This

THIS HAT!

Per the folks at Needle and Skein, a full service yarn shop in Minnesota from whom I got the pattern, this hat has a history:

In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.

I came across the pattern a couple of weeks ago. Since then, Needle and Skein has raked in over $250,000 for this $5 pattern; all proceeds go to immigrant aid agencies to help those impacted by ICE. You can read more about resistance art here.

While I have plenty of red yarn, it’s all dedicated to other projects. So I took an old but beloved knitted shawl of red wool and silk yarn and ripped out the crocheted trim. I thought this would be a nice way to decide if I want to make more.

Since the yarn is a blend of wool and silk, it doesn’t have the elasticity of 100% wool and it’s not “pointy” at the top. I probably should have used a smaller sized needle but it fits nicely as is. Very light, almost like I’m not wearing anything on my head. We have several more cold days ahead for my part of the country so I look forward to wearing it.

And I DO want to make more! But, guess what? Red wool yarn is suddenly hard to come by … LOL. I did find some and ordered a couple of skeins and then we’ll see. Because …

That

I am knitting A LOT. I finally finished a shawl that seemed to take FOREVER but I haven’t blocked it yet so no photos. I’ve enrolled in a workshop to make a sweater in a month (I did this last year so I know it’s doable), and I’m knitting an alpaca watch cap for my hubby. I have LOTS of projects to work on, including spinning and weaving now.

The Other: Writing

So I’m not writing, except for the odd comment. I guess I want to write because my comments can be lengthy unless I rein myself in. But I haven’t worked out a schedule. That also means I haven’t been reading or commenting much because I’ve been … knitting or doing housework which seems to take up more time than one would guess when there’s only two humans and two cats living here. I could do with a housekeeper, ideally someone like Mrs. Hall from All Creatures Great and Small. She’d be good with the cats, too.

I also do get overwhelmed at times by all the subscriptions I have to read, here on WP and now also on Substack. I have unsubscribed to a few which wasn’t easy but my priority is to stay with the writers I’ve been reading the longest. I’ve been following some of you for over ten years, and it troubles me to not keep up.

The Other: Fatigue

There are times when the energy to get through the day, to go about my life as if all was well, is in short supply. I have to constantly remind myself of what I am doing–those things I consider civic duties like calling and writing to my members of Congress, writing postcards encouraging people to vote, supporting aid agencies–and not feel put out because I don’t have the social capital or the economic capital to bring about the change we need now.

Interestingly, my husband and I have thrown ourselves into our projects–me with my crafty stuff, Greg with his astronomy and photography–in the attempt to minimize our exposure to the tsunami of daily bad news. And yet, we are often tired.

The Other: Cats

Cats all day, every day.

This time of year, when it’s chilly and we like a little extra warmth, Greg has been missing Maxine and Junior who were great, if at times demanding, lap kitties.

Raji is an equal opportunity lap sitter. In the evening, when we are enjoying “happy hour” on the loveseat, he prefers Greg’s lap. Later, when we are on the couch watching TV, he prefers my lap. Wendy, at this time, will only deign to get close but not too close.

---

Thank you for reading! Live in hope, be kind, and do no more than what you can.