iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Sorting through these dyed Lincoln locks before starting to comb. They're a bit felted but it was a steal at $5/pound, so we'll get what we get. 🤞 #handspinning #longwool

A bag of purple colored wool locks spills out onto a table. The locks are long with curly tips. A pair of mini combs sits alongside.

Blue wool locks are being sorted into a basket, oriented so the curly tips are all pointing inwards. A pile of locks that are too felted to comb is building up in the corner of the basket.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Some fun surprises from the backyard. New flowers have opened on the Carpenteria californica, a small Heuchera Canyon Duet continues to bloom like a champ, and a volunteer Heuchera (maxima?) colonizing a tiny hole in the walkway. #californianativeplants

A white flower with six petals and a large yellow center blooms amongst dark green foliage

A small coral bells plant grows happily in a shady spot between oak branches and rocks. It has several tall flower spikes with tiny pink blooms.

A volunteer coral bells unexpectedly growing out of a small hole in a wooden walkway

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Sampling some fun overshot patterns with bits and pieces of leftover stash. This weft is some of my first handspun yarn from years ago! I especially like it against the dark blue tabby. #handweaving #handspinning

Fabric being woven on a four shaft floor loom. The warp is 8/2 cotton, the left half in navy and the right half in cream. The weft is handspun merino wool yarn in shades of blue and green. The repeating overshot pattern is in the shape of a cat's eye with a long skinny pupil.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Our current guild challenge is to create several different towels using the same warp. Really interesting to see how different variables play out. #handweaving #towels

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Absolutely livid about the #SAVEact. Trying to weave my way back down to a normal blood pressure. #handweaving

A green and white twill towels in progress, woven in 8/2 cotton on a Fanny counterbalance loom. Pattern from Anne Dixon, pg 87.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

A California tree frog has been chilling in our rain barrel. Every now and then we hear a loud "CRRROAK!" ❤️🐸 #frog

A small, mottled green and grey California tree frog inflates its throat pouch. The frog is inside a rain barrel, holding onto a stick.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Called my senators this morning to state the obvious fact that allowing mining in the Boundary Waters is a terrible freaking idea. #boundarywaters #fivecalls #publiclands

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Finished up the first braid of my Polwarth/silk fractal. Polwarth floofs up so much after washing! #handspinning #knitting

Finished skein of two ply Polwarth/silk blend in colors of plum, blue, rust, and acid green.

Two spinning wheel bobbins holding singles, ready to ply together. The first bobbin is spun as it comes so the color runs are much longer than the second bobbin, which was spun in three lengthwise sections.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Who dug up my Heuchera? 😢 Was it you, 🦝? Or you, 🦨? I thought we were friends! #californianativeplants

Heuchera maxima plant, dug halfway out of the ground and drooping sadly

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Pretty! And it matches my bobbin. This is Polwarth/silk in "Moonlit Blossoms" from Wonderland Dyeworks. #handspinning

Close up on an iridescent purple spinning wheel bobbin, which has started filing with a singles of Polwarth and silk, dyed in colors of purple, blue, and lime green.

Looking down on a Lendrum spinning wheel, with the purple, blue, and green combed top leading out of the frame

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Are you interested in a hobby that makes you question your ability to count and do basic math? Let me recommend fiber crafts. Count, count again, swear, count again, multiply and carry the one, count again. Success. #weaving #warp

Vertical warping mill with 8/2 cotton spiraling around, measuring out a warp for a floor loom.

A cat is visible through the spaces on the full warping mill. He is carefully placed just outside the mill turning radius.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Two #smookie repeats (and bottom ribbing) complete and I've just barely cracked into my second skein. This bodes well for overall yarn consumption. #knitting

Gold handknit sweater in progress, laying on a pink flowered chair. The sweater body is knit from the bottom up on a long circular needle. A large geometric pattern is emerging in the center panel, flanked by small cables on each side.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The rain has really perked up the backyard. Lots of new green growth, and some of the lilacs are putting out early flowers. The Heuchera was one of the first to attract native bees last year so I'm keeping an eye out 🐝 #californianativeplants

Carmel Creeper lilac (Ceanothus var.) and Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) surround two small boulders. The lilac is beginning to display light blue flowers

Coffeeberry Eve Case, Heuchera maxima, Salvia spathecea, and Fragaria vesca share a shady spot under a Live Oak. Everything is green and growing after good soaking rains.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Getting going on my #smookie pullover once again. Very enjoyable knitting, which is good because it takes me about 12 minutes to finish one row! Supervisor Thea approves my overtime, as long as I keep up with my cat furniture responsibilities. 🧶🐈 #knitting

The bottom hem and first few inches of a handknit cardigan in golden wool. A geometric pattern is beginning to form as the sweater grows upwards.

