Coming Through

Ask knitters for help, and they will answer.  Always.

Thank all of you who guided me to pixie/gnome baby hat patterns--- the mom-to-be has made her choice:

Now to go through my yarn and see what creams/whites I might have.

Little Question

I have been asked to knit a baby hat by an expectant mother.  She sent me these photos of the type of hat she wants:

I've followed the Pinterest links, but wasn't able to find a pattern.  Do any of you have one, or know where I can get one?  Thank you in advance.

Snubbles

Cold.  Stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing.  You know the drill.

Riley enjoyed a little sunshine today, though:

Sunday

Thank you, thank you all for your kind words.  Sitting alone with yourself makes what Depression says to you even louder.   Today has been a chilly, rainy day, which doesn't deepen The Bad.  I like rain.

Also helpful is knitting with Noro;  the smooth color changes are soothing.

Saturday

Today has been hard.

Tumble

For no apparent reason, and without any warning, the floor sort of dropped out from under me today.  It feels like every medication I've taken, and every step forward because of therapy have been for naught.  Hopelessness has sucker-punched me in the gut.

Artistry

Time well-spent today: watching "The Verdict":

I hadn't seen in quite a while.  It still holds up.  Exquisite performances by everyone in the cast.  If you haven't seen it, I can't recommend it too highly.

On a supremely shallow level, there's also The Moment That Paul Newman Looked His Best On Film:

Line that up against The Moment That Robert Redford Looked His Best On Film:

You'll get something a little like this:

I'm trying to knit things for the etsy store.  Today has been "small items" day --- pet toys, bangle bracelets, hats.  I feel pretty productive.

Even with that and Newman, I will still gripe about my latest medication not working.  When I go to the psychiatrist's next week, there will, undoubtedly, be another prescription to try.  I hate to see January coming, when my new deductible has to start all over.

'TIS Here!

My package from Bridget!  It actually arrived yesterday, but several crises were lined up at that time, and it had to wait its turn.

From top to bottom: Tablet

How cute is that?  And quite Bridget-y.

Then: Initial

Lovely, lovely note cards with beautiful purple envelopes.

Last: Seasonal

Look at those little hats!  Could they be any cuter?  They make me want to start decorating for Christmas!

So, thank you to Bridget, and to everyone who participated in 'TIS.  I'm thinking the next group project will the travelling scarf I mentioned a few days back.

There is still a lot of emotional energy being expended over my daughter.  Hopefully, things will level out for her soon, and stay that way.  At least for a while.

Today's Bad

Seeing your daughter wrestling with problems and knowing that you can't/shouldn't do anything to help.

Nice Things

I started seeing this commercial over the weekend, and, I have to say, Santa is looking good.

Still waiting on word from a handful of TIS participants.  I will say that those from whom I have heard have been really happy with their gifts.  One participant sent some yarn she had spun herself, and the participant who received it has already knit it into a great hat!

We have had a couple of days here where the wind has been stout and chilly, and underneath every deciduous tree is a wonderful colorful carpet of leaves.

Today is KnitCrate Day.

I hadn't heard of the Scarf-in-a-Scarf kit.  Two skeins of yarn and a silk scarf, all dyed identically.  You knit a scarf with spaces through which to thread the silk.  Very clever.

Gripe du Jour:  I'm not in my hometown (where it is snowing) watching Monday Night Football in person.  The game is between my two favorite teams.

Just One

Today, my Gripe is 

MY HEAD.

Craft Stuff

The Snappy Cardigan I talked about yesterday?  The yarn I'm using for it positively thrills me.  Honest-to-goodness, I stop every now and then and just hold and smoosh a ball of this stuff.  It's Debbie Macomber Rosebud, color "Sweetpea."  I don't know where it came from, but it must have been on deep, deep sale, because I bought a bag of ten balls.  It's as fantastically mooshy as any yarn I've ever used.

