Month: December 2022

Last Links Of The Year

Karen

1. I don’t have it together enough to do anything like “my top posts of 2022” or “links I loved most” or “100 things that made my year” but I did save some capybaras to share. Definitely taking this vibe into the new year:

2. I also saved this poem:

I am running into a new year
Lucille Clifton

i am running into a new year
and the old years blow back
like a wind
that i catch in my hair
like strong fingers like
all my old promises and
it will be hard to let go
of what i said to myself
about myself
when i was sixteen and
twentysix and thirtysix
even thirtysix but
i am running into a new year
and i beg what i love and
i leave to forgive me

 

3. And I found the Chaucer Doth Tweet account:

Looke at yow! You survived another year. I’m proud of us.

New Year Vibes

Karen

I just heard this week between Christmas and the new year called “Dead Week” and I’m adopting it. I’m also reflecting on what I want to take into 2023; thankfully that will always include memes.

Watch out, I have aliases:

THE ACCURACY:

Something to remember, even as I try to settle into a new routine with the new job:

And finally, this account is a really great follow if you have any shame or self doubt or do anything creative (in other words, if you’re a human):

Christmas Project Roundup: Gray Thread Edition

Karen

First we have the traditional cat shirt for Doc, in the traditional McCalls 6044 (I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this pattern). The fabric is an out-of-print Alexander Henry quilting cotton, found online here.

We also have the traditional pattern-matched pockets, since that’s a feature he likes to show off to his coworkers:

 

Next up we have a classic grandpa “sweater” vest for my dad, to help him stay warm while he refuses to spend more money on heat (like a classic grandpa). The fabric is a Polartec ThermalPro sweater knit with the classic fleece back from Mill Yardage. I used the Green Pepper Plush Polar Jacket & Vest pattern with the same mods as my chartreuse zip. But just like my chartreuse jacket, I ran into issues with the zippers puckering, as you can see:

I guess I need to stabilize these fleece zippers but first I’ll have to figure out how to get anything fused to fleece. I finished everything with foldover elastic and it’s pretty clean inside, apart from the puckers:

These were fun and pretty quick to make, though, and I do like sewing for my loved ones–especially the loved ones that are reeeeallly hard to shop for.

Happy Christmas

Karen

It was an excellent Christmas–I made cookies but got a bakery buche de noel, the family came up to our house, Toby was present (but dubious), and Matt got me my first Lego set in 30 years (inspired). And now we can finish off the cookies and think about the coming year.

Holiday Memes

Karen

I have tomorrow and Monday off so I’ll be back Tuesday with all the Christmas stuff I made. In the meantime, looking at memes feels like the most our end-of-year brains can handle, yes?

A thousand times yes to this:

 

A million times yes to this:

 

Nothing says “Christmas is just barely not pagan” like the Mari Lywd (art by AnneMarie Rogers):

 

Now that you think about it…

 

And finally, as we end the year, keep trying for this (art by Jasmine Co):

Happy Winter Solstice

Karen


(image source)

 

Providing we survive today (I mean, let’s not jinx it), we’ve made it through the darkest time and tomorrow we start inching our way back to more light.

From The Moon Studio newsletter, here’s an idea to mark the day–pick a bell, a candle, or all of it:

At the Winter Solstice, we voice our regrets, speak our losses out loud, and throw them to the wind.
We ring a bell for loved ones who have crossed over this year.
This includes aspects of ourselves.
We light candles to honor the treasures found and the lessons learned—we let the darkness envelop the wishes of this next season and this next year.

Or you could just watch this (lol).

Frosty

Karen

It was 15 degrees for our Sunday hike but it was also gorgeous:

 

My insulated pants and everything else I’ve made in the last couple years continue to perform. As the Scandinavians say, “There is no bad weather, only bad gear.”

Happy Birthday, Doc

Karen

It’s Matt’s birthday today! The “doesn’t like to be the center of attention” stuff I posted about Altair on Monday definitely applies to him; this is our ninth round of birthdays together and I’ve finally learned that a cake is more than enough for him. (He, on the other hand, immediately got that birthdays were a big deal to me and has done a whiskey tour and a roller skate party and takes the day off and just generally makes it special.)

And of course he makes it special and of course he immediately gets things–he is the most understanding and generous person I’ve met. He checks in with his friends daily and texts my own sister-in-law more than I probably do. He spends an evening a week with his parents just as an on-call handyman and IT department. And he actively works to be open-minded, to see issues from all sides, and to find common ground with people who hold radically different views.

I literally can’t imagine life without him: I know I wouldn’t be in therapy or have dealt with my anxiety without his example. I wouldn’t have the presence of such a gentle, delightful, surprising person and I wouldn’t have someone quietly trying to be better to remind me to do the same.

Happy birthday, honey. I love you and I’m so glad I met you.