The Good, The Bad, The Stupid of This Past Week

What can I say, some weeks just do whatever they want to and you just have to live with it, right? This past week was like that, but the good news is that obviously we have all survived.

I have photos of The Good.

First of all, the other day, Miss Esme decided that a) she would come up to the third floor (rare), and then also sit on my lap for about half an hour (even rarer!). She sat there and purred her sweet little head off.

I was also amused at the position of her tail. I was sitting next to a large pillow on the end of the couch, and she placed her tail straight up!

She can be a goofball when she lets herself be brave.

Another good:

These are the buttons I ordered for my completed cardigan, aren't they fantastic? I ordered them from Wooden Heart Buttons, and they are just perfect for what I wanted. 

Getting them was a challenge to say the least. Since the shop is in Canada, there was the whole thing with it being a "foreign package." I kept getting notices that it was being held in U.S. Customs to make sure there were no "contraband" ingredients. (Do lots of things get smuggled into the country with wooden buttons?) Then they were alledgedly delivered, but of course were not in the mailbox. I checked with the seller, and they had been mailed in an envelope, so I didn't think there was any way they could have been porch-pirated. Then after a week and a half, a whole s**tload of mail was sudeenly in our mailbox, and there they were! So I don't know what actually happened, but I have them, they are on the sweater, and someday I can hopefully get a photo to show you the whole shebang.

The Bad.

Take your pick. God knows there's plenty of choices. 

The Stupid.

A week ago today, I woke up and my right eye was swollen shut with dried blood all over it. It hurt slightly, but was more uncomfortable than anything else. So off to the emergency room - because obviously I haven't been there a while and we can't have that! - to see what was going on. It turns out that I scratched my lower eyelid while sleeping apparently, and so I had two stitches put into the area and even got an eye patch to wear for four days (this was the up side, I must say, matey!). And no, it was me, the drs agreed that it was in no way a cat scratch. As of today, my lower eyelid is slightly red, but there are no other indications that anything happened. And though it was kinda fun to look like a pirate for a few days, it messed with my perspective so I was happy to not wear it any more. Even more stupid: did we think to get a picture? Of course not.

The main thing that was an issue is that last Friday, I had made plans with my friend Louise to meet for lunch, and I had to cancel. We had made plans to do it last time we met, and at the time I didn't realize that it would be Lent; now that I know it's Lent, I'm gonna wait until after Easter to reschedule. Usually during Lent, I give up buying myself a coffee/tea/pastry/lunch during the week, and at the end of it, donate the equivalent (usually plus some) to a local food organization. Not that I buy something to eat or drink every single day, but it's not unusual to do so two or maybe even three times a week, so it does add up. So Louise, if you are reading this (and I know she sometimes does), let's plan for after Easter to get together again!

*****

No plans for this weekend, as far as I know, which is fine with me. Next week, I have things I have to attend to every day except Friday, so a no-plan weekend sounds good to me. 

I've been knitting and reading away, and have almost finished the second sock of my February yarn from Farmer's Daughter Fibers. Of course there is a story related to that, which I'll tell you in the FO post.

Have a good weekend. And be careful not to injure yourself in your sleep! 🙄

Well, I'm Back

I didn't really mean to not post for so long, but I got involved with finishing a couple of books that were coming due at the library, knitting away on a pair of socks, and trying to keep my mental health on keel. But I'm here now, so I'll give you a little peek from while I was gone.

Here we have an upset, scared, betrayed, and angry Miss Esmeralda at the vet's office. It only took three years, one new carrier, and an hour and a half of chasing her to make this appointment happen. But it did, and she was declared in perfect health - even good teeth! - and we came home where she hid for 2 complete days until we saw her again.

As I've mentioned, she is really afraid of everything. So any time before that we tried to get her to the vet's office, it was unsuccessful. I wasn't too worried, because she never goes outside, and she lives with two healthy cats. But we have been thinking of adding to the family, and we realized that there is no way that would happen if she wasn't up to date on her shots.

The whole thing was traumatic for both of us, and I felt so awful, betraying the trust she had finally given to me. Now we're back to baby steps, but I am glad to know she is as healthy as I suspected. And unless she suddenly shows signs of being sick, we don't need to repeat the experience any time soon.

I did finish the first sock of the yarn from the February installment of the Farmer's Daughter Fibers subscription, and I am well into the second. The yarn is a slightly brighter red than this photo shows, with the wine-colored mini, which is just a lovely combination.

I've also added to my Cozy Comfort Throw, but even though it is a good chunk of work, it looks nearly the same. I'll probably only start showing progress on this when there's a substantial amount to show, since it will take me a while, and moves along kind of slowly.

But I do like how it's turning out, and it's using up a lot of scraps, which is a good feeling.

So that's what has been happening around here. We had a nice Valentine's Day, going out to breakfast at one of our fave places, and had a yummy Chinese noodle dinner last night for the Lunar New Year. 

And of course I have spent A LOT of time watching the Olympics, as I'm sure a lot of you have. Not being athletic at all, I am constantly amazed at how accomplished the athletes are - even those who don't win a medal. Think of how good you have to be to simply make the team in the first place!

So now you know what I've been up to and how things are going. Time to hit "publish" on this, and get ready for a trip to the dermatologist. Since I had that basal cell carcinoma removed from my back this past August, I was supposed to return in 6 months instead of a year. Hopefully this time the appointment will be completely uneventful. 

I hope the rest of your day today and rest of the week go well. I'm hoping I'll be back again before another week goes by, but just in case, take care!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Oh Ned Ryerson - don't we all know someone just like him? I have to admit that "Groundhog Day" is one of my fave movies, becuase it is so ridiculous, but also because I often feel like I'm living in the same kind of world - not one where it's actually Groundhog Day each day, but one where the events that keep repeating are unfortunately horrible ones. Even before recent events, though, I'll admit I'd still have days when I'd think "Wait, didn't this just happen yesterday the same way??"

If Gtoundhog Day is not your thing, it's also St. Blaise Day, when we used to get our throats blessed when I was in school. One of my favorite saints' days, since I have always had throat issues, and I always felt that St. Blaise was trying his hardest to help.

