Massive Milestone Missed

In 2012 Kristin graduated high school and enrolled at Miami University.  She had business as her declared major, but I could tell her heart was not in it.  When she came home for Thanksgiving that year, she told us that she wanted to transfer to University of Dayton and study pre-dentistry.  It was quite a shock.  She hadn't ever shown much of an interest in science and always seemed to roll her eyes when I watched science shows.  She later admitted she really did like those shows but didn't want me to know.  We suggested she finish out the year at Miami but she didn't want to wait. She wanted to transfer for the next semester.  We told her that she needed to make the phone calls herself to make it happen.  She did and we moved her out of one dorm before Christmas an into another after the New Year.

Her 3 1/2 years at Dayton seemed to be more partying than studying, at least from our perspective.  There were a few phone conversations about how hard some of her classes were, but most of the stories were about her friends.  As she approached her senior year, the dental school application process began.  I helped her edit her personal statement and drove her to several dental school visits and interviews.  She was accepted at University of Michigan, much to my chagrin (I am an Ohio State University alum) and moved to Ann Arbor in June 2016.

Dental school isn't easy and UofM seemed to do everything they could to make it even more so.  Kristin's class had to deal with severely reduced clinic availability because of renovations the university was doing.  The university makes the students manage their own caseload scheduling, unlike other dental schools like OSU that do that part for the students.  During her third year, Kristin was behind on her required number of clinical credits but somehow managed to get caught up.  We helped a little by having her give us exams and cleanings.  Then just as things looked like her last spring in dental school was going to be filled with celebratory events and a last few clinical requirements, COVID-19 struck and closed the clinic.  After several weeks of no information from the university, UofM provided some online work for the students to do to finish out their clinical credits.  An online commencement ceremony was announced.  On May 8, Kristin officially became Dr. Kristin, DDS.

This picture was taken by her roommate.  I am very grateful to G for taking it.  She didn't get to walk across a stage and receive her diploma.  She only had her picture and name scroll across the screen during the online ceremony.  It was very anticlimactic.  We couldn't be there with her.  It feels incomplete.  She was able to celebrate with her friends after 'graduation'.  Fortunately no one called the police on them.  We had planned to attend the ceremony and take her to dinner afterwards.  But our travel plans were canceled and restaurants were closed for dine-in service.  Instead, we ordered her a special dinner from her favorite place in Ann Arbor.  Wasn't the same, but it was the best we could do.

She and Nala came home this past week and will be in and out while she gets things together before she moves to Texas.  She will be joining a practice in Austin mid-June. She is in the process of getting all the paperwork done for her Texas license.  She'll head back to Ann Arbor at the beginning of June to pack up her apartment.  Then she'll be back her to pick up Nala and drive to Austin.

As I was getting her room cleaned up for her visit, Squeaks decided that she liked Kristin's room and claimed it as her own.  Since Nala is now here, Squeaks isn't allowed in the room.  We'll see if she's as fond of it after Nala's scent has permeated the room.

Work from home continues.  Week 9 just ended.  I have settled on a location in my house to work, my dinning room.  I have a window that faces the front of the house and I can see birds and other activity, helping to not feel claustrophobic.    The only issue is the chair I'm using.  It is a kitchen chair which isn't ergonomically correct for computer use.  A new chair has been ordered on Amazon and should arrive in a week or so.

I'm making progress on a number of knitting projects.  The Stonecrop Top is nearing completion

I have about an inch left of the front before I start the decreases for the right shoulder.  After that it gets blocked, sewn and then the sleeve caps knit.  It should be ready to wear sometime in June, just in time for the hot weather.

Birds of the Feather almost went into hibernation.  I had knit section 9 and was in the middle of section 10 when my friend texted me about the trouble she was having with section 8.  While trying to help her, I took a close look at my work and realized I misread the instructions for sections 9 and 10.  All my work on those sections was ripped out and I restarted.  In case you've never done it, ripping out mohair is not fun!  I was so mad at myself I was tempted to throw it aside.   After some days away to calm down, I decided I didn't need another UFO sitting around and plowed along.

Startitis is a chronic condition for me.  It flared up again last weekend and I cast on City Limits.  It looks like it will be a quick knit.  There are 11 color combinations.  I have already completed the first and am a few rows into the second.  It'll be too hot to wear this when I get it done this summer, but it'll be nice to have on hand for the fall.

