End of a long month.

It's still hard to focus sometimes, but I am getting better.  I think we all are.  I am geographically closest to my mother, so am usually there to help with things, informally check on her, and whatever one does after the other parent dies suddenly.

I've stepped into a role Mom had in the past, since she isn't doing it: Storm Soups.  When weather got bad, Mom would make a big pot of soup.  It would warm the house while simmering, and feed us for a few days.  After they moved, portions would go to the neighbors.  Mom isn't up to it right now.  So last weekend, when Winter Storm Fern brought ice, I made a pot of 15-bean soup, with plenty of vegetables and some p'tim or large couscous or soup pearls, and delivered a big jar to her across-the-street neighbor who is a widower and becoming increasingly disabled, plus a smaller jar to Mom.  I arrived at the neighbor's house just as he returned home from getting groceries, so I helped him carry them into the garage, from where he would take them into the house using a trolley.

This weekend, it's split pea soup with vegetarian sausage, because that's what we found in the freezer.  I cooked the peas with a bit of carrot and onion, then took some of the peas out and used an immersion blender to make the rest smooth.  Peas returned, sausage added, and all cooked together a bit.  The neighbor was delighted to see this week's jar and said he would eat it for the next meal.

I had a potato that was starting to sprout, so boiled it and added it to what is left of my soup, for the next couple of meals.  Both soups are hearty and satisfying, just what is needed on very cold days.

If the weather continues to be cold, next weekend I'm making chili.

Getting other things done, of course derailed earlier this month.  I am very close to finishing one of the craft-along items for Carolina Fiber Fest, and it caused me to break my "dry January" plans by buying more yarn, because I needed a specific colour.  That was my only purchase of yarn - or any crafting stuff - in January.  I also have the sleeping bag to which to add straps for the Welcome Baby collection.  I am, as usual, behind in reading the book for my SciFi Book Club's February meeting, but did finish the one for January, although I didn't go to the meeting.

I did finish a long-pending UFO, which needed the i-cord binding added:

Yes, it needs to be washed and blocked.  It's reversible.

On Wednesday I needed something to carry-around so started a garter stitch scarf out of a ball of yarn that's been hanging around, for a charity project.  Tonight I started what will probably be my first red hat.  Some scoff at the making, but it's like the pussyhats in 2017: a visual symbol.  Accessible for people who cannot go into the streets or otherwise take a more visible stand.  A way for people to show what side they are on.  And for people who cannot do more at this time, a way to show solidarity and contribute in a way that they are able to do.  Red yarn is going out of stock at many shops.

Today I received a box of puzzles I'd ordered, and which I wasn't sure would arrive in January.  A friend mentioned Nautilus Puzzles, and I was intrigued.  I love puzzles.  I saw that they have round puzzles for each month of the year, reminiscent of or based upon Tiffany stained glass, and thought it would be fun to get the set and put together each month's puzzle in its month.  They arrived today:

I decided to try putting together the one for January, and was successful:

   

I might do the one for February tomorrow, or wait until later in the month.

For those counting, the last hostage (technically, his body) has been retrieved.

It's Back.

To my surprise and disappointment, the box of hats returned today:

Slightly worse for wear and no explanation.  Now I have to figure out where else can use 100+ hats - because of course I've made a few more.

More things finished.

Good thing I got the rainbow cardigan finished when I did, as I couldn't focus on yarning for a while.  I did take "emotional support knitting" to the hospital and hospice, but couldn't pull it out.  Part of the time we were busy with details, part of the time I was holding my father's hand as we took turns letting him know we were there.  And then there were all the details afterwards, and exhaustion, and mostly I petted the yarn.

When I could focus enough, I finished a few items:

Hat of sock yarn scraps, knitted in a half-and-half
style with no seams.  Scarf of Red Heart Super Saver
Jumbo Speckle in "Bubblegum", made-up pattern of
mostly alternating rows of single and double crochet
with a fancy granny square on each end.

The hat and scarf were in progress and set aside so that my first FO of the year would be something I was keeping for me.  Both are charity items.  The hat is a solid sock yarn worked with striped or ragg-style scraps.  I made the scarf because I'd ordered White Speckle, and the label said that's what it is - but clearly the yarn is Bubblegum Speckle.  It would not work with what I have and I'm not fond of pink, so charity items it will be!  There's almost as much left in the skein as is in this scarf, so it may well become another scarf in some pattern.

Then my mother mentioned that the wife of a friend needed a chemo cap, and I grabbed the blue ball of yarn and knit one quickly and delivered it - so quickly I didn't get a photo.  So I am showing the remainder of the ball of yarn.  The recipient was grateful, including that I made it while dealing with grief.  Well, having somebody and something else to focus on for a bit helped, for my mother as much as for me.

After this I turned to some items I picked up in the "FINISH ME" rack at The Scrap Exchange.  All were ready except for running in ends and adding buttons and some cleaning.  There was also an item that resembles a bag in royal blue and white, which you see in the bunting's "before" photo.  I'm not sure whether it was meant to be a sleep sac or another bunting or a tote bag.  I thought that if it wouldn't be useable in the current state I would frog it and use the yarn for something else, but the person to whom I delivered the finished items said it would be fine, so it's in the finishing queue.

