Self-Quarantine Wrap-Up

Not quite a week.  It'll be a week at the end of the weekend.

We spent most of the week working from home.  I picked up my laptop on Monday and spent most of Tuesday resolving connection issues.  Wednesday through Friday were productive work days.

I thought working from home would be more restful, but it really isn't.  By the end of the day I'm just as tired, if not more, as I am when I go into the office.  I think it is more because I'm not getting my morning and afternoon walk in.  I park about 3/4 of a mile from the office and have a nice walk twice a day.  Thinking I should walk around the block a few times a day just to get some fresh air and exercise.

I finished knitting a baby sweater for my niece.  The buttons I bought are too big so I'll have to wait until all this craziness is over to get some new ones.  I'm going to wait to block it until then.  Picture will come later.

I'm binding off the Audition wrap.  Should be done today.  It should have been done last night, but I was playing yarn chicken and lost.  I frogged the bind-off  row and the previous row and started again.  It uses Channel Island Bind Off which is pretty but slow.  Picture of this also coming later.

Last fall when my enabler and I went to The Wool Gathering we both bought kits for Birds of a Feather from Destination Yarn.  I picked the Valencia colorway.  I can't remember which colorway Cindy purchased.  I cast on Thursday night and only got a few rows in before getting sleepy.  Ed asked if I was making a leprechaun jock strap.  It does look that way.  Or maybe a bikini bottom.

Squeaks is thoroughly liking having us at home.  She's started a new habit, though, that is a bit annoying.  She tries to drink the water out of my glass.  Last night she managed to tip the whole thing over. Good thing we were right there to wipe it up right away or else our hardwood floors may have been damaged.  Lesson learned is to not leave any glasses sitting around.

I hope everyone is hanging in there.  I saw this the other day on social media and shared.  It really puts our plight in perspective.

Remember to practice self-care.  Take advantage of this unprecedented time to catch up on sleep, learn something new, spend time with family and deepen your relationship with God.  Peace!

Pre-Quarentine Summary

It's been a month since my last post, and what a month it has been.  There were two trips, a birthday and a complete upheaval of life as we know it.

At the end of February, Kristin and I went to Austin to scope out housing.  We spent two days driving all over the town, visiting apartment complexes and houses for rent.  It is too soon for her to sign a lease, but she did narrow down her choices.  In a month or so, she should be able to select a place.  The above picture was taken from the Oasis Taproom, overlooking Lake Travis west of Austin.  Good beer, warm weather and beautiful sunset.

Three days after coming from that trip I was on the road again, this time with Ed.  We headed out on a cruise.  We were scheduled to sail to Puerto Rico, Tortola and St. Maarten.  Bad weather caused a cancellation of Tortola.  I spent my birthday on St. Maarten.  And the US COVID-19 outbreak made the last few days of the trip extremely stressful.  I'll skip the details.  Let's just leave it at I'm very glad to be home and pray fervently that the disease and the rampant panic subsides soon.

Now that we are home, Ed and I are working from home for a few weeks.  After two days of chaos, I now have the right access set up so that I can do my job from my kitchen table.  I think I'm going to like working in my pajamas and slippers, with not worrying about my hair and make-up.

I'm going to count yesterday as Day 1 of our 'quarantine'.  Ed stayed home all day, but I had to venture out to get my work laptop from a remote location.  I was not allowed to go to the office because was in a panic over my cruise.

This morning (Day 2), Ed and I woke up early and hit the grocery store just as they opened. I should say 'stores' because we the one we usually shop at was  almost barren.  The second store had quite a bit on their shelves still. We stocked up enough to keep us in for at least a week or two now.  Since we potentially have been exposed, we wanted to make sure we wouldn't need to go out.  But I want to assure you we aren't hoarding food, sanitizing wipes or toilet paper.  A trip to Costco back in February replenished our TP supply, we only bought what we thought we would eat and there wasn't a single wipe to be found in the stores.

Time now to sign off, do a little knitting and say my prayers.

Mid-February Freeze

The past few years I've noticed that the winter weather doesn't seem to come until February.  Historically the third week of January is the coldest of the year, but lately the cold doesn't hit until mid-February.  It seems as if all of the seasons have shifted by a few weeks to a month.  We finally have snow on the ground.  Not much and it isn't going to last.

The past month has been busy.  Trisha and Craig have made a lot of progress on their wedding plans.  The venue is booked, which includes the food, drinks, cake, DJ, table decorations and ceremony location.  Her dress is ordered.  The bridesmaids dresses have been picked out, but not ordered yet.  The photographer is booked.   Later in the fall we'll go to the venue and make the design decisions for the cake, table settings, table flowers and menu.

One of my goals this year is to knit and/or finish some of the projects I already have.  First on the finish list is the Jimmy Beans 2019 shawl.  I finished the miles of I-cord bind off and blocked it.  Squeaks was very interested in the blocking process.  Not that it is done, I've worn it a number of times.  I absolutely love it!

Speaking of Squeaks, she's become my little buddy.  She won't crawl on my lap during the day, but occasionally she'll sleep by me if I'm in the one chair.  The other week she was a very tired kitty after a good belly rub.

She even let me tuck a blanket around her.

I made myself a little project bag.  I had watched a class on Bluprint and decided to give it a try.  I didn't box the corners correctly and I'm not a fan of the interfacing the instructor recommended.  I think next time I'll use a fusible batting instead.  And remember to do the corners the right way.

I love the fabric I used.  There will definitely be more project bags in my sewing queue. 

I am using this project bag for my latest knitting project, the Discovery poncho from Heidi & Lana.  I bought the kit at the 2018 Wool Gathering from YarnByrds.  It's been hovering at the top of my queue for a while.  After I finished the JB shawl I pulled it out and cast on.  It is an easy knit and will go with me on my upcoming trips.

My knitting enabler talked me into doing a Gift Along at our LYS.  Each month they will have a new project to work on with the thought that the projects can be used later as Christmas gifts.  I joined for the February GAL, which is the Twistmas hat.

Someone at the GAL suggested going down a needle size.  It is making a very dense fabric, which I hope fits an adult head.  I'm not sure I'll join the GALs each month.  Because of a conflict I won't make the March get together.  We'll see if April is a project I'd one to make before I decide.

That's about all the updates I have for now.  Happy Knitting!!

Endless I-Cord

Last week when the temperatures reached nearly 60 degrees F I began to wonder if we would have any sort of winter.  By the end of the week, things turned much colder.  It is 15 degrees this morning and we have a dusting of snow.  Honestly, I'd like to have a bit more of the white stuff, but I'll take this.

Today is a state holiday so I am home from work.  Not sure what my plans are.  It is a me-day.   Squeaks has her plans for today.  Everyday is a me-day for her.

One of my resolutions for 2020 is to finish some of the many WIPs I have around the house.  I'm imposing rules on my knitting.  I have to finish a couple shawls before casting on a new one.  I got Papillon finished a couple weeks ago.  I am happy with the results but the colors are a bit out of my comfort zone.  I will probably wear it to work tomorrow with my black slacks and a black top.

The Jimmy Beans shawl is almost done.  It will be done when I get through miles and miles of I-cord.  The final monthly installment called for picking up stitches all the way around and then doing an I-cord border.  It is nearly 800 stitches to perform I-cord on.  I'll get there, but it is going slow.

So once this is done, I have to decide what shawl to cast on next.  I have Pretty Perfect Square, Plaid Please and Discovery to chose from.

I also have a few sweaters to finish.  I dug Sixty Years out of hibernation.  I want to finish it but have to locate the pattern.  I'll go on a hunt today to find it.  Wish me luck!