Spinneret

Cover Me, I'm Goin' In

It's coming.  It's nearly here.  This is where the sleep gets theoretical and stuff starts happening.  Open Studios.  Right down the street and around the corner.  Soon your children will be using it.  

Art.

I gotta go clean my desk.  There are bugs to scan.
 

Bugs

I promised you bugs. More knit bugs. Another friend sails on the Good Ship Mom for ports unknown. Gotta give the kid a bug

Other bugs in the news;

This illustration

was juried in to an exhibit up in the New York State Museum in Albany. Damn, that is one hideous bug. That snout races out there and RISES like the trunk on a curious elephant. Made me shout out loud when I saw it the first time. Eeew. Wonder what it would be like to knit something like that?

From the home desk;

We’re having a banner month here at El Rancho Rosa. There’s something I haven’t been telling you.

I … oh. Where to begin? The first one was free. A gift. I thought I could handle it. I. I’ve… ack… been growing orchids.

Just on the window sill. I swear.

Not that there’s anything wrong with growing orchids. Though it does lead to stronger stuff. Collecting orchids. Then becoming a safe house for orchids smuggled in to this country illegally and impounded by the authorities. Then tinkering with the DNA of the legal ones to get MORE, BETTER orchids. Now that’s a sign that things have gone twist and away. Once you start hybridizing the little darlings … well, Then!

Then you need a greenhouse. And I don’t have room for a greenhouse (wheel, whatever. pick your poison). Absolutely not. No nee no nee no.

This is the first year one of these has bloomed for me. The secret is to leave it dry between Halloween and Valentine’s Day. And then make someone else water it while you go away for a week. Someone who will threaten it.

Boom. Spikes. Blooms.

This is a species type that is fragrant and I am so pleased it has re-bloomed for me. I’ve only had this one two years, so you can imagine my surprise and delight.

I’ve been waiting about 4 years for this one to bloom. Or is it 3?

There’s another one that keeps me waiting - threatening to bloom. But I’m not holding my breath. I may expose that one to the Plant Sitter’s Threats.

And this is a favorite of mine. Very reliable, though admittedly a little late this year.

The Samurai Orchid. These diminutive graces are also fragrant. Gardenia I think, or maybe Star Jasmine. Really lovely.

Ever knit an orchid?

Spinneret;

The business end of a spider or worm from which nature's perfect polymer (silk) is extruded. Yep, I'm going to write about spinning, about bugs and about color. If any of that intimidates you, or you're phobic on these topics hit the back button now.

For a really gorgeous view of these working parts in action I encourage you to check out Astrophysics gallery

Picked up a copy of A Perfect Red by Amy Butler Greenfield last evening. More bugs, more dyeing. Amazing bugs.

And while I don't normally knit for children, recently a friend took off for the Land of Parenting and I sent this to keep her laughing entertain her child when he's old enough to understand the ridiculousness of his situation.

That's an Eupholus bennettii from Papua New Guinea and they really are those colors. Sorry, there's no pattern for that one. Strictly riffing.

Where the spider comes in; Grandmother Spider is the keeper of the stories. She spins out the line of life. She'll also wack you with a stick if you get out of line. Lesson implied - don't run out of yarn, stick to your knitting.