The blues

I've been struggling, mentally and emotionally. I need to get in the habit of posting something, once a week, it helps.

Here's that shrug I made for my mom again. Bright, cheerful colors.

A Poem (by me)

I'm Not Poor
My underwear has holes,
"Still a lot of good wear left"
As I toss them in the laundry.

My winter boots' heels are run down,
"I can take them to the cobbler"
It will cost less than a new pair.

My work shoes are four years old,
"These shoes are still comfortable"
Until they aren't, then I'll buy inserts.

My bag has a tear in it,
"I can mend that"
Hide it with a patch I got at the museum.

My car is old enough to get its own license,
"The repair bills are less than a new car payment"
But there's less and less maintenance I can do myself.

But I'm not poor.

I had a dream this morning

And this is the dream I had:

I was working (somewhere) & got some time off unexpectedly. A friend had gone out of town (to a resort?) for a waitress gig at a special event & I followed after to see if I could pick up some hours. 

The place was booked for a fashion/avant garde art event. I saw my friend (Abby B) already working; she was surprised & not entirely pleased to see me. I wasn’t going to be able to stay in her room (that's part of why she wasn’t happy) because she already was sharing with someone.  And I realized I didn’t have the proper waitstaff clothes with me anyway (white shirt, black pants).

The event had started. Rich people attended the party and the models and walking art and performers mingled among them.

The organizer/designer saw me, and while they didn’t need any more waitstaff, she thought they could use me as one of the walking art people. She told me who to talk to. 

I went to the front desk to find out about a room, and said I’d gladly share with someone. The 3 desk staff (Latinx) looked at me blankly, but the manager (Filipino) was on a couch in a lobby seating area nearby and came over to help. She warned me to be cautious but thought she had someone she could ask.

She took me a to a room with 3 little people (1 looked like Phil Fondacaro, something I noticed & almost remarked upon), 2 men & 1 woman. They agreed to let me share the room. The two men would share a bed & I’d share with the woman. Their troupe was Gnomic Illusions & they were performance artists. They had their gear along the walls of the room. The designer provided my costume & these three did the rest. They did my makeup, which involved painting an idyllic park scene from my eyebrows down. Above, I had a bald cap, and the make up became black & white like an adult coloring book with lots of small images. I’d fallen asleep while they were doing my makeup so it was a surprise to see the image, especially with the bald cap. Except, they hadn’t gotten my long hair under the cap. They were trying & woke me up. But I’ve got so much hair they couldn’t just tuck my hair up. So I suggested braiding my hair so it looked like I just had these 2 braids from the back of my head, and they could be wrapped or some cord braided in so they looked fake.

One of the men (not ~Phil) was demonstrating this new technique he’d invented, for wearable effects. It involved something like latex, but he poured it onto one of the beds, mixed the colors, did something else, and then peeled this textured piece off the bed. The person who was supposed to wear it rejected it, but I volunteered. It would go on my back, filling in the low back of my dress. It breathed better than latex and the texture resembled crochet on the outer surface, and it was completely smooth on the inner.

That’s when I realized, I didn’t have the right shoes either. I was stressing about it and one of the performers dragged me out of the room and showed me other people walking around barefoot, both guests and performers. 

Then the performers did a march/strut/parade through the ground floor areas to the song “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman. One of the folks leading the parade grabbed me as she passed me, and we went arm & arm. Her other hand held a feather fan & I wished I’d grabbed my lace fan.

About this time the radio alarm clock finally penetrated my sleep and I woke up.

Oops

Sorry, I lost track of time and missed posting last week. And this week is late. It's been mostly rainy and gloomy, and often cold these past few weeks. We had a couple days of clear skies and sun, before returning to damp and gloom. I just want a chance to dry out.

Anyway, a young man I know asked me about mom's bed. I had made a couple posts on social media looking for a new home for it. We were supposed to take care of it last weekend, but as I was unloading my car (from the groceries I hadn't taken inside because it was raining), and the rain was starting again, I tripped and fell. I hurt my knee, got mud all over my jeans, and had to clean up the stuff that fell in the damp and dirt. I'd already dealt with a migraine, I decided enough was enough, I turned around and spent the rest of the day on the couch.

