Missed another one, oops

I successfully donated whole blood on the 15th. Yay me. Whole blood is a little easier than platelets for me; only 1 stick. After that, I had an interview with a grad student for their research project. The project is about people and roles they play.

I made RG an ice drop pendant. I got it done just in time for her birthday supper on Saturday. We had a lovely time. JJ had not gotten CD's email about the supper but I had left him a voicemail, asking if he wanted to carpool. He showed up just in time for us to leave and make it to the restaurant.

I've started learning how to loom knit cables. I knitted, I ripped, I knitted, I ripped, and I knitted. And ripped and knitted. They aren't great, but they are discernibly cables.

I found out the power had never been turned off in Mom's apartment. She was paying someone else's power bill, essentially. I had sent the company my POA and told them to discontinue her account but apparently they never got it. I called them on Friday (when I found out she was still getting billed) and that's when I found out the POA wasn't in her file. Grrrrr.

The tatters' meeting on Saturday was lovely. We didn't get our usual time, so we had it 10-3 instead. I tatted around a wood key and made a heart and started a bracelet. However, the beads and thread color didn't work out so I cut it apart before I was quite finished.

We also had two new tatters. Anitra helped one and I helped the other. Both had mastered flowers (1 ring with lots of picots) and were learning chains and bigger rings.

Leigh from Somthingunderthebed.com brought some books and I now have a few more to add to my wishlist.

She had brought this old, early 20th century German tatting book with her. She also talked about having an early 20th century German book without publisher or designer name. She's been trying to identify the designer by finding (probably) her designs in a magazine. Magazine publication was more common than book publication and sometimes have the designer's name; although not always.

Leigh's been looking for German magazines of the same era. However, she doesn't know the names of any applicable ones and neither do any of her contacts. I posted something in social media and someone in my circles pulled up a German catalog. I don't know if it will pan out but hopefully Leigh will find something helpful.

After the bracelet didn't work out, I made some hearts from the thread (and I've been having fun with my coloring page of the day calendar - I work on them whenever, so I'm nowhere near close to today).

The weather has been absurdly warm for this time of year. Not just the Bradford pears have been blooming but so have the star magnolias, tulip poplars, and other trees I don't know the name of.

I went to visit RG and her dog, Dez, recently. Her dog is almost a year old and up to fourteen pounds. Here's a still from a short video of her chewing on one of her favorite things, an antler.

US politics ahead:
When a white supremacist is a trusted advisor in the White House, with an admitted goal (in 2014) of destroying the US government, is it any wonder I'm depressed.

Happy St. Valentine's Day (if you celebrate it)

Today, CD surprised me with 3 skeins of the bison/bamboo/silk yarn, in purple this time. I have to make a decision now. Do I make a teal trimmed purple lace shawl or a purple lace shawl and a smaller teal lace shawl? Decisions, decisions.

He's also asked me for a knit scarf. I've offered but until recently he didn't need one. He has definite ideas on what he wants so the next step is to find the right pattern. I have yarn (~600 yards each) in two colors so I can do a kind of tweedy look.

And here's a 2007 paper on the connection between knitting and activism. If you're interested in that sort of thing.

A number of museums and libraries put out coloring pages again, look for #ColorOurCollections. Here's a page I did from the UNC Health Sciences Library.

I took a picture of my hair after I cut it. Sort of. It's not a very good picture, but it's better than nothing.

Saturday's plan: go to bank so CD can deposit a check, grab a bite to eat on the way to see mom, set up mom's tv and see if we can get the DVD player to work, go to lunch, CD goes home and I take mom yarn shopping in her car, then I drive home in mom's car.

What actually happened: stop by bank and notice a tire is low, go to dealer and discover tire needs to be replaced, another tire needs to be replaced, brake pads, etc, etc, etc. We went from 'be there until  2 pm' (call mom cause we aren't coming) to get a shuttle ride to somewhere we can get lunch, to finally leaving the dealer after 5 pm.

We did the 'go to mom' stuff on Sunday. And learned her car tags are out of date and her battery is dead. And the new tv doesn't even recognize the connection to the cable box, never mind the DVD player. We did get the yarn shopping done and I have to find out about mom's car taxes, etc.

I finished my 90 hearts. And I finally remembered to send in my registration for the NCRL Day. Too late for the commemorative shuttle thought. sad face.

I'm still behind on TIAS 2017, but I've made some progress.

Monday I saw someone I'd only seen once in the past 2-3 years. He hasn't changed much. We all had supper (CD, him, and me) although our first choice of dining establishment had closed. We caught up a bit and shared a couple gaming stories.

Tonight, I go see CC. I'll show her my shawl. And my yarn. And maybe she can give me advice about my wristlets to match my shawl.

Last but not least, US politics again. I took a break from calling my MoC over the weekend. I had enough on my mind. But I started right up again on Monday. I have yet to reach a live person in my senators' offices and I've reached a live person every time in my representative's office.

Oops, Missed a Post

I didn't even realize it until Thursday, or maybe Friday. I thought about doing a late post but decided I might as well wait and do one today.

And the weather has resembled a sin wave. Today the weather is downright spring like. I sat outside at lunch and you can see some of my tatting photos were taken outside. Sunday morning, there was ice on my windshield (sleet).

I finished the knitting for the plush cat (but no picture, sorry). But the drawstring cast one didn't work; perhaps due to the yarn. It's a loopy yarn.

More calendar pages:

I've been coloring on my lunch hour and sometimes a little before and after work.  

I've done a little tatting, but I'm a couple days behind on Jane's TIAS. I did this ice drop to match my turtle earrings and bracelet. And I've made some more hearts for the NC Regional Lace Day. I have 80+ made. My target is 90 by April 1st.

1st try, too small to hold the glass

before I added the loop for the chain

day 1

day 2

day 3

day 4

day 5

day 6

I've run 2 sessions of Tears at Bitter Manor (Pathfinder Module). We're almost through chapter 2. I think one more session and it will be done. Then we'll start chapter 3. We've been having a real problem starting on time, so we're only getting about 4 or 5 hours of playing time instead of 5-7 hours.

I also cut my hair. I've been wanting to cut it since around Christmas but wanted to wait until after the holidays. My hair went from coccyx length the elbow length. I'm donating the 15-18" to Locks of Love. My hair is still a color they can use for children's wigs. As I go grey, they'll sell the hair to fund the wigs instead. 

US POLITICS AHEAD:
My senators continue to disappoint me. They have voted to confirm every cabinet nominee; despite lack of qualifications and even in the light of being aggressively unsuited for the position. At least my representative isn't an embarrassment. Oh, and I have yet to talk to a live person in my senators' offices; no matter what time I call I always get voicemail. Meanwhile, the only time I have not talked to a real live person in my representative's office was egregiously after hours.