LJ

Poet & SF&F author. Potter. Crafter. Community Organizer. Relentless optimist. Local foodie & sourdough wrangler. Curious maker. Owned by a former shelter dog. Neuro-Atypical. Grey Ace. Earnest to a fault. Recovering city mouse in Central MA. She/Her

#writing #ScienceFiction #SFF #poetry #pottery #ceramics #food #homesteading #dogs #knitting #crochet #fedi22

Please come find me on sunny.garden! [@LJ](https://sunny.garden/@LJ )

same writer/potter/fiberartist/geek. just a new instance.)

Writing site: http://www.ljcohen.net
Pottery site: http://www.dragonbellyceramics.com
Books available on Gumroad: http://ljcohen.gumroad.com
Kickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ljcohen/entangled-realities-litany-for-a-broken-world

Public Key

npub179x4z879pjcp0d78yp4xsvrpddsh6aj30pakjc65pquwpk0vztmszgems6

NIP-05 Address

lj_at_zirk.us@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs0zn23rlzsevqhklrjq6ngxpskkctaweghs7mfvd2qsw8qm8kp9acpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds6epl75

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub179x4z879pjcp0d78yp4xsvrpddsh6aj30pakjc65pquwpk0vztmszgems6

Show more details

Published at

2026-09-30T01:49:06Z

Kind type

0 Metadata

Event JSON

{ "id": "00a11abd3e6ba0a938eefed303105a4ac3adadcfa0a4711a82743cd562cd1e9c", "pubkey": "f14d511fc50cb017b7c7206a6830616b617d7651787b6963540838e0d9ec12f7", "created_at": 1790732946, "kind": 0, "tags": [ [ "t", "writing" ], [ "t", "poetry" ], [ "t", "sff" ], [ "t", "dogs" ], [ "t", "sciencefiction" ], [ "t", "crochet" ], [ "t", "knitting" ], [ "t", "fedi22" ], [ "t", "food" ], [ "t", "pottery" ], [ "t", "ceramics" ], [ "t", "homesteading" ], [ "proxy", "https://zirk.us/users/LJ", "activitypub" ], [ "L", "pink.momostr" ], [ "l", "pink.momostr.activitypub:https://zirk.us/users/LJ", "pink.momostr" ], [ "-" ] ], "content": "{\"name\":\"LJ\",\"about\":\"Poet \u0026 SF\u0026F author. Potter. Crafter. Community Organizer. Relentless optimist. Local foodie \u0026 sourdough wrangler. Curious maker. Owned by a former shelter dog. Neuro-Atypical. Grey Ace. Earnest to a fault. Recovering city mouse in Central MA. She/Her\\n\\n#writing #ScienceFiction #SFF #poetry #pottery #ceramics #food #homesteading #dogs #knitting #crochet #fedi22\\n\\nPlease come find me on sunny.garden! [@LJ](https://sunny.garden/@LJ )\\n\\nsame writer/potter/fiberartist/geek. just a new instance.)\\n\\nWriting site: http://www.ljcohen.net\\nPottery site: http://www.dragonbellyceramics.com\\nBooks available on Gumroad: http://ljcohen.gumroad.com\\nKickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ljcohen/entangled-realities-litany-for-a-broken-world\\n\",\"website\":\"https://zirk.us/@LJ\",\"picture\":\"https://zirkus-media.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/accounts/avatars/109/781/690/469/574/149/original/cbaface4d8797588.jpg\",\"nip05\":\"lj_at_zirk.us@momostr.pink\"}", "sig": "8fda27286a3b033c0b0b41461adff001c76105424f52402adc39bd32b399065dc59b202795e2405b9c158a09533ea65275ad25f844fdf4e941c762fe07a5ef11" }

