There was a lot of car time--a LOT--but there was also lots to see while in said car (or van or dark blue aircraft carrier, whatever) so I spent a lot of miles when I wasn't driving holding a camera ready to take a picture or twelve. There were skies...
...fields of sunflowers
badlands that I-94 goes right through...
and finally mountains. Mountains, can you believe it? They actually make roads on the knife edge of mountains in places I am certain no self-respecting mountain goat would dare to tread, and of course Durwood had to drive on them and enjoy it while doing it. I, being the one with the most brains, spent our time on the Beartooth Highway scared shitless and whimpering like any sane person. The only thing I can say is, thank god it was light when we did that. I only drove at the end when we weren't 10,000 ft. in the air. No wonder I was breathless and Durwood was giddy, there's no oxygen up there. Sheesh.
Like I said, I did knit. I made preemie hats. They're easy to knit on and quick to finish so I feel like I'm accomplishing something. I love this Premier Everyday yarn; it's acrylic so it can be sterilized if need be and parents with too much to deal with don't have to worry about ruining the damned hat, plus the colors are so cheerful and not pastel which to me means "I'm sure you're going to grow up to be a very fun and interesting person" not "oh look at the tiny sickly baby." Sorry, although I think pastels are sweet, I think preemies need all the power we can lend them to fight the effects of their too early birthdays. Bright color means power to me.
I also finished Bandwagon afghan block #9. It's garter stitch so it's easy car knitting. Only 3 more blocks to go then I can join them and edge it.
We passed a Hobby Lobby in Rapid City and I finally had to stop, even though there are 2 in town that I often pass. I cruised the yarn aisles and ended up buying a skein of this Monkey Red "I Love This Cotton" and a tan/beige one too. I cast on a Mitered Towel and plan to switch to the tan when I get to the garter stitch top. I'm also hoping to learn to count, or press my counter button after each and every row, since so far my counting has been, let's say, flexible. Not that it matters. It is only a hand towel to hang from the stove handle, still I'd like to make it right. Just once.
We passed a yarn & bead store on the road to Mt. Rushmore in Rapid City and managed to stop at, like, 4:45 PM (she closed at 5:00) on our last day in town. I found a few skeins in the 40% off bin (of course, when did I ever pass up yarn on sale?), a skein of Encore in a variegated I haven't seen to make another boot sock, two skeins of cotton/viscose kids' yarn (to make a scarf maybe), and a skein of Sockotta and some beads to make a beaded and drop stitch scarf like she had on display. Naturally she didn't have a pattern but she let me take a picture and I'm sure Z-Dawg will help me figure it out. She's gifted that way.
Oh, and I knit rows on the Maple Tree scarf along the way. (What? it's summer, like the leaves are anything but green) It's week #35.
Now that we're home I've got a few bins of label sewing for Lucie to do this weekend, and I need to enter my yarn purchases into Ravelry and maybe look for a drop stitch scarf pattern while I'm there. Next weekend the next to last BOM quilt block instructions will be on Craftsy (what do you mean you haven't gone over there and signed up yet? it's free, people, F-R-E-E. *shakes head* you guys.) so I can sew them up and be that much closer to making my first quilt. Squee!
After I finished changing out the pullover zipper for a full-length one in Durwood's birthday gift, I got started on the quilt blocks because we're leaving next Saturday morning for a 2-week vacation.
The blocks this month are both stars, Ohio Star and Double Star. I enjoyed making them both, especially my first foray into making flying geese for the Double Star.
Figuring out how to place the ruler to cut out the center of the Ohio Star took some time but I managed.
I'm happy with the contrast of the dark blue, yellow, and the blue with orange (looks kind of universe-ish, I think) in the center. I was looking for an opportunity to use those three fabrics for months. I think I made the right choice.
With the passage of each month I'm more eager to get to November when we learn to assemble the blocks with sashing between them (dark cocoa brown) and put it all together with the batting and backing, and in December when it's time to machine quilt and bind it.
