must have had some time on my hands because I decided to play with them to make hangings, and not quilted (very different from my “serious” work).  I had the idea to make something similar to the “curtains” that I’d seen hanging in doorways in some of my favorite  Japanese films.  I decided to use them pretty much as the pieces existed, and not cutting them up too much–even to leaving all the edges raw so I wouldn’t lose anything in unnecessary bindings.  I wanted to SEE these fabrics!  Every single inch of them.

So I started playing…

And arranging…

I used the Ikats up first, and made two hangings to go in our bedroom…both still there and enjoyed.

Then I started playing with the Yukatas…

This last one hangs above the tub in our bathroom where it gets light from the sky light, and therein lies the story.  So here it is in 2013…

And this is today…

I told you it was fascinating!  Black fades to the most wonderful surprises.  I should say, some black fabrics.  What fades and what doesn’t is always interesting and mysterious.

For years as a textile artist, fading was something to be avoided at all costs.  The very idea of fading fabrics was daunting.  I recall a conversation with an art consultant  (when I was just starting out), who told me that buyers are investing in something and they want their investment to LAST.  I recall that I called up the old DeYoung Museum in San Francisco, and was able to talk to a conservator there.  She told me “Every art work has a life span.  For some it is very long, and for some it is very short.”  I had chosen textiles, and I figured I would take whatever comes.

I remember my first loves of quilt making were faded scrap quilts, as well as the miraculous Amish quilts, transformed by fading.  But it has taken me years to finally get comfortable with fading in my own work.

I have places in my home where I hang quilts that I want to “watch” fade–to see how long it takes (rather swiftly with commercial fabrics).  I have to admit that the fabrics I dyed with Procion MX dyes have held up rather well. But there really is no escaping the fade, eventually.

Kinda like aging.  It is like aging, but what I see now is very different from what I saw and feared many years ago.  Now I see the softening, the patina of age, the experience of aging.  And I like what I see in my favorites surrounding me.  I like seeing the story.  I like knowing the story.

Yep, kinda like aging.

Pancake Morning!

Thinking out loud…who could resist?

This guy is a keeper!  He always has been a keeper.  I hate making breakfast.  Jim LOVES it!  The last thing I want to do of a morning is make a mess in the kitchen.  Over the years our breakfast routine has evolved to a mutually pleasing arrangement.  I stay out of the kitchen, he dives in.

Best darn breakfast place in town!

This morning’s batch has cranberries, apple and walnuts, served with warm maple syrup—the real deal.

Damn, they were good!

So far so good!

Thinking out loud…

This is me…hair is getting longer and, some days, quite rebellious.  I am doing more cooking and prudent meal planning.  We are scheduled to receive our first delivered groceries today.  Though yesterday I went out to our little veg mart with mask in place to resupply the veg and milk.  So all in all, we are doing quite well.  Staying in, staying safe is the best thing we can do.

And there are quite a few things that have helped!  One I can highly recommend is The Daily Respite by Clara Parkes.  Check out her website:  claraparkes.com and scroll down to her link.  I tried putting a link in this blog post, but it is beyond me at the moment to figure out how…sigh.   But go and check out The Daily Respite—who can resist “corgi butt buns”!

Samurai movies on Turner Classic Movies.  Yesterday we watched “The Hidden Fortress“, starring Toshiro Mifune, directed by the great Akira Kurosawa.  This movie is a classic, along with the “Seven Samurai“ which is on my menu today—I recorded several movies yesterday.  I think you can get these on Netflix.

Knitting, always near by!  I have socks in progress (I am not good at fitting socks—it’s a long story of getting two of anything to come out the same size.  But I am aiming for improvement).  I am also working on a sweater, and a very easy scarf.  Then I have a long list of things I want to knit!

Books!  “Vanishing Fleece” by Clara Parkes—Clara’s adventures with  a great white bale—of wool, from fleece to yarn.   And a British Cozy mystery called “The Country Inn Mystery”, by Faith Martin.  I ride my exercise bike while reading this one.

On my list to read :  The Splendid and the Vile, by Erik Larson, about Churchill.  Jim could barely put it down!
The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel—the most recent of the Wolf Hall books, all of which have been fabulous reads.

In my yard, Spring is springing, albeit with subtlety, but it is there.  The birds are frequent visitors to the suet cake feeders, and we love greeting them every single time.

That’s a Red Shafted Flicker.  A poor picture through the screen and glass, but a gorgeous bird.

Do the things that fill you with good will and hope.  Take heart, and be kind to yourselves and one another.  I am cheering you on!

Reflections

In the 70’s…

I’m turning 73, a good age all in all.  I do not think of myself as old, older, yes.  But finding myself and hubby classified as at risk in view of the COVID-19 virus has definitely given me pause.  Let me say right off, we are definitely taking all precautions as directed, and given that, staying home is feeling kinda good.

But it has caused a shift in my awareness.  It’s a bit like saying, “oh yeah, that is true.  I am over 70.  I need to pay attention.”  So I am.

This is a time when taking care of ourselves is not selfish or indulgent, but very important.  It is doing our part to fight  this virus to the best of our abilities.  I am thinking of this big time out as a way to slow down, regain some equilibrium, recoup and refresh, and savor the simple, precious things in life.

A brave little flower blooming…

Sausage Sunday…

Maybe martinis?

A snap shot from a while ago…

Whatever “rings your chimes,” whatever makes you smile or laugh, whatever takes you to another place and time (this morning I was having “deep” thoughts about geology and continental shift—don’t ask why because I just think about what shows up…) anyway, whatever it is, it is yours to do.

Let’s keep on keeping on!  Peace and hugs to you all.