Friday Update August 28th, 2020: New Projects, Finished Projects, and Other Peoples Projects

Well, I finally got my office back (yay!), but I’ve been having one of those weeks where I haven’t really been able to get much done. Honestly though, this isn’t super unusual for me. I typically go really hard at things for a week or two and then need to rest a bit. I used to try and power through, but I’ve found that if I let myself recharge a little, I usually bounce back in a few days. I also find there are some parts of the month where I’m just more productive than others. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it was hormonal.

What I’ve learned, is to plan far enough ahead so that I can take time when I need it and to give myself permission to work on things that fall into the non-urgent but easy category. I may clean out my emails or organize my studio. Or I’ll work on the repetitive part of a craft I’m making. The goal is always to keep moving forward while at the same time resting.

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Goings On

Speaking of simple tasks, I’ve been working on a few this week:

Reviewing my first crochet project. I finished working on my first crochet project, the Wool and the Gang Daydream Blanket. Generally, it was a good experience and I’m happy with how it turned out. I’ve got a full review here.

Gathering up materials for a new embroidery project. After finishing up my {plum piece} I decided that I was ready to try doing something a little harder: a self-portrait. I’m using the same silk dupioni for the base and some gorgeous flosses. I’m most excited about this slightly variegated burgundy from the Thread Gatherer. See my IG for more details.

Learning to weave. The other project I’ve been working on this week has been learning how to weave. I bought an adorable {kit from Flax and Twine} for hand weaving linen coasters. The kit includes a mini-loom, assorted weaving tools, and a copy of the book [Weaving Within Reach] which contains the instructions. I posted the unboxing to my stories. If you missed it, I’ve added it was a highlight. I’ll post a full review of book/kit once I’ve had a chance to fully explore them. 

Reading

Atomic Love by Jeannie Fields. This was my second [Book of the Month Club} pick and I had mixed feelings about it. The overall premise was promising. Spies stealing nuclear secrets during the cold war! A woman scientist! Romance and intrigue! Just the stuff a fun summer read is made of. However, I found the main character’s attachment to a walking red flag of a man annoying. I’ve got more over on my insta today if you want to read my full review. Purchase on Amazon, Bookshop, or at your local bookstore.

Watching

Home. I started watching the new docuseries Home from Apple TV+ last night and I am really impressed. My favorite so far is the second episode which looks at artist Theaster Gates’ work with the built environment on the south side of Chicago. Living in the greater Chicago area, I’d heard his name before but wasn’t really familiar with his work. I love how his projects are often centered on the idea of building community and working with the buildings and resources available. Honestly, I cannot do it justice here. Just go watch Home(especially ep 2!) on Apple TV+.

Follow

Solipdiy aka Alyssa Ki. A repost from the We Are Knitters IG account lead me to the stunning weavings of Ki. Her account is full of photos of her floral tapestries and other work. They’re so three dimensional and colorful that it was an instant follow. She does commissions too! Follow her on IG or check out her website here.

Product

Cork yoga blocks. So, I’ve been working a lot and trying to have at least somewhat decent posture. The problem is, at 5’1” most furniture just isn’t made for me. If my chair is high enough that I can comfortably type, my feet are usually hovering off the floor. I’ve tried all sorts of footrests, but they always were too big and got in the way of my chair wheels or too tall and threw my alignment off even more. Then, the other day inspiration struck when I was looking at the cork yoga block sitting on my shelf. I use it for actual yoga occasionally, but honestly, I usually was too lazy to grab it unless I was warned at the beginning of a video that I might need it. I was seriously starting to wonder if I should just put it in my next donation box.

Now, however, there is no taking it away from me. It raises my feet up that crucial couple of inches without causing my knees to bang into the top of my desk. Its small size means it doesn’t end up fighting with my desk chair wheels and I can reposition it easily with my feet. The cork and the rounded edges are easy on my feet. I know I sound a little intense, but seriously this is a game-changer for me. I bought mine a while back (maybe from target?) but they’re not hard to find. The one I have by Manduka can be found on Amazon for about $20. There are also a lot of cute ones on Etsy, particularly this one with the phases of the moon printed on it.

Recipe

Skillet Cinnamon Sugar Peach Upside Down Cake from Half Baked Harvest. I had a craving for a plum cake this week. I wanted something with tart, caramelized plums and a not too rich cake. The sort of cake you can serve yourself for breakfast with some tea and yogurt. I also ended up with some lackluster end of season peaches that really needed to be cooked to be at all edible. I ended up making a few tweaks to this recipe from the blog Half Baked Harvest. I swapped out half of the peaches for plums and added about ½ tsp of nutmeg, split between the batter and the fruit layer. It turned out pretty well. The cakes texture was spot on, structured enough to hold up to the fruit and not overly sweet. The spice amounts were perfect, and it very much brought out the best in the peaches. I still think it needs a few more test bakes to be my ideal skillet upside-down cake base but is a very good place to start. Get the original recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

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