This thread clearly needs visuals, so. This is an almost full bobbin of shetland lambswool, from a lamb named Rae, raised by one of the most hardcore 4H kids I ever met. I've suinted and carded the wool, and it's been an absolute joy to spin.

Show me a picture (of yourself) that captures your essence

So this, on the left, is nettle fiber. Some of you might remember that I brought home and retted a bunch of nettles about a month back. I just did a combination breaking and scrutching to remove the woody material. Next up, hackling, to further break them into fibers.

I should have added some handspun linen:

This is my sister. She's so awesome.

My bog witch duster just arrived, and I'm so looking forward to wearing it. Though it will have a hard time living up to the bog witch patchwork skirt that I have so adored

I'm also working at collecting fiber from nettles, which I haven't done since I was a teenager. This is about a dozen thick, mature stalks, in for the first soak. I'll be replacing the water and retting them for about three days. Then drying, and then the breaking, scrutching and hackling begins!

I'm pretty in love with suinting wool now. Though this is a mystery fleece to me - best guest is a longwool from Providence Farms?

Another thing I've been doing - fermenting wool to clean it! Suint is a traditional method of cleaning wool. I have a bunch of fleeces that need to be cleaned. So I'm trying to let the bacteria do the work. Or a lot of it. (It also yields potassium rich liquid that is valued as a fertilizer.)

Since I mentioned him, an Elijah update. He's was adopted by my friend Kate and her fluffy diva of an orange boy, Tango. Not that they always get on perfectly, but it's been a smooth transition, and I think Tango really enjoys the company, and Elijah worships him. Even though he's full on teenager.

Sometimes I feel like I'm doing such a tiny bit to help the cat rescue situation. But I figure better to do that bit, continuously, than take on too much and burn out. I'm hoping that fostering cats whose people are having housing problems will help remove stress from the system.

I had a vet appt. for Medusa, one of the lastest two fosters. (Sightly different situation - her people lost their apartment. I'm hoping they can get into a stable situation, but meanwhile their cats are fine.) Medusa is in great shape. The vet had recently had spine surgery. So we bonded.

WITNESS ME!!!!!! After thinking we wouldn't have the motor boards, our SIT found the old ones at the last moment, so we got to start on the braitenberg vehicle lab... if without complete preparedness. No bother - I think being asked to improvise increases creativity.

Today is a day for artisanal hand braided solder wick.

One of the reference pics...

Look at the great pic @shararathere.bsky.social made for me!! I've been thinking I wanted one that's more current...

I'm getting over a cold, so while my teaching partner teaches his part of the course, I'm sitting in the back of the room spinning. And am ear wormed by old SCA drinking songs. Woe!

This is your periodic reminder that the antihistamine Zyrtec is highly drying. While it is generally very effective, this can keep your sinuses from draining and prevent sinus infections from clearing.

What a handsome guy! Maybe if I had a toy handy Keanu would let me up. He did spontaneously rediscover his love for playing fetch yesterday. (Though I think in his mind, it is called "Throw".)

And here's the two of them with Ember, who mothers any young kitten fosters who come through the house.

I'm not sure why this is getting attention again - but here's the two of them when they were smol.

I hope I am not repeating content you have already seen, @tkingfisher.com - but I think you might the only author who could do justice to the alpha were hens.

I may even have find a good local source for bulk beeswax votives. (I had a great on in NC, but I like to work with local beekeepers.)

This is a little hard to see, because it was refreshed recently, but my starter has come into its own. Propagation mats for the win! (Yesterday evening got away from met, so I refreshed it around lunch time, and will be using it soon.)

I am reviving a badly neglected sourdough starter. This isn't really the season for it - cold weather does not a happy culture make. After a couple of days of very slow going, I decided to pop it onto my propagation mat. This is clearly helping, and I'm hoping it might be ready this evening.

This is my Ember (and you can see her flame tipped tail). We also fostered two equally friendly tortie sisters named Cinder and Ember.

Y'know, I may not have power atm, but I have pretty easy cats. (Pic is off Elijah, the new foster, claiming the seat nearest to the fire.)

Elijah has a clean bill of health, and is really coming out of his shell. And he's so cuddly! (That look is because I called his name to get him to look towards the camera. "What?!") He still has another round of shots and a snipping before he's ready to look for his people...

Today I am reminded of Purrberus, guardian of procrastination..

Like my grandfather before me, I am antifa. (Pictured, CDR William Fleming McLaren.)