That turned out to be a good thing, because CD was able to go with me on Sunday, so he helped carry the bed frame. It was a bit much for one person. LE (the young man getting the bed) strapped the lot to his car and took off, slowly and carefully, for home. The rain had stopped so that was one less concern. He got the bed back home intact.

It's a nice bed. It's full size, but has 8 full-sized drawers in the frame. And the drawers have cedar pressboard liners. It's just too tall for mom to be safe using it.

Now that there's room, I'll need to get her a reclining chair and a glass-front cabinet to replace the bed. She has a daybed, so she has a place to sleep. But the reclining chair will give her a place to watch tv and to go to sleep if she gets sick. The glass front cabinet is to replace the drawers. A bookcase might do as well, but I think the glass fronts look better.

The forsythia, tulip poplars, and buttercups are blooming so spring is on the way. It just doesn't feel like it.

I've started my 2019 temperature scarf. I spent time planning the colors, then I learned I couldn't find half my thread. As a result, I'm using the thread I could find. I'm using beads for the extraordinary weather days. Each day is a flower, each week is a row. I'll add extra flowers in a single thread to make up the rest of the month and provide dividers. I may use metallic thread to tat the month dividers; a row of split rings perhaps.

2 weeks already?

I missed last week because I was on my monthly date with CC. We ended early because we were both tired, but still didn't get an entry done after.

Google+ is dying and they're ending elements of it already. Service flickers in and out. I'm trying another couple social platforms to see which ones fit.

The scarf I started using Bamboo Bloom just isn't working. I'm going to frog it and start over. OTOH, I've all but the closure finished on CD's scarf. I steam blocked it to get the final width I needed, then sewed up the back to make it a hood/scarf. It needs a toggle closure. I picked up the toggle and I made a kumihimo braid for the loop.

the image is from the link above

the eyelet is invisible

When I saw CC, I gave her some of my excess cotton yarn, plus some red heart I got from mom.

We didn't get that wintry weather. In fact, we had a week of spring-like weather. Then the weekend turned cold and damp. It's unpleasant, but at least it's not icy. Meanwhile, folks in Australia, neighboring New Zealand, et al are suffering through punishing summer heat. It's the opposite of what the Pacific NW US just got (snow, lots of it), but the same reason: climate change.

I made a point of buying some girl scout cookies, especially since I heard their views of trans girls. Yes, the story is 3 years old, but every time I see it, I remind myself to buy cookies.

I tested my tatted temperature scarf. At first I thought  three flowers per day in size 20, but that looked too small, so I tried size 10. But then I did the math and that's too big. I'm going with a row of 7 flowers per week, in size 20. Each flower's rings will be the low temp of the day and the chains will be the high temp. I think I'll mark the extraordinary weather (more than a 1/2" of rain or snow/ice) with a row of split rings.

size 20 prototype

It's still going to be long, ~5', and kind of wide, ~9", but in lace it will be much lighter than my 18 foot 2018 scarf.

I did make a scarf from some of the yarn I got from Mom. I gave it to RW's daughter, Frank (that's her nickname). RW gave me a hair pin/shawl pin from their trip to Costa Rica. Our game on Sunday got cancelled, so we played Lord of the Rings Online. They showed up photos from their trip during our visit.

garter stitch, 2 skeins

Chancellor Folt is gone. She resigned because she knew there'd be blowback from her decision to remove the Confederate monument pedestal. It was definitely the right thing to do; from a safety perspective if nothing else (and there's lots else). Then the Board of Governors were petty and classless and fired her, instead of letting her work 'til the end of the semester.

I started the scarf DB asked for. He's living in California now, so he wants it lighter weight than my usual. He wants a long scarf with bands of color, a la Tom Baker's Dr. Who scarf; but not quite that long and definitely not that dense.

Mom was about 16 in this photo, and in her sister's wedding. She says this dress was ice blue and she wore it for ages after.