Grey cat sits on a quilt covered lap, with the first few inches of a sweater in progress draped over her back.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

My Spot cardi is complete, just under the wire! Spun, dyed, and knitted starting on Jan 1, 2025. #2025sweaterchallenge #handspinning #knitting

A forty something woman sits by a window, wearing a pink and white handknit cardigan. A colorful quilt is draped over her lap.

Handknit white cardigan with an all over geometric design in pink. The white yarn is Romney and the pink is BFL/silk.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

A little rain and the backyard mushrooms start poppin'. We get tons of Turkey Tail plus some Oyster and Candy Caps here and there. Not sure what this low white one is? #fungus #mushrooms

Tiny Turkey tail mushrooms fruiting on an oak log. This fungus grows in a plate shape and often has colorful stripes that look like a mle turkey's tail on display

A lowy, white fungus grows along the fissures in an oak log. It has a coral-like texture.

White fungus outlines the cracks in a large oak log

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Making yarn buttons for my #2025sweaterchallenge Spot cardigan. Partially because they're cute, partially because I don't want to leave the house in search of pre-made buttons. #knitting

Handknit cardigan with a pink-on-cream colorwork pattern is almost ready for buttons. Handmade yarn buttons are loosely placed on the button band, looking like small cream colored donuts.

Making yarn buttons by wrapping around a fine point Sharpie 10 times, then using tapestry needle to work buttonhole stitch around the circle of yarn. Finished buttons look like small donuts.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

I'm the lucky new caretaker of this rad 1950s-era Fanny loom, courtesy of my guild's Pass It Forward program. Who needs a dining table, anyway? #handweaving

A 1950s era counterbalance Fanny floor loom stands where we used to have a dining table. The loom is honey colored maple and has a DIY castle added over the top roller bar.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

#Steek time! I like this crochet method that @katedaviesdesigns.com uses, it really grabs onto all the little ends and makes the cut line easy to see. #2025sweaterchallenge #knitting #handspinning

Beginning to cut the front steek on a cardigan knit in the round. White crochet reinforcement bands run up the steek columns. Scissors carefully cut the knit ladder running between the reinforcements.

Showing the back of the cut steek edge. The reinforcement band has neatly captured the cut edges of the floats.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Another #2025sweaterchallenge progress pic attempt, aka another cat bed. Next up, steek and button bands. Might just squeak in before the end of the year. #knitting #handspinning

Pink and white colorwork sweater in progress. Most of the knitting is complete, picture shows uncut front steek and unfinished neckline. A grey and white cat lays atop the sweater.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Plausible deniability isn't really a thing around here. #sewing #fabricscissors

Three pairs of scissors all marked with "fabric only!" messages

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

My plants and I thoroughly enjoyed the rain last week. The hummingbird sage is springing up, all the manzanitas are blooming, and this little eriogonum is about to manifest its scheme for planter domination. #californianativeplants

This Ian Bush Arctostaphylos is 8 feet tall! In front is a Concha ceanothus and the more petite Salvia spathecea from Las Pilitas.

Eriogonum grande rubescens hanging onto a few last summer blooms

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Please enjoy this bobbin of alpaca/Shetland awaiting its sisters. A calm start on a lovely showery day. #handspinning

Spinning wheel bobbing full of soft brown fiber singles rests on a silver tray, illuminated from behind with rainy day light

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

On nights like this, we break into the Stagg. Nice to get some good news.

