August has just been too damn much fun!

August has been an interesting month, what with the wildfires and smoke and all. Looks like we've made it through the worst. Can't wait to see what September brings!

This month has been a food month of internet recipes, and tomatoes, which just keep growing. I've cooked the following. Don't ask for links, I did not save them.

• Tomato jam from 2 lbs of cherry tomatoes using a recipe from Thea but with suggestions from the internet... I also made it with the surplus of heirlooms but the cherry tomato one is far superior.
• Tomato Salsa over halibut and cilantro lime rice; I'd make this again.
• Tomato risotto: OMG good!
• Peach ice cream: meh
• Chicken and butternut tagine: also good
• Brocolli salad with a tahini dressing

On the fiber front, I've been mask making again; I'm adding medium weight interfacing on the sides to give it more body, and experimenting with the flat metal strips instead of Scott's wires to see if they're more comfortable. 

I finished the 3rd border of the Festivus quilt and have been knitting on the Double your Pleasure cowl until I can get around to marking the final border.

The 2 ikat scarves are off the loom, and one will be flying away today... I dyed some shibori fabric with the warp and weft to coordinate and made a mask to go with it.

Fog in my brain...

 I haven't gotten much done in the last few weeks; I had the new shingles vaccine and the side effects were brutal. I had 3 days of fever, arm pain, and I generally felt blah and a little foggy! Of course I got worried about the virus but since the symptoms exactly tracked the vaccine side effects I just chilled and it went away on schedule. Add to that a little brain fog and lingering malaise for about a week... All seems to be good now and I'm back to exercising and normal activity. 

I did manage to get a fair bit done on the quilt; I'm now forced to think about the last border. I finally decided on snowflakes as a seasonal symbol, and I ordered some quilting templates online. It feels good to have made that decision.

I finished one of the two scarves on the loom but determined I don't have enough weft to do the 2nd scarf. I dyed some more yesterday, hoping for a gentler shade of fuchsia but it was not to be; it's pretty bright.  It should be dry and ready to weave with by tonight!. Hoping to finish it quickly!

I'm also knitting on the Double your Pleasure cowl when the cats won't let me quilt, which is pretty much anytime they figure out I'm quilting.  I've started locking them out of the room.