Still at home

I'm still staying home but I've bought masks to supplement the ones I've made. I've decorated anther one of my masks with tatting. I go back to work onsite in just over a week. I wanted enough to wear a different one every day.

I made a couple bracelets. One is with Martha Ess's pastel rainbow in size 10 (part of the dyeing experiment for Palmetto Tat Days). I used agate beads. I finished another one, but I'm blocking it so I don't have a photo.

Shuttle I ordered arrived. Isn't it pretty? On the bubble wrap that protected it.

I joined a drawing zoom class. Not bad for a mechanical pencil, huh?

Another storm today.

Still staying at home

Heavy storm hit this afternoon and an online friend asked for a video. But they were too large to upload to the site in question, so I'm putting them at the bottom of this post. Take your pick.

I made fingerless mitts and a headband/earwarmer to match my cape. The headband isn't done; I haven't affixed the braid.

The mitts don't exactly match; the downside of long run variegated/ombre yarn.

I also made these mitts (too small for the original recipient, but a friend has a teen who wants them).

Played around with this edging. I think I might like it better with dark green instead of the pale green/tan.

The 1st cotton yarn trivet/hot pad is my attempt at a 10-stitch blanket; it works great as a trivet

 This is deliberately a trivet/hot pad. The yarn I plied from 2 strands of cotton worsted; one yarn ombre white and blue, the other solid blue. I ran out, so I plied some more, using navy with an ombre navy/white.

I made some masks. These are the same mask; machine sewn. Below are the masks I hand sewed, including a bit of metallic thread lace I added to one.

 Oh, I finished the feather and fan scarf. I ran out of black (as I mentioned), so I ended with red.

I finished the tatting on this bracelet, now to block it, trim the thread ends, and add fasteners.
Rain

Late But Not Forgotten

Friday night, I submitted my State Fair submission forms. I'm entering my scarf edging, a pair of beanile earrigs, and a pair of bobeches. 

Spark Con was Saturday and it was loads of fun. I kind of wish I'd gotten out more to see the chalk drawings, etc. But we (AS, CK, and I) tatted and had fun. I got a good start on my bobeches and we were entertained by music. There was an instrumental guitarist, then shape note singers, and then a musical group. Weavers and spinners sat across from us. Other activities were also in the City of Raleigh museum, like Mordecai House.

You can hear the shape note singers

Sunday, I tried to rest some. We went to see R and went out to eat.

I found my navy blue thread and worked on finishing my bobeches. They have a red core, white round, and then a round of navy blue.

Went out to eat Chinese Tuesday night with JJ. It looks like the end is in sight for settling his mother's estate. it's been a long, hard row to hoe.

There's some drama going on at work. I don't want to talk about it.

Sunday is the family reunion. CD generously agreed to make some of his honey barbecue sauce for me to use on some chicken to take for the potluck. 

Oh, here's a fun exercise, from a friend on G+
You are a dragon.
What color are your scales?
What weapon is your breath?
Are you feathered?
Where is your lair?
What is your hoard?
Who can kill you, and how?*

Video of the day: Korean Freestyle Slalom roller blading; it starts slow but keep watching. Oh, sorry about the ads.

Site of the day: Hair Museum, in Independence, Missouri. This woman collects art & objects made or decorated with human hair.

tatting: I finished another bookmark or two. I also decided to include one that I made earlier. So now there are three red, white & blue bookmarks (2 different bookmark patterns), one variegated blue one & one multi-colored one. I have started a variegated red one, too.

dreams: I remember part of one from last night. We were vacationing at a beach resort, somewhere in the Caribbean. Coincidentally, someone that we know from RPGA was also there. We were hanging out & socializing when a wave of almost invisible spirits came sweeping through/past. Everyone could see them and gabbled, trying to figure out what it meant. Then someone looked out the window at where they had come from. Offhshore was this dark, looming, oncoming tornado. There were no cellars, so everyone huddled down together. We put towels and other things over our heads & backs to try & protect them from flying debris.