A small pour of delicious whiskey in a glass, in front of a grey and white cat.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Wanted a progress pic for my #2025sweaterchallenge but someone decided this layout was just for him. #knitting #handspinning

Grey and white cat lays atop a sweater in progress. The sweater is being knit top down in geometric cream and pink color work pattern. The body and one sleeve are nearly complete.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Signed up to demo #bandweaving at the upcoming weaving guild sale! Got out Ye Olde #inkleloom and warped up for the first pattern in the Applesies book, then proceeded to totally mis-read the turning sequence. Oh well, still looks cool 😎 #tabletweaving #handweaving

Handwoven band about 3/4 inch across featuring a zigzag design in navy blue, grey, and bright pink

Inkle loom set up for band weaving with a pack of tablets used to change sheds.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Got some good work done in the backyard today. Flagstone is down on the main path, the bog filter structure is in, and the stone planters are taking shape. Some of my #californianativeplants are already established back here, many more to come!

Backyard improvements to my CA native plant garden. Several lilac and manzanita shrubs are visible amongst the in-progress rock planters, stepping stones, and pathway.

A pink flagstone pathway in progress. Large stones cover a straight walkway, leading to a patio space that still needs pavers.

Newly created planter formed from small granite boulders houses a Bee's Bliss sage. The structure for a bog filter is visible behind the planter.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Cruising along on my #2025sweaterchallenge now that the sleeves are split off. I made a ton of cream Romney 2 ply, but will there be enough of my pinky orange BFL? Time will tell. 😬 #knitting #handspinning

Hands holding a sweater in progress in the foreground, while a grey and white cat peers sleepily from behind the knitting.

Pink and cream color work sweater being knit from the top down. The raglan increases are complete and the sleeves have been split from the body.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Check out the seed exchange table at our CNPS chapter meeting last night! This is maybe 1/3 of the total selection. The variety was amazing. I contributed a tiny bit of Ascelpias fascicularis 😅 and took home two varieties of lupine and an interesting wallflower. #californianativeplants

Long table covered with packets of seeds to share with other native plant enthusiasts. Many include photos of the plant and instructions for germinating.

Take a scoop of seeds for the Suffrutescent Wallflower. The collector has provided cultivation instructions and a photo of the mature plant with yellow blooms.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Getting ready for fall planting! I've got some pond/bog plants for the new water feature, Monardella, Penstemon, and Diplacus for the pollinators, and a nice Rhamnus californica to block the low spot in our fence. Soon, my friends. #californianativeplants

California native plants awaiting their new garden homes. Pond plants on the left include Stachys bullata and Erythranthe cardinalis. Monardella, Diplacus "tequila sunrise" and two kinds of Lobelia, and Salvia Celestial Blue.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Got to get cranking on my #2025sweaterchallenge if I'm going to finish by the end of the year! Currently putting along through the raglan increases and wondering if I'll ever be somewhere cold enough to wear the final product 🤔 #knitting #handspun

Spot cardigan pattern in progress, partway through the raglan increases. Knitted using my handspun yarn in colors of white and pink-orange.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

New project off the loom, submitted for cat inspection. This will be a set of dish towels for my purple-loving MIL. #rigidheddle #handweaving #cat

Grey and white cat relaxes, wrapped in a length of handwoven fabric with a purple and white log cabin pattern

Cloth woven on a rigid heddle loom with thick and thin cotton yarn. The pattern is a large scale log cabin in dark purple and white.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

I told a coworker that my husband and I had gone rock shopping. Coworker: "Oooo! Did you pick out an anniversary ring??" Me: "...not exactly."

Several large piles of building materials are lined up on a driveway. They include piles of gravel, a cubic yard of sand, and three pallets of flagstone and boulders.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Going to try propagating this smaller Epilobium canum variety "Bowman's #1." This one was planted in May and was watered maybe once a month since then. We'll see if it's as happy on the sunnier side of the yard. #californianativeplants #epilobium

Small Epilobium with red flowers grows happily in a semi-shaded corner.

Close up of red, trumpet-shaped fuchsia flowers with some developed seed pods bursting open

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

The Sea Witch grows. Her acid greens shift in the murky light, her red eyespots flash a warning. Next, the jagged border of a treacherous shore. #knitting #handspinning

Triangular wrap made of mitered squares. Mostly knit with handspun merino in many shades of green, there is a zig zig design knit with grey alpaca running horizontally across the wide part of the triangle, and two bright red corners at the widest tips.

