We’re back to celebrate our version of Valentines Day, where we share our affection with our best people. Hope you enjoy our ideas for gifts to share with pals!

It’s April, and how have 2 months passed since we last recorded? We certainly haven’t stopped crafting, but time really is flying as we cross our fingers that the Midwest will actually welcome Spring into its bosom.

Hello again! We recorded this on Feb 2 but since then life has taken a number of switchbacks and curves, not always headed upward. Hope you enjoy this episode anyway, and that you had a warm and affectionate Valentine’s Day to celebrate the people you love. It’s for friends, not lovers!

See you as soon as we can.

It’s a super long episode because apparently we just don’t know when to shut up. Hope you enjoy!

We’ve been gone far too long, so we’re back with an episode that is also way too long. What else would you expect from us?

Spring has sprung and we’re here for it.

In this episode, Aislinn was enjoying a modified Bee’s Knees with homemade violet simple syrup replacing the honey syrup. Inspired by BlackForager on Instagram, she gathered the violets from her yard to make a beautifully pH-sensitive syrup! Top tip: make it with distilled water to ensure your normal tap water doesn’t destroy the chemical necessary for the color-changing beauty of the violet’s natural pigment. Maranda had a new-to-her cider from Sociable Cider Works, Tandem Tap Pineapple Freewheeler.

With the return of days warm enough to be outdoors for hours, we extolled the virtues of Black Girl Sunscreen (available at Target, naturally), and that rash guards are socially acceptable at the beach these days.

Our WIPs were wide and varied this time. Aislinn has expanded from knitting to more cooking (weird, given that it’s getting warmer, but whatevs). She’s been making a cashew-based tikka masala sauce from the Spice Cravings blog which is so tasty even her aggressively meatatarian husband likes it. She is also knotting a Vaara top by Sachiko Burgin from Pom Pom Quarterly Spring 2016 in discontinued yarn (again, naturally): Inappropriate by Drew Emborsky in the colorway Hostile Takeover. The end of Aislinn’s WIP section devolved into a crass story about our family, hence the “really not for kids” title.

Maranda is working on building up her plant collection for the Underground Plant Trade. You can check your local neighborhood or mutual aid org to see if there is one near you.

Gold stars went to the pedestrian-only areas in our towns. In Iowa City, the part of Linn St north of downtown has been blocked off again for the summer, and we hope that stays permanent. In Minneapolis, George Floyd Square remains a pedestrian-only memorial and community area, and again, we hope that stays permanent. Maranda also gave a gold star to Art Buddies, a program where she connected with local kids who like doing art. She finally got to meet her penpal Art Buddy and they had a great time hating on group photos.

It’s been a hell of a week. Show notes may or may not happen. But the podcast got recorded so we’ll take our small victories, right?

Hello again! We recorded Feb 21 but didn’t get it uploaded until Feb 27 because work and life. Never forget: Ohio is garbage.

Aislinn is enjoying Hoof Hearted Hot Probs, a DDH pale ale, at a crushable 5.6%. Maranda is having a Fair State x Dekker collab Too Far Juice.

Maranda banged out 200 valentines this year!!! Mind = blown. Aislinn made a total of 3 valentines and it just about wiped her out. Maranda is now turning her considerable talents to making a (well-deserved) cat quilt for Grandpa, the greatest old soul. She is also trying her hand at ceramics and made a set of copitas for mezcal.

Aislinn is still working through the Hulanicki socks. She’s already most of the way through the second sock. Just starting the second sock is its own victory. The other pair of socks that she started two years ago are squinting angrily at her from the bottom of the knitting pile. She’s also still actively avoiding finishing the seams on her Penny Cardigan. To do that, she knit two garter ear flap hats from Purl Soho (one in Plucky Knitter Cozy DK and one in Jade Sapphire Relux Lite) and the Skull Coast Hat by Amanda Scheuzger in Indiecita Alpaca DK. Aislinn is also using the St. Burch Tavern Burch Box and their chef’s home cooking videos to learn some new recipes and cooking techniques!

Gold stars: normally a lover of the coziness of winter, Aislinn is super excited for the coming of Spring and the return of lazy outdoor activities with friends. In the meantime, she’s been enjoying Board Game Arena, an online way to play board games with friends. Maranda is loving people celebrating their COVID-19 vaccines and is really looking forward to getting her State Park Pass! Only $35 for the full year for Minnesota!