The bunting was finished except for ends and buttons.
Not sure what the blue-and-white items is; we decided it's a
sleep sack which I will finish, and maybe add shoulder straps.

Bunting finished.  Close-up of buttons below.

I chose very classic buttons.  The only other
ones I have in sufficient quantity and the
correct size are deep blue flowers.

Pink set before.  Needs some sewing and buttons.

Also, an unknown black stuff on the hat.
Luckily, it washed out with a bit of scrubbing.

Pink set finished.  I attached the items together with a piece
of leftover yarn.  Note the strap on the hat, one side has a
button loop but there are buttons on both ends.

Close-up of the buttons, pink with a white flower.

The third set was the most difficult to finish because there was a definite stain on one sleeve, and only one bootie.  I decided to use the bootie to replace the stained bit of sleeve - which meant I had to figure out the pattern and gauge.

The label was on the package at The Scrap Exchange.

The stain, and unlike the one on the pink hat, it did
NOT wash out,  Removal was necessary.

I simply crocheted from the bootie to the sleeve.

I was successful, and found some cute blue buttons to use on this set.  Like the pink hat, I made a strap for this one with a button on the sewn end as well as on the working end:

Finished set with the leftover yarn from sleeve and bootie.
I attached the hat and jacket to each other for donation.

Close-up of the blue buttons - bunches of grapes.

After delivering the items, I received an email complimenting me on the craftsmanship.  I had to explain that I only added buttons, the real work was done by some other person, unknown.

Ninety good years.

We buried my father today.

1935-2026
This is my father as he is in my earliest memories.

First Finished Item of 2026.

It's been a week of not much knitting or crocheting, so the sweater that was almost finished last Sunday (I finished the last of casting-off during my Sunday evening call with other yarny people) didn't receive its buttons until yesterday.  Here it is:

The fronts are slightly too long and a bit uneven, but I've decided I don't care.  The sweater fits nicely and other that being a bit scratchy because of the glitter thread, I like how it feels.  It isn't blocked in the photo and that might change things a bit.

Not terribly much that I feel able to report about the week.  Other than that the Bears beat the Packers in the last seconds of a spectacular wild card game last night.  It definitely proves (like the last Bears-Packers match earlier this season; last night was their third meeting for 2025) that you cannot leave a Bears game no matter how many points they are down during the fourth quarter.  As Yogi Berra observed: "It ain't over 'til it's over."  

Twelve Days of Music

I do listen to Christmas music, so decided that since most of my friends who post Christmas music do it in the run-up to the holiday, I would post for the Twelve Days of Christmas.

To start, on the First Day of Christmas I posted the video that started things for Straight, No Chaser.

On the Second Day of Christmas I posted two versions of the now-controversial "Baby it's Cold Outside".

On the Third Day of Christmas, I posted two light show videos, one of "Dueling Jingle Bells" and the other based upon "Star Wars".  I thought of posting a third, but worried that people would expect more and more music videos for each day, and I wasn't prepared to post a total of 36 videos!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, a classic performed as a Gregorian chant, in Latin of course.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, I went alliterative and did a Firehouse Video, plus linked an article about a number of other videos by fire departments around the country.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, I decided that since Ukraine is in the news (AGAIN/still), I would focus on a song from there, with a couple of variations and one from the frontline of conflict.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, it being New Year's Eve, a song I think encapsulates the feeling.  And of course the traditional one most people (pretend/attempt) to sing, and then a list of classical music for the occasion.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, a favorite video of an unexpected holiday song, "Riu Chiu".

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, the commas nerd in me enjoyed this speculation about "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, Tom Lehrer's "A Christmas Carol".

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, two high schools' versions of The Silent Monks performing parts of Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus.

And on the Twelfth (and final) Day of Christmas, "Gaudete" a song I learned to sing (but mostly listened to others sing) while engaged in medieval recreation activities.  Plus a bonus about the National Parks from the U.S. Forest Service.

🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

And I don't have a recording of this (just the first lines from the Monkees' Christmas show), but it's one my family sings every year:

Advent-ually.

In addition to the Channukah box from ChemKnits Creations, I bought one from A Hundred Ravens.  When I saw the box held more than eight items I thought it was for the twelve days of Christmas or some such, and set it aside.  The wrapping of course should have reminded me!  I started opening it and realized my mistake - it was set up for two items per night of Hanukah!  So I opened them all in one go.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

As you can see, the even-numbered boxes contained an extra goody, plus there was a final one at the end labeled "Open Me Last!"  And a wee crown:

Several of the extras are stitch markers, but the blue bottle came with a recipe to make freezable bubble solution, plus there is a sticker, a magnet, a snowflake-shaped lollipop, and a tiny pin with two dreidels:

Here are the mini-skeins, in order of number from right to left:

I don't think I will keep them in this order, especially because Days #9 and #10 are so close in colour.  In addition to the knitting pattern standard in this box, they sent the crochet pattern for the yarns.  You were supposed to indicate whether you are a "Knitting Queen" or a "Crocheting Queen" when ordering.  I ordered two boxes with a note that I did so because I do both crafts and thus want both patterns.  Then I received a cancellation notice for part of the order, because they decided to send both patterns to me with just one box!  Some dyers will ask for a couple-few dollars extra if you want both patterns, but they were very nice and surprised me.