Or, if the saints don't grab you, it's also the birthday of James Joyce. We always have some gorgonzola cheese on rye bread with a glass of white wine, as Leopold Bloom does in "Ulysses." (Which I never made through - I was lucky if I read 20 pages. The Tim, on the other hand, can practically recite it.)

In any case, I hope you are doing OK and if you are in the storm area/deep freeze area, keeping warm. Frankly, I if I hear one more person tell me how many days are left until the first day of spring or summer, I'll find a way to bury them under the ice forever. But as usual, that's just me. (I do mean it though.)

Over the weekend, I was thinking of what I want to knit next, as far as a larger project. I am almost there, but I was in one of those moods where, no matter what pattern I'd see, even if I had the right yarn, etc., there was always some reason it just wasn't right. Do you ever do that? At one point, I stopped looking at things because I decided I wasn't going to be able to decide to try anything in the frame of mind that I was in. Which is an improvement, because in the past, I would usually keep going, and then just be ticked off at myself, my knitting, and the world in general for three or four days. 

Anyway, I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I did start working on a Cozy Comfort Throw a couple of weeks back, in an attempt to use up a lot of scraps and minis that are not being used for anything else. I bought some yarn for the  main color - but before the end of 2025 ... I already knew I was going to try and not buy yarn for at least the first six months in this year, so I headed myself off at the pass, so to speak! It's only cheating if I think it is. 😉 I haven't tried to photograph it yet, because it's still sort of at the point where the needle I'm using is kind of twisted, and trying to get it to be flat for taking a picture is more work than it's worth. But I'm enjoying it, and it's satisfying to watch those small amounts of yarn leftovers turn into something that I think looks nice and that will be useful. I'm waiting to see how it looks once it's finished before deciding if it will be for us, a gift for someone, or a cozy donation. That's mainly because I'm not making any effort to make it look thought out - I'm just grabbing whatever is next out of my bag when it's time for a new addition.

Other than that, there's nothing much to report. We're all hanging in, and so far, other than the cold that The Tim had (which he claims I gave to him, though I didn't have a cold), which *he* then passed to me, no one has been sick, injured, or any other version of being under the weather, so to speak. Let's hope that continues. 

Here's hoping a good week is ahead for all of us!

So Here I Am

Hello! I didn't mean to disappear for a few days, but I ended up having a lot of stuff to take care of that just took all of my time. Not that I think you were all getting ready to call out a search party, but anyway I'm here now. 

I usually don't write a post on a Tuesday morning, because I'm usually at my volunteer gig taking care of kitties. However, the ones that were there have all been adopted, and they won't get more there until this afternoon, so I'm at home this morning. I did tell a woman I would cover her Thursday morning shift for her while she was out of town, so I have an extra day this week.

Thank you so much for all of the kind words about my Christmas sweater, it was such a boost to hear that you all thought it was as nice as I did. I'm still sort of surprised that it all turned out so well. You know how it is when you try something for the first time and it works out really well - you're not sure if you really did it the right way, or if it was beginner's luck. 😊

If I haven't mentioned it (and I'm too lazy to go back and check), I did finish the cardigan I've been knitting. It's been blocked and the ends woven in, now it's just waiting for buttons. I found a couple of the right size that I already have, and both of them would be fine. But I'm tempted to look for different ones. The person who wrote the pattern put really lovely hand-made ceramic buttons on hers, and it's tempting to order some of those from the same place she bought them. But most of the choices are definite colors, except for "oatmeal" which I think is just too bland for a sweater that is kind of that color. Also, are ceramic buttons practical? I don't know. Anyway, this decision-making (or lack thereof) is what is keeping me from the last part of actually making the sweater wearable. 

In any case, I have gotten started on my first new project of 2026:

Oh look, socks - what a shock! I feel kind of lost when I don't have a sock going, so I was itching to cast on. For reasons that I cannot really logically explain, I signed up for the 2026 Farmer's Daughters Fiber Sock Club (WHY? I have too much sock yarn already, and can't really afford it. But I'm just going to move on, because I have gone over it already with no real reason or solution). 

Anyway, this is the first of the packages - a beautiful, lightly speckled blue yarn called Deep Winter, with a light gray mini included. The yarn is really lovely to work with, and it's working well with the pattern I think. The pattern is Hedgerow Socks, by Jane Cochran. I knit this pattern years ago for a pair of gift socks, and always meant to return to it for myself. It's a fairly easy, memorizable pattern repeat, provided that you pay attention. Ahem.

Other than that, I have a long-term on the needles project that continues (Cozy Memories Blanket) and a project I started last winter and then put aside over the summer and didn't pick up again (Artus Shawl) that need some love. Both of those are longer-term things though, so now I'm decided what project to add that will be traded off regularly with the socks to work on. Whatever it is, I am only going to consider things that I already have the yarn to knit, because it's already ridiculous enough that I'll be getting sock yarn every month. 

Not much else that is new to report this morning. We got Christmas put away until the end of this year, and are in the process of cleaning the house after all of that. I'm trying to get The Tim to start thinking of what he would like to try and do with getting our carport rebuilt - I told him I thought this year we should focus on that and getting the second floor bathroom completed as our big house projects. If he could get his act together and decide what he wants for the carport, we could grab the contractor at a less busy time and theoretically at least, get started. Getting The Tim to focus on something like that is a hard thing though, so I'm hoping that he will somehow get a lighting strike of his own and decide it should happen SOON.

That's all for now. Time to head to the post office to send in a return, and then stop at CVS to pick up a prescription refill. So much excitement in just one day! 😂

And Then Monday Morning Arrived ...

In the last post of Bridget Tries to be a Responsible Pet Owner, we had the story of Alfie, who enjoys a trip to the vet every time he goes. Today's post is called Milo the Koodle and the Visit to the Vet.

Well, it almost didn't happen, because I could not find said cat. I tried several ruses, and then decided as a last gasp to give all the cats some wet food and see if he showed up. Which he did, so I grabbed him mid-meal (which made me feel terrible, but desperate times and all that), forced him into the carrier, and we headed over the vet's office. 

