Ukraine

My ancestry is truly mixed. I am Lithuanian, Polish, German, Russian, Scotch-Irish (hillbilly – I reclaim that shit), and Ukrainian. Half of me is Jewish (secular, thanks for asking).

Today, I’m thinking about Ukraine.

For millennia, Ukraine has been taken over by its neighbors (like, say, Russia) because you can grow things there. It’s been known as the “bread basket of Eastern Europe” for a reason. It is an independent nation again at last. As of today, February 24, 2022.

What will it be tomorrow? Most likely Russian territory, if one man has his way. Someone – don’t expect me to say his name – has decided that the Soviet Union is coming back, and he’s the man to do it.

This happened before, in 2014. Russia got away with “liberating” Crimea. Now they’re going to “liberate” the rest of Ukraine. And he will get away with it again, just like before. I know our President is doing his best, and I trust him, but there are a lot of innocent humans who will suffer and die before this is over.

My father’s grandmother was Ukrainian. I am grieving for her country. If you are able to donate, please do so. Here is one place to donate: Mutual aid for East Ukraine. I have donated to a fund set up by Madame Pamita: Fundraiser for Ukraine.

Comments, as always, are moderated and will be approved when I am able.

A Room Full of 2s

Today is 02/22/22. It’s also not gotten over 10F today. A good day for spinning.

I spent my day chatting and cussing like the tiny sailor that I am, like I do 5 times a week. Not so many people are asking about Covid tests now. I guess the Pandemic is Over.

I’ve been working on another Arkenstone Hat with some spindle-spun CVM. I made one of those for my Mom the Giftmas before last, and she said she really liked it. It’s going to be warm. Which is just the thing for this week, even though it’ll be done around May-ish.

The Arkenstone. Yeah, that one.

A New Pair of Socks

So, this is what I’ve been working on this month. And they’re done.

It’s just a pair of plain, stockinette-stitch socks, based on a formula in Custom Socks: Knit to Fit Your Feet. They were made with a sock blank dyed by GamerCrafting Yarns – Xmas in the ‘Burbs.

These socks kept me alive for this past month. No joke, no exaggeration. My day job is increasingly stressful. The past 3 years have revealed just how big of a bunch of…jerks humans can be. This helps. I feel like I’m saying that more and more, as the pandemic drags on.

A Plain Pair of Socks

I did make a couple of Feathers bookmarks (from the pattern by Red and the Wolf Designs) over New Year’s weekend. But these were the first things – like big projects – that I made in 2022. Or, more accurately, am making.

Yeah, it’s a sock.

It’s made out of a sock blank from GamerCrafting Yarns called “Xmas in the ‘Burbs. So far, the leg has taken the green part of the blank, and I’m on my way to the red part now.

More of a sock

Since I’m no longer on Ravelry, I’m going to try to document my knitting and spinning here much more often.

My new go-to pattern is from the book Custom Socks Knit to Fit Your Feet by Kate Atherley. The socks all fit well, and the math’s not as bad as you might think. That’s what I’m working on now, and am halfway through the foot on Sock #1.

I’m fighting a pretty serious depressive episode, and haven’t touched my wheel or spindles since December. We’ll see how that goes.

Happy “New” Year

It’s a new year, with the same old…same old.

We are still going through a pandemic that we’ve learned so much about. In fact, we’ve learned so much that the idea that our approaching a million dead in the US is party time. Apparently. I’m only being a little sarcastic.

My day job is going along. I’m numb for 5 days a week, 8-10 hours a day. People bring us their problems and we care up to the limit of our corporate policies. Maybe 5 years is the length of time anybody can work in this job. Also there’s the matter of my being the same age of one of my late coworkers. It’s been a lot.

I’d like to say that knitting, crochet, embroidery and (best of all) spinning have saved my life. But I can’t. I’ve made a grand total of one bookmark

The Butterfly bookmark by Red and the Wolf Designs, in mulberry-colored handspun wool. 01/01/2022

and one crocheted wrap that I’m embarrassed to show at the moment.

BabyGoth was home for about 4 weeks from college. There are now two crocheters in our house.

She decided she was going to make a baby blanket for a friend of her freshman year roommate. It’s done, and it looks amazing. Single crochet with chenille yarn and 3 different colors. Now she’s gotten hooked (I wish I was sorry, but no) on making crocheted blankets. I couldn’t be more proud.

For this year? Survival, my darlings. Just survival.