Hanging In

If exhaustion hangover is a thing, I am so hungover.  I haven't had a day since yesterday in a long, long time.  May a next one be many years away.

An unsunny, windy day.  Perfect for Halloween.  I don't think I'll have trick-or-treaters, as there haven't been any by in a long time.  This part of the neighborhood just doesn't have children anymore.

Today I've cross-stitched, made cheddar cheese bread, raked through knitting patterns trying to figure out what to do with my off-color yarn.  Nothing is popping with me yet, but I trust something will one day.  I've watched football, read a bit, given Tap a back-half bath.*  

*IYKYK

Exhaustion

Today I am full-brain and full-body tired.  One problem after another, each branching off into more issues. . .

I just want to take a shower and go to bed.

Thursday.

My glimmer fabric is going to be the devil to work with.  The spaces where the needle goes are really hard to make out.  The scavenger hunt I sent you on was to get a tiny peek at the shimmer of the fabric at the top of the package.

Son is back in town.  Unfortunately, I didn't do an adequate job of carsitting: his little Prius wouldn't start this morning.  So he has my car, and, I must say, a miserable attitude about the whole thing.  I get being upset about possible bills, but you don't have to take it out on me, and you don't have to act like the universe itself is against you.  Sheesh.

I've been working on the glittery cross-stitch a lot today.  There are so many uneven Xs, but I honestly cannot see the needle holes clearly in a lot of places.

And that odd bowing-out of the window: is it supposed to evoke ivy?  This dang thing is giving me enough trouble --- no way I'm pulling stitches out.  And thank goodness it's a relatively small piece.

A TNT That's Yet to Be

I ordered three little project kits from 123 Stitch, since I'm finding out stitching for a while doesn't affect my fingers as much as it did.

All three kits are from the same company, and if you look closely at the very top of the packaging, you'll see something delightful.

The fabric is glittery/shimmery!!  Never seen it before.  I am very excited to start.

Twinnie asked about my mismatched yarn.  They were the same dye lot;  I don't know how the difference didn't jump out at me.  I got it from Joann, which is no longer here.  I'll hold the frogged skein for maybe a hat?  Then I have to find something to use the other for.  I'm still itching to make a cardigan, but there's not enough.

Son will be back tomorrow;  he'll spend the night in Chattanooga.  He loves that city.  I do, too, honestly.  I've been carsitting while he's been gone.  Tap gets very excited when I talk about taking Briton's car for a drive.  He does not respond that way to my car.  My RAV4 is too big, while Briton's Prius is just right?

 

Do You See the Problem?

I got the back and half of the armholes done before my first skein ran out.  I went to get a second one, and

So I frogged it, and the difference is even clearer.

How AGGRAVATING is that?  I'm not sure if I have enough of the white to make the sweater;  I'm a little too hot about the whole situation to cast on again right now.  

And things were going so well.

My son visited the Lincoln Library yesterday, and the Tomb today.  He has sent me some glorious pictures.

From the Library, a recreation of Lincoln's parenting style:

From the Tomb:

This gut-punched me.  I can't say why.

Haircut today.  Monday Night Football tonight.  Maybe some Bruster's ice cream in between?

Designs

But we'll keep making those pillows, won't we friends?

The dining room in this house could be turned into a craft room if I knew I was going to stay here a while.  Look at these ideas I found online:

There's a chair rail all around the room which would make a good foundation for a desk/table.  It would also easily differentiate between storage and work space.

Just a pipe dream, really, but putting it together could be fun.

 

Nice

A very pretty day here, if a bit breezy.  The sky in Autumn is always such a clear and different blue than other times of year.

It's also a pretty day in Springfield, Illinois, where my son is for a few days.

This is the State Capitol.  Such a gorgeous building.  I am incredibly envious of him being there.  There'll be more Lincoln-related photos to come, I'm sure.

The new sweater is progressing nicely.  That size 15 needle really speeds things along.  I've tried a couple of times to get a picture of it for you, but to no avail.  Maybe when the whole back is done.

Otherwise, today had me filling the last space in Equine Alley.  One print a horse on a couch, one a lion.  I keep feeling I've found all the animals-on-couches prints, but more keep turning up.

I also baked some oatmeal cookies, as much to cover the stench of the chicken livers I cooked for Tap as anything.  So awful.  The cookies are really good.  About half of them I left plain, the other half I added pecans to.  If I can add pecans to anything, I will.  I've nothing against oatmeal raisin cookies, and chocolate chip ones can be good, but I decided to keep these simple.