Last Notes

2026-05-20 15:33:43 UTC

- reply

2nd attempt: Got through 2 lace charts. Yay! Left the project on the arm of the sofa. The dogs decided it was a toy. They got it off the needles and completely unraveled it.
3rd attempt: Got to the 3rd lace chart. Got hopelessly lost. Frogged it.
This is the 4th attempt. I'm starting to get the rhythm. The hard part is trying to fix mistakes - the yarn overs & clusters of stitches knit together makes that a huge challenge.
But I'm determined! I will have my shawl!
2/2

2026-05-20 15:31:07 UTC

I consider myself a fairly expert knitter. When a knitting friend showed up wearing an amazing scarf with lace work, I thought I might try to make one, too. It's this pattern: https://purlbumps.wordpress.com/2015/04/14/stone-croft-shawl/
I had just the yarn in my stash - a purple sport weight wool blend that would show the stitches well.
This is my 4th attempt and I haven't even gotten into the body of the scarf. 😭
1st attempt - lost a stitch somewhere & couldn't fix it. Couldn't even frog it. Sigh.
1/
#knitting #lace
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/116/607/613/722/662/229/original/6f8009c3bad08fc7.jpeg

2026-05-15 22:04:07 UTC

RE: https://vmst.io/@User47/116580822043610501
Holy shit. Reading this made me physically ill. Talkspace basically created a honeypot: Here, have the convenience of a text based psychotherapy session. Just don't look over in that corner where we are using your innermost thoughts & emotions to make an AI therapist bot.
Like, the therapy wasn't even the point. The patients were just training data.
FUCK AI & all the techbros that come with it.
#note13nr…97zr

2026-05-14 16:14:42 UTC

- reply

There's only 2 of us, so I make small loaves - typically enough for a meal or two. I only make large loaves for a pot luck.

2026-05-14 14:14:52 UTC

- reply

Nods. A lot depends on ambient temp. My timing needs to change once summer comes, or my dough is overproofed. And the dough can hold in the fridge for up to 24 hours, which helps sync to whatever schedule works.
I think a lot of folks overthink sourdough! Especially when it comes to feeding the starter. Mine thrives on neglect. LOL.

2026-05-14 14:07:18 UTC

- reply

LOL. Still, might keep the dough sluggish.

2026-05-14 13:55:37 UTC

- reply

wow! That can retard the rise at that concentration.

2026-05-14 13:46:19 UTC

@npub12s2…9gr0 forgot to answer in the sourdough thread! The recipe I use is a simple method for making a loaf, not a starter. I've actually never made my own starter. I got mine from a local bakery.
This method is from a French baker.
By weight:
1 part bubbly starter
2 parts warm water
3 parts high protein flour
2% of the flour weight in salt
What's great about this is it scales up or down. Makes approx a 60% hydrated dough, IIRC.
1/

2026-05-11 14:31:57 UTC

Kickstarter update: 111% funded with 42 supporters in under a week. 24 days to go.
Stretch goals definitely in play.
My lovely audiobook narrator/producer is already recording & it sounds great, even before the mastering process. I am so excited to get the audiobook for LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD into people's ears.
Please take a look, support if you are inclined, share if you can. Thank you!
(At the very least, you can watch my 2 minute earnest, awkward video!)
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ljcohen/entangled-realities-litany-for-a-broken-world?ref=crk90d
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/116/556/416/699/032/405/original/6a6fcc987802041f.png

2026-05-11 13:10:58 UTC

- reply

i have a super simple sourdough method/recipe if you're interested.

2026-05-10 00:00:24 UTC

I like these numbers! Kickstarter is 111% funded with 42 supporters.
(25 days to go!)

2026-05-08 23:05:47 UTC

Ahoy hive mind: does anyone have a company they highly recommend for making full color stickers? I'm looking for a US based manufacturer. This is for my kickstarter.
Thanks!
#AskFedi

2026-05-03 23:59:28 UTC

- reply

oh these are lovely!

2026-04-19 14:37:13 UTC

- reply

stunning!!!

