Kathy Fagan

@keffuffle

Pro-democracy. Nonviolence, systems thinker, my ism is “no isms". Hubby of 40+ years, 2 cats, Philly, knitting, golf, nature. Retired. Advocate for good govt. Past stuff: IC design process, ESL-Civics w/adult immigrants, radio.

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Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· 2d

Another week in VA is at an end. Although it’s oppressively hot, I did get a few chances to walk around old Fredericksburg. Especially enjoyed the Big Trees. The last one is at Historic Kenmore, home of Geo. Washington’s sister. The grounds are always open for strolling.

When I walk, I take “quick snaps” with the phone. Catch the mood in a few seconds, move on.

6 pictures in a grid. Two Victorian era houses with inviting porches. Another inviting porch up close. A dry cleaners that been around a while. A huge tree trunk (plane tree?) taking up half a sidewalk. A monstrous tree trunk (red oak) with my sis and her pup for scale.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· 10d

#ShowMeYourKnits 🧶 #knitsky This week, it’s shawls! I don’t think I’ve shared this one. It’s a favorite because it’s a full size shawl but also works as a scarf with a v-neck coat. And the stockinette shows off the pretty tweed yarn. 😁 Details in alt txt.

A shawl with lace feature is draped over a couch.

Pattern: Simple Gifts by Dee O'Keefe

Yarn: Hedgehog Fibres Tweedy

A closeup showing the gray yarn sprinkled with pink, purple, orange, yellow and green neps.

Pattern: Simple Gifts by Dee O'Keefe

Yarn: Hedgehog Fibres Tweedy

The shawl draped around a neck as a scarf with the lace displayed in front. Sorry about the lighting!

Pattern: Simple Gifts by Dee O'Keefe

Yarn: Hedgehog Fibres Tweedy

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· 10d

Two birthday buddies, a spouse, and a friend meet annually for a round of golf (lots of gimmes) and lunch at a restaurant with a nice covered patio. It was warm, but a breeze and some clouds made for a beautiful day in the Pennsylvania countryside.

A golfer stands on green grass, swinging a club under a blue sky with puffy clouds.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· 17d

Happy 2nd birthday 🎂 to #ShowMeYourKnits ! Theme: made 2 or more times. First time I made the CeCe cardi I forgot to needle up after the hem, oops! Fits my SIL great tho. Years later, made one for me. Made the Black Forest mitts twice cuz I lost the first pair. Love them! More info in alt txt.

Pattern: CeCe by Bonne Marie Burns
Yarn: Kelbourne Woolens Mojave

Self made pattern. First time, the MC was
Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted but the CCs were random yarns, prolly DK.

Second time, all Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted, and the decorative stitches really pop!

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· 24d

#knitting #knitsky 🧶 Fun #showmeyourknits this week: “what makes your knitting better, easier, more fun?” Some ideas … Fun: cute basket for small projects Better: ChiaoGoo interchangeables Easier: storage case for other accumulated DPNs, circulars, interchangeables, etc. Comments in alt txt!

Image of a 10” wide (across top) and 7.5” high (at base of handles) Ghanaian fair trade basket bought to support my sister’s food co-op.

Just the right size for socks or other small projects. Great for travel knitting.

Image of a flat black and white cloth zipper case with a red band and a label that says “ChiaoGoo”.

Love the needles, the flexible cables, the very compact storage! The whole thing is 8” x 6” x 1” and holds 13 pairs of tips, 3 cables, and some small notions.

My only minor complaint is about the plastic bags that hold the cables and notions. For a relatively expensive set like this, they should provide sturdier bags. The ones that come with the set are minimum thickness and fall apart quickly. I’ll probably look for better ones on my own!

Storage made for specifically knitters seems to assume that we have neat tidy sets of needles, one pair of each size, ha ha! I think many of us actually have a wild hodgepodge. I haven’t found knitting-specific storage that can handle my mess! This is a “photo and craft storage” box from the Container Store. Just be sure the interior boxes are big enough for your DPNs. (Some of mine have to go in diagonally!)

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· 29d

A peaceful minute with night insects, fireflies, robins, chimney swifts. (And traffic, it *is* a city!)

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· 29d

Oh, thank you! I love it. It’s very light and versatile. More pix … what the front of the pic above looks like. Also, scarf mode!

Green tweed lace shawl held together in front by a wooden shawl pin.

Same piece worn as a scarf with the bulk of it in front.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jul 11

#ShowMeYourKnits 🧶 #knitting #knitsky This week’s theme is textures, one of the best aspects of knitting!! - Halligarth by Gudrun Johnston - Tweed Mitts ad libbed. Stitches are mistake Rib and Three and One Tweed (BG Walker books) - Candystripe Slouch by Felicia Lo (free on Ravelry)

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jul 11

Made my favorite “bread” yesterday, yum! Use any nuts & seeds you have around. Make variations. This one has raisins, cinnamon, & the juice & zest of one orange subbed for part of the water. One slice, toasted and topped with cottage cheese = breakfast. (Cut 12 slices to save 45 calories/ slice.)