Okay. I can't quit casting on preemie hats. I change yarn color between hats and yesterday at work I finished the Chocolate Mint one (brown, green, pink) and didn't have another color with me. (Evidently the color changing thing's a rule, if only to my inner-Hitler) After a tiny frisson of panic I went on Ravelry and chose another pattern. Zip-bang-boom--a little beanie/watch cap is OTN (on the needles, for the non-knitters). That's the tiny little ribbed cuff that'll be turned up when it's done and it'll need a pompon. I can't imagine how cute a teensy pompon's going to be. Kootchy-kootchy-koo.
Monday DS borrowed my car to go to the pool with a student since he didn't think his scuba gear, her scuba gear, and 2 tanks would fit on the back of his bike. This was no problem; since they were predicting storms for the late afternoon Durwood followed me to DS's job, I handed over the keys, Durwood took me to work, and picked me up when I was done. Easy. Once DS was done at the pool, he drove to our house and I drove him home. (DIL1 was working later.) On my way home there was a break in the storms and the nearly full moon poked out of the clouds. There was lightning in the clouds. It was awesome so I stopped in the bank parking lot across from the park to take some pictures. Digital cameras don't have the same adjustability as film cameras, especially at night, but I think I did okay. Moody, eh?
Last night I went out to water the herbs and saw a lot of red in the garden so I moseyed on over and picked a skirt full of tomatoes. You can bet we're having a tomato salad with our supper tonight.
(Mosey, heh, I think I'm practicing my cowboy for being out in the Wild West the WEEK AFTER NEXT. Ahem, sorry. I'm not excited, no sirree, not me. It's Durwood, he's the one capering around the kitchen. Me, I mosey, I'm cool.)
There was a lot of car time--a LOT--but there was also lots to see while in said car (or van or dark blue aircraft carrier, whatever) so I spent a lot of miles when I wasn't driving holding a camera ready to take a picture or twelve. There were skies...
Like I said, I did knit. I made preemie hats. They're easy to knit on and quick to finish so I feel like I'm accomplishing something. I love this Premier Everyday yarn; it's acrylic so it can be sterilized if need be and parents with too much to deal with don't have to worry about ruining the damned hat, plus the colors are so cheerful and not pastel which to me means "I'm sure you're going to grow up to be a very fun and interesting person" not "oh look at the tiny sickly baby." Sorry, although I think pastels are sweet, I think preemies need all the power we can lend them to fight the effects of their too early birthdays. Bright color means power to me.
I also finished Bandwagon afghan block #9. It's garter stitch so it's easy car knitting. Only 3 more blocks to go then I can join them and edge it.
We passed a Hobby Lobby in Rapid City and I finally had to stop, even though there are 2 in town that I often pass. I cruised the yarn aisles and ended up buying a skein of this Monkey Red "I Love This Cotton" and a tan/beige one too. I cast on a Mitered Towel and plan to switch to the tan when I get to the garter stitch top. I'm also hoping to learn to count, or press my counter button after each and every row, since so far my counting has been, let's say, flexible. Not that it matters. It is only a hand towel to hang from the stove handle, still I'd like to make it right. Just once.
We passed a yarn & bead store on the road to Mt. Rushmore in Rapid City and managed to stop at, like, 4:45 PM (she closed at 5:00) on our last day in town. I found a few skeins in the 40% off bin (of course, when did I ever pass up yarn on sale?), a skein of Encore in a variegated I haven't seen to make another boot sock, two skeins of cotton/viscose kids' yarn (to make a scarf maybe), and a skein of Sockotta and some beads to make a beaded and drop stitch scarf like she had on display. Naturally she didn't have a pattern but she let me take a picture and I'm sure Z-Dawg will help me figure it out. She's gifted that way.
Oh, and I knit rows on the Maple Tree scarf along the way. (What? it's summer, like the leaves are anything but green) It's week #35. 