Fortunately, we were one of the first appointments of the day, so we didn't have to wait. The vet tech took apart the carrier, pulled him out, and they wrapped him up like a Koodle burrito. They managed to do a thorough check up, take blood, and give him two shots. Fortunately for them, he was so scared and so wrapped up, it happened without incident. And then we came home. Total time from when we left the house: 40 minutes.

And then, once out of the carrier, he gave Alfie and Esme a good whack, and disappeared again. The rest of us went on with our days.

I was reading, and about 3:45 p.m. he reappeared and jumped up onto the armest. 

I went to pet him and he growled. So I left him alone, and by about 8 p.m. he was letting me pet him again. And since I woke up this morning, it's clear he didn't kill me overnight - phew!

And so now we are safe for another year, unless something terrible happens, which hopefully will not. Everyone made it one more time.

The End. 

*****

Today is our 47th wedding anniversary. We are planning to go out to dinner tonight, but since The Tim is working today and tomorrow, we have no crazy plans. Our weekend plans to go look at chairs for our TV room didn't happen, because I had a serious reaction (as usual) to my Covid vaccine, and was completely out of commission. But the chairs are going to be our anniversary gifts, and we are both anxious to get new ones, so it will happen sooner rather than later.

And that, my friends, is the excitement around here. I have an FO post for you, but want to be sure to wait and be certain the item is received before I write about it, so it will happen soon. First though, I need to mail the package. I find that helps with the person receiving things ... 🙄

This Morning vs. Monday Morning

Alfie and I just got home from his annual check up at the vet. Needless to say, a very thorough bath was necessary. But other than that, Alfie was and is quite pleased. He doesn't mind being in the carrier at all, and sees the entire thing as a chance to be social, and then visit with people who are completely interested in being with him. They talk to him and make a fuss, they give him treats, they let him sniff around the exam room - I mean, what's not to like? Yes, he got a shot, but no biggie. 

And that's this morning. Then there will be Monday morning, when Milo the Koodle will be making his annual visit. Let's just say it ... won't be pretty. For anyone and everyone involved. I need to spend my weekend preparing for the trauma that will be felt not just by Milo, but by me. Because not only will I be seen as the enemy who will be trying to get him into the carrier and then taking him to the vets, but when we get home SOMEONE MUST PAY. 

Send prayers. 😉

You may ask, well, what about Esme? Well, what about her? At some point, I'm hoping that she will let me get to the point where I can pick her up, but right now it isn't happening, so we're just lucky that for all intents and purposes, she seems healthy.

"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?" 

*****

Anyway, this too shall pass, and hopefully with minor injuries to me. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the rest of today, and likely do some knitting in between the other house chore things I want to accomplish. Can you believe that at this moment in time, I have only one project going? I can't remember the last time that was the case. I'm enjoying it, and making a lot of progress, but I also think this weekend I will cast on at least another pair of socks.

Meanwhile the other afternoon, I knitted a pine cone for my fall garland:

This was the fiddliest little item so far, but it didn't take that long so it wasn't like something I was trying to work on all day long. 

Next up will be the pumpkin, and then I'll start over again. I think I would like to have at least two of each thing on the garland, so I'll see what it looks like once I have that amount - maybe I'll need a few more! But in any case, I'll have fun making these little things, even once the garland is done. Because they are the perfect little spurt of paying attention but not for too long.

The Tim especially wants me to make a green pine cone to see if it looks like a tiny Christmas tree. I'll let you know.

I'm so glad that so many of you commented that you also like to put up decorations for yourself to enjoy for holidays. It's nice for once to not be an outlier on something! 

In other news, I *think* fall is finally here to stay in Philadelphia, and I couldn't be happier. Cool sunny days, and chilly nights are so wonderful. Though it is supposed to rain later next week, which is actually good since there is a serious drought happening. And unless I have to be out in it all day, I actually enjoy rainy days. 

Next week is our anniversary and also Halloween. And then November will be starting, which I'm sorry, just seems crazy. Originally, we planned to take a trip next week somewhere to celebrate our anniversary, but neither of us did much about it, so we'll probably go out to dinner someplace that's nicer than usual for us, and that will be nice. We have agreed that for gifts, we are going to buy ourselves some new chairs for our TV room. The current ones are at least ten years old (probably much older), and frankly I'm surprised they are still in one piece. So one of these weekends - maybe even this one - we'll look for replacements. I always think it's fun to get new furniture or a rug or something in a room - it makes the whole place seem different!

And that, my friends, is the excitement around here. I hope all of you enjoy your weekend, and have a chance to do something you really like or want to do. See you next week!

You Need to Start Somewhere

Hello all, I hope you are well. And somehow managing to continue to go along every day in this world full of trauma. It's hard. And sadly, getting harder each and every day. Just remember, you have to take care of yourself first and foremost, because otherwise you can't help anyone else at all.

I have two things to look forward to that are keeping me from complete despair. The week after next, we have two little trips planned, and since we haven't really had any outings since our trip to WV over Memorial Day weekend, the fact that these trips are coming up have been keeping me going. I'm the sort of person who can put up with just about anything if I know there is something to look forward to, even if not for quite a while. 

I promised I'd show you my sock project that is in progress, but I keep forgetting to take a picture of it. The first sock is well into the foot section, so by the time I photograph it, instead of a piece o' sock, it might be a finished sock. 

But I did take this photo of a something I knit yesterday:

When did I become a knitter of fiddly things? Let me be clear, this is not my fave kind of knitting, but I have always avoided anything looking or sounding the least bit fiddly in the past. The stuffed doggie I knit was just fiddly in parts, but this project is nothing but fiddly! So we'll see how long it takes for me to finish it. Though it is nice to knit for a short amount of time and have something to show for it, LOL.