Oh, and someone told me about snap tape;  at least I have a lead!  If it isn't available in colors, I wonder if white running the length of the front will look alright.  This is the sweater:

It's meant to be worn partially open, don't you think?  Will a white (or a black, for that matter) strip be distracting?  A grey one might actually be kind of pretty. . .

Daily Gripe: How is it possible to have a big vase full of knitting needles, and still not be able to find the size you need?

Day

Today was the day for getting my car serviced.  Just regular 5000 maintenance, but it gave me a chance to have uninterrupted knitting time.  I took my Snappy Cardigan, as straight stockinette lends itself to sitting.

The waiting area has a television, and today it was tuned to ABC and "The Chew."  If there's anything less exciting than a cooking show, it's the closed captioning of a cooking show.*

The pattern for the cardigan calls for "snap tape" to close it.  Have any of you ever heard of that?  I was at a fabric store this afternoon, and there wasn't any there.  It's going to be a while until I'll need it, but I'd like to know.

Game Day (well, Game Night) in Athens tomorrow;  traffic picking up throughout the day.  So glad all my errands are run (went to the grocery today, too.)  As I say every year, the best thing to do when there is a football game here is to stay.  at.  home.

*Daily Gripe

Blah

Feeling rather bleak today.  Don't know why, exactly.  I'm usually fairly wrung-out on Thursdays, as my therapy appointments are late on Wednesday afternoons.  But this is more than that.  Yes, it's a gray day, but I've never minded those.  And this particular one is bringing cold weather, which I certainly don't mind.  But I'm a couple of bubbles off plumb nonetheless.

Lily and Madeleine seem to have claimed their warm spots for the weekend.

I've still only heard that four of you have received your TIS packages.  That's very disappointing, and, I guess, the reason that people don't often sign up for swaps.  A handful of you did say, though, that you liked the idea of a Traveling Scarf, so that may yet come to fruition.  It would be great to have one to donate during the holidays, but we're all going to be too busy for that, I'm sure.  After the first of the year, maybe?

Thanksgiving is two weeks from today, and, yes, I have much to be grateful for.  But there are also things that gripe me, are aggravating me, that are just not going my way.  So, every day, for the next two weeks, I'm going to give testimony to something that I'm not especially happy with.  Feel free to join in!

There's no one here who can cook me some really good collard greens.

See?  Pretty easy, huh?

Ten on Tuesday on Wednesday

This week's Ten on Tuesday prompt is "Ten Collections You've Had Over The Years."

1.  Kerosene lamps

2.  Life masks
3.  Lions
4.  Lions and lambs
5.  Yoda
6.  Fozzie Bear
7.  Nativity scenes
8.  Seashells
9.   Flattened pennies.

10.  Cowboy boots  (Everyone else seems to think of it as a collection.  Not me.)

All Call / Checking In

This is a reminder to those of you who signed up for the TIS Swap --- all packages need to be sent by this Saturday, November 15th.

Only a couple of you have sent word that your package is on its way, or that you have received your gifts.  Some have expressed concern that they haven't heard anything from their swap partner.  PLEASE --- if you have received your package, let your spoiler, or me, know.  If you have sent the package, but haven't heard from your spoilee, let me know.  

I know everyone signed up for the swap with goodwill;  let's just all follow through on that.

Does This Sound Funny To You?

I want to take a flight to a city I'd otherwise never visit, spend a few hours in the airport there (or somewhere within walking distance), then fly back the same night.  The mini-est of adventures.

Sound weird?

Anyone know which cities have cool-to-spend-time-in airports?

If I ever get my knitting salon open, I want there to be baskets of odds-and-ends yarns containing projects that visitors can come in and work on.  A scarf that folks could add to until it got long enough to donate to a charity, or auction off for a charity.  Sleeping pads for shelter animals.  Log cabin patterened blankets.