I've signed up to donate platelets this week. Hopefully, it will go as smoothly as the last one.

pretty sky

Oh, I found someone who wants mom's bed. I just need to make arrangements to meet him so we can take it apart, etc.

Clean Teeth

Time for my 6-month dental cleaning today. It went as I expected. I got lots of size 10 one-ring tatted flowers done. I can do those without looking so they make a great distraction for me in the chair. I count my knots or picots instead of thinking about what's happening in my mouth.

I've been on Google Plus pretty much since it started. I've made some good friends, some good connections there. And now it's being shut down. It makes me sad.

They're talking about maybe wintry weather tonight. We have rain followed by below freezing temperatures. If they overlap...well, that could be freezing rain, sleet, or snow. We did have pretty warm (for January) weather yesterday, so whatever hits probably won't stick.

Projects done

I finished Mom's shrug on Saturday. I was going to go see Mom, but Aunt Flo visited with a vengeance. Out of three 109 yard skeins, I have 4 yards and 6 inches of yarn left. I have not idea what I'll do with those 4 yards. I do have the book about small knitted animals; I'll see if that's enough for a project.

I was on a roll, so I finally attached the icord tail to the loom knit kitty and embroidered a face on it. Not a great embroidery job, but it's done.

I finished watching the 4th season of Leverage and started the 5th (and final) season.

I was going to visit Mom on Saturday, but Aunt Flo kicked me in the uterus. Hard. So I went on Sunday. We just went to lunch, grocery shopping, and I printed out some new pictures for her. I hooked up her new ringer again and wow, it's loud. But that's effective.I also left a small photo of how her phone should look all hooked up.

Oh, have you  heard of Boil the Frog? It's like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, sort of. It's a music playlist from one musician/band to another. It's not a complete list of musicians; no Kay Kyser and the Les Brown I found was the wrong Les Brown (motivational speaker, not the one with the Band of Renown. And no filk artists.

And my partner realized that our Blue Rose group is Mystery Inc (Scooby Doo). There's a 'talking dog' and friend who are both food obsessed, aka Rhy wolf and healer. There's someone who's the knowledge person, aka my diplomat. There's our strong person who handles transport; the horsewoman; and finally our 'finds the traps, by accident'; even though the traps are more social than physical, aka our soldier with 'the big, open heart, matched by his big, open mouth.'

I got some of mom's yarn while I was visiting. She doesn't crochet as much, and she wants to give me stuff, so I take some of her yarn. Right now, I'm doing a quick knit and purl scarf. It's a bulky yarn so it's nice and soft and squishy and warm. Picture later.

On the way home, I got to see the full moon on Sunday night. It was gorgeous, with moon dogs. But I was driving, so no pictures.

Much Improved

I have the occasional cough and that's it. I am so much better now.

I volunteered at a blood drive last week, but due to my lingering cold symptoms I didn't donate. I have now made an appointment to donate platelets next week. Wish me luck.

I had a dental appointment next week, but then remembered a meeting that same morning so I cancelled it. I need to reschedule.

The big news at work is the removal of the Silent Sam, aka Confederate monument, pedestal and the BoG firing the chancellor. Frankly, not even letting her finish the semester makes them look petty.

The Federal Government is still shut down. #45 is throwing a temper tantrum and Mitch McConnell is aiding and abetting his tantrum.

I made it to the Tri-Tatters meeting on Saturday. The library rooms weren't available this month, so we met at a Starbucks. They only let rooms for 2 hours, so we had a short meeting. I got there late because I just felt meh. The cold rain didn't help. I handed out some of the size 10 Alisa got from her friend. One ball went to a new tatter and the other 6 to the woman who was leaving as I arrived and let me have her seat.

Someone brought in a couple of extra vintage tatting books. No one else got this one, so I did.

The only tatting I've been doing is small projects to use up some vintage thread. The thread was wrapping around a ball of paper, and it's not continuous. It's been a little frustrating. I went ahead and loaded two shuttles and I've gradually been tatting them down.

I'm still working on Mom's shrug. I finished the shoulders and the 2nd skein about the same time. Now I'm on the 2nd sleeve and the 3rd skein. I'm also working on A n' S's washcloths. I have 3 of them done (and given them 2) but the last one is being very slow. It's a moss stitch and should do quite well.