Close up of green mitered squares showing a mossy-looking texture, contrasting with the grey zig zag detail. The grey squares are knit intarsia.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Quite chuffed with these Sweet as Pie dish towels. They washed up nice and soft, but the waffle weave didn't shrink down as much as I'd expected. Maybe it needs a few more washes? #rigidheddle #handwoven

Two handwoven cotton dish towels in a waffle weave pattern. Natural colored cotton with contrasting threads in bright orange and pink.

Close up of the waffle weave texture, showing the front of the towel on the top (contrast colors look like dots) and back of the towel on the bottom (contrast colors show as a line of floats)

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

We've been working hard on some infrastructure improvements before the fall planting begins. The pathway base is nearly done, and I'm chipping away at excavating the pond. #californianativeplants

Garden path in progress. Steel edging is slowly being filled with compacted gravel base, preparing a level surface for the paver stones. Fuchsia, yarrow, and a few penstemon are still blooming red and pink on the left side of the path.

A hole about four feet around is being dug into heavy clay soil. It will eventually be surrounded by rock and native plants to create a wildlife pond.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

The Sea Witch progresses! I'm fairly sure I have enough green for one more row of large squares, or maybe I'll add small squares in the valleys for more zigs and zags? Definitely planning a sawtooth border to add to the wild kelp energy. #handspun #knitting

Knitted wrap in progress, made of many mitred squares knit from hand spun yarn many shades of green.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Some garden friends stopped by yesterday. Here's an Umber Skipper on the hummingbird sage, and a couple native bees on my desert mallow. #californianativeplants #butterfly #bees

Umber Skipper butterfly resting on a hummingbird sage leaf.

Two furrow bees checking out an orange mallow blossom. These bees are very small, about 1.5 cm long

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Oh! Excuse me, I didn't realize this seat was taken. J-hang number two confirmed, and this one is in a primo spot to watch. Cross your antennae that all goes well. #butterfly #monarch

A white garden chair sits on concrete steps. A small monarch caterpillar hangs from the back of the chair, barely visible as it gets ready to start its cocoon

Close up of monarch caterpillar in the "J hang" phase. It has anchored itself to a metal chair and hangs downward in a J shape, preparing to split its skin and become cocooned.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Surprised to see a Bald Eagle on our way home! They're around in San Luis Obispo county but it's the first time I've seen one close to town. There's usually an RTH on this pole so I did a double take when I saw it 🤯🦅 #baldeagle #birding

Grainy phone photo of a bald eagle sitting on a power pole

Bald eagle sits on a power pole, alongside a vineyard road near San Luis Obispo.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Was just admiring the last of my Fiesta Marigold monkeyflowers when I saw...this! Our first confirmed dangle of the year! Good luck, little dude. #californianativeplants #monarch #butterfly

A monarch caterpillar anchoring itself to a monkeyflower stem to begin the first stage of cocoon development. The caterpillar has thin stripes of yellow, white, and green.

Fiesta Marigold monkeyflowers with bright red corollas edged in orange.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Warped up a new kitchen towel project yesterday. This one is a simple waffle weave featuring my signature color combo of bright pink and orange 🧡💜 #rigidheddle #weaving

Close up of woven fabric in progress on a rigid heddle loom. Undyed cotton with thin stripes of bright pink and orange.

Woven Sweet as Pie hand towels in progress on rigid heddle loom

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

Had a great time at Tricia's relief printing class last weekend! Here are the first two blocks I carved and printed. Now I just need more time for all my crafts 😬 #blockprinting #printmaking

Simple outline print of a hare, printed in teal ink. The carved print block sits to the right of the print, showing the reverse image of the hare.

Relief print of a European Kestrel sitting on a branch. Printed in purple ink, the Kestrel is frames by a border and sits in front of a wavy-line background

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Done with the first half of this crunchy Texel braid. Planning to keep it as singles, insult it thoroughly with hot and cold rinses, then make a hot pad/cat bed out of it, I think? #tourdefleece2025 #handspining

A single ply of purple Texel yarn freshly spun on the Lendrum bobbin.

Braid of unusual Texel fiber, dyed in shades on purple.

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Brittany of the Many Projects @aurorarouge.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Blithely spun the entire second braid of my Fall on Fire without checking my notes from braid #1. Turns out that one was a fractal. This one is not. Hmmm. #tourdefleece2025 #handspinning

Two spinning wheel bobbins full of BFL/silk singles in colors of gold, red, orange, and purple.

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