A nutty, seedy loaf nestles in some cooking parchment as it cools.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jul 11

Pleased to report that, unlike one other puzzle I can name, Letter Boxed accepts this perfectly fine #Philly word as as guess. (Not that it will ever be part of a solution, lol!)

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jul 7

#bloomscrolling #daylilies #flowers It’s time for my annual celebration of daylilies! In the first few years we lived here, we went to a local fest and bought something from the Delaware Valley Daylily Society’s booth. This is most of them, a couple weren’t ready for photos today!

Four closeups of daylily blossoms. They all have six petals. The first is small and bright red with a yellow center. Next is one with alternating yellow and orange petals. Third has pink petals with splashes of red, then yellow in the center. Finally, a “black” daylily - actually velvety dark red with yellow center.

First is a daylily with spindly purple-pink petals and lemon yellow center. Next is peachy petals, every other petal is ruffled. The red center is dark yellow. Another peachy one. This time, every other petal is dark orange with ruffles and a dark yellow center. Finally, small brick red flowers with ridges on the petals and a lemon yellow center.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jul 4

Oh yes, love love love little bowls and dishes!!

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jul 3

#ShowMeYourKnits #knitsky #knitting 🧶 Squeaking in on this week’s theme, “blue”. This is a favorite scarf, it looks great under a v-neck coat. I made up the pattern. Only the center is a true cable so it was actually pretty quick to make. The yarn is Knit Picks Capra DK (merino/cashmere).

A light blue scarf with a vertical design that looks like cables is draped around a woman’s neck.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jul 2

Crazy days recently, knitting wasn’t happening … but the needles are out now, yay! This is “cancun boxy lace top”, free on Ravelry. Flexible one size top made from two rectangles of lace sewn together. Yarn: Mojave by Kelbourne Woolens in “natural”. I’m fond of this sport weight cotton linen yarn.

Knitting in progress shows strips of lacy stitches made with an off-white yarn. The effect is that of a sampler.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jul 1

It’s 96 (205C) in #Philly. Tomorrow will be higher. Be safe, check on your neighbors, consider your garden critters. Our back door camera shows that squirrels, opossums, foxes & raccoons use birdbaths too! In fact, we got this granite one when raccoons knocked the last one down one too many times!

A granite birdbath full of water rests on a metal stand. When we think of it, we toss a handful of ice cubes in. There’s also a brown mosquito dunk floating around. Be sure to include one in any water you put out for your garden friends.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 30

#booksky #philadelphia #juryduty In the juror break room at the CJC in Philly (Justice Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice), there’s a little library of books to keep folks sane when they’re sitting around. Many are OLD! Consider bringing a donation if you’re ever assigned there!

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 30

Jury duty involves a lot of waiting and you can’t have your devices in the courtroom. That explains why there’s a library of mostly-old paperbacks in the break room! I found this one which I haven’t read. (Tomorrow, I’m bringing in 2 newer books to add to the collection. 😊)

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 29

I’ve been selected for a jury, will be back to court 2 or 3 more days this week. Treated myself to lunch at my fave Chinatown spot as compensation!

A bowl of wonton soup and an empty dish with chopsticks waiting for a portion from a big dish of shrimp fried rice.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 29

Performing one of my constitutional duties as a citizen today. It’s a hassle, but it’s one way to serve my fellow citizens.

A sign shaped like an arrow points left. Written on it in black marker is “101 Jury Duty”.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 27

Sad refrigerator, due to being away 17 out of the last 23 days. Got home last night, a walk to the farmers market … and now it’s a happy refrigerator! Love my neighborhood, so I’m concluding with a snap of Peace Park which is right next to the market.

The produce and deli drawers, and the lower shelf of a refrigerator are sparsely populated with three Roma tomatoes, two navel oranges and a bag of smoked sun-dried tomatoes.

Rows of vendors under white canopies on a street paved with Belgian blocks. People are wandering through browsing and buying.

The previously pictured area of the refrigerator is now stocked with greens, veggies and eggs.

A small grassy area ringed with stone walls and plantings features a central planter, several wooden benches, and a picnic table where two women face each other and converse.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 26

Hanging at the Amtrak station waiting for my ride home. Train’s running behind — seems like that always happens on the northbound! It’s 90 degrees but it’s cloudy, so there’s that! Cool looking clouds, storms heading this way!

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 20

Mookie looks askance. Happy #Caturday!

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 17

When we returned to our kayaks, we found an inlet that cuts into the conservation area. A beautiful, peaceful place full of birdsong. We floated aimlessly for a little while and soaked it in.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 17

Already looking back fondly on our trip to Cape Cod. One day we got out on Bass River and explored upstream a little. Some unexpected extremes … (see alt txt!)

