Peaceful

Mary and I usually meet at the Art Guild on Tuesdays to knit/crochet and talk. (There used to be more people involved, but others moved, or went back to work, or took on other responsibilities.) At this time of year, Mary is sometimes working as a tax preparer, so can't meet with me. I hadn't heard from her about this week, so on Tuesday morning I texted her: Knitting today?

She replied: No real busy long story how about Thursday I'm off don't think anybody wants me for anything

Me: OK. Where?

Mary: You pick just make it peaceful

Me: I don't know. My house is pretty peaceful.

Mary: Oh yes let me think then I'll give you a time

Me: OK

So she came here for a few hours of knitting/crocheting, talking, and having a nice tossed salad for lunch.

My house IS peaceful with just me and no pets. Her's has five people, two dogs, and I think there are two cats, as well. Even with the granddaughters in school, and her husband and daughter working, it's not very peaceful. I was glad to give her a little break. I don't think either of us got much needlework done, but we did a lot of talking.
 

Grandmother, will you make me .....

Two weeks ago, I got knitting requests from both of my 4-year-old great-grandchildren. On Saturday, Lily asked for a dark pink scarf, and on Sunday, Brady asked for a sweater to replace one he has outgrown. 

I found a lovely medium dark pink yarn in my stash, but it is a wool/microfiber blend that needs to be hand washed. I don't think Sara would appreciate my using that, so when I was at the yarn shop for knitting on Wednesday afternoon, I bought a ball of machine-washable acrylic. The shade is not exactly like the one in my stash, but close. I plan to knit the scarf lengthwise, with a row of reverse stockinette stitch cats down the middle and garter stitch borders. I have a chart for the cats, I just need to figure out how many stitches to use.

The sweater Brady has been wearing is one I made nine or ten years ago for his big sister Lexi. Brady called it his white sweater, although I always considered it blue. It has sort of a terrycloth appearance, with the top stuff white and blue underneath. I found some yarn in my stash that I think will be great for his new sweater, and have started working on it. The yarn for the new one is an ivory tweed (with bits of black and brown). I'm doing a simple, top-down, raglan sweater, with a 3 x 3 cable down each sleeve, I will also add pockets, and put cables on them, as well.

When I mentioned this on Knitter's Paradise, I questioned whether I should finish the three shawls I was working on first. Several dozen people replied that I should drop the shawls and jump right on the things for the kids. Only one person said to finish the shawls; the kids need to learn patience. Actually, the shawls are sort of for the kids - to give to their teachers at the end of the school year. I finished two of the shawls.

The other one can wait. I don't think it will be as nice as these anyway.

Other shawls I have finished in the past month or so follow. Since each pre-school classroom has two teachers, I need to have more than half a dozen shawls for the kids to select from.

I'm please with the way all of these turned out. I used someone else's pattern for numbers 1 and 5, but 2, 3, and 4 are my own designs. The yarns in numbers 1, 2, and 5 are some with long color runs, so the stripes happen naturally, without changing yarns.

Temperature Scarf - month two

I'm only a week late. I think we had the warmest February on record.

On February 16, I had a little mishap. I spent that Wednesday night and most of Thursday at Alyssa's house. When I got home about 9:30 Thursday night, I went into the house, turned on the porch and kitchen lights, put down my purse, and went back out to the car for the other two bags (clothes and knitting, and laptop computer). As I walked back in, my toe caught on the rubber strip on top of the doorstep, and I fell flat on my face. I lay there for a minute, thinking that I would be sore all over next day (I wasn't). Then I turned over and sat up. I scooted down far enough to close the door, then scooted on my rump into the dining room, where I could use a chair to stand up. That's right, this old lady can no longer get up from the floor with help from a chair.

The only think that was hurt (other than my pride) was my left knee. However, with one thing and another, it was two weeks before I had it x-rayed. There was a crack across the kneecap. When my doctor called to tell me that, she said to stay off it as much as possible and definitely don't kneel on it. I told her that I don't even kneel in church any more. It seems to be healing OK - no pain unless I twist it a bit. I'm glad it is my left knee rather than the right one. The right side is where I have an artificial hip, as well as a metal rod in the femur, going up from the knee.