2026-04-10 13:14:18 UTC

- reply

yummy!

2026-04-01 22:26:14 UTC

- reply

beautiful.

2026-04-01 02:55:26 UTC

Like author readings? Want to enjoy a 'tasting menu' of work by a group of women & non-binary writers of spec fic?
6 authors, (including me!) 8 minutes each. Plus, there will be prizes / giveaways! And you don’t even have to leave the house!
Free, just please pre-register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/strong-women-strange-worlds-33460611105
I'll be reading from LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD.
Hope to see you there!
#SWSWQR
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/116/327/151/932/372/608/original/31a2e603e197e4cb.jpg

2026-03-28 18:55:53 UTC

- reply

it's more than the ability to digest animal protein. Some folks get sick around their pet animals, too. The proteins are in saliva, too.

2026-03-28 13:11:07 UTC

- reply

i feel your pain! We have so much yard work to do to clean up all the beds. I was able to prune the plum trees yesterday, though by the time I was done my hands were freezing, even in lined gloves. Still need to get to the apples & pears.

2026-03-24 01:44:33 UTC

- reply

how they treat service people.

2026-03-08 17:51:35 UTC

- reply

beautiful!

2026-03-08 14:31:13 UTC

- reply

fresh out of the oven!
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/116/194/031/904/222/460/original/5d409d993c2f53a1.jpg

2026-03-08 14:04:36 UTC

- reply

i feel that. It's Sunday, so I'm making sourdough bagels. Every week is a little different - ambient humidity & indoor temp vary. The dough sometimes rises longer or shorter. But the discipline of the making is a cycle that i return to over and over. It's almost a meditative practice.

2026-03-06 23:44:36 UTC

New blogpost! https://blog.ljcohen.net/2026/03/despite-everything-create.html
Wherein a gift from @npub1k4a…qt94 helped me come back to myself.
" 'Cause if you don't know, creating is hard. And when the world is showing its cruelest face, it's even harder.
Sometimes, the thing you're trying to create is like a mean old bass on a line, refusing to be reeled in.
And sometimes it's both."
#writing

2026-02-28 13:56:02 UTC

The Indigo Girls song "Prince of Darkness" is stuck in my head this morning.
"Now, someone's on the telephone, desperate in his pain
Someone's on the bathroom floor doing her cocaine
Someone's got his finger on the button in some room
No one can convince me, we aren't gluttons for our doom."
No reason. Nope. Just a random ear worm...
That last line rings more true now than ever. Here I am, a stubborn optimist struggling to see a path forward that leads to anything better. Fuck this timeline.

2026-02-26 03:51:18 UTC

- reply

that is some passive aggressive bullshit. Sigh.

2026-02-16 02:00:44 UTC

- reply

that show is so well done.

2026-02-14 14:16:04 UTC

OMG!! I am at Boskone, a scifi/fantasy convention in Boston. Wearing my Doctor Who inspired sweater that I designed & knitted (as one does).
2 ppl sitting nearby admired the sweater. I made the appropriate answer: "thank you, I made it myself."
1 of the pair asked me if I'd heard of Barbara Walker.
Yes, I said, she is one of my knitting heroes.
He smiles & says "She was my mother."
Cue muppet flailing & embarrassing fangirl squealing.
#knitting
#boskone
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/116/069/398/756/151/611/original/ce3e09914c9d567b.jpg

2026-02-11 18:22:27 UTC

I *highly* recommend @npub16f9…y7at She's been my editor for 5? 6? novels to date. Having someone to work with who knows what you're trying to accomplish & who pushes you to get there? Priceless.
@npub16f9…y7at https://beige.party/@GramrgednAngel/116053337649199812

2026-02-06 01:00:55 UTC

This is terrifying.
@npub1san…jgxu https://kolektiva.social/@DoomsdaysCW/116020961581784821

2026-01-16 03:47:29 UTC

- reply

i actively choose hope over despair every single day. Some days are easier than others. And every day is a new opportunity to choose it again.

