The last few weeks have seen lower COVID cases and higher vaccination rates. More businesses and events have started to re-open and loosen mask mandates, number of occupants, etc. This shift has meant trips to the local pool for some, going to a pen show for others. For me and Laura, it means our first Knit Night in person in almost 18 months. We, however live at ground zero of the outbreak of the Delta variant. It’s a place called Missouri. (Ok, technically Laura lives in Kansas but we live on the border so…) If you don’t believe me when I say its COVID-central, check out the NY Times map. We are northwest of the worst infections but I don’t trust the Delta variant to respect county lines. So, our knitting group is meeting outdoors, just to be on the safe side. Are you mingling yet?
In pen news, the Drillog Kickstarter looks interesting but a bit pricey. Mostly, I think everyone is breathing a collective sigh of fresh air before we all have to get back to work in the fall. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Keep your pens clean and your pencils sharp.
Pens:
- Fountain Pen Review: Montegrappa Miya 450 Limited Edition Yellow (via Rants of The Archer)
- DRILLOG – Precision Drill Tipped Dip Pen (via Gourmet Pens)
- Are piston brush pens any good? (via Parka Blogs)
- Retrospective: Friday July 16 (via Macchiato Man)
- How to Disassemble and Reassemble TWSBI Fountain Pens (via JetPens)
- Nespresso notebook and pen (via Bleistift)
Inviting ink samples to the party (via mnmlscholar) - Franklin-Christoph $35 Steel Extra-Fine Flex Nib for Fountain Pens (via Gourmet Pens)
- Worth a Look: the Worther Compact Fountain Pen (via Penquisition)
Ink:
- Tono & Lims To Make a Long Story Short (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
- Red Ink Review: Tono & Lims “Superstar T” (via The Gentleman Stationer)
- Kobe 31 Coast Stone Grey (via Mountain of Ink)
- Birmingham Independence Grey on Rhodia (via Inkcredible Colours)
- Van Dieman’s Underwater Collection Part 3 (via Mountain of Ink)
- Laban Greek Mythology Ink in Apollo Orange: A Review (via The Pen Addict)
Pencils:
- Mechanical Pencil Special Features We Love (via Yoseka Stationery)
- The Best Erasers (via JetPens)
Notebooks & Paper:
- The Best Notebooks for Fountain Pens (via JetPens)
- An Interview With Rachel, The Creator Of The Profolio Oasis Summit Notebook (via Fountain Pen Love)
- Customizing Stationery: If Your Ideal Product Doesn’t Exist, Make It Yourself! (via The Gentleman Stationer)
Art & Creativity:
- Sketching my workspace (via Liz Steel)
- Book Review: Gouache in 4 Easy Steps: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating Beautiful Paintings in No Time (via Parka Blogs)
- Illustrated Life Journal: A Daily Mindful Practice by Kate Sutton (online art course) (via Parka Blogs)
- Do You Hoard Your Watercolor Paper? (via Doodlewash®)
- Aquafine Watercolour Ink by Daler-Rowney Review (via Doodlewash®)
Other Interesting Things:
- A Window Into the Workings of Small Presses (via Hyperallergic)
- What Emoji Will 2021 Bring? (via Hyperallergic)
- “A new chapter in the illustrious Helvetica story”: Monotype introduces the Helvetica Now Variable font (via It’s Nice That)
- Wes Anderson’s Latest Conjures a Confectionary Vision of France (via Hyperallergic)
- How to delete yourself from social media in 2021 (via Creative Boom)
- Cute Fashionable Animal Clay Dolls By Valentina Gekova (via Design You Trust)
- Carl Sagan in 1978: Star Wars Is Too White (via Kottke.org)
- Crowdfunding Campaign Saves Studio Ghibli Museum Within Hours (via My Modern Met)
- What’s in the Bag; Back 2 the Office (via The Poor Penman)
- Pen Boutique – a story of the triumph of the Pen in the time of Pandemic (via Inked Happiness)
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I’m doing lots outdoors, but I’m still avoiding spending time indoors (like restaurants). I love the idea of knitting outdoors!
Not to fangirl too much 🙂 but in Missouri? My home state! Coming back next month to Lake St. Louis for a family reunion – fully masked and sanitized and vaccinated. I know the delta variant is on the rise – we all discussed it and are comfortable under those conditions. If of course it gets worse, well, it’s been 2 years what’s another few months, right?
It seems like the coasts of Missouri are doing better than inland. Fingers crossed that it stays that way. Welcome back!
So far, unmasked mingling indoors has been only with fully vaccinated family members. I was so happy to drive to Atlanta last month to see siblings and other family who I haven’t visited in over a year. I organized an outdoors farmers market at work last week, and did not wear a mask because it was breezy and folks kept their distance. For work, shopping, and all other indoor activities outside of my home, I’m still fully masked and plan to keep it that way a while longer. It will be a long time before I’ll dine inside at restaurants again.