Some things longer, some aren't

Yes, things are in flux here.

I tried a new dyeing experiment, so a few branches of an eucalyptus tree are a bit shorter:


Although the dyebath looked a bit like strong coffee or tea, it yielded what I consider a fairly insipid yellow. I was hoping for at least an honest khaki.


In addition, all of the children objected strongly to the smell. It's a dye worth heating outside.

Cobblestone is growing apace. Still life with sweater and treadmill:


It's actually a few inches longer today. I'm loving this knit. Really, the yarn, Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed, is so nice and such an honest wool that it's a treat to hang out with, sort of the same way that digging can be satisfying. I plan to have it done by my sister's 40th birthday, and it will, actually, come in handy. Summer evenings here can be downright cold. While I don't think the short row section will be the blissful coasting that the body is, I'll manage. Waist shaping -- either with or without nipping in the side garter details -- will be happening.

As is regular working out. I'm not hitting the treadmill five times a week, as I'd hoped, but I'm not flaking out completely either. Just like putting one stitch on needles after another, it has to yield results in the long run. Like endless stockinette, nothing exciting yet.

And Thing 1 headed off to Seattle today with her Ultimate team.

I'm happy for her, and sad that I can't go, but sitting on the sidelines in sleet and rain and perhaps even snow doesn't seem as attractive as running madly after a Frisbee under the same conditions, and that's saying a lot. My lack of angst about her departure isn't a huge surprise to me; I'm not the overly-angsty type. She'll probably have a good time, and she's in safe and caring hands. Her growing independence is, as far as I can see, a wonderful illustration of the young woman she's becoming. As is the reminder that she's always been, in striking ways, her own person.

This haircut, for example, was all her own idea. She seems to be enjoying it, and relied on both practical and aesthetic reasons for it. She loved shocking her friends yesterday.


I look forward to parenting her actively for a while and then transitioning to a more partner/supporter role. Goodness knows I have enough years of active involvement ahead of me with the others. And any kid in my house who wields a sponge with efficacy can wear their hair any way they want.