My chorus uses a cheat sheet for performances: a piece of black poster board folded over the director’s stand with the songs we are going to sing, the key pitch, and helpful reminder words. I ran an interesting experiment with fonts, making the same set up twice, one with a standard serif font and one with OpenDyslexic font. I numbered photos and put a poll out on our members only site.
Photo description: song list with a standard serif fontPhoto description: same song list with OpenDyslexic font
The chorus response was overwhelmingly for the OpenDyslexic font as the easier option for quick and easy reading. Is it a pretty font? No, but for something you need people to actually read and not get lost in, font choice is key. I do really like the bottom weighted font idea, and that the letters are all unique and can’t be flipped or mirrored to make a different letter.
I read that squirrels like to chew on antlers, so I mounted a deer antler to their feeding tree.
Photo description: deer antler with squirrel gnaw marks screwed to a Post Oak tree
Squirrels chew on antlers and bone for mineral content and to keep their teeth at a working length. I had a couple small slices of antler tied with string out back, but the squirrels stole them. It will be hard for them to steal this one, and I get to witness the behavior.
I originally purchased the Loopity Loops yarn for my kids. I thought it would be a less frustrating introduction to knitting, as you don’t need needles and don’t have to worry about tension. My eldest fully immersed in the project, made a small blanket, then bought enough yarn for a large throw, and finished it within a couple days.
Photo description: small rectangle made from Loopity Loops yarn
My youngest struggled with the project, and after sitting in a box for months, I picked it up and gave it a go. This is not knitting. The end result looks similar, and it is loops going into loops, but it takes a completely different set of skills to find and link the loops than it does to make knit and purl stitches on needles. It takes fine motor skill and careful attention to detail to not miss loops. I had to rip out a couple times because I skipped a loop on accident. The yarn is not robust enough to take too many rip outs, and stretches out after washing. The actual loops are just big enough to get a finger into to pull a loop through, but are too big and make a loose knit. If it were regular yarn, I would use a smaller needle size.
But cats love it. I put the small rectangle I made in a basket.
Photo description: Loopity Loops yarn rectangle in a basket
It didn’t take long until the basket sprouted a feline.
Photo description: calico cat in a basket with a Loopity Loops pad
Cats like my eldest’s blanket too, to the point of destructive loving. It had to be washed and put away due to drool and pulled loops.
So this is a mixed review. The loop yarn is an interesting concept, comes together quickly, and cats love it, however it is fiddly, easy to miss loops, isn’t robust, and cats love it.
In December of 2014 I was crocheting up a storm. Sometimes when I look back at old photos I find things I forgot I made and find a technique that I would like to explore more.
Today’s throwback is for a lace cowl I crocheted using partial circular lace motifs.
Photo description: red crocheted lace cowl on the back of a leather couch
I like the finished look of this freeform lace. I’m wondering if I didn’t do more because of the brain ache, or if I just became distracted by something else. Either possibility is probable.
We made the decision to let our dog Griffin go on Monday night. I will start this story with the fact that I thought we were going to have to put him down almost two years ago. His osteoarthritis pain was beyond what Carprovet could cover and he was in a world of hurt. We tried Librela injections and his turn around was amazing. It was like he was five years old again. I was good about getting his injections done monthly, until this month. I was a week late and I thought his pain panting was because of it, and that his excessive water consumption was because of the panting. It wasn’t either. On Monday he had a stroke or something neurological happen and his head cocked and he lost control of his body. At that point it was obvious that the most humane thing to do was to ease his pain permanently. We stayed with him during the injections, both for peace for any part of him that was left, and for closure for us. He was a good boy. I’m glad we were given two extra years.
Critters and Craft 