This is my first piece in the Fall Harvest Charm Set, by Susan B. Anderson. Apparently I do love kits, and I do have to say that Barrett Wool Co., Anderson's company with her son, put together really lovely kits that usually are not overly expensive, considering what you get. Anyway, I bought this kit a very long time ago, and much like the puppy kit, decided during a recent stash review that this fall I was actually going to make this thing. Making this tiny acorn reminded me of the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." Reminding me that in both knitting and life, you may start small, but it's the starting that is important.

So I need to figure out how to try to start in so many ways. I've gotten some things started, and they just need to continue. But with the world constantly bombarding me with so much terrible, I need to make my way through to finding positive things to start, to move along with, to keep myself sane.

I hope that those of you reading have been able or are able to start finding ways for yourself to be in the world without complete despair 24/7. Granted, what works today may not work tomorrow or next week, but we should all keep on trying so that we can work our way to better days, better health, just better all around. 

My plans for today are to post this, then work on finishing the laundry, and take a walk. I woke up this morning with a killer headache, so instead of taking my walk right away, I took some Tylenol and just sat for a while. The headache is close to being history, so the walk will come soon. I'll probably also work on the aforementioned sock, and read a bit. The Tim is cooking dinner tonight, so I can forget about having to plan that. 

Have a good day, however you are able to. (Well, unless that means murdering someone - that's not good and face it, they are likely not worth a lifetime in prison. Try to focus things elsewhere. 😉)

Almost There!

The puppy I'm knitting has a body now! It just keeps getting cuter, if you ask me. Now I have the front paws and back paws, and finally the tail to knit, and then he will be complete. As you can imagine, I talk to him a lot as I'm knitting him, so he's become a therapy dog of sorts. 😊

I haven't been around this week because I've been getting used to being uncomfortable from an outpatient procedure I had last Friday. A visit to the dermatologist a few weeks ago led to her finding something suspicious on my back. It turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma, and she scheduled me for August 1 to have it removed. The procedure itself was completely uneventful, but boy does having a line of stitches on your back make for being uncomfortable! I think it's because most of us don't have a lot of padding on our backs. The doctor told me it would be unpleasant for at least a couple of weeks, because there are internal stitches as well as the ones I can see (though not that well, based on where they are located) on my back. I was very happy to hear from her yesterday to learn that they got clear margins on the area they removed. So unless another one pops up again, I should be OK. Though she warned me that with my - as she calls it  - "pale Irish skin" and being of a generation that grew up before sunscreen was invented, it may not be the last time a carcinoma shows up. Ugh. Even after a childhood spent avoiding the sun because I sunburned in record time, I'm paying for it now. 

At least I have a dermatologist who is paying close attention.

So what have I been doing? Well, I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get comfortable, or at least less uncomfortable. I know it could be lots worse, but after a summer of ridiculous heat and humidity, I have little patience left for anything. The doctor told me to take it easy for two weeks, and not do anything very vigorous. I've done some reading and a little bit of knitting, but have a hard time really concentrating. I haven't been able to sleep well, so I feel very tired most of the time, which does not help with my attention span.

OK, enough whining, let's just talk about something else.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned the ongoing saga of our garden door. The short version is that we had a door - really more of a panel - that had a padlock on it that closed off the entryway to our front door from the garden. (I'm not explaining this very well, but just go with it.) It was neither attractive nor durable, but it came with the house, and it did what it needed to do. About two years ago, it finally just fell apart, and we took it down. Which is not a big deal, but we agreed that at some point, we wanted to replace it, for two reasons at least: 1) so if the cats were in the garden with us, they could not leave and go out onto the street; and, 2) for privacy and a fake appearance of security (because if someone wants to get in, they can figure out a way). 

When I said something about it earlier this summer, The Tim informed me that it could be "my" project. So I've been looking for someone to give me an estimate on the cost. I finally asked local friends for a recommendation on Facebook, and a friend who I know has high standards recommended someone who had done some work in her house.

He came yesterday, and took all kinds of measurements. Once again, nothing is standard about the measurements, so it requires a bit of finagling on his part. But he had a couple of good-sounding ideas, and he is going to see what kinds of things would be involved and send me an estimate. If it seems reasonable at all, I'm gonna go with it because most people I contacted either wouldn't come into the city to do the work, or weren't interested in such a small project. The thing I didn't tell them, since they were being kind of rude about it, is that we have some internal door-type and other projects that, if the garden door project would turn out well, we would consider asking for estimates for those as well. So we'll see how it goes, but I would love to have a garden door again. And the cats would be thrilled, because then they could explore when one or both of us are out there. And at a minimum, Alfie MUST be allowed to do that!

And that's the excitement around here lately. I just realized that this post is brought to you be the letter P:

Puppy

Pitiful me

Property improvement

But somehow, "Tryon Street" doesn't have the same ring to it as "Sesame Street," does it?

Take care, and I'll be back soon!

🌷🌹🌻

Relax No More

Hello there and happy too hot and humid Monday. Why no, I'm not enjoying it, but thank you for asking anyway.

I have finally thrown in the towel (yarn?) and have decided I shall Relax No More. Not actual relaxing - I mean, that's a major part of my lifestyle, I'm not going insane. 

But I am finished with trying to knit myself a Relax Tee.

A little bit of background. Years ago (pre-pandemic), I knit nearly an entire version of the Edie pattern in Quince & Co. Sparrow yarn. I had put the sleeve stitches on waste yarn while I finished the body. When I picked it up to do the sleeves, "someone" had apparently gotten into it and not only pulled out the waste yarn, but a lot of the stitches. I asked three different "expert knitter" friends if they could help, and all of them tried, but couldn't figure out where in the pattern things were, or how to repair things. So I frogged the entire thing, and put it away to use again sometime.

I decided this summer was the time. So I pulled it out, and figured I probably had enough to make some other summer top. I was no longer interested in using the yarn for the Edie top, and looked for something else. Everyone and their brother was raving about Aimee Sher's Relax Tee - some people were making multiples. I liked the look of it, so I decided to give that pattern a try. 

I worked my way through most of the body. And I gotta tell you, I wasn't feeling it. I like the yarn and was not having any problem knitting with it, but a) I was wondering why I chose the color I did (Port - pretty, but kind of dark for summertime), and b) why everyone enjoyed knitting this pattern. I can't even tell you what it was about it, but I was just not feeling the love, you know? 