I did have a close call. I was moving the shrug around (as I hunting up where I'd put the 3rd skein) and some of the stitches popped off the pegs. And some of the purl stitches came out. I managed to get the stitches on the edge back onto pegs, and got loops of yarn (pulled stitches) and stitches back on. Then I purled the loops back into place. Whew. All saved.








first sleeve almost done here








A friend has asked me for a long scarf, kind of like my temperature scarf. But he wants blue, black, purple, etc quasi-Dr. Who scarf. I think I can do it in cotton. I shall have to check the sales to get the yarn cheap enough. He's willing to pay, but it's going to take me a long time to make.

Sunday, Chris and I went to pick up my (much) belated birthday present. Apparently he's been looking for this present for months.

It needs some cleaning and stuff, but it's an old table Singer sewing machine. I got a picture of the engine, but not the serial number. It's in storage now because I'll need to make a place to put it. It's probably c. 1959.

The social media site, Google+ is being closed down. It really makes me sad. I've made some good friends and contacts there.

but here's a pretty sky

Gillette has a new ad out. It tempts me to buy my next razor from them. There are some who consider it a company profiting from a political movement, and yes, it is. But it's also calling on men to stand up, to other men and against toxic masculinity. And I'd rather the company take that stance than the opposite view.

The long, slow, recovery

Well, I've been sick since (checks calendar) about Dec 20th. The worst was over around the 27th (when I left the house for the first time since the 21st). I picked up a few last minute items, went to gaming, and then headed west on Friday.

But the cough lingers on. I canceled my platelets appointment; I just wasn't healthy enough to make it viable. I volunteered at a blood drive today (the one from early December that was rescheduled due to snow). But I still didn't feel quite well enough to donate. Alas.

Here's the shrug I knitted (loom) and gave to my sister-in-law.

And there's the one I gave to Shannon S.

I ran out of yarn on Shannon's but still had some yarn left from SIL's. I did one cuff in that, then edged the 1st cuff in the yarn.

I used the last 12 yards (plus 2 yards from another skein) to make this coffee cozy for S.R.

I gave the blue dice bags (tiny, stitch tests) to my gaming group.

I'm starting on a shrug for Mom. Michael's had a $2 a skein sale and I bought 3 skeins to make sure I had enough. I've finished off 1 and I still have quite of bit to go. I may not use all 3 skeins, but I think I'll use 2 of them and dip into the 3rd.

It's very bright. Mom loves these colors, so she'll be happy. The blue stitch marker on the left is where I started Sunday morning. The not quite visible violet one is the 30 row mark (from cuff). I have reached the divide for the shoulders.

My namesake likes llamas. Or she did. She might be llama'ed out after this holiday. I only gave her a journal and pencil cup. She also got earrings, a plush, and a coverlet. That's what I saw; but I believe there was more.

I met CC for supper on the 1st. She now has my temperature scarf; which I finished on the 1st. She's going to cut it and restitch it into a blanket. I also gave her the balls of yarn, in case she has to cut and replace any of the rows in the process. And now that I'm done, I want to do another one. But not the same way. If I do it again, 1) smaller yarn, 2) 1 row per day, not 2, and 3) maybe I'll include median and low temps. With precipitation rows as unifiers, I bet I could do it.

If I do it, I'll start by looking at the last couple years to get a general idea about the temperature ranges. For 2018, there were 3 colors I never used. I never used the 'highs in the teens', 'highs over 100', and 'highs over 110'; thankfully.

I was going to go see Mom on Saturday when the tatting plans fell through. But I was still so tired. I just sat around and knitted.

Presents I've received; hooked needles for bead spinner, hot tea (and a couple honey sticks), loom knit small animals book, beginning knit loom book, toffee, candy, gift certs (JoAnne's and AC Moore), soup mug (with homemade cookies tucked inside), a sign (made by JJ with his new laser cutter), bell necklace made from the handle of flatware, ornaments, umbrella, yarn, yarn case, and more yarn.