Moon rising.

I took these photos when we attended the White Sox game a couple Mondays ago:

The White Sox lost but otherwise it was a good game, just fun to be in the ballpark and eat ballpark food.  There had been terrible rainstorms earlier in the day, with thunder and about four inches total rainfall, but the grounds crew are amazing and there was just a bit of rain delay before the first pitch.  We did not make it through in time to get the commemorative snow globe for "Christmas in July", but enjoyed the trivia.

In other news, I have almost finished the strips for a blanket I plan to donate to Warm Up, America! at DFW Fiber Fest at the end of the month.  It's been something planned for a long time, and I finally got around to making the strips.  I calculated that six strips would make a good-sized blanket and allow for a border (nothing fancy, just to make the edges even), and after finishing the sixth strip this morning I laid them out to check lengths and prepare to sew:

I want to make chevrons - obviously the two
strips on the right need to be swapped.

As you can see, even though I measured the strips against each other as I crocheted, two of them need to have a bit of additional length:

Back to it!  I think I can match the colours for those bits, and if I cut off anything from the cakes, I'll use those bits in the border.  The strips measure about 40"x60", which is between the Child and Adult blanket sizes on the Warm Up, America! site.  I'll let them decide who is the recipient.  Or I might have enough yarn to make a seventh strip - should I?

Another cake for history.

For the final presentation of the History SIG (Special Interest Group), I decided to make a pecan cake based upon this recipe:

The substitution is simple:  10oz of slightly toasted pecan pieces in place of the black walnuts.  I think that pecans must be lighter than black walnuts, because that is a LOT of nuts in the batter.  It resulted in two pretty cakes, plenty for whoever is at our closing session.

And once again, I didn't stop for photographs, although I took one of the circular cake after it cooled:

My mother and I went to Chicago for a week, spending time seeing relatives and old friends (including all three of my remaining godparents), and I was too busy enjoying people to photograph the food.  Except this, my dessert one night:

The "Amarena Cherry Panna Cotta" - 
vanilla panna cotta, amarena cherry gelee,
compressed cherry (a bit alcoholic), pistachio

Of course we ate plenty of Chicago specialties, such as deep dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dog (my mother and I split a footlong at a White Sox game, which they sadly and badly lost to the d@mn Yankees, but ended up splitting the series with them - then the Cubs began a series with a close loss and a solid win, before another close loss), Irish soda bread from the Hearts & Flour Bakery tent at the Daley Center Farmers Market, true bagels and lox at a family brunch, and lots of excellent meals at friends' favourite restaurants around the city.  We brought local chocolates to the neighbors and are still nibbling our way through the cookies a friend gave to my mother.

Baseball Knitting.

As one does:

Started at Sloan Park - we saw two Cubs games, they lost both.

White Sox winning at Camelback Ranch

The group is scheduled for Cubs games on Friday and Saturday.  Opening Day game is against the White Sox; two years ago the Cubs won, this year the White Sox won.  On Saturday the Cubs lost again.  Sunday the group doesn't have a plan, so people can golf, go to the spa, lie around the pool, or pick up another game.  My tradition is to go to the White Sox home park, which is older and smaller and a very different experience.

I continued working on the Sidewinder Beanie on the way home, measuring progress against the book I am reading, which I'd started on the previous trip two years ago and somehow never finished:

I started the knitting craft-along for this year's Carolina Fiber Fest on the trip out, and made no other progress, so I'll have to work on it in the next week:

A couple non-knitting photos from the parks:

Fiberuary 15-21

15:  I had insomnia so finished the replacement hat and decided to give it to the person who'd flown in for the memorial, and who had commented about it several times over lunch.  Then in the bustle of everything, I forgot.

Second MTI hat, with two braids for Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Replacement hat on the right, Chemknits Creations alpaca yarn.

16:  Busy day at work, despite being a holiday.  I want to start something new but am focusing on finishing items first.  I need to figure out what to take on this week's trip, and I saw that a pattern I've been thinking about is on holiday sale, so I bought it.  I've nearly finished Row 30 on the UFO blanket.

17:  A little more done on the UFO Blanket, but work has been busy, and Mom and I decided to vote before going out of town, so that took up a bit of time.  I had a BOGO at Paris Baguette so we stopped on the way home and the counter clerk apologized that they only had savory items left since it was end of day.  Perfect for supper!

18:  I finally wound yarn for the Carolina Fiber Fest knitting Craft-Along, and packed it along with two other projects.  Because I'll be gone for five days, with three baseball games and two long plane flights.  I'd debated whether to use fingering yarn doubled for the pattern, but in the end selected a thin worsted weight that I think will work up as the DK the pattern requires.  I didn't want to knit the fingering weight alternative!  The yarn is pale, which should show the cabling and other pattern stitches better than a multi that the designer used.

