Time keeps flying

Somehow I feel like time is moving faster and yet I’m accomplishing less. Everything seems to take so long! And I can sit at my loom, or in front of this computer, for just so long before I have to get up and move around. My bottom, back, and focus don’t last as long as they used to. I’ll tell you what I have done, completely out of chronological order, just what hits me as I sit here typing.

I have been getting some things finished. Easy peasy are the 10 bead bags for August. They work up quickly and give me a sense of accomplishment.

I do love my BuyNothing group. I got this large quantity of Mirabelle plums. I didn’t even feel piggy, as this was a small portion of the plums available.

I went online, found a few recipes for plum jam without pectin, and made 11 half-pints, 1 pint, 2 peanut butter jars, and a half-mug of Spiced Plum jam. Spiced with cardamom, ginger, and star anise. YUM.

I’m guessing that plums have a fair amount of natural pectin in them, at least when you use the skins as well as the fruit. I did add 2 grated apples, as the recipe called for. But here’s the thing…the recipes I found said to boil the fruit-sugar-spice mixture to 220 degrees. And let me tell you, that was the PERFECT temperature. This jam is better jelled than most of my jams, which are made with pectin. My canner was full so the peanut butter jars just sat on the counter and will sit in my frig. Of the 12 jars in the canner, 11 sealed beautifully.

My urban soul line dance group had our 1-year anniversary. I worked with another member of the group to package 16 raffle baskets and 8 door prizes, making them all look beautiful. They included everything from handbags to scratch-off lottery tickets, tequila to barbecue tools. I was happy to donate two of my handwoven towels that went into baskets with other items. 🙂

Another reason I love my BuyNothing group. Members were so grateful to receive the August hugs. It’s such a pleasure to hand them over, being able to look into people’s faces and hear little bits of their stories. Here are the August hugs. I used what I call a huck-ish weave structure for them. (For you weavers out there, I threaded for huck and treadled just half of the lace blocks.)

The first one has a space-dyed weft that is a blend of rayon & cotton and is sort of a boucle and sort of a flake. An interesting yarn. The kind that I prefer or warp, but I used it here for weft. While not my personal favorite, it was scooped up first. 🙂

This one has a Tencel weft, also treadled in half-huck.

And the last is a 20/2 cotton weft, doubled. Treadled plain weave.

As I was finishing them, realizing how much I am *not* getting accomplished, I saw that November will be upon me before I know it. The Weavers’ Guild’s annual sale is in early November, and towels are great sellers there, so I needed to get on the stick and weave towels. I really was in the mood to weave more circles, but I didn’t have colors that moved me. So I switched gears to another well-liked draft – 728 from Strickler for you weavers. I got a warp measured and threaded yesterday.

I also really want to make some more paper for cards to sell at the sale, too. Small items go quickly. But so does time. We’ll see what I can actually accomplish.

Finally, I hemmed and listed a shawl in my Etsy shop that’s been sitting in my house for too many months waiting for me to get motivated.

Oh yeah, and I want to weave a rayon chenille shawl or two to send to the Copper Shop Gallery to sell.

I’ve gotta go spend some time with my little dog now. He’s feeling neglected.