Since I don't have the salon yet, do you think that could be done through the mail?  Start, say, a Traveling Scarf, that's sent along a volunteer route until completion.  Except that people who would get the project late in the route would have to pay more postage than people at the beginning.  I could ask for people to knit blocks, or strips, or triangles to send to me, and I would put things together and deliver it wherever we want.

Could that work?

Is this one of the most ingenious things you've ever seen?  A felted tea cosy.  Remarkable.

Weather Report

Today was A Perfect Day, as far as weather conditions go.  Seventy degrees, breezy, not a cloud in the sky.  If there is a place on Earth where that is commonplace, I would be tempted to move there.

We're into boot-wearing weather now.  I don't go out very much at all, but when I do, I spend more time choosing boots than I do clothes.  (More to go through!)  Looking forward to wearing these;  they have "Autumn" written all over them:

I like the detail of the single flower on the strap.

I'm trying another new medication.  My psychiatrist suggested a session ago that I try Ritalin (!) to increase my energy level --- it did not go well.  It made my heart race and feel like my entire body was involved in a panic attack.  And when those calmed down, I was profoundly sleepy.  So, off that and on to something called Zenzedi.  It's brand new --- in fact, the pharmacy had to order some for me.  I took half of a tablet today, and didn't feel anything, but that's exactly what happened with the Ritalin.  We'll see.

I'm Trying, But True Zen Eludes Me

Today, we spent some time waiting for a locksmith.

Over the years, I've become pretty adept at dealing with doors and locks and such, but last night, the front door locked and just would not open.  The latch was stuck, and I couldn't move it.  So, I made a call this morning, and we waited.

When he got here and looked things over, he realized he didn't have a knob that would fit with him, so he went back to his shop.  More waiting.

So much waiting that naps were in order.

It turned out that he had taken another call while he was gone.  Now I don't know locksmith etiquette,  but that doesn't seem like something one should do.  At least, not without letting the first customer know.  He was gone for over two hours.  TWO.  And I've got a therapy appointment, and I can't leave because there are two gaping holes in my front door!

He got here about 10:30 this morning (after saying he'd be here at 10.)  He left at ten after two.  Which gave me half an hour to clean up, change, and make my appointment on time.

"Peeved" doesn't even begin to cover it.

Good thing I ran across this the other day:

No belly laugh yet, but I've got a few hours before bed.

Appreciation

Just because Halloween isn't a big deal here doesn't mean I can't appreciate good decorating:

(Thanks to kmkat for the link.)

The thing that the Halloween season does bring is the time change.  When the weather turns cool, and it gets dark early, I am soothed.  There is, honestly, a physical sensation of calm and contentment.  Autumn and Winter are the seasons in which I thrive.  Well, thrive as best a chronically depressed person can.

Speaking of physical states, Daughter is feeling much better, though the honking cough is still around.

Growing

Daughter called from work this afternoon, asking if I could pick her up and take her home.  She's been battling bronchitis for a couple of days, and today it won.  An employee with a hacking cough isn't the best thing for a restaurant.

I brought her by here first, to stock her up on medicine and teas.  And even though she said she didn't really feel all that bad, I wanted to just plant her on the couch, get her pillow and covers, pile all her stuff up on the coffee table, give her the TV remote, and take care of her like I used to.  I didn't say any of that to her, of course, but that was the deal.  They're always your babies.

Trying to increase stock in the etsy store before the holidays, so, naturally, I'm only in the mood to make myself a pair of socks.  Out of nowhere, that mood.  Here's the yarn:

Universal Yarn's Naked Sock.  It's got a little stretch to it, which I like.  And the colors are much richer and more jewel-like than the thumbnail shows.  The socks are going to be plain, plain, plain.  I might be in the mood for socks, but I'm not in the mood to follow a fancy pattern.

I'm getting word from a few of you that you've sent your TIS Swap packages already.  The deadline is two weeks from today.  I'm anxious to see what everyone gets!