Before starting on the sleeves, I decided to try it on. It would fit fine in the end, but ... meh. I decided to put it aside for a few days, and then see if I wanted to finish. 

I do not. I have decided that at least right now, that pattern is not for me. Maybe later it will be my most favorite pattern I ever made, but right now, this summer, I am not enjoying it, I am not relaxing at all while knitting it, and I am done. 

I've also decided that the yarn and I are also parting ways. I've tried two separate things with it, and though yes, I could go back and knit another Edie, I'm just finished with this yarn in this color. As Marie Kondo would say, it's not longer bringing me joy.

Actually, I'm OK with all of this. Yes, I spent a good portion of the summer knitting on this project and have nothing to show for it but a bag of re-wound yarn and some untouched skeins. It's pretty yarn, the color is nice, but I'm done with the whole shebang. There are at least 3 or 4 full unwound skeins, and a decent amount of other skeins re-wound into balls (I have no idea exactly how much, sorry). 

My original plan was to donate it, but then I thought I'd at least ask if any of you are interested in it at all. If you are, I'm more than happy to send it to your very own house, so let me know. If you are a small-ish person, or knitting for a small-ish person, I'm sure you could get a tank top or short-sleeved top out of all of it. Otherwise, you might need to mix and match or knit a thousand washcloths or something with it.

(You can ignore this paragraph  - the yarn has found a home! So that's everything about that. Do let me know if you are interested in the yarn - you can send me an e-mail at baclancyATverizon.net, or let me know in the comments. If I don't hear from anyone by the end of this week, I'll go ahead and donate it. I want someone to enjoy it and use it instead of simply throwing it away.)

And I'll find another project. I have lots of socks I owe to people, and I actually find knitting those relaxing, so if nothing else, I can work on socks for a while.

I'm actually relieved to be officially decided I'm finished with the Relax Tee project. It was hanging over my head more than I realized.

Please don't let this post discourage you, if you were considering the pattern. Like I said, I think at this moment in time, my head and heart are just not in it - by I do hope to try it again someday.

*****

This week is one of those busy running around kind of weeks. And Friday is the first of August, which makes me happy. This has seemed like an eternal July, and though I hate to wish my life away, I'll be glad to move into another month, especially one that brings us closer to fall. Hopefully August and I will be better friends - we'll see! 😊

The Ugh of Summertime

The way things are going in the country right now, we don't even need a weather report like this, but it's not far off the truth. You know, the kind of weather where you get out of the shower and towel off, only to find that you need to start over. Ugh.

The other day, The Tim said, "Fall will be coming, right?" - and that's when you know it's bad. He's not a fan of summer, but mostly suffers in silence. 

I've been trying to decide what I can work on that won't make me want to pass out or throw up. For once, I'm in the mood to do some of the projects I have around the house that have been on my list for a while, but since we don't have great air-conditioning, it's not really worth even starting. And forget doing stuff outside - I've been forcing myself to go out for my morning walks, but other than that, I stay put inside because it's the kind of weather that actually makes me physically ill.

So there has been more reading than usual, as well as knitting. But I've also been really conscientious about balancing the checkbook (which if you know me, says how desperate I am), and organizing the linen closet. I think I'm wearing out the towels and sheets I've been fooling with them so much!

Anyway, I'm a bit uninspired with my knitting. I have the puppy project, which I showed you recently, that I'm enjoying. But I don't feel like working on that every day. I am on the body part of a Relax Tee, by Aimee Sher, and if I could make myself work on it regularly, it could be finished. But contrary to the name, I do not find the pattern relaxing. 

I have been wanting to make this pattern, and even have yarn chosen. But regardless of the size needle I use, I keep ending up with too many stitches to the inch in the gauge, which I find suspicious, especially since no matter what size needle I try, I get the same numbers! - but there you go. There's a part of me that is tempted to start it anyway, and see how it goes. But I don't want to do that because even if I've done only 10 rows, it will be too disheartening to rip it out.

I guess I'll pull out some sock yarn and wind it because then at least I'll have a project that I can pick up and put down without causing problems. 

Sometimes, it just seems like everything is too much work. For me, that almost always happens in the summer. And really, it's never too much work in reality. So I'm gonna look for a skein of "extra special" sock yarn to use, because that will inspire me.

What about you? Any exciting projects going? Let me know, I'm happy to live (knit?) vicariously!

Puppy Love

Hello and Happy Friday! I've been fairly productive so far today, which pleases me because for a change I can clean up some things without feeling like I'm going to pass out.

Besides the summer top I've been knitting (more about that another time), I started another project that is a little bit fiddly, but fun. Many years ago, I purchased a kit from Barrett Wool Co., to make the Waffles Puppy. Then, just like many things I think would be wonderful to make/do, I put it away and kinda sorta forgot about it. When I did a stash review in April, I came across it again, and decided that I would definitely make it over the summer. I even set it where I would see it to make it handy to pick up and get going.

And all during June, it just sat there. And I would always be ready to start, but not really. Then last Thursday, I decided it was time. I found the needles I would need, and got started. Now, I can't remember if the yarn arrived in the kit already wound, or if I had actually wound it up when I received it, mistakenly thinking I'd start it soon. But in any case, once I had the right size needles, I had no excuse but to give it all a try.

I spent a little while knitting, and finished the head, including adding in the safety eyes and nose that were included in the kit (and that was quite a project itself, let me tell you!). 

I love that little face!

Then yesterday (what is it about Thursdays so far?), I tackled adding the ears. It was tricky, because a) I'm not good at picking up stitches "on the right leg of a stitch" in general, and being that it was on a stuffed part of the project, it was challenging for me. But you know, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and all that. 

It didn't take long until that sweet little face had some ears to give it more of an identity:

And once I got past the first couple of rounds of knitting the ears, it was pretty quick. It was a good thing to be doing (and I thought, appropriate) while I was transcribing voicemails for PAWS,* the organization that I volunteer for a couple of times a week. 

