Friday, July 4, 2025

Episode 240: At Last



This episode will upload July 5, 

Comments are welcomed! Either comment here or go to our group on Ravelry.

Buy Dr Gemma a Ko-Fi, if you're enjoying the podcast and feeling up to it. Remember that I am still working, though, so feel free to give the money to a charity instead.

I will NOT add you to any of my follower groups currently, due to robo-accounts. Please follow me here. You can contact me through our group on Ravelry or on this blog.

Warm Thanks : 
Turbogal: first for attending the protests in Saint Paul, despite the shootings and for your very moving comments about the Hortman’s and the Hoffman’s. Second, for acknowledging my comments on it.
AnnMcGee and AmyStorm: for your assistance in finding the yarn and crafting places in Ventura and Carpinteria. I am pleased to know that I can easily walk from the train station (thank you both) in Carp to Roxanne’s. I did not get the chance on this trip and I will talk about the trip later, but I really appreciate the help! I also want to thank Amy for Fabrictown and Super Buzzy. I have always wondered about both stores as Resources and I appreciate your help! And then you tell me about the bookstore and coffee shop! I must silently scream because I missed them!
And a big chirpy welcome to Kimmel and her finch Everwill! I think it’s cool that you also share your daughter’s goals. Nice parenting!

My community: in Finch, on Reddit, on the ground in the SCV, in this group.


Forthright and Courage, my 2 finches, are hanging out together today, dancing in Rome.
 Finch app ID is XRVW2WQW3C.

Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 10 (2024): ALL INFO IS RIGHT HERE! It's the info thread on Ravelry. Yes, I made my hotel reservation.
Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 11 is scheduled for OCTOBER 11, 2025. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

What's On My Hooks and Needles:

Finished:
Senator Elizabeth WarrHen, ESC 3



In Progress:

 Stash toss 2025 (56 in, 26 out):  no new yarn. Hooray! 

Virgo sweater: onto the sleeves! Started a sleeve.

Doing the sides, all the blocks are joined. Done up the side panels. Thinking of the liner, digging out an old flannel sheet.

Lakeside cardigan : Remaining: 1 set of front on panels, each is 2x2, weaving those ends, attaching, then major remaining seams.

September Sweater: It's crocheted and has been on my Rav projects page for months. 225 to 150 chain. But YES! I have finally started the second big piece as my train project. It’s here with us on vacay.

I decided to do the tiny pieces first. Assembling  the body.


Alfresco Swatching:

Quilt squares and organizing—none this week—we are at 69 finished so far. 10 more in the early stages.

Dizzy Blondes: finally finished spinning, my second braid of camel hair silk, which is mainly a kumquat color with a little bit of purple in it. On to the kumquat colored Lisa Souza BFL.

Using the electric eel 6.1.

Strategy: plan your breaks

GreenFingers: generally, nothing new here.
 Project Spearmint: I have some happy spearmint.

AW shoot! Hiking LA: Saturday & Sunday: not this weekend 
Running gear check II: jog bra (Old Navy—check support level), race shirt, GoPro 7 Silver with micro SD card and subscription to transmit to cloud, running shorts from Dick’s Sporting Goods or leggings or bike shorts from RRS or Old Navy.

Upcoming:

Red White and Blue 5K July 6, 2026

Mountain Gallop: August 16, 2025

Be The Light 5K: Sept 21, 2025:





Fluffy Books: 

And also listening to My Lady Jane (morbidly funny). And at night: Finished Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries. 
Working on India Holton’s The Geographer’s Map to Romance

Something I Really Like:  Becker’s Dry Goods on Etsy. Environmentally friendly toilet sachets 

Project back episodes on Proton- episodes 141-180 of the original series are up for the month of July

Put a Lid on It: pigging out in Ventura
The return of the electrolyte drink! Ketorade!
In a pint jar:

Juice of half a lemon
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar 
1/2 tsp No Salt
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
5-10 drops liquid stevia
Fill rest of jar with sparkling water

Blather
It’s off to Ventura for a long weekend! 
Saturday run, then a relaxed drive after feeding the pack and setting up for time away. Saturday Dinner was Greek at the Harbor in Ventura.

Breakfast was hotel buffet—tolerable—after I made a 5:45 AM run alone to Starbucks and to the local grocery to just pick up some basic supplies for our hotel room. We are here until Tuesday afternoon. Currently, the Beloved is back at our home feeding the crowd, while the son is out biking around Ventura and I am just walking down by the marina looking for a decent cup of anything drinkable without having to attach a meal to it. 
And, oh yes, superb salad at Le Petit with the Beloved Son:

And then we hit the Santa Barbara zoo:




The boycotts: keeping the faith

LGBTQ+ LIFELINES:


I am on Bluesky as drgemma. Working on moving away from the other platforms. 

Community Resources:
Books I’ve UsedA Knit/Crochet Library on the Ravelry group for CogKnitive
My Favorite Resources to Buy: The entire list can be found right here.
Skills and techniques list : links


Calendar: 
Yarnopoly and Second Saturday Stitchers—look them up on Facebook! meet-ups on the 2nd Saturday of each month (usually)
Sit and Stitch group: 9-noon, 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month at Joanne Darcy Library in Canyon Country
SCV Free Craft exchange: Find them on Facebook. 

July 4th week off! Ventura June 28th.
Red White and Blue 5K July 6, 2026
Mountain Gallop 5K: August 16, 2025
Be the Light 5K Sept 21, 2025
Jeepers Creepers 5K: Oct 19, 2025.

CFR 11 (2025): Oct. 11, 2025. 

And Minerva gets the last word:  You heartless monsters! And, yes, the Doggos are great!






No comments: