7 September 2017

Fall is the time of year I enjoy dying yarn! Not sure why, perhaps it's because Fall is the beginning of the wearing of wool! It's more exciting to me than the start of the Christmas season is to many others.   This 'wool wearing' season is not commercialized, a matter of fact very few people but knitters are aware of the season starting. But it truly is a season marked on all knitters calendars.

Yesterday I drove some back roads looking for Black Eye Susan's for the dye pot. I needn't travel far at all before finding a safe place to park and walk the road picking the flowers. Both flower and stems will be simmer for their colors, though separately and then titrated for that perfect color. Also started was a gallon jug of water and rusty iron pieces that Eric found in his work room-so exciting. Last year I dyed some yarn and it turned out way to BRIGHT yellow and I need it to be toned down...a lot! Reading, I found to use the color purple or ferrous sulfate in a post after bath pot to calm a bright yellow down to something useable. We are going to try the ferrous sulfate post bath. (wish me luck).

Sweet B was so interested in the bugs that came home with the Black Eye Susan's. However, we could not identify the yellow/black beetle like bug. Anyone know the name of this creature?, please let us know. 

Lists, making daily, weekly, monthly- list seems to be the way many people stay on top of their day. List for kids, meals, 'to do,' knitting/quilting projects...the lists go on and on. I have never been a  list maker. Oh, I have made lists only to not remember where my lists are to refer to them. When my son entered 7th grade the first supply on his 'list' was a day timer to make more lists on. I refused to get him one, believing no 7th graders life should be that busy he can't remember the things that need to get done. After about 2 weeks of school he came home and said: 'Mom, I need that day timer or I have to go to detention until I get one.' I bought him a day timer after writing a letter of complaint to the school ;-\. Around Christmas, I came across his day timer and saw he had no list written, no homework assignments, football practices, nor first dances' scheduled in his day timer- he only had pictures he drew during classes! This kid is an exceptional artist too. I was so proud of him, he didn't need to make lists to get his work in on time, show up to football practice, he knew when the Fall and Christmas dances were, my boy had 'just the right pace' in his life!

I now find myself in that time of life where I can't remember what I was going in a room for or what I was going to make for dinner! Yup, you guessed it, I now make lists and they are kept in the kitchen on counter or table to be seen every time I walk past them. My days are not busy, but I am easily distracted and need to be kept on track for a more satisfying, productive day, (also less frustrating to Eric. He makes lists too, always has.)

Oh dear, another sign of 'aging!' 

My list today

Walk

Chicken for dinner

Wash sheets (if smoke clears out to line dry)

finish the Black Eye Susan dye pots

Quilt this afternoon

Read

Smile and be grateful