19:  I took the CFF knit CAL pattern and yarn on the plane, and have done most of the starting border.  I need to count the number of repeats but haven't had time - I also had to work on the flight.

20:  Baseball begins!  I knit the border of the Sidewinder Hat, but didn't pull out the pattern to start the sides/top because it was too close to end of game.

21:  I continued knitting on the Sidewinder Hat, having shifted to the body pattern before we left for today's game.

Grandparents Day

The Sunday after Labour Day (in the USA, so the first or second Sunday of September) is Grandparents Day.  The only one I've posted about at any length is my maternal grandmother, who is the only one alive as I've written this blog.  My paternal grandparents disappeared when bio-dad left the family, and my step-paternal grandparents died decades before I met my stepfather (who most of the world knows as my father, he's been a part of my life for so many decades), and I also had a step-maternal grandfather.  But photos of these aren't on my digital media, and so harder to add to the blog.

I do have a photo of my maternal grandfather, although he died decades ago also, and I forget why I captured it electronically.

Arnold "Zep" Zimmerman

I've probably be thinking about him because football season just started, and it's still baseball season, and he was deeply devoted to both sports.  He played in college, but never professionally, instead building a truck parts and automotive business with his father and brothers.  We all learned the games at his knee, and I remember attending them with him, or watching many on television.

Every Sunday for decades he hosted a family breakfast at a local restaurant.  I remember sitting at the far end of the table, because I was one of the youngest.  You could hear my grandfather everywhere as he told stories and laughed.

I remember the bowls of sultanas and pecans set around their house for snacking.  All of the family gatherings he presided over (his parents having died long before I was born) with dozens of the very extended family, and friends, crowding tables or scattering through whichever home hosted that event.  The tradition of him singing "Down By The Old Mill Stream" with his brothers - cheerfully in four different keys, and with silly gestures that had us all laughing.  Some of his jokes, at least one of which wouldn't be considered politically correct, but it makes me laugh to remember.

There were not-so-good times too, as there always are with families, but I am glad to have so much happiness to remember.

Baseball and Opera and Books.

I love libraries.  I may have gotten my library card before my driving license during the latest move, and if not, it was close.  I've used many services over the years, taken out (and returned!) many books, and with the online options I attend events and watch videos and I'm borrowing an e-book (because my library doesn't have hardcopy) of a book to read before my next overseas trip.  So I'm always up for celebrating National Library Week, and hope that you support your local libraries also.

Last week was busy.  In addition to work (and the madness of our fiscal year ending on March 31st, which meant that the next days were catch-up on the carryover work plus anything that wasn't urgent and got postponed until after April 1st) it was NC Opera weekend, and my parents were hosting the guest speaker.  So in addition to two operas (I skipped the dress rehearsal because of my library's Science Fiction Book Club meeting) and the Sunday afterparty, I went to a ballgame on Thursday evening, and did other activities with parents and guest on Saturday, when not participating in the Knit For Food A Thon.

Sadly, the Durham Bulls lost to the Sugarland Space Cowboys,
but we had fun, weather was perfect, and they didn't get shut
out thanks to their designated hitter in the bottom of the 9th inning.

I started a hat during the ball game (which meant I had to restart it several times, even though it's a basic and easy pattern, because I kept getting off-count on the first row - stitch markers to the rescue!) and I finished a scarf that had been too big to take to the game.

I picked up some library swag at the game:

I asked if I needed to show my library card (of course it was with me) to get a sticker, and the library staff said no, and let me take one of everything that was still there.  I didn't need info about their Library Fest activities - I'm already signed up for ones I can do, and wish I could do more!

The true harbinger of spring.

As many of us say, it's not what some silly rodent decides, spring really starts with the call of "Pitchers and catchers report!"  That was last week and this weekend I'll be enjoying three games of the Cactus League, via a professional group's trip:

It is a tradition for the President of the Illinois State Bar Association to select a trip.  In the past they have been cruises and such, often to the person's family's origin country or area.  I haven't gone because they were not interesting to me.

Naturally, this one is.

I borrowed my mother's White Sox gear, and have my own for the Cubs.  I'll get a new T-shirt there, of course.  We see the above game on Friday, a White Sox game on Saturday, and a Cubs game on Sunday.  A perfect weekend!

I hope to get to the Phoenix Art Museum to see two exhibits.  Since all our games are at 1:05pm (according to the posted schedule) that doesn't give much time, but both are small:  Guarding the Art and the Fireflies Infinity Mirrors Room.  If one of the games is later, I may try to get to Taliesin West, which I toured many years ago and would like to see again.