Next up will be the body of the pup. I've looked ahead at the instructions, and much like the ears, it looks pretty straightforward, once you pick up the stitches on the bottom of the head and get going. 

Now, if you look at the photo of the Waffles Puppy, you'll see that he has both a hat and a sweater. I'm not convinced that I'll have it in me to knit a tiny sweater once I'm finished with the puppy. Maybe a hat, but I've decided that since it's summer, a hat and sweater would be too hot anyway to wear. So maybe that will wait until cooler weather, when a sweater and hat would be needed. 😉

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What are you up to this weekend? As far as I know, we don't have any specific plans, other than the usual things we do on a weekend, which is fine. The Tim will likely be busy working on setting up his new computer that arrived the other day. And I will be busy staying out of the way because I am not an idiot! 😂

I'm kind of hoping that I can get The Tim to take a couple of days of vacation sometime soon. Not to necessarily do any real traveling, but maybe a day down the shore, and/or some other day adventure. It would be a nice change for both of us. We have a plan for a long weekend in Rehoboth Beach after Labor Day, which I'm really excited about, but it would be nice to just have a few days to poke around places in the next few weeks.

Here's hoping you can find some happiness and joy over the weekend, and have a chance to relax. I'll be back next week, take care!

*PAWS = Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society

Sometimes It's Just Dumb Stuff ... and, A Birthday!

Hello and Happy May! I hope the month has been good to you so far, and that if you ventured to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival this past weekend, that you enjoyed yourself.

I've been away longer than I had planned to be, but fortunately, I should be able to keep up with things going forward. My unintended absence was due to just dumb things - you know, things that crop up unexpectedly and take up your time and then all of a sudden you realize that you have not come up for air, and it's for no really good reason? Granted, I was sick for about three days with an intestinal bug, which was unpleasant, but also nothing I could do anything about. But the rest of the time, I was putting out little fires everywhere, or having to do projects that I had not planned or expected to do right now. 

Annoying, but in the past, so that's definitely a good thing!

Anyway, I've been reading, and planning my knitting, after taking way too long to decide on anything. I think when I'm in the midst of Dumb Stuff, I shouldn't try to plan anything. I also decided on a stitching project, and got the materials together, so all I have to do is get started. I also swatched for a knitting project, and actually after I'm finished with this post, I need to measure my swatches (2 of them) to see what needle size works better. 

The kitties are fine. Milo the Koodle has been on a real tear lately against Esme. He always chases her, but he's been going out of his way to do so in the past few days. And then when you tell him NO, he hisses at you. Jerk.

However, today is a special day because it is Hamlet's heavenly birthday, and Esme's third birthday! When we decided to adopt her, we decided since we were picking her up from her foster home on May 6, that we would just say that May 5 was her birthday. We knew that our sweet boy Hamlet would think it was a good thing for a kitty to have his birthday, too.

I'm making some brownies for The Tim and to have as part of our celebration later, and the kitties will have some special food for dinner. Later we'll have treats, sing Happy Birthday, and Esme will get her gift, which is a catnip taco (seemed appropriate for Cinco de Mayo!).  We are so lucky that even though she still thinks we are trying to kill her 90% of the time, she has improved from thinking it was 100% of the time. Now she will cuddle for a few minutes, and let you pet her without having a heart attack and running away. Baby steps, but good ones.

So that's the latest from here. I hope this week is a good one, and Happy Cinco de Mayo from everyone at our house!

The Week of Redoing Everything

Hello and Happy Monday - or not, depending on your weather and your mood. I'm in a neither/nor situation. I'm not excited about it being Monday, and it's raining here currently, which is good for growing things. But I'm also not sad that it's Monday, so you can see what I mean.

Last week was another one of those weeks with something every single day. And granted, some of them were pretty quickly taken care of, but they were all a degree of annoying. So I didn't have a ton of time for anything in long stretches, except for Friday. 

But it was a week when I was determined to finish some knitting projects. And I did, but I also did a lot of re-knitting. Gah. 

First up, the sweater I have been making. I wanted to finish it before the end of March - which was three "deadlines" beyond my original plan. And I did finish knitting it on March 30, which was pretty exciting. But when I tried it on, both myself and The Tim agreed that the cuffs of the sleeves needed to be a little bit longer. Which in the grand scheme of things, is not that big of a deal. 

So I sat down on Monday of last week, and tore out the first cuff, and re-knit it. I was really pleased with how it looked - actually better than the original effort. But I'd used up the brain power I had for my knitting for the day, so put it away to do the other cuff the next day.

But the next day, my Dr appt took way longer than expected, and when I finally got home, I didn't have the wherewithal to concentrate on it. So it waited until the next day, and I sat down, did a first check of things, did more tearing out of the cuff, and re-knitted it. I was feeling pretty darn pleased with myself. And then I realized I had re-knit the SAME cuff as I had re-knit two days before! GRRRRRR. 

I'm happy to say, the next day I checked three times before starting to make certain that I was tearing out and re-knitting the OTHER cuff! And finally, voila, it was completed, and all that was left to do was weave in ends and block the sweater. I'm planning on giving it a good soak and then blocking today, so hopefully it won't take days to dry and I can not just count on the knitting being finished, but the actual sweater being finished as well.

I did a "pre-weaving" in the ends yesterday. Meaning that I left a lot of ends sticking out after weaving most of the yarn into the project. A friend told me that it's better to soak and block something and *then* snip off the final ends, because then nothing unravels. Fortunately, on the few clothing items I've knit, that has never ever happened. But since this was a major project for me, I didn't want to take any chances!

Here are the bits left after my first go:

The other project that was waiting to be finished was a pair of socks. I had finished the first sock about a week or so ago, but when I tried it on, it was too short in the foot, and I knew that my toes would work through quickly, so decided to rip it out and re-knit the end of the foot and the toe. (And yes, I was doing the same pattern, with the same measurements, etc., as always, so I have no idea ...)

The good news is, not only did I manage to get that accomplished, but when I sat down to finish up sock #2, I didn't accidentally tear out and re-knit sock #1. 😀 Granted, that was because one toe was complete and the other had not even been started, but the way things were going for me, it could have still happened. 

