Part of the Day

 It does take longer to frame cross-stitch than maybe it should.  The frames for these two could be switched, as you no doubt have noticed.  I still have a couple of cross-stitch pieces that I don't have frames for.  They're shaped kind of awkward, so it will be a minute before they're suited up.

Another part of the day was spent pruning some things out in the yard.  Weird vine and tree-like things had sprouted through a couple of holly bushes and the gardenia bush.  I don't think I'll ever quite understand why people enjoy yardwork so.

SNT (Square Needle Tuesday)

The square needles are helping;  I've just about finished the ribbing.  It took three tries to get the cast-on right.  As rusty as my knitting is, my casting on is even rustier.

Casting on is also more painful for some reason.  The strangest, most random things give me grief.  Putting earrings on may be at the top of that list.

The yarn is not terribly butterfly-ish, at least not yet.  It looks more like candy corn, or something else Halloween-y.  Cobwebs and candy corn.  Somebody get out the dye pots --- I feel a new colorway coming!

Square Two

Last night, I hand-wound sock yarn for my next knitting project.  (A phrase I wondered if I would ever use again.)  From Purple Lamb Fiber Arts' butterfly collection:

Just some uncomplicated two-needle socks, on square needles, which I'm hoping will help my fingers.  They've always made knitting more comfortable for me.

Y'ALL!

I finished the hat!

A bulky weight hat just in time for Summer!

I cannot tell you how glad I am to have actually finished a knitting project.  My fingers hurt all the way, but it got done.

Stripes and Rows

Someone is making a quilt called "Dear Jane."

I was immediately reminded of this:

Oh, my Daddy loved these.  Well, anything coconut, really.  And I can taste these just looking at them.  It was hard not to eat the whole rich, delicious thing at one time.

Each day, I try to do something to work on my fingers.  The TENS machine, coloring (particularly with colored pencils), rolling pennies (picking up change is a real challenge), and yes, knitting.  It's going not too badly.  The hat that's been here forEVer is at the decreasing for the crown stage, so more is getting done than had been.  I think I'll challenge myself to socks next.

Promise Kept

Here's the frame at work:

This is one of my favorite Animals-on-Couches yet.  It's so quiet and soft.  

I got out today to run a couple of errands, and traffic was awful.  Like, students are back awful.  This town has been in disarray for so long: tearing up streets, rerouting cars, tearing up the rerouted.  Not to mention all the houses and apartment complexes going up in what seems every empty space that can be found.  There honestly aren't that many ways to get around this town, and they are all choked right now.

TeNsTuesday

This I understand, yet at first glance it seemed odd:

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How was it left at my door?  Laying flat.

Thankfully, my parents favored large frames, so I've been able to use some of those for my Animals on Couches collection.  Still, I have had to buy a couple, and this is one.  Promise to show you how it's put to use.

I bought a little TENS machine to see if it might help with my fingers.

I don't think it does;  I've used it a few times and my fingers are still numb.  I've also used it on my neck during tension headaches, though, and it did make a difference there.  

The vaccines still had me in bed all day and night Saturday, but Sunday only the arm soreness remained.  I don't think I "have to" get any other shots --- that kind of depends on which online questionnaire I take.

Why Does June Get Special Privileges?

June gets to bust out all over, while the other months have to sit quietly.  Who decided that?

(I also just saw, while doing the image search, that there's a TV network called "june."  Wow.)

Ugh

I made it through the evening and night, but woke up at 3 AM so miserable.  My left arm, where I got both shots, is sore to the point of unliftability.  My head is pounding.  My chest hurts...

How are y'all doing?

Simple Friday

This helps me a lot.  Maybe more than it should.

I got COVID and pneumonia vaccines this afternoon.  Let's see if they do anything to me.  I will say CVS has an interesting selection of reading material for perusal or purchase.

"Jesus or 'Car and Driver'?"  Oooooh --- a whole magazine about brunch!  So many choices!

Watering Hole

Thursdays here are plant care day.  I've come into possession of several succulents, and am trying to keep them alive.

I put the little pebbles in to make things look cute.  Sprouting on the bottom left is cilantro, I think?  I've been so carried away with the plants and the little pots that I didn't keep the seed package.  

Air plants are around, too.

I really like the hand holder.  The other is some part of a teapot, I think, but I can't figure out how that would work.

These aren't real.  I added the pink, yellow and white to the dark purple.  It may be a bit much, but I do like how the arrangement looks.  I'm usually crap at arranging flowers.

I had a philadendron from middle school to college.  Those were years when talking to your plants and playing them music were very in.  My philadendron was named "Gibb."  Gibb heard a lot of Bee Gees, Emmylou Harris, and Delbert McClinton.  He was also the source of cuttings for several of my friends, so he may yet live on.  I'm working on names for all these new plants.