We’ve never navigated a big river with kayaks, so we looked up the rules. We’re good if we stay outside the channel markers except to cross (yielding right of way). Motor craft are generally limited to 6mph, but important local rule: there’s a wide area of the river where boats are allowed to go fast! Glad we checked! We gave them wide berth, heh!

Image: a fancy boat with a big motor plows along, leaving a white wake. Fancy vacation homes line the far side of this wide stretch of river.

On the other hand, a ways past the speed demon zone, we discovered there is river access to the Indian Lands Conservation Area which is, according to the website, “25 acres of woodland and marshes … a place where the Nobscusset Indians passed the winter months in comfortable wigwams, on the shores of Bass River”. We paused to explore the paths a bit.

Image: two kayaked pulled ashore on a small sandy landing shaded by trees.

Image: A path strewn with pine needles curves into the woods.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 14

Road trip day! Our pause for topping off the EV battery includes a picnic lunch. Charging areas (and gas stations) often involve hot stretches of pavement with no shade. Sigh. This is where my beloved sun shirt comes in! It’s serving as a little awning, going from sun visor to glove box. ❤️

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 13

#knitting 🧶 #knitsky #showmeyourknits Straggling in with last week’s assignment (stripes)! Two easy, fun projects, both free on Ravelry. The first is the Noro Striped Scarf as shared by Jared Flood. It’s reversible! The second is the Mini Mania Scarf by LadyDanio. Deets in alt txt.

I used Noro Silk Garden 434 Great Gatsby for the color changes and Silk Garden Solo 5 (brown) for the in between stripes.

I wanted the ends to look kind of “together” when worn, so I reversed the 434 at the halfway point (3 feet for me). I didnt need it to be matchy-matchy. No way with Noro, lol! Came out great.

I was in the audience at a dance program and couldn’t take my eyes off the scarf on the lady in front of me. Took a sneak picture and found the pattern on Ravelry. It uses whatever random sock yarns you may have lying around. I really enjoyed combining the colors, the variegated yarns were especially fun. Interestingly, you only knit the front side because you just add a new piece of yarn on every row.

I love this scarf and wore it often for years before giving it to a friend who loves it and wears it a lot now too!

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 11

We drove to Provincetown for a bit of window shopping and people watching on Tuesday.

A small collage of 4 “people watching” phone snaps.

A woman bikes past the Mad Hatter shop.

Two young women study the menu outside a red and white shop called The Lobster Pot.

A man and a woman sun themselves on the steps in front of a women’s clothing store.

A seated man smiles as a woman passerby pauses to chat. They’re in front of a firehouse red building housing a cocktail bar called Lady Slipper.

There is an alleyway featuring the work of several artists, but primarily commemorating artist Bob Gasoi. His work raised controversy in Provincetown. According the the article linked below, “The murals left an indelible mark on the hundreds of thousands of visitors who paraded down Commercial Street for years to come. Some parents stood with their families and gazed upon the spectacle with awe while others threw their hands over their children’s eyes and ran for the dunes.”

https://campprovincetown.com/bob-gasoi/

P-town has attitude.

A sidewalk sign for a menswear shop features a cartoon seagull with sunglasses saying “Your wardrobe called … it’s boring.”

Other text, in various dramatic fonts, says “LOOK *Good* PROVINCETOWN! Yes, you do need another shirt!”

We stopped in at the Governor Bradford for burgers and when I went to the ladies room, I was greeted by this on the back wall of the stall:

A framed image of the face of a sassy jackass and the words “NICE ASS”.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 7

Another relaxed morning, letting go of "should" and "have to". We did some AM kayaking on the river, a PM bike ride on the Rail Trail, and dinner watching blustery weather come in. We are here before "the season" officially kicks in which means the river, trail and restaurant are not crowded!

My favorite view: hubby kayaking with me as we explore new watery territory.

The view through a screened window of Swan River as it empties into Nantucket Sound. A somewhat strong breeze accompanied us as we ate dinner. In a month, this spot will be packed with vacationers!

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 6

Thursday and Friday were structured vacation days, with activities we had planned in advance. Today was a “no plan” day. Hubby did a morning bike ride and is now golfing. I’ve stayed here enjoying a river view, birdsong, meditation, and stretching. About to crack open a new book. Ahhhh …

A small house sits off a gravel road nestled among trees. The porch light glows a welcome at summer twilight.

Nearby, four white rowboats are attached to a small platform. They’re surrounded by calm evening water.

Kathy Fagan@keffuffle· Jun 6

We arrived at our little hideaway on Wednesday. Yesterday (Thursday) hubby had a bunch of activities lined up cuz he wanted to do all the things. We rode bikes to a local breakfast spot, then to the beach. We golfed at a favorite nearby par 3 course & grabbed pizza from Austin’s Pizza for dinner.