Lt. Uhura, signing off.

Sad to hear of the passing of Nichelle Nichols, a beacon for girls and Black persons for decades.

I remember seeing just that she was a woman who would lead, and step in to run the navigation console if necessary, and didn't really think of the colour of her skin.  Others, of course, did.  However you saw her, she was a role model for so many of us, letting us know that we also could reach for the stars.

Home again.

I spent the last week visiting my parents.  It's good to be able to travel to them, even if the rest of my travel is curtailed.  In the Before Times I would drop in for a long weekend at least once a month; now it's turning into a week a month.  So about the same amount of time, but extended.  I work from their guest room, and in the evenings help with projects.

As a result, I didn't do much other than work.  I still took a daily walk (except on Saturdays, when I have an early yoga class), but went as close to dawn as possible because of heat and humidity.  I still got back almost soaked, and took a much cooler shower than I usually do in consequence.

I finished a scarf for Knit Your Bit of Lion Brand Scarfie in cream/black, just seed stitch until the yarn ran out.  I didn't make much progress on the Falling Leaves Shawl; I have finished the fourth leaf, of ten:

We watched "The Radium Girls", a fictionalized version (based on a book) of a story I'd heard, but I didn't know much about the court case.  The film focuses on it, and it's fascinating and heartbreaking.

I got home in the week hours of Sunday, so at the appropriate time (after some sleep) I walked to a bakery for bread, and a scone.  It's a long walk, but enjoyable.  On the way home, this one and I watched each other for a while:

Badged

I was going to write over the holiday last weekend, and didn't.  I rather enjoyed being able to step away from the computers for a day.  Unlike past years, I did not feel compelled to work because it was a Monday; at the previous job, where my work was so global, in the other 190+ countries the 4th of July isn't a holiday so email piled in and somebody always had an emergency.  The new job, while just as busy, is mostly USA-based so the inbox was stunningly quiet.

Of course, many of my friends didn't see that it was a holiday worth celebrating this year, and I know there is much to say and read on that topic.  I just hope that the non-conservatives don't split into multiple parties as they did in 2016 and 2020, and thus weaken the opportunity to vote non-evangelicals into office.

Then there was the shooting at the parade in Highland Park.  My mother's family has lived there, part of them have, for about four generations.  My mother remembers the crime scene from her high school years.  It was late in the day when we learned that all of our family members are safe, although some were within two blocks of the shooting and are extremely rattled.

On a very different topic, I've been forgetting to post this:

I was surprised to receive it in mid-June as I don't pay attention to badges and goals (other than 10,000 steps a day) and just walk.  I've finally been back to my morning wanders, except on Saturday when I have an early yoga class.  Most days I do at least 8,000 steps during my walk and when I can it's over 10,000 steps, usually on Sunday and holidays, or if I get a really early start.  One day I walked to the grocery store because I realized I had $3 store credit that was going to expire, and there were a couple items on sale that I would buy, and walking meant I couldn't do any spontaneous buying.  I did anyway, as unflavoured gelatin was on clearance, and I use it for making marshmallows, and it hasn't been on sale for a while.  But those are small, light boxes and easy to add with the fish and tortellini I was buying.

My CSA pickups have begun, so I didn't need to get produce.  First week I received pickling cucumbers (which I just eat), garlic scapes, zucchini and summer squash, blueberries, sweet peas (pods are very edible also, so these are just quick snacks), and several ears of corn.  The week before I'd picked up a produce box at a farmer's market I used to frequent (when I could use a nearby makerspace as an in-town office, and walk up there to get lunch and goodies), which contained zucchini, onions, parsley, blueberries, a huge bag of tri-color quinoa, and bread, and for each one purchased another was donated to a SNAP recipient.  I also purchased snap peas, green beans, radishes, raspberries, red leaf lettuce, and a huge bunch of basil from some of the farmers.  Plus pistachio biscotti, and of course lunch (which also served for the next day - their portions are large) from the café that hosts the market.

It's Stitches Expo this weekend, and I wanted to take classes but they included Friday sessions and I couldn't take yesterday from work.  So I've done the special lectures and vendor talks and last night's pajama party.  I wasn't going to shop, but then I won a gift certificate from a vendor, so.......

Status on Resolutions

It has been a while since I reported.  So far this year, I have finished eight books so I have completed that resolution.  I said on Goodreads that I would finish an even dozen (one per month) and I am ahead of schedule.  A couple have been fairly slight, and I've started some others that I decided aren't worth the time and they went into a donate box unfinished.  It feels good to be reading again.

I am one for two on each of the pairs of UFOs that I posted about, but I have finished another UFO:

This is something I think I started when I lived in Texas, which means over a decade ago.  I know I purchased the yarn there.  There are glitches in the lace pattern, but it's a tote bag, so I don't care.  When I found it I realized the strap was almost done, so I knitted a few more rows and grafted it, then did a row of single crochet on each side for stability.

I should finish something else - and I've found another UFO that needed frogging and a lacy bit - but I've started a new project.  One of the instigators on KnitTalk issued a "CHALLENGE" (as she typed it) to create something of two colours of yarn.  After some stash diving I decided to do the Falling Leaves Shawl in two shades of Periwinkle Sheep's Watercolors II:  "magic forest" and "the witches brew":

As I've knit, I determined that the instructions and the photograph do not match.  So I am freestyling the leaves a bit.  I've progressed to the third one (of ten, according to the pattern) but I don't have a further photograph.  Maybe next weekend.

