Grandma hobbies?!?

In the news: Young people are taking up what the media refers to as "grandma hobbies". I am a grandmother and I have hobbies, but I took up fiber arts long before I aged. I guess I was ahead of my time. No matter. I'm happy to see young people becoming interested in such activities. Besides, knitting and its cousins are reputed to fend off dementia.

The Michigan guild's monthly lecture was by a woman who wove a color gamp from naturally dyed yarn. She "foraged" for the dye materials over the course of a year (some of the foraging was in her own kitchen). Her presentation gave me an idea for what to do with the bits and bobs I have from various dye experiments, but I wanted to create something smaller and simpler than she did. Of course, I didn't have the right loom to execute my idea, so I purchased this one from Beka for around $25. A bargain!

Dyeing: I indigo dyed some clasp resist items, but didn't like how they turned out, so I redyed them. Gathering daylily blossoms to dye with. The purple basil blossoms finally gave up some color, so I poured hot tap water into the pot to further it along. Some Cascade 220 has been divided into smaller skeins for dyeing with (once it is mordanted).
Knitting: I finished the second set of tie-dyed dishcloths. Some progress on the socks.
Spinning: Still Tour de Fleecing.
Weaving: Added a single crocheted edging to the selvages of the Neapolitan scarf; debating on what to do about the fringe. I actually worked on the log cabin towels, but I need to do something more about the tension - sigh.

There is a website to check out if you inherited unfinished objects or would like to help others in that boat. It's called Loose Ends. I have no experience with it, but it sounds like a great idea.

How to get something done

The Maiwa online classes give the students three (3!) years access to the class materials. I know of at least one person who finished just under the deadline. I didn't want to be that person, so I committed to providing the weaving guild with a January Zoom program on my indigo journey. I will probably have an encore performance for the spinning guild as well. That is one way to keep on keepin' on.

Dyeing: I dyed some indigo - bound resist examples - and prepped more cloth. I also plucked blossom clusters from the purple basil and soaked them in water, to see if any color leached out (it did not, despite my purple thumb, but it smelled great, unlike some soaked dye material).

Knitting: The socks continue - almost to the heels.
Spinning: I've spun or spindled everyday so far, for Tour de Fleece. Eagerly awaiting my e-spinner.
Weaving: Warped the SampleIt for a scarf, to have something to work on during the rigid heddle weaving study group, and finished the weaving; it's off the loom, to be finished someday.

Speaking of finishing, Rebecca Mezoff dropped a blog post with the question, When does a WIP (Work In Progress) become a UFO (UnFinished Object)? I would say spinning that is off the bobbin but not yet wet finished, or a weaving that is off the loom but requires some finishing work, or knitting that is off the needles but awaiting something more.

But what about those projects that are languishing, that spend years on the needles, for example, abandoned for all intents and purposes? I have a few of those, but many more UFO's just laying around, taking up space (physically and mentally). How about you?

It's not fair

My schedule finally opens up, and what happens? I get sick, with an ear infection that is not responding to treatment. Over a holiday weekend, no less. Not fair! I'm not letting it totally incapacitate me, though.

I'm still able to keep up with watching/reading the indigo lessons, and today I have actually started the banana vat. It will need to sit overnight, so that gives me time to add resists to some of the fabric pieces provided in the kit.
Dyeing: See above. My SO made these resists for me.

Knitting: The Quirky socks are on their way; I knit on them while listening to Wiser than Me podcasts.
Spinning: I decided to participate in Tour de Fleece this year, and work up all that murky roving that I have been re-blending. Today is day 1.

Weaving: I checked the warp for the log cabin towels and fixed a couple of things; it's tied on and I'm ready to actually weave.

Hope you have a happy 4th!🧨🧨🧨