Maybe I'll switch to a later plane home.  😊

Learning something new.

My best friend's elder daughter graduated from high school and is on her way to college.  I asked what to send as a gift, and since the daughter would love something handmade from me, we sorted out a pattern and colour (pastels) and yarn ("washable, natural material, nothing sparkly") and so forth.

It's high time I started work on it, so I did this afternoon, winding the first hank of yarn and reading through the pattern.  Then I realized I had to learn to do the foundation single crochet, which I usually avoid by doing a chain and then a row of regular single crochet.  I decided that I need to learn to do this properly, since the pattern requires it, so with much trial and error, I did:

I am now on Row 8 of the back, making good progress.  The yarn is Cascade Yarns Nifty Cotton, a washable 100% cotton yarn, and colour chosen by the recipient.  She doesn't know what I am making.  {Seventh Inning Stretch update:  The back is an inch too wide.  I am going to frog and remove four stitches.  The next smaller size is eight inches smaller and I think it will be too small.  So there's an evening's work gone - at least I have the rhythm of the pattern now, and crocheting goes fast.}

I was supposed to be there next week to help her pack for the move to college, but thanks to the Delta Variant, I'm not going to make the trip.  Maybe we'll work out a way to do it by Zoom or Facetime.

This week I also finished a sweater for Mittens for Akkol, and I really like how it came out:

 

Lopi Lite, plain stockinette in black, with garter stitch borders.  I may make another for me, but of a different yarn.  I have plenty of leftovers, so started a scarf, which doesn't look like much at the moment, to go with another grad sweater.  Further progress will be made on it or the pink thing during tonight's Crosstown Classic.

Reading

After finishing a book last month, I am making progress on two others.  I'd set aside The Hamilton Affair some months back, and since I hope to visit my parents soon I want to finish so I can return it to the library in their community's clubhouse.  I'm in the home stretch now and I think I'll start My Dear Hamilton next, and donate it to the library with the other.

I also have Tuesdays with Morrie which my father lent to me, and which is a quick read.  I hope to finish it so I can return it on my next trip.  We're hoping that to visit family, and not randomly travel about, will be safe.  I know many people who are taking vacations or visiting family or even going to camp and doing all kinds of things I haven't felt safe doing, so hopefully this little bit of travel will be possible and go well.  It's so hard to know.

Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, and Hallowe'en again

KnitTalk had an online (day after) Hallowe'en party tonight.  I used the same costume I'd done for work:

I asked people to bring something orange to wear or show.  One woman loves orange, and had quite a pile of items.  Others had to scrounge for things.  I'd planned to wear a shawl I finished earlier this year, but having finished my latest item I was ready for something new, and had just received The Periwinkle Sheep's Rhinebeck 2020 colourway from The Spinning Room.  Usually I don't immediately think of what to do with a commemorative colourway, but I've wanted to do this shawl for a while:

The fabric is a bit tight, so I've debated switching to a US#8 needle instead of the called-for US#7, but this will be a dense and warm shawl and that will be very useful.

Today was the Second Annual Knitting With Sheep day at Clatter Ridge Farm.  They were attempting to hang onto their world record, which another farm said they would be breaking but ended up canceling the attempt due to local gathering restrictions.  It was nice to be doing something with others, even though we were socially distant.  Well, except for the sheep, who checked us for snacks when they tired of pumpkin:

In past years there was a festival and people were encouraged to bring their jack-o-lanterns to donate to the sheep for snacking.  Hopefully they will be able to do it next year.

Things I forgot to report earlier

Every year for Banned Books Week I try to read a banned or challenged book.  This year, I wasn't going to the library or bookshops so I thought I'd end up re-reading Huckleberry Finn.  Then when looking up the lists of books, I realized that I had one in my pile of books to be read, so I pulled out Bless Me, Ultima and read it.  I was pleased that with the exception of a couple of words, I remain sufficiently bilingual to read without pausing for the dictionary.  This is definitely adult, although told from the viewpoint of a young boy, but a worthwhile read.

I did the Foodshare Virtual Walk Against Hunger, and managed to collect enough pledges to bump my goal twice.  On my daily walks I participated in the themed shirts, except on Friday when I walked in regular clothing and put on the outfit for work:

Monday's theme was "American Football" so I wore an old and beloved University of Chicago Maroons T-shirt.  Tuesday was "Hartford Yard Goats" day, and I don't have any of their gear, so wore one of the baseball shirts I do have.  For "Civic Pride" on Wednesday, since I don't have any town regalia, I chose a Connecticut shirt from Hartford Prints!  Thursday we were supposed to wear a shirt from a past Walk Against Hunger, and I don't have any, so I wore a shirt that had been a fundraiser for Foodshare earlier this year.  Instead of Casual Friday we ended with Fancy Friday, and I wore the gown that had been a bridesmaid's dress over twenty years before.  Happily, we were not stuck with something that couldn't be worn again - and at fancier occasions.