Nineteen scarves

I meant to post earlier this week, but I was on a business trip, the first since March 2020.  When I looked at my luggage at baggage claim, I realized - yes, this is definitely mine even without tags:

The two bags in back were mostly filled with gifts (including items for charities friends support) and were folded flat in my fourth (not shown) bag on the trip home.

During the trip, I got new phones as my old ones were dying, and I kept getting warnings that one was so old it would no longer be supported.  I had issues with it during the trip to see my grandmother, and it seems to drop connection fairly regularly now, so it was time.

Both replacements are bigger than the ones I had, which I find quite annoying, especially for my flip phone.  I rather liked the easy-to-slip-into-pocket size and shape.  Unfortunately, LG is out of the mobile phones business, and I remember from a previous Nokia that theirs are always rather boxy and squared.

I went a couple days early so I could visit with friends and see a play.  The first time for those since March 2020 also!  I wasn't the only person in the theatre wearing a mask, although I took it off for photo ops:

 

I also inventoried the things I'd left behind in the guest room at my friends' house.  Some of the snacks were inedibly stale.  The soda pop had decayed (stock is replenished).  And I found a drawerful of scarves that I'd made, and which my friend usually takes to a local shelter to donate.  I've been donating through a congregational project recently, and of course Knit Your Bit, but I'd forgotten about these.  So Sunday morning I ran in ends and added washing instructions from the yarn wrappers.  Combined with the ones I'd brought in my luggage, and the two I was finishing as travel projects, it was quite a pile:

When I spread them out to count and photograph, I couldn't get a good photo, even standing on a chair and holding my phone almost to the ceiling:

My friends have very curious cats, so using the floor in another room is not an option.  I tried again, taking a snap of each half:

These are all kinds of yarn, some of the scarves are crocheted and some are knit.

It's my parents' anniversary today.  They look a bit older now, but are still as much in love and cute:

My first Anna Dress

At the Stitches@Home earlier this month, I took a class to make the Anna Dress.  The designer taught us how to adjust to fit our shape, whether flat or curvy, tall or short, etc.  I hadn't sewn for myself in a long time, partly due to the time required, partly due to fitting issues, and partly because my sewing machine needs some attention.  The second part of the class occurred while I was at my parents' for Fathers Day, so I was able to work on it there, using my mother's sewing machine.

I must say, I like the end result:

It is comfy, and stylish, and fits like a dream, and has pockets!  This was an optional add-on except that several of us said nope, pockets are not 'optional'!  I added the belt, which is the same part of the print as the neckline edging.  Now I plan to go back to Joann's for more fabric - once my sewing machine is back from the mechanic.

I finished a book, so I have six done for the year, halfway to my announced goal.  This was Take My Life by Eddie Cantor (with Jane Kesner Ardmore), a name-dropping reminiscence.  An old book but fun enough to read.

I finished all of the scarves reported last week, plus a fourth that had been in-progress which I'd left at home.  Thick yarn works up quickly in garter stitch, especially when I am watching movies, or baseball games, or on aeroplanes.  And I was on more flights this week, as I came to Texas for a work meeting that starts on Monday, and of course came in to spend the weekend visiting friends.  After all, I haven't been here since March of 2020!  I arrived in time for a matinee on Saturday, then a group of us went to a local for their prime rib special.  I didn't set up a weekend full of shows as I often did in the past, partly because of the early flight Saturday morning, partly because I wanted time to see and talk with people.  So that's what we did.

Sundays I have a cinema class, and attended for a very good and wide ranging discussion of the films we've seen.  Now for a quiet evening before work tomorrow, and going to the hotel for the meetings.

Mountain Laurel

There is one outside my front door, and while it's not lilacs, I love how the flowers look:

Knitting progress:  The current mindless (which I needed this weekend) scarf was coming out veeeeery long and skinny: 6" wide and about 40" long at roughly the halfway point.  So I frogged it (just a day's work, in the classes and lectures and such, since it's so chunky) and restarted with just four stitches more, and it's now about 8" wide and by my maths should end up about five feet long, which is respectable.  I am past the frogging point and it should be finished in another day or so of knitting.

Because I am visiting family this weekend (for Father's Day), I didn't bring it, but have three (!!!) other charity scarves in progress.

Almost finished is a multidirectional scarf in Deborah Norville Saturate on US#10.5 needle.  I restarted the multicoloured scarf in Sensations Tropics Multi, because using the recommended US#11 needle gave a looser fabric than I like for a scarf.  Shown it is on a US#10.  The ball of Woolspun will be the next scarf, on the US#11 needle that didn't work for the Tropics yarn.  All three yarns are discontinued.

The Tropics scarf will go to a shelter; the other two are destined for Knit Your Bit.

Missing for a reason

I'd been doing well posting weekly until last weekend.  I am bad at remembering a zillion passwords and didn't want to deal with not remembering this one.  Then I planned to post when I got home on Tuesday - and didn't.

More explanation in a future post.  This weekend I was busy with Stitches@Home classes - a dress sewing class yesterday, and a beginner tapestry weaving one today.  Because my sewing machine needs a tune-up I don't have much to show from yesterday's class, but I got this far in this morning's weaving session:

The loom, warped and with the beginning of my piece.
I am trying to not pull too tightly, but it's tricky.

A closeup of the weaving.  My warp thread is too
thick and irregular so not getting buried as it should.

I missed the second session because I am taking a cinema class and since the Stitches@Home classes are recorded, I knew I can view it later and be caught up by the time of next weekend's class.

Speaking of next weekend, it's Father's Day and having passed my COVID-19 test, I'll be spending it with my parents, and possibly a few more family members.  So I might not post, for a good reason.