Livin' La Needle Loca

...some progress, but getting tired of cross stitch. I can't wait until the Ravellenic Games start in a couple of days. I'm ready for some spinning. The construction guys working on the studio remodel have been doing a lot of noisy work, making it difficult to work in the living room. I can't hear the TV and I can see them working in my peripheral vision. It's very distracting, so I work in my bedroom. The set-up there is not ideal, but I do what I can. Because I need the lighted magnifier to work on the mermaid and it's a pain to move from room to room, I leave the mermaid in the living room. I work on small cross stitch projects and knitting when I'm in the bedroom. I finished knitting my first Melt the ICE hat [ Ravelry ]: Specs: Started 1/23/2026 Finished 1/31/2026 Pattern:  Paul S. Neary, Needle & Skein in Twin Cities, MN Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Harvest Red  This hat has been promised to a friend. I've s...

...and there's verhy little blooming in the yard. We have a few Gazanias: some cape mallow: and the nasturtiums are still going strong. 

 ...and working on my crafts to ease my mind. So much going on in the US...it's unbelievable and heart-breaking. As a Mexican-American woman, I am worried about !CE and all of the horrible things happening associated with them. I have a lot of family in LA and I'm particularly worried about them. All of our remaining family is US-born, but as we've seen, that doesn't matter. I've started carrying my birth certificate again and my passport card. The last time I felt that I had to carry my birth certificate was in the late 60s. 😶  I'm donating to a few Minnesota-centered groups who are helping with immigration issues. I've downloaded and started the Melt The ICE hat [ Ravelry ][ website ]. I knitted Pussy Hats in 2017, so there was no question that I'd knit these hats this year.  I'm alternating between knitting and cross-stitching the latest mermaid while watching TV that doesn't elevate my BP or anxiety. Currently, I'm binging Bake-Off: The ...

...and I'm trying hard to fill them with family and crafts rather than doom-scrolling. Yesterday, The Husband and I celebrated our 40/45th anniversary. 45 years ago we had our pivotal 3rd date. I couldn't get a sitter, so we took my daughter along. He planned an entire day that included an almost-three-year-old child, doing things that she might enjoy. We all had a great time! Five years later, we married on the anniversary of that 3rd date. 45 years later, we are still together and he still makes my heart sing. We've raised a wonderful daughter, endured the loss of our parents and other family members, celebrated weddings and birthdays, and learned to just be with each other. We celebrated our love and life with a dinner at a favorite restaurant. With the world spinning out of control, we know we have each other.

...I'm on so much of a roll that I forgot that yesterday was Wednesday. 🙄 I finished Bring Us Good Cheer yesterday: Specs: Started 1/16/2026 Finished 1/21/2026 Chart from Shepherd’s Bush I'm calling it DONE even though I don't have the buttons that the design specifies. I ordered them, but I'm not sure whether I'll add them. There is a snowflake that goes in the empty area under the Santa hat, between the reindeer and a tree. That one I'll probably add. The star button goes up in the right-hand corner, which already has enough in it. We'll see once I receive the buttons.  WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Morgana (cross stitch) Started 1/21/2026; printing the charts and getting the fibers and fabric ready. I had this queued once, but then let it sit for a year. No Work This Week: California Red Poppy Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ]  Gladiolus Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] My Recipes (cook...

...I finished it a few days ago. It just needed photos. This is Gladiolus Handspun [ Ravelry ]: and the close-up Specs: Started 1/7/2026 Finished 1/16/2026 Merino-bamboo-silk (4 oz.) from Greenwood Fiberworks 200.5 yds. chain-ply, 13 WPI   I probably won't start any more spinning projects until the Winter Ravellenic Games start. I plan on spinning for the entire time.