There was some delay. The storm just paused. It was still there but it was no longer oncoming, as everyone panicked and ran about. Someone got everybody to calm down & we started partying, singing & enjoying ourselves. Immediately the storm started advancing again. It was like it had some sentience & as long as we suffered, it was, not exactly satisfied. Perhaps, savoring?

It swept over us. The eye came over us exactly. It was very fast & I was surprised by how little it seemed to affect us. We weren't pulled up, we barely even swayed. We stayed in place as the eye quickly encompassed us & then passed. After the storm, we looked up and the place was trashed, but still standing.

books: I finished The Way to Glory at lunch. What shall I read next? Shall I re-read something, check my TBR pile or what?

tv: Chris made me watch the last 2 episodes of Coupling (season 3 episode 2 & 3, I think) last night; thank you BBC On Demand (last 4 shows, for free). It's the British version of Friends. Sort of. All I can say is that my utter lack of being able to breathe was all his fault. I was laughing so hard, I literally could not breathe. And since he insisted that I should watch those two episodes; it's all his fault. We started to watch Criminal Minds after that but I just wasn't up to it. I went off to bed & read before going to sleep.

clothes: same shoes, belt, watch & hematite band. Black jeans, paui shell pendant & ring, teal turtleneck (that has some faint purple overdyed splotches, ie laundry accident), multi-color scarf/shawl, & hair twisted up being held by my new hair clip (Bronze Jeweler). It's not a full bun, just a twist to kind of shorten the ponytail.

Weather: Oy, it's hot. We only tied the 54-year-old record; just like yesterday. It was 99F/37.2C and today it hit 100F/37.7C. This morning started out in the high 70's (~25C) though, and that makes such a difference. The AC on the bus was cranked up enough that my glasses fogged up when I disembarked.

Speaking of the bus, I met one of my neighbors this morning. I wondered, as she was exiting her home as I passed, if she were on her way to the bus, too. When I saw her walking a bit behind me, I thought that I was correct. Of course, when she actually came to the bus stop, asking if the bus would be going to campus, I knew that I was correct. She had orientation today & I was able to tell her where the building that she sought was located. She grew up in Virginia (& is named after the famous valley) but has been out of the South for a long time. She doesn't even have a Southern accent anymore. Most recently, she's from Wyoming and is having to adjust to the high humidity.

She seems nice but I probably talked her ear off. I did warn her about that, after a few minutes. And she could have chosen to sit, well not far away, but not next to me on the bus. So if I hurt her ears, it's her own fault.

tatting: I've begun to turn the corner on that bottom staff of the cross. I'm about 2 chains, 1 small ring & one large ring from being half-done.

Video of the day: What teachers make

Books: Finished Complete Champion, read a bit in Complete Scoundrel, got a bit farther in re-reading Simply Unforgettable & another page or so into Manga Madness (drawing as I go).

tv: More Women of Ninja Warrior. Everything else was ignorable, as a repeat.

Mom: Mom called me last night, a good thing as when I tried to call her, I found that my cell phone battery was dead (yes, it was at the hotel; Chris picked it up on the way home last night). I'll be going to see her this weekend. That means Friday night I'll be going to look for her birthday present (her birthday was yesterday). I know what I want to get her; I want to hit the thrift shops first, looking for old movie DVDs. If they don't have any, I'll check at Target & the like for any cheap ones that they have. I could buy expensive ones for mom but 1) she'd prefer that I didn't & 2) she likes old movies. She's really enjoying that DVD player that I bought for her. She's been checking things out from the library.

clothes: black ~slippers, brightly colored floral skirt, white polo, green bead bracelet, lapis lazuli flower ring, flower band, hematite ring, flower fairy pendant, ~filigree earrings & hair up in a ponytail/bun affixed with a ~bone curvy hairstick.