So there you go. After having a lot of fits and starts with my knitting in general, I managed to finish some things that had no business taking as long as they did. But I will be able to share them with you soon, once they are ready for prime time and once I have some decent photos. 

I can tell you though, that if for some reason anything else needs to be re-knitted anytime soon, it's going into a time out! 

What, Pray Tell, Have I Been Doing?

Hello all, and I hope where you are is as sunny as it is today in Philadelphia! I have already been out for my walk, and hope to get out again at some point for some more enjoyment of a sunny and cool day.

I thought I'd catch you up on things I've been doing, crafts-wise. It's been a while since I had much to say about my knitting, and even longer since I've done any stitching, so here you go.

A couple of years ago now, I finished stitching this little Rudolph counted cross-stitch ornament. Then I set it aside, and last year when I went to finish it so I could hang it on the tree, I couldn't find it. I found it when we were putting things away, and left it out so that I could have it *completely* ready for next year.

It was seriously a matter of putting the fabric around a little core that came in the kit with it, and then gluing it into this little pie tin and putting a ribbon through the top for hanging. So this December, it will be ready to be included on the tree! (After I put it away safely, I looked at this picture, and realized there was a loose thread hanging out of it. 🙄 Rest assured I'll take care of that when I pull it out with the other decorations.)

These next two things are knitting projects I've been working on. Just below is the start of my Artus shawl.

I'd hoped to start this last fall, but didn't. And trust me, there's a lot of it left to knit - some parts with charts, which means it will take me even longer. But so far, I'm enjoying the knit, and I love this waffle texture that you start knitting. I have no deadline for this - I'm hoping to have it for next fall, but as long as I can use it next fall or winter, I'll be happy.

My sweater is really getting closer to being completed. Right now, I'm working on the sleeves, and am very close to finishing the first one. Then I'll do the second and then finish the body. I am finally trying the method of getting a bit of the body done, and then doing the sleeves before finishing that. It means you have a lot less fabric flopping around when you are doing the sleeves. And it also means that when the body is finally finished, the sweater is finished!

I'm not saying much more about this now, because I don't want to jinx myself. But I am thrilled with how it looks!

I've also been working on a pair of socks, but haven't taken any photos of them yet. (I had to save something for next time, right??)

So I have been busy with some things, and the good news is that I am happy with all of them. 

*****

Other than that, I'm glad all of you took my last post about names in the spirit it was intended, and got a laugh or two out of it. Of course, once I finished the post, I thought of at least ten more names that have amused me, but I'm sure we all have some. I was just worried once I posted it that people would think I was making fun of people. And I guess in some ways I was, but I promise I wasn't intending it to sound callous or vicious. I have no room to talk, having spent my life with people either mangling my name, or calling me something else altogether! 

Tomorrow is the first day of March, and I'm happy about that. March is one of my most fave months. Usually February and I get along just fine, but since the month started in the worst way possible, it was hard to go along as usual. I'm hoping March proves to be as pleasing at it usually does. 

My weekend plans include a trip to a Joann Fabrics near here, to see if anything I usually like to find there is left at all, since they are going out of business. I have to say that the news is discouraging to me. Not that I spent all of my spare time there, but there are certain things I could always count on finding there at a decent price. And I did enjoy looking for fabric there - nowadays, there are so few places that sell fabric that you can see in person. And then if there are, a lot to of times, you can't afford the stuff! A new place opened here in Philadelphia, and it's lovely. But it's extremely high end, and not being an expert at sewing, I won't be spending any money on fabric there! 

Other than that, probably just the usual weekend activities (or lack thereof). I would like to get some projects around the house closer to being finished, but I'm not gonna beat myself up if I don't get to them. 

I hope you have a good weekend, and a good start to the month of March. Take care, and I'll check in again next week.

P.S. Apologies if you have commented recently, and didn't get a response from me if I have your e-mail address. I'm getting those weird error messages in my e-mail, and it seems that the only solution in the past has been to let it resolve itself. So I promise I'm not ignoring you altogether. 😊

Feels Like Christmas!

Well, at least Christmases as a kid - no snow, though. But it's cold and sunny and bright, which is just perfect.

Our weekend was pretty quiet. We both did little finishing up things to be ready for Christmas, so that the house finally really looks like it's ready to celebrate. This morning I finished any wrapping that I had left, mostly things for the kit kats. 

This afternoon, I'm finishing the last few rows of a top of a hat that I'm making for The Tim for Christmas. It was kind of a last-minute decision, and I had decided that if it wasn't finished in time, I wasn't going to worry about it. But as I said, I realized that I have just a few rows, and then some ends to weave in so I'll finish that up this afternoon.

I've been working away on my sweater, which I had sincerely hoped could be a Christmas sweater, but which I also knew meant that realistically, I should have started in September. But I haven't knit on it much anyway lately, since I've been waiting for a longer needle to arrive. I was just getting frustrated because the needle I was using, which was one I already had, was fine but making me nuts because I had to squish the stitches onto it and it was a pain to keep doing that. My longer needle finally arrived today (that's what happens when you order during the holidays!), so I can return to working on it and get it finished. Technically, it can easily just be a winter sweater, but I'd really hoped it would be a Christmas sweater. And next year, it will be. 😊

I'm pleased because I got a notification yesterday that the last "outstanding" box of gifts I'd send out had been delivered. So that worked out nicely. The rest have been at their destinations for a while.

I also keep getting reports on how successful the little Advent calendar I made for Penn and Oden, my great-niece and great-nephew, has been. Apparently they were/are fascinated by the 50-cent and the dollar coins that have been in a couple of the stockings. So The Tim was right to suggest that. Apparently Oden - who is six- keeps asking my niece Julie if she thinks they will be able to spend "that big money." Which just cracks me up!

So that's the state of things here right now. I hope if you got any snow, it wasn't too much for anything you needed/wanted to do. And if you are also someplace cold, I hope you can stay cozy!

Enjoy the rest of your day, and have a good Christmas Eve Eve (that's especially for you, Kym!)