2026-01-05 18:38:42 UTC

I've been a fan of Doctorow's writing for a long time and holy shit -- this thread about how the super rich & powerful don't believe the rest of us really exist is powerful.
@npub1fdr…lvhs https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic/115843023500265780

2025-12-24 22:01:04 UTC

You'd think after publishing 9 novels in 13 years, I'd have made my peace w/ the need to promote them.
I'm still conflicted re: anything that smacks of self-promo. I believe in my work. I'm proud of what I write & very much want to share it with readers.
But the work doesn't magically announce itself to the world.
So if you're looking for SF&F books that are earnest, honest, compelling & character focused, give them a try?
2 are free/pay what you will at Gumroad.
https://ljcohen.gumroad.com/
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/776/768/169/344/165/original/dfb08b13ecdb7891.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/776/770/731/429/989/original/9512d475648cb9b5.jpg

2025-12-21 16:44:23 UTC

- reply

I would read her life story in a heartbeat. 🩵

2025-12-16 17:48:20 UTC

- reply

yes! This! I would rather have 1 lovely hand made object than a dozen of something mass produced. The former is a human to human connection. The latter is soulless consumption.

2025-12-15 14:03:05 UTC

- reply

we've just hit double digits - 10 deg F. Everything is a hard bright white outside with the sun on snow. The bird feeders are swarmed by dark eyed juncos, now that the woodpeckers have demolished the suet balls.
We have both wood stoves going & since my spouse is working this week, my main job is to keep the stoves hot. 1 piece of wood at a time since I'm under a 5 lb lifting restriction for at least another 6 weeks post surgery. There is something quite meditative about it.

2025-12-14 17:21:33 UTC

- reply

we use a friend's flock's wool in our garden as weedblock and mulch. It holds water, prevents weeds, and feeds the soil as it slowly degrades.

2025-12-10 04:17:18 UTC

- reply

this hit hard:
"People like to say rural communities are resilient. What they mean is rural communities absorb the damage so others don’t have to think about it. The volunteers running wood banks aren’t performing resilience. They’re plugging holes in a sinking ship and doing the work the state stopped doing. They are the thin line between a cold snap and another obituary."
I live in a community like this.

2025-11-25 18:23:30 UTC

- reply

yup. I'm a potter as well as a yarn crafter. Everything I make shows who I am. When I knit or crochet, I only use yarn that feels good in the hand. When I make pottery, I don't try to replicate mass produced generic work. I want the hand of the potter to be evident.

2025-11-22 02:30:10 UTC

- reply

the hardest part is giving myself grace when I'm not writing. It's not that I'm lazy or a bad person or a poser. I have to remind myself that there is an ebb and flow to creativity.

2025-11-20 21:42:41 UTC

- reply

what a beautiful photo!

2025-11-13 05:41:19 UTC

But we knew this. We shouldn't have to spend time, effort, & money refuting RFK's blather.
@npub1nzj…pmgc https://med-mastodon.com/@bicmay/115539196065463738

2025-11-05 02:39:11 UTC

I finally got around to weaving in all the ends & blocking the sweater I made for my bestie. Of course, I had to try it on - it's small for me, but I think it will fit her just the way she likes. I can't wait to see it on her!
#knitting
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/494/761/009/804/628/original/28cc4bbc936ae69e.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/494/761/229/374/863/original/97f3381a800fc6fe.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/494/761/404/040/628/original/3151e7cefab6dcc4.jpg

2025-11-02 05:11:50 UTC

Hello! I just found out it's #fedibookfair weekend!
I'm an indie author with 9 published books.
The Halcyone Space series:
Derelict
Ithaka Rising
Dreadnought and Shuttle
Parallax
A Star in the Void
Changelings Choice:
The Between
Time and Tithe
Future Tense
Litany for a Broken World
Find info on all my novels here: https://ljcohen.net
Derelict & Litany ebooks avail for free or pay-what-you-will on Gumroad. https://ljcohen.gumroad.com/
#ScienceFiction
#fantasy

