Memorial Day 2022

I finished the Miss Purl's Party Shawl and switched for the weekend to working on scarves for veterans.  I know it's Memorial Day, but they have fellow soldiers who returned and can use a scarf.

I also did the University of Chicago Alumni & Friends 5K.  Technically it's a fundraiser but I didn't feel like asking others to support me since it's a do-when-you-will sort of thing.  That started during the pandemic and they kept it because it enables more people to participate.

I wore some of my favourite UChicago gear, and took pictures while on my walk:

It's the first time in a very long time that I've not had to work during at least part of a 3-day holiday, especially the Monday.  I am not entirely comfortable about it, but I can adjust and accept it.

Things getting finished - and minor heat wave.

Temperatures in the 90's(F) this weekend, so I went out early in the day, and stayed home the rest of the time.  This means I didn't see friends in an outdoor concert, or attend a little street festival - things I definitely would have enjoyed in the Before Times, but with the COVID-19 numbers surging, the combination was enough to keep me home.  Air conditioning is on for the first time this year, and I did a check of the filter but it's almost clean, so I didn't replace it.  I have been drinking a lot of iced tea, and eating paletas to keep cool.

Just in time for very hot weather, I finished one of my UFOs, the Fiberlady Swirl yarn top.  I tried it on while on-needles to see about the fit, and it seemed to be OK:

Tried on over my t-shirt.  Two circulars at the bottom.

The top used only two hanks of yarn, in the end, and while unshaped fits well and is cool. 

Finished!  And ends run in, but not blocked.

So it's finished in plenty of time for DFW Fiber Fest, and when registration opened yesterday I went online and managed to score all the classes I wanted to take.  (Good thing I did, as two were filled by the end of Saturday.)  It's been a long time since I've had a full weekend of classes.  Of course whether I attend depends upon the state of the pandemic at the time, but I can make that decision in September.

I'm up to five books finished, of the eight I declared; I'd like to finish twelve this year, but we shall see.  I left The Agony and the Ecstacy home, so I am back to it now, and it seems as if I never make progress even though I read a half a chapter or more each evening.  It has almost 800 pages, not including the appendices, and I'm slightly past half, which may be why it feels that way.

Instead of another UFO (and I've found a couple more) I started something new - of course!  During the Stitches Expo earlier this month I heard about Miss Purl's Party Shawl which mingles crochet and knitting, and decided to start it.

There will be a LOT of ends to work in at the top edge.

I am using stash yarn and not all the colours, just two, and working at a larger (and not quite as drapey) gauge.  Right now it has some handspun for MC and Fiberlady BaaBoo for all the contrast colours; I'll reverse that in the border.  I am using the BaaBoo doubled to more closely match the handspun, which has uneven thickness.

The BaaBoo is (I think) Cafe au Lait colourway, and as you can see the handspun (which I am pretty sure is also from Fiberlady) includes tans, blue, and white.  There may not be enough of the yarns to do the full border, but I am OK with whatever is achieved.  Yesterday the designer released an updated pattern and I've decided to stick with the original one, as I understood it well enough.  I may do a proper version of fingering weight later using the updated version.

My grandmother told me that she received the shawls I sent to her for Mother's Day, and loves them, but thinks they are too pretty to wear so she keeps them spread on her bed and admires them.  I assured her they are washable, but she doesn't want to take any chances with the sparkly yarn.  Oh, well!

How far she's come

My eldest niece graduated from university yesterday, Summa cum Laude.

   

She had to overcome dyslexia and other things and has achieved marvelously.  We are very proud.

Mother's Day 2022

I managed to get here for the holiday; I was supposed to fly on Friday, but there were storms and my parents worried.  So on Thursday I changed my flights to Saturday afternoon, then because my parents worried about more storms, to Saturday morning.  Hurrah for Southwest making changes easy and without imposing additional fees.

There was a three-house layover in Baltimore, but Terminal C was nearly empty so I had time to walk steps, and write an article, and edit a newsletter, and so on.  On the way home my mother drove past a couple houses she wanted me to see, in case I am inclined to buy (being closer to family, after the last two years, is appealing) and one was open following a garage sale.  We stopped to see and my mother explained she'd spoken to a sibling the week before, so we got to look around (it's an estate sale) and while the house is bigger than I want, I did buy a Cubii and a sewing machine.

Ah - the era of the cabinet and machine colour!

They included several boxes and such of sewing supplies.

The daughter was delighted that I was not only interested in the sewing machine but knowledgeable, and my parents agreed to store it until I figure out about moving here.  Now I am inclined to take the Anna Dress class at Stitches @ Home in June, since I will be here and can do the sewing.  It's somewhat my style of easy dressing, especially if I can fit it to my dimensions and add pockets.

Then my father and I spent some time in the evening going over the latest papers for my uncle's care.

For Mother's Day I made two meals; a cheese soufflé for luncheon, which has become a tradition for Sundays when I visit, and then baked salmon with herbed butter sauce and roasted sweet potatoes for supper.  This entailed just getting them into the oven at the correct times.  Mom was going to cook but I snuck around and did it instead.  Mom said she felt very lazy but hey - it's Mother's Day!  She's entitled!

We also called my grandmother and she felt very much attended, since it's rare that all three of us (my mother, my brother, and myself) call her on the same day.  The shawls have not yet arrived, and I hope she likes them - but as my grandmother told me, she loves anything I make for her.

The gifts to my mother and sister-in-law were donations to local food pantries.  There is such need, especially with the rise in food prices, and as Mom said, she doesn't need more things to dust.  So we are happy to provide meals to our neighbors.

One funny bit:  My mother noticed my new eyeglasses immediately when she picked me up at the airport.  It wasn't until the next day that she noticed my haircut!  And yes, with air-drying the waves come out and it looks shorter.

Thirteen

That is the number of inches of hair that I had cut off yesterday (and which I am donating), now that my grandmother has seen the growth from the last two years.  Some friends asked for before-and-after, so:

   

I would have been happy with another inch or so gone, but it's fine.  My hairstylist says that I have enough natural wave, it will be interesting to see what my hair does when I don't blow-dry it straight as she does.

To confirm how much was removed: