Flowers and Cattle

When my son was little --- as in 2 and 3 --- he loved cows.  Holsteins especially, but all cows in general.

When I was pregnant with Hannah, someone asked Briton about the baby on the way.  This after my telling him he was going to be a brother, and him asking, "When will she be here?"  He knew from the jump he was going to have a sister, and he always called her "Daisy."

These are the socks I wore today

in their honor.

Today's Message Brought to Us by My Shirt

Sea Legs

The knitting that's keeping me busy and sane:

A twisty ruffled scarf:

A zig-zag lace dishcloth:

Karin's Wrap from Lion Brand ins a Caron  "Latte Cakes" yarn, color Coconut Cream:

I'm catsitting again.  Brought Klumk and Nell (yes --- she's been named since she was last here!) to Athens.  Klunk got carsick at both ends (don't know a nicer way to put it) coming back from Atlanta yesterday but is fine now.  Little Bit is still hiding, but will hopefully emerge more quickly than during her last visit.

WHEW

It's been a very, very long time since I've had a day this hard.  I am bone- and soul-weary.  Thankfully, I've got nice, pretty, fairly easy knitting projects to work on.  When my arms un-rubber enough to hold the needles.

Today's Post Brought to You by Zotter

I said this on Facebook, and it's still true here:

Today has put me in a place where I'm just gonna eat chocolate.  It will throw my diet completely out of whack, but I'm just gonna eat all the chocolate.

Formation

Survived the weekend.  It dawned on me Friday that those roars I was hearing back and forth over the house were fighter jets practicing the flyover for Saturday night.  Kinda cool.

Sorry not to have more than that.  Intense family drama going on, and I'm preoccupied.  I'll try to do better.

While They Play Football a Couple of Miles Away. . .

It's two sticks and a piece of string.  You have to stop and realize that occasionally.  And this is a simple slipped-stitch border.  Pretty.

I'm watching the Netflix show "Unbelievable," and although not everyone could --- or should --- watch it, I'm engrossed.  It's about how rape victims are treated in the wake of their attacks, and how two female detectives try to solve the cases.  Again, it's not for everybody, but its draw for me was the acting of Merritt Wever, Kaitlyn Dever and Toni Collette.  Merritt and Kaitlyn (Wever and Dever!) are two of my absolute favorite actresses.  Collette, of course, is always rather extraordinary.  I'm through 3 of the 8 episodes.

Lastly, I placed a Michaels online order for a couple of things my local store didn't have.  When the order came this week, there were also two cakes of Red Heart's It's A Wrap yarn.  I have no idea why I ordered two cakes of lace weight yarn, but something about it appealed to me.  And now that I have roughly 6 miles of the stuff, I have to figure out what it was.

Hi Notre Dame Nation

Every UGA home football game is a nightmare if you want to do anything other than go to the game.  This week, the opponent is Notre Dame, and things are CAH-RAY-ZEE.

I have lain in supplies for Tap, Madeleine, Riley and myself, and will be staying here, with no intention of moving, until late Sunday.

(An old photo, but the message holds.)

My Day

1.  Read.

2.  Nap.

3.  Repeat.

Completion

The Simple Rectangle Shawl is done.

This could not be any easier to knit, and it really doesn't need blocking.  If I make another one (I mean when), I'll make it wider so that it isn't quite so short in the back.  Otherwise, thoroughly delighted with this.  It's a perfect pattern for unusual yarn.

Recommendation

For practically anyone else, reading two good, interesting novels back-to-back would be no accomplishment whatsoever.  For me, though, just reading two novels in a row is an oddity.  

First, My Year of Rest and Relaxation.  As someone who loves any comfortable bed and sleeping therein, and also as someone whose worst symptom of depression is wanting to do nothing but stay in bed, a lot of this book was relatable.  Chiefly, though, it was well-written and immensely readable.

Right now, Before She Knew Him.  Well, 3/4 of  Before She Knew Him.  One marker for me deciding a book is good is how much I think about it when I'm not reading it.  Another is how vividly I can picture what's happening.  On both counts, this book is good..

Donation Information

In my Facebook feed this morning was a call from a migrant assistance organization in Maine, asking for handknits, particularly for infants.  I emptied out my Etsy shop and will be sending a package their way tomorrow.  If you'd like to help, you should be able to find all the info you need at their site.  Their address is:

Maine Access Migrant Network

237 Oxford Street

Suite 25-A

Portland, ME   04101

Thanks.

Gratification

Have you ever celebrated Christmas in July?  Buddy Bridget ran a CiJ contest on her blog, and I won one day!!!  This is what came to me the other day:

 

Do any knitters ever actually have enough bags and/or pouches?  (No.)  Can we have too many really nice pattern books?  (No.)  Can we have enough tea?  (No.  Well, once it becomes cool enough to drink it.)

The Duck Store catalog came yesterday, the Knit Picks one today.  Nothing really sprung out at me, though their collection of tweed yarns is nice.  There are also several new animal-themed bags and pouches.  This might be my favorite:

They have an otter one that's very cute, too.