2025-10-23 03:31:13 UTC

When you have a hole in the knee of your jeans, but you hate sewing.
Voila! Needle felted patch.
#VisibleMending
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/421/358/932/579/990/original/62bb20b12dff4ea6.jpg

2025-10-21 22:36:43 UTC

The 3 pieces I made during demos at my open studio a few weeks ago. Fresh out of the kiln. Not too shabby for work done quickly & with people watching me!
#DragonbellyCeramics
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/414/536/241/884/304/original/f7d2a2a15b8efffa.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/414/536/349/422/438/original/61ed048d0568099b.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/414/536/506/805/796/original/d4e2124032a11f20.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/414/536/648/946/009/original/d72bd85a8c7ac8b3.jpg

2025-10-18 22:18:15 UTC

- reply

I live in a rural & libertarian/right leaning area of Massachusetts. There were more than 500 protestors in the little town over from mine today. And at least 4 other protests within a 30 minute radius. I was heartened by all the people, the signs, the costumes. The organizers are also connecting folks to the local food pantries & communities. This is important work even if we don't know the outcome. Ultimately, we only survive when we learn to rely on one another.

2025-10-10 02:44:03 UTC

- reply

same here. My mudroom is full of honey nut squash!

2025-10-07 21:13:46 UTC

- reply

So, if you also like earnest stories with characters who care about one another, even in difficult times, who rise above circumstances to make the world better, give LITANY a spin.
Free/Pay-what-you-will on Gumroad. https://ljcohen.gumroad.com/
#Bookstadon
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/334/942/405/778/572/original/80229eeea4c86e62.jpg

2025-10-07 21:08:59 UTC

- reply

on Gumroad. https://ljcohen.gumroad.com/
I ask nothing in return, though if it moves you, I would be grateful if you told others about it or wrote a review.
There are days where I wish I could write light-hearted stories, but my jam seems to be earnest-as-fuck.
I'm just past the halfway mark on book 2. And honestly? It's hard to do the work when the small voice in the back of my head whispers why bother.
But this story is important to me. And, to the world, I think.
2/

2025-10-07 21:04:33 UTC

It's been 9 months since LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD was released into the world. It has sold quietly, modestly & that's okay. I write because the stories are too big to stay in my head. And they want to be read.
Folks who have read it have told me it moved them deeply. That despite its setting (a Boston homeless encampment), it is ultimately a book about hope & connection. While firmly in speculative fiction territory, non SF&F readers have enjoyed it.
I've made it pay-what-you-will
1/

2025-10-06 20:28:31 UTC

- reply

oooh! Sounds fabulous!

2025-10-04 23:39:24 UTC

- reply

lots of vines. No flowers. But it might have been the varieties I planted. What did really well this year were pinto, purple, & red potatoes that were left over from last year. The white potato varieties failed miserably - we planted those in ground & in straw - neither made potatoes.

2025-10-04 23:33:45 UTC

- reply

we planted half our potatoes in the ground & half worth the straw method. None of the ones planted in straw grew potatoes! I was really surprised. But we'll try again next year.

2025-09-26 04:43:35 UTC

I don't have a yarn project planned right now, but I find the act of crafting a kind of meditation. With all the chaos in the world at large & some personal chaos added to it, I need that comfort to stay grounded. So I grabbed my scrap yarn bin & some crochet hooks to try my hand at freeform crochet.
Basically, any stitches, any size hook, any yarn. Frequent color changes & direction changes.
It's quite freeing.
I think I'll try toconnect all the bits I'm making into a lap blanket.
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/115/268/756/518/225/792/original/4e0a6a868a61ade8.jpg

2025-09-19 03:42:17 UTC

- reply

oh! Beautiful! Is this scraffito?