Not sure if I shared this project or not.  This is a little outfit I made for my niece who was expecting a baby.  The little one, a girl, was born this past week and this ensemble was mailed yesterday to her.  The sweater is Yoked Cardigan by Hannah Fettig and the shoes are Baby Jane Booties.  I knit the sweater out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran.  I had enough leftover to make the little booties, which ended up so sweet.  I'm very happy with how it all ended up.

House arrest hasn't been kind to my body.  I've gained a little weight and my size has increased, mostly do to loss of muscle tone.  I'm not walking as much as I used to.  Today is cloudy.  Tomorrow and Monday are predicted to be rainy and stormy.  It's time now to sign off and get a walk in.  Later!

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And So It Continues

Week 7 of the Stay-At-Home order has come to a close.  A couple  days ago the governor announced it is being extended to May 29,  Oh, let me be correct, the Stay-At-Home order is done.  It is now a Stay Safe Stay Home order.  Whatever they want to call it, we are still all stuck at home.  Some businesses are allowed to open their doors a week from Monday, but many are still not.  Those that are not are primarily the small businesses that are suffering the most:  hair and nail salons, gyms, etc.  My husband and I continue to work from home.  His company is permitted to resume work from the office on Monday, but they have decided to wait until the end of the month before phasing back in.  I contract for the state and it is obvious the governor is in no hurry to get the state staff back in the office.  

I actually like working from home.  I think I am more productive.  I'm not interrupted by someone popping by my desk or distracted by random office chatter.  The team I work on has demonstrated that we are more productive working remotely.  I do miss seeing them, though.  If restaurants open before we are permitted to go back in the office, I'm going to suggest we all meet up somewhere for lunch or an afternoon team meeting.

Well, I do occasionally have someone popping by my desk.  But she tends to not stay long.  She'll jump on the table, walk across my keyboard, demand a few scratches and wander away to take a nap in a chair.  She leads a very difficult life.

Last weekend I was able to transplant some succulents I've had growing in the same pot.  They are now separated and being monitored to see that they survived the ordeal.

I'm not too worried about this one.  It grows like a weed.  When it drops one of its leaves onto the soil, it roots and sends up another shoot.

This little guy and his brother were started by seed when Trisha was in kindergarten.  They were among the many cacti in the pot and I think suffered the most from the overcrowding.  Now that they are in their own pots I expect them to grow faster.

This is the one I am most concerned about.  My parents gave me this cactus back in 1987.  It was only about 1 1/2 inches back then.  When I transplanted it I found out that all of its roots are on the one side.  I couldn't get it centered in the pot and I don't have another pot large enough to accommodate it.  I'm also worried that if I move it again it may be traumatized.  I'll leave it go for this year and try to find a wider pot next year.

My Birds of a Feather is coming along.  This picture was taken a few days ago.  I am done with the first part where stitch count increases.  There are 8 sections in the static part.  I'm in the middle of 2 out of the 8.

I've mentioned before how I get easily enticed by knitting I see others do.  A few weeks ago while watching a podcast I saw the City Limits sweater by Tanis Fiber Arts.  I realized that I had enough stash yarn to make one for myself.  After several stash dives, a few consultations with my knitting enabler and one small order to Miss Babs to round out the palette, I came up with this scheme.

Starting from the top, colors 1, 3, 4 and 5 are Miss Babs Tarte fingering.  Color 2 was purchased last year at the Pittsburgh festival and was a special colorway for the event from an idie dyer.  Color 6 is Fiber Optic Footnotes.  After a few rounds of debate with the enabler, it came down either this scheme or one where the blue and green are swapped.  I think I prefer the green next to black so I'm going with that.  This will get cast on once I finish Birds or one of my other WIPs.

While searching for needles for City Limits, I came across a WIP I began two years ago on our trip to Iceland:  Stonecrop Top.  This project got relegated to the UFO bin because the yarn was not making me happy.  It is a chain plied cotton-linen blend.  It has a tendency to unravel, forcing me to cut the yarn and tie where it is good again.  When I saw it in the basket I pulled it out and decided to give it another try.  It is a good knitting project while on teleconference calls.   I now have the back finished and am close to a quarter of the way through the front.  My only fear is that I may not have enough yarn to finish.  I see a serious game of yarn chicken coming my way.

Since being at home, I am getting more knitting time.  I've decided to designate my projects either work knitting or home knitting.  Work knitting are those projects that are primarily stockinette, like Stonecrop or the Discovery poncho.  Home knitting are those that require a bit more of my attention.

At some point later this year, I'll report how many UFOs I finished and how much of my stash was used.  2020 is the 'make do' year.  Sort of.  Only because the fiber festivals have all be cancelled.