This episode will upload August 8, 2026
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Warm Thanks :
Jasmin Knitmore: I really love these phone calls.
ChrisAah: PLEASE DO NOT KNIT IT IN BLACK! As for that Middle English poem…
Turbogal: “I was traveling on the train once with a knitting friend and she cut her steek on the train! There’s a challenge for you!
I wonder if the recycling group that Jasmin was speaking about is Ridwell? They recently came to the Minneapolis area and I really appreciate that they collect items thoughtfully. They have some items they collect every time, and then each pick up there is a special item that they are looking for - one that will be upcycled or recycled by a specific partner. I know they are on the west coast out in Portland, but don’t know where else they are.”
My communities: on Finch, on Reddit, on the ground in the SCV and AV, in this group.
Finch app ID is XRVW2WQW3C.
Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 12 (2026): ALL INFO IS RIGHT HERE! It's the info thread on Ravelry. Yes, I made my hotel reservation.
CHANGE: Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 12 is scheduled for Nov 7, 2026.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
This is a Developing thread, so check back often.
Don't forget the Bloodroot tee fashion show
Registration for CFR 12 (2026):
Via Paypal to Dr. Gemma at gemmadw AT yahoo.com
Payment is due at time of registration and is NOT refundable.**
Sign-ups begin Sept. 1, 2026
Loretta 1031 left a message about donations for her crocheting club for school kids. This still applies!
What's On My Hooks and Needles:
In Progress:
Stash toss 2026 (27 in, 83 out)
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.
It's crocheted and has been on my Rav projects page for months. I’m done the second torso piece and I've sewn it all together. On the left arm! That will leave the bottom ribbing section and some fixes on the bottom of the other arm.
A
great video by The Shetland Trader on steeking armholes for stranded -pattern vests. A
fine discussion of reinforcing and cutting a steek by Brooklynn Tweed. You do put underarm stitches on a stitch holder. You do still shape the armhole per the pattern. Currently shaping the armholes as I head for the neckline.
At neck and upper armhole shapings
Bloodroot Tee: Done sleeves and just heading down the body. Hooray!
CONTRIBUTING SQUARES:
Cut a 3” x 3” square (or squares) out of any fabric – sewing scraps, old clothes, etc.
Feel free to embellish your squares, but keep in mind: they need to be able to go through a standard sewing machine (seams will land 1/2 inch from the edges) and will eventually be displayed
outside in the elements for multiple hours.
HAVE MULTIPLE SQUARES? ABLE TO SEW?
We would love the help! Sew squares together into blocks using 1/2 inch of seam allowance (individual squares should be 2 inches x 2 inches once you’ve sewn them together). Most helpful would be blocks of 5 squares by 5 squares or 10 squares by 10 squares.
Mail squares to:
PO Box 19068
Minneapolis, MN 55419.
If you’re part of an impacted community and aren’t able to contribute a square, we invite you to send a word, phrase, name, or symbol to
mnquiltproject@gmail.com, and a member of the Project will add it to a square for you.
Dizzy Blondes: nope.
Using the electric eel 6.1.
Strategy: staying cool: fasting, ketorade, indoor exercise, hydration, night-prepping meals, batch prepping, night chores, early to bed, early to rise, setting up tomorrow’s cold drinks in the evening, early/late laundry
AW shoot! Bike desking , 3-4 miles/day
Fluffy Books:
Something I Really Like: programmable house—lights, thermostat, ring camera, cat feeder and fountain
Put a Lid on It: In a pint jar: ketorade
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
Custard in the IP—the recipe:
4 egg yolks
3 tbsp swerve or similar sweetener
1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
3/4 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
1. Whisk all ingredients together.
2. Strain the mixture and pour into 3 ramekins or cups that will fit into your pot together. (You can double the mixture and stack the cups if they fit. Try half-pint canning jars.)
3. In instant pot, add 1.5 cups water to bottom and place trivet in bottom.
4. Cover each pot with aluminum foil, place on trivet.
5. Cook on high for 6 minutes. Natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick pressure release.
6. Carefully remove HOT cups from pot to wire rack and allow to cool naturally.
Blather: Quiet days of summer. Beloved Son is home, farm is quiet.
Saturday : HOT! so I went to Pasadena for the Bead and Craft show, just to get in some serious train knitting
Sunday: sushi and new yarn in Los Feliz; yet another country cotton shawl, the Red Cross reward shirt lands!
Community Resources:
Skills and techniques list :
links And Minerva gets the last word: Queenie has stolen this segment, so that she can tell you that wild individualists still need community.