2025-09-11 20:46:32 UTC

- reply

yes. This! For someone of limited means, or with family history of going without, minimalism is likely not something they have the privilege of indulging in. My mother - a depression era kid - couldn't throw anything out. Because that meant waste & they couldn't afford to waste anything. It was literally survival.

2025-07-30 01:19:02 UTC

- reply

Also, ripe corn can be tasted raw - and should be crisp & sweet.

2025-07-30 01:18:07 UTC

- reply

Corn can be a heartbreaking crop to grow. If someone in a square mile from you is growing feed corn, & the wind is jist right, your lovely corn variety might be hybridized & taste terrible.
And yes, corn is ready to harvest when the silk is dark & dry.

2025-07-28 18:49:29 UTC

- reply

I adored that series!

2025-07-28 15:27:05 UTC

- reply

oh, lovely! We had a great plum year last year. Not so much this one.

2025-07-15 23:40:59 UTC

- reply

oh, those are exquisite.

2025-07-09 14:24:02 UTC

Playing around with adding little owls to my tree mugs. I have a feeling these will warp pretty badly because I wasn't patient enough to wait for the slabs to set up, but sometimes that's how it goes. Trees aren't perfectly symmetrical, right?
#ceramics
#pottery
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/823/723/343/996/808/original/1baa60d2f905726c.jpg

2025-07-08 20:42:24 UTC

- reply

potatoes are the gift that keep on giving!

2025-07-08 12:36:41 UTC

- reply

I honestly think a lot of this is due to the quality of our soil. We do a ton of composting & spend a lot of time feeding the soil as we rotate crops. Happy microbes make great food grow.

2025-07-08 12:27:25 UTC

- reply

we've been growing potatoes for years now, simply cutting up the ones left over in our root cellar from the last years harvest & have never seen a problem with yield or quality.

2025-07-07 19:56:31 UTC

- reply

our studio stocks laguna bmix (which is not my favorite as its absorption rate is too high & doesn't fully vitrify), 60 (a speckled tan stoneware), and 90 (a red brown stoneware.)
90 is my favorite. It has a very low absorption.

2025-07-07 13:18:08 UTC

- reply

Crazing is my nemesis! (I make & manage our glazes & it took months to find a clear that played well with our clay bodies.)

2025-07-07 03:29:05 UTC

- reply

I love how bold the colors are! Do you use commercial glazes or ones you mix?

2025-07-06 20:49:48 UTC

- reply

thank you! That's the goal. There is variation among them, but they are similar enough to be a family of cups.

2025-07-06 20:17:31 UTC

- reply

All dozen cups trimmed & textured!
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/808/129/058/695/955/original/da182ea8d7feca40.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/808/130/822/959/413/original/10e6269915e2c77b.jpg

2025-07-06 13:33:57 UTC

- reply

have you seen the short film made by the director's son? It's from the perspective of the indigenous family Bullock's character reaches on the radio.

2025-07-05 18:56:40 UTC

The artist and the art.
I always say that pottery is a full body contact sport. :)
#ceramics
#pottery
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/802/141/492/227/881/original/a3942d1cfc39f1a1.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/802/141/819/638/490/original/65e339df78eced31.jpg

2025-07-04 14:30:15 UTC

- reply

Every time I read a post from you, I get wrapped up in one of your comforting hugs & feel a wave of purple energy. So in case you didn't know, or were unsure, you have had an inpact on me. Even though we've only met a few brief times, I feel so fortunate to know you. And the words you weave are special magic.

2025-06-11 13:23:02 UTC

- reply

pure delicious alchemy.