Status of my Resolutions

I am happy to report that the Boneyard Shawl is finished, completed last night:

It has a bit of a ruffle because I did a crocheted bind-off and was hurrying.  And it's more of a shawlette than a proper shawl, since I used fingering weight yarn instead of DK.

November Mini-Resolutions

I suppose I should do something Election-related - voting, definitely.

I need to finish the shawl of my grandmother's set, and I would like to finish my Rhinebeck 2020 Textured Triangle Shawl.  It should be a fairly easy knit.  And I'd like to finish something out of my UFO pile - the other Magical Miniskeins sock?  The other mitten from a set of Buffalo Wool samples?  The Omega Shawl?  It looks like these will continue into 2021, doesn't it?

Ten on Tuesday - Things I Like To Do Outside

My friend Mary Kay periodically posts her lists, and every so often I am inclined to as well.  This is actually from last week, but I didn't see it then and last week wasn't very good for outdoors (due to us getting a snowstorm, yes, in mid-April), so since Carole is on vacation this week thus did not post a new list, I think it is OK for me to use this theme.  My blog, my rules.

Ten Things I Like To Do Outside

1. Hike
2. Concerts
3. Sailing, canoeing, and other boating
4. Reading
5. Movies (drive-ins, in the park, someone's back yard)
6. Baseball
7. Fair rides (essential part of going to a fair, like fried food)
8. Ziplines and flying squirrels
9. Picnics and cookouts
10. Knitting, crocheting, and suchlike

OK, some of these are things you can ONLY do outside.  And you can add to that list things like flying kites (I am thinking of running some workshops and possibly hosting a kite-flying contest at the Hartford Makerspace this summer), riding horses, climbing trees, and so forth.  There are other things, like swimming, that I couldn't figure out how to fit onto the list but I'll do them inside or outside - like reading, knitting, crocheting, concerts, .....

Some of these I have not done in much too long.  I think I'll be glad I am not stage managing a show this summer!

I'll add another photo from Sunday's hike, just because I can:

Things I did this past weekend

I have a friend who does "Movie Mondays" on her blog, and since I saw two movies (planned three, missed one because I got out of work too late) I thought about writing about it, then I realized I did some more interesting things this weekend, so here it is. A post without an agenda, for the most part. And not many pictures!

The movie I missed was "The General," which was being shown with piano accompaniment. I love classic movies, I like silent films, and it's fun to see them with live music. I've gone to "Metropolis" at Real Art Ways twice, where they have The Alloy Orchestra offering music and it's fascinating and fun.

Saturday started out semi-routine with physical therapy (usually I do yoga, but not until the knee improves) and then my Torah class, after which I went to Cinema Classics for "Strangers on a Train." I hadn't seen it before and it was typical fast-moving, tense Hitchcock. We all liked it. I couldn't go for lunch with the others afterwards because I had to get to the office and see how things were going on the deal we're trying to close - and which should at this stage be in proofreading, but of course, it's not........

Saturday night I went to SWAN DAY CT, which is a celebration of women artists. It was great, crowded, noisy, supportive.........I bought some jewelry, clothes, and artwork. I'm taking the picture to my office, it's bright and will add some colour to the dull walls. A friend was showing her photography and I told her I want to buy two prints for my office also. She didn't believe me, it's the first time she's shown her work, but I'm serious!

Sunday morning, I slept in. :) Then I worked in my stash storage, having decided it was high time to have another round of sales on eBay. Every time I mention this I get a suggestion from someone that I should use space bags and other things for added storage, but my idea is to weed out items that I am very sure I will not use, and send them to people who want to use them.

Another movie followed: "Jews and Baseball." OK, I am a baseball nut. I freely admit it! I played as a kid (who didn't?) and follow my beloved Cubbies through everything. They had two cinemas showing the movie (it's part of a film festival) and both were PACKED. Fun!

Afterwards, home, and back on the computer for work. Watched some of my usual Sunday night TV shows - "Chopped All-Stars" especially. Was very happy that the hot Aarón Sánchez won his round. But I am torn between him and Nate Appleman for the ultimate winner. I'll have to tune in next week - hopefully I'll be back in time from the foodie adventure my friend Judy has scheduled.