I tried a new dyeing experiment, so a few branches of an eucalyptus tree are a bit shorter:
Although the dyebath looked a bit like strong coffee or tea, it yielded what I consider a fairly insipid yellow. I was hoping for at least an honest khaki.
In addition, all of the children objected strongly to the smell. It's a dye worth heating outside.
Cobblestone is growing apace. Still life with sweater and treadmill:
It's actually a few inches longer today. I'm loving this knit. Really, the yarn, Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed, is so nice and such an honest wool that it's a treat to hang out with, sort of the same way that digging can be satisfying. I plan to have it done by my sister's 40th birthday, and it will, actually, come in handy. Summer evenings here can be downright cold. While I don't think the short row section will be the blissful coasting that the body is, I'll manage. Waist shaping -- either with or without nipping in the side garter details -- will be happening.
As is regular working out. I'm not hitting the treadmill five times a week, as I'd hoped, but I'm not flaking out completely either. Just like putting one stitch on needles after another, it has to yield results in the long run. Like endless stockinette, nothing exciting yet.
And Thing 1 headed off to Seattle today with her Ultimate team.
I'm happy for her, and sad that I can't go, but sitting on the sidelines in sleet and rain and perhaps even snow doesn't seem as attractive as running madly after a Frisbee under the same conditions, and that's saying a lot. My lack of angst about her departure isn't a huge surprise to me; I'm not the overly-angsty type. She'll probably have a good time, and she's in safe and caring hands. Her growing independence is, as far as I can see, a wonderful illustration of the young woman she's becoming. As is the reminder that she's always been, in striking ways, her own person.This haircut, for example, was all her own idea. She seems to be enjoying it, and relied on both practical and aesthetic reasons for it. She loved shocking her friends yesterday.
I look forward to parenting her actively for a while and then transitioning to a more partner/supporter role. Goodness knows I have enough years of active involvement ahead of me with the others. And any kid in my house who wields a sponge with efficacy can wear their hair any way they want.
9 comments:
Did the dyebath smell just eucalyptus-ey? Or worse even? Too back about the yellow, but it's a nice yellow in the picture, kind of soft. :0)
Love the Cobblestone! And glad to hear you like that particular yarn, I've just been eyeing some up here online, but wasn't sure how it would actually FEEL.
Thing 1 is SO cute! I think she and C. would get on so well... Maybe someday, huh?
Isn't it bittersweet to see them/experience them pulling away? Nice to see all those hard hours when they were little ones is really paying off. :)
Thing 1 is adorable in her new haircut. I hope she has a fabulous time in Seattle!
At work a few weeks ago we had some colleagues in from around the country and we took them on an open air tour of the City.
As we were driving through Golden Gate Park one of them cries out, "What IS that smell? It smells like cat pee!"
And I reply, "Oh, those are eucalyptus trees"
eucalyptus tree scent reminds me of being a kid in San Diego but maybe boiled it's not so nice.
Funny, that is my exact same policy on haircuts around here! And not only that but Purl is paying her own way now, so who am I to tell her what to do? You seem lucky though - Purl has gone a bit Labyrinth with her hair, which seems all the go around here! Bits sticking out everywhere!
Eucalyptus can be a bit overpowering. I seem to remember having to drink 'gum leaf tea' on camp once. Yuck! Just eucalyptus leaves in hot water!
Hmmm, the eucalyptus dyeing experiment is disappointing. Good aromatherapy, though :)
Thing 1 looks so grown up! Hope her Ultimate goes well.
I like your still life. Knitting need not be a sedentary activity.
Hmmm, the eucalyptus dyeing experiment is disappointing. Good aromatherapy, though :)
Thing 1 looks so grown up! Hope her Ultimate goes well.
I like your still life. Knitting need not be a sedentary activity.
She looks so grown-up with the new haircut! She's clearly growing up well, though. Anything that shows a teenager cleaning without a total sneer on her/his face is beautiful to me. :) Of course, she's beautiful, anyway.
You mean you knit while on a treadmill? Now that's a picture I want to see.
I love T1's hair -- she does look so grown-up. I always loved the non-girly charm she has.
While I think the eucalyptus yellow is nice, according to my book you are supposed to chop up the leaves and cook it up pretty intensively, three to four hours... The unpredictibility of natural dyeing is what appeals to me though! I have to go find some eucalyptus and try.
Seattle was great lots of snow & plenty of flying snowballs
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