2025-06-08 12:13:08 UTC

- reply

I would at least try crochet with a larger size hook - it may give you enough information about drape to help you decide if you need to buy larger needles. (If you prefer the look of a knitted stitch)

2025-06-06 15:50:37 UTC

- reply

Oops! Broke the thread on the #CowParade projects! (Pun intended!)
It is finished! And on the cow. Who has the best dressed cow in Central Massachusetts? Yup. Me!
Here is the latest update: https://starfieldfarm.com/and-finished/
It includes the metrics on amount of yarn, number of stitches, and more.
Thanks for following along! If you're anywhere near Sturbridge, MA, my cow along with 24 others will be in display starting June 21st through September at Old Sturbridge Village.
@npub1tnu…g0xj
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/637/200/141/765/569/original/29199c51a2dc445e.jpg

2025-05-05 15:49:18 UTC

Incoming rant.
Stop using AI/LLM tools. Just stop. Especially if you're using them as a lark.
I'm going to be my most judgemental self here. If you post something that's generated by a LLM, (you know, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc) I will assume:
You don't give a shit about stealing from artists/writers.
You don't give a shit about the earth burning up.
You don't give a shit about clean, drinkable water.
You don't give a shit about people & their creative work.
#NoAI

2025-05-03 13:08:29 UTC

- reply

"I heard it once, long ago, and left it on the bare mountain top where I found it."
Pure poetry. Lovely.

2025-04-30 19:41:08 UTC

2 of the 3 apple trees I had planted 2 springs ago didn't survive this past winter. I wish I knew why. They were fine last year & grew well. And it wasn't a particularly harsh winter. They weren't attacked by insects or deer. Just never came out of dormancy this spring.
@npub1v5a…ny6w

2025-04-28 02:16:01 UTC

- reply

At the halfway point in my #CowParade sweater. The leg openings are on waste yarn & I'm knitting down the body.
https://starfieldfarm.com/just-about-halfway-home/ more photos and process!
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/413/171/378/268/737/original/cb3e7b13dc05c4f5.jpg

2025-04-20 00:11:41 UTC

- reply

Second fitting! Yoke is complete! Time to prepare for separating the sleeves.
Edited to add new blogpost with more process info: https://starfieldfarm.com/and-the-yoke-is-done/
#CowParade
@npub1tnu…g0xj
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/367/383/970/507/098/original/3b8120dc567973b3.jpg

2025-04-16 14:53:01 UTC

I'm in Central MA, zone 6a. As a marker of how weird weather patterns are: I was finally able to treat the peach trees for leaf curl today. 4/16.
I should've done a treatment after leaf drop in fall. A 2nd during dormancy, ideally in February.
The problem? Need 2-3 dry days so the fungicide doesn't wash off & no wind. We're at the start of bud swell & spraying might be useless. But it's the 1st window I've had.
Last week, we had over 4" of snow.
#StarfieldFarm
@npub1lje…v03y
@npub1v5a…ny6w

2025-04-14 22:32:15 UTC

- reply

First fit check! #CowParade
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/338/684/383/920/314/original/c174094ed8359e6c.jpg

2025-04-14 03:39:13 UTC

- reply

Motif #2 is getting clearer!
#CowParade
https://starfieldfarm.com/slow-and-steady-progress/
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/334/225/680/711/295/original/fd5d124c2488c764.jpg

2025-04-13 03:35:44 UTC

- reply

Start of the 2nd motif on the #CowParade project sweater. (Why, yes, I am knitting a stranded colorwork sweater for a life-sized fiberglass cow. As one does.)
What do you think motif #2 will be??
@npub1tnu…g0xj
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/328/548/955/911/414/original/cc1fc54fc64fb161.jpg

2025-04-12 03:07:23 UTC

- reply

Day 5 is complete! https://starfieldfarm.com/and-then-the-frogs-came/
#CowParade
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/322/778/626/683/273/original/45e67284bb01c0c7.jpg

2025-04-10 02:53:31 UTC

- reply

Day 3 of the #CowParade project!
https://starfieldfarm.com/some-more-planning-and-the-start-of-the-actual-colorwork/
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/311/397/692/992/484/original/36bde4a92852f757.jpg