Moving along on the three shawls.  On a good streak reading-wise.  All obligations for the week taken care of.  Sleeping late tomorrow, here I come.

Celebration

It's always a good day when the Duck Store catalog arrives.

 

Meditation

So, someone close to me is expecting.  While I am happy that she and her partner are happy, I must say she is very brave.  I would not bring a child into this world as it is.  I'm scared for my children, and they are in and near their 30s.

I once read that children are God's way of letting us know that the world should go on.  If anyone is equipped and willing to fight for improving the world for their child, it is this couple.  Yet even as I make tiny, soft things for them, I worry for the baby and what the world it will enter is, or isn't.

Realization

Somehow, I've managed to wind up with three different shawls on my needles.  All are patterns from Lion Brand:

The Easy Half-Circle Shawl in a light blue yarn.  That's about all I can tell you about it, as both hanks which I have are tagless.  I had actually cast on for two different scarves with the yarn, but neither went well. 

The V Shawl, which I'm making with Caron Simply Soft in gray heather:

I'm rather in love with this yarn.  It is so very soft, and is the nubby tweed that makes me happy.

Finally, the Perfectly Simple Rectangle Shawl, which is --- obviously --- just a long rectangle.  I'm going back to my "let the yarn do the work" philosophy by using Shawl in a Bsll in blue:

I like boucle' yarn, but, man, you can NOT let it get tangled.

All three got lots of time today as I watched college football.  (Still watching it, to be honest.)  Football is the best sport to knit to.  NASCAR is really good, too.  Hockey?  Uh-uh.  Basketball and baseball are also out, though I don't watch them anymore.  Tomorrow, there are football games and a NASCAR race, so all the shawls should continue to grow.

De-Brief at The End

This is the first day in what, two or three weeks, that I haven't had to spend hours looking for KH and KC photos.  I scarcely know what to do with myself!

I know; let's talk about some more pictures. . .

In looking for photos of either President Obama or Sidney Poitier, I came across Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony pictures.  (Poitier received one.)  This is my favorite:

"Just. . .  give me a. . . second here, Kareem. . .  I've almost. . .  got it.  Can you skooch down a little more?"

Along with the dog photos of Justin Trudeau and Dr. Pol, I think my favorite pairing was Obama and Sam Neill in their hats.

Helen Mirren makes for a wonderful photographer's subject.

Kyle Chandler has really good hair.  So does Patrick Dempsey.

If you haven't seen "Tea with the Dames" yet, find it and watch.  Judi Dench and Maggie Smith are killer in it.

Nicolaj Coster-Waldau wears glasses sometimes.

I so prefer black and white portraits to color ones, but not every nominee has them.

And having to use only horizontal photos nearly drove me mad.  Come on, CrowdSignal, allow vertical, for crying out loud.  I've got to be able to use more than a quarter of the pictures I find.

Henrik Lundqvist has a twin brother.

This year's prize packages will contain these cool stickers made by Twinnie (and winner) Kim:

Good stuff everywhere.

And the Winners Are. . .

Helen Mirren as the 2019 Knitters' Chick

and

Henrik Lundqvist as the 2019 Knitters' Hunk.

There were hiccups along the way, but you were all patient and helpful, and I appreciate that.  More than I can say, really.  Thank you.

I'm posting the brackets so that you can see how I'm dividing up the prizes.  On the KC side, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Helen Mirren were both automatic entries into the draw, so the winners will be the nominators of Olivia Colman and Judi Dench.  Deb nominated Dame Judi --- and Deb, I need your address so I can get your prizes to you!  Olivia was nominated by --- wait for it --- my son, Briton.  Way to go, kiddo!  (I suspect yarn and stitch markers won't do much for him, so maybe I'll take him for a nice meal or something.  Remember, Knitters' Chick was his idea originally.)

On the KH side, Henrik was an automatic entrant.  Lin-Manuel Miranda, the runner-up, was nominated by two people: Jorene (my cousin) and Kim (my twinnie), so they will both be getting packages in the mail.  Sam Neill was my nominee, so no prizes there.  Kyle Chandler, though, was placed into the contest by Diane, and she will also be receiving some goodies.

More to say tomorrow.  Again, thank you all for your enthusiasm and patience.  This wouldn't be anywhere without you.  And congratulations to all the winners: nominators and nominated.

WHAT THE. . .?????

Just got off the phone with Briton, who let me know that he couldn't get here to vote.  I have absolutely no idea what happened.  But I am deeply sorry, and we will just start over again.  We'll set the clock for 24 hours from now.

And Then There Were Four. Or Eight. Depends on How You Think About It.

You know what to do.

Do a Little Work

(See what I did there, with Labor Day and everything?)

I know, you just want to vote.

We are voting folks into the Semifinals.  This will all be over, and all the winners will be known, in just a couple of days!

Are you having just the most fun you've ever had?