A Long Weekend That Wasn't A Long Weekend

Hello and I hope your week has started out well. This past weekend was a long weekend here in the U.S., in honor of Veteran's Day, which was yesterday. A lot of people had an extra day off work. Since I do not have a job, I was "off" anyway; The Tim had to work. So I headed out to a doctor's appointment, and then came home and did some projects around the house. 

Our weekend was quiet, but the best thing was that our new stove arrived. Finally, we can use the whole thing, not just the stovetop! It's funny when something is not available, how you realize you use it all the time. When I would go to start making dinner, I'd be rudely reminded that I couldn't use the oven because it was no longer working. And a couple of times, I thought, "Oh maybe I'll make muffins for breakfast on the weekend," and then ... NOPE.  So Saturday night I used the oven for dinner, and on Sunday, The Tim made some bread. That was our big excitement.

I also started another new knitting project. I'm trying a yoked sweater with two colors. Here are the beginnings of my efforts:

Let's just say that I'm not certain this will work at all. But I've been wanting to try this type of project, and if you don't ever start, you'll never know. I did make a two-color hat as you may recall, back in February, so I thought it would be worth the attempt at another level. So this could possibly be the last you ever see of this project, OR I will be hoping that blocking will solve a lot of problems ... 

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you've already seen the photo below. I posted this with a caption saying I was glad to get one of these before they sold out at Sephora:

I opened my package, and then put the box in front to the door to the basement so I could take it downstairs to add to things going to be recycled. But apparently Pip decided it was a nice cozy place to hang, and spent most of Sunday happily just curled up in the box. Cats and boxes you know. 😊

Today I'm headed to my volunteer gig for the morning, and then I'll work on some things around the house in the afternoon before I sit down to read and/or knit. I have to also be sure to eat and drink whatever I want for the rest of the day and evening, because after today, I am doing a prep for a colonoscopy on Friday afternoon. Ugh. I hate it in the first place, but having to do a two-day prep just makes something bad even worse. 

So I may be MIA until next week because of that, or I may be here every single day to give me something to think about other than how hungry I am, or how much my head is hurting, etc. We'll see. 

In any case, I hope *your* week goes well. I told The Tim that even with the prep and colonoscopy, this week will still be better that last week was ... 😢

OK, time to clean up my breakfast stuff, brush my teeth, and leave to go and take care of some kitties - have a good one!

Friday FOs - Twofer Edition

Hello on the last Friday of September, which is sounding like it will be a rainy one here in Philadelphia. But fortunately, it's just rain, not like the terrible hurricane/tropical storm that those south of us are facing.

I have two FOs for you, and I'm combining them into one post for a few reasons. Firstly, they took way too long to finish. Not because they were hard, but because there were weeks when I didn't knit a single stitch, so they just kept sitting there waiting for me. Second, I decided I wanted to finish them before the first day of fall, and that was able to happen. Finally, I decided I wanted to do the FO post for them before the end of September. I know I could have saved one for Monday, which is the last day of September, but I decided to show you both in one post instead.

First up, a pair of socks.

Project: Scrappy Shortie Socks

Pattern: Vanilla sock pattern, just shorter in the leg

Yarns: KnitCircus Spectacular Sock, in The Orange & The Green Speckle colorway (the variegated yarn); and, Yarn Addict Co. Free Range Fingering in OOAK (the green yarn)

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: I originally started these because I thought it would be nice to have shortie socks for the warmer weather. And it will, but it didn't work out for this year. But I've been wanting to get rid of some of my scraps - I was able to use every little bit of the variegated yarn, which made me very happy. I have about 50 grams left of the green, which I know I'll use for things, so no worries there. If I was a conscientious knitter, I would have weighed my yarn and tried to use equal amounts in each sock. But I am not, and did not, so one sock has more green than the other one. Since they are my socks, and the foot part will be inside of shoes anyway, I really don't care.

I did decide to put a little cable motif on the cuff of each sock, just for something different. 

So into the sock drawer they go!

Next, a hat.

Project: Two Color Ribbed Hat

Pattern: Classic Ribbed Hat, by Purl Soho

Needles: US size 3/3.25 mm

Yarns: Purl Soho Cashmere Merino Bloom in colorways True Turquoise and Red Mulberry

Notes: Months ago (a lot of months ago), Purl Soho was doing a hat-along, and offered this yarn at a discount. At the time, I truly thought I would participate, so I ordered the yarns, and then of course didn't participate. But I had wound it a while back, and every time I would grab something from my knitting supplies, I would see the balls of yarn. So near the end of July, I decided I would start the project and then have it for when the weather was cold.

The pattern is very straightforward, and I did wonder why I had decided to knit a 1 x 1 rib project again, but to be honest, since it was just a hat, it didn't bother me as much as with an article of clothing. The pattern is written for a wide range of sizes, and gives instructions for stripes, colorblocking, and of course just a solid color hat. 

If I had not had my non-knitting hiatus, this would have flown off the needles, but such is life. The yarn is lovely - I mean, it does contain cashmere! - and the resulting hat is just luscious. One of the best things: I have enough of each color if I want to make another in reverse colorblocking for myself, The Tim, or someone else!

Of course, you can use any DK weight yarn you may have, but I would say to keep an eye on Purl Soho's sales, because this yarn does make a really nice hat. It would be an especially nice gift for you, a family member, a dear friend, or anyone who is especially knitworthy.

*****

So there you go. The last "summer" projects that I had, now officially done and dusted. I have already started two of the projects with the yarns I showed you in the post where I did a lot of winding all at once, so my fall projects are underway - I just hope my knitting mojo hangs around, since I would really love to get them finished.

Nothing else much to report. After I post this, I'm going to scrub the bathrooms, so it's done and out of the way. I'm meeting a friend for lunch today, which should be a nice way to end the week. It hasn't been an awful week, but it's been one of those weeks where I've just felt off the whole time, so I'm glad it will be ending on a good note.

Enjoy your weekend, and I hope wherever you are, you can stay safe if you are faced with bad weather.