Finally, Fall

Wow, today it turned fall here. The morning started out breezy, very breezy and cool. It's stayed cool all day and the winds have kept on coming. I think we're supposed to have at least a couple more days like this before the rains hit us again. Have to use this time to get my lawn mowed...one of the last mowing of the season I am sure. So in the spirit of the change of season I found a site full of images that epitomize the turning... http://tiny.cc/STbLu

It's also Yom Kippur. I'm not Jewish but I wondered what the holiday was about and so I found out at Wickipedia. http://tiny.cc/dwIzv Good ole' Wickepedia, always there to 'splain things. So, it's supposed to be a day to atone, or a day of final "judgement" of how you've spent the time since Rosh Hashanah in atoning for your sins against both God and your fellow humans. Interesting that not only is it a day of fasting a prayer, but traditionally there are six things that should be avoided on this day:

1. No eating and drinking
2. No wearing of leather shoes
3. No bathing or washing
4. No anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions
5. No marital relations
6. No dealing with money [with an exception of games which use play money]
   

I also find it interesting that the vigil doesn't actually begin until sundown of the holiday and carries through until sundown of the following day.


Openwork Shawl Update

On a crochet note, I finished the Openwork Shawl and took pictures. I love the way it turned out but haven't as of yet decided on another yarn to make a second one in. I thought I had a yarn in mind but turned out not to be a good choice, so....onto another choice, once I find one that is.Front viewRear view


The Peacock Tracks Scarf Mystery CAL Update

I have finished the first strip of 24 motifs in the shawl. Have one more to complete and then we'll be sent the audio for the lace strip that goes in between the two motif sections. I am looking forward to finishing this and seeing how beautiful it is all in one piece.

I hung this strip from the door so I could get it all into one shot. This gives you an idea of the length.

Here's another shot of the strip, a little closer this time.

One thing about this pattern that has come up and affected everyone one participating is the fact that the little "ring" that the "feathers" fan out from doesn't seem to want to lay well at all. So we've all been trying to find work through to fix the problem and I've been playing around with some different things, trying to work this out. I think I have come up with a fix, though I'm not going to actually put it on paper and present it to the CAL group until I've gotten through this second motif strip, to test out my changes. Here is a closeup of one of the motifs that I made with the fixes.


Latest Project
I've gotten 3/4 of the way through another scarf, the Trefoil Scarf which has trefoils all around the outside edge and then trefoils down the center. All I have left to complete is the 37 trefoils that go down the center strip of the scarf. Now, each of these have to be made individually and then attached to the scarf and given my penchant (or lack of) for sewing I'm probably closer to 1/2 done than 3/4 because it will take me so long to get those 37 trefoils placed and stitched onto the scarf. I'll be sure to post pictures when I've got it finished. I may have to keep this one, rather than try and sell it, such an intensive labor of love deserves my admiration daily I do believe.

I also managed to get my rather ungainly button box straightened out over this past weekend. I sorted and divided them all by color and into divided cases so that next time I want a button for a project I can simply go to the color family I'm looking for and start sifting through what's in there. I do have some unsorted ones left in a tin, but the cases were full and so there wasn't room to put those buttons in. I will just save them for adding to after I've used up a bunch of the buttons.

A Room of One's Own
Now that I finally have my home back to myself I have decided that I want to get rooms straightened out and set up, one room I'm going to turn into a craft room, where I can keep all my crochet and sewing supplies, equipment and tools. Additionally I think I'll have enough room to find a nice comfy chair to place in there so I can sit in there when I want, watch tv and crochet. I also am looking for a decent table to set the sewing machine upon so that I've got ready access to sew when I want or need to. So, on the list of items I will need for this room is a table, a nice chair for sewing in, a comfy loungy chair to crochet in and at least one bookshelf, perhaps two for crochet books, magazines and patterns. I already have a trunk to place my material in, crates which store the crochet yarns and threads. I will place some of them into the closet, and some will stay out at the end of the room by the closet, with the material trunk beside them. Of course you'll all get to see once I am finished. Can't keep me from proudly showing that off you know!

The other room I've decided to place the computer back into. I have it in the living room presently and while I like it out here, I think I would rather have the extra space in the living room and since I've got the smaller room, might as well set it up in there. Then of course, I'll have to have another bookshelf to put in there, just because it's going to be a study.

Notice if you will there won't be a spare "bedroom". I think I've learned my lesson on having room that others can occupy on me. It never seems to work out, and more than that, I usually end up getting royally screwed in the process so I have come to the conclusion that if I don't have an extra bedroom, no one will be tempted to occupy it. If I have company well....they can either sleep on my couch, or in my bed and I'll sleep on the couch. HAH!