2025-04-09 02:45:06 UTC

- reply

Day 2 of documenting the #CowParade project!
https://starfieldfarm.com/so-it-begins/
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/305/700/185/176/854/original/2455c539e25adb0f.jpg

2025-04-08 02:02:35 UTC

- reply

If you want to follow my progress on this OMG-what-have-I-gotten-myself-into project, I'll be documenting in on a blog here:
https://starfieldfarm.com/category/cow-parade/
#CowParade

2025-04-07 17:54:58 UTC

- reply

I'm sorry for the post flooding, but I'm so hyped for this project!!
I have never tackled a yarn project of this scale. Pray for me! LOL.
#CowParade
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/297/954/408/855/553/original/6320ac56e0aacf7b.jpg

2025-04-07 17:32:26 UTC

- reply

And a box of 30 skeins of wool just arrived from Iceland! 3,000 yards.
Edited to add: for scale that's 1.7 MILES of yarn!
#CowParade
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/297/871/465/021/334/original/388091e3816b80bb.jpg

2025-04-07 15:53:42 UTC

- reply

We have a cow. We have a cow!!!
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/297/481/597/011/138/original/3b433813b8833108.jpg

2025-04-07 15:08:56 UTC

Need a palate cleanser for your timeline? Watch this space!
There's a lot to be heartsick & anxious over, but we also need whimsy & things that delight to be whole human beings. I'm going to do my best to help with that.
After today, I'll need to set this project aside for the summer.
Why?
Stay tuned to see what I'll be knitting for the next few months.
Hint: it's massive & involves one of my favorite things.
I'll be documenting my progress here & also on a blog.
@npub1tnu…g0xj
#CowParade
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/297/299/460/554/947/original/c9a40dc3a74007c5.jpg

2025-04-05 15:46:27 UTC

45 degrees & spitting rain will not dampen my enthusiasm for being at a #handsoff rally today. I'm dressed in warm outdoor clothes & have a hot chai in a thermal mug
I also turned off biometrics on my phone & selected a longer password. Just in case.
#NewEnglandHardy

2025-04-05 13:20:37 UTC

- reply

we do limited tilling - only to break up really hard ground. Mostly, we use a ton of compost, grass clipping, & straw to amend the soil.
In areas of poor soil, we've done straw bale gardening. The 1st year, varied crops grow on the bales. The 2nd year, the bales break down onto mounds we grow potatoes in. The 3rd year, the bales are mulch.
That system might work in Florida.

2025-03-01 06:24:22 UTC

drift wood
scoured by wind and water--
bleached bones
#haiku
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/114/085/729/707/333/393/original/657223c6b178ed6b.jpg

2025-02-19 22:36:54 UTC

I know that creating in a time of chaos is part of resistance. So is joy. And it's really hard to believe either of those things right now.
I feel terrible if I read the news. Guilty if I don't.
I feel guilty for wanting people to read the book I just released. I beat myself up for scrolling on my phone instead of writing.
So, if you are making anything beautiful or interesting or weird, please talk about it.
The bad shit isn't going away & I need your art to encourage me.

2025-02-11 00:29:02 UTC

- reply

information about & reviews of home coffee roasters? Reasons I should absolutely not go down that rabbit hole?

2025-02-01 19:59:03 UTC

Are you a book reviewer? LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD is available to request now on Netgalley.
A modern reworking of The Wizard of Oz that unfolds in a Boston homeless encampment. This multiverse story explores themes of memory, identity, trauma, & repair.
https://www.netgalley.com/widget/772660/redeem/2c7d9ec0c623110a58acd576cfad5d31979486e8385dec777dd992474a987916
#scienceFiction
#speculativeFiction
#review
#BoostsWelcome
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/113/930/387/787/818/502/original/65b83684b56a51eb.jpg