The Week Before Halloween
5:24 p.m. - 2004-10-24


What did I do with the week just past? I worked hard at work, and got interested in machine knitting again. I have a T-shirt pattern I like with kimono sleeves so I drafted a knitting pattern to the same measurements, and revised the pattern I wrote for my blue/green sweater, putting in new ideas and lengthening the arms. I am going to try a short row dart and see how that works. I also got out my ancient knitting machine, the one I got right after I got married, and set it up in the girls' room. I noticed that the weaving brushes are starting to lose their bristles, so whatever glue they used back then must have reached the end of its lifespan. Oh, well, the machine still works and I like it. Just for practice, I got some hot pink sport yarn and and worked up a swatch. I haven't made anything with a 7 st/inch gauge in a long time.

I have some kelly green yarn in the sewing room that I think I will use to make a cardigan for myself. I am done knitting Abby's hooded cardi, just sewing it together and pondering buying a wine-colored separating zipper. I can't buy the zipper until the sweater is put together though. I don't mind sewing in the set-in sleeves because I saw a cool method of doing so in one of my Japanese knitting mags, and it uses a crochet hook and works wonderfully. I also scouted around looking for the green yarn for Melissa's Rogue hooded pullover, since I need a handknitting project now that I am done with Abby's (or soon will be).

Today at church, the EGs were back from their trip to the midwest. They took a tour they found out about in Country Woman magazine, and saw lots of fall color, something EG has always wanted to do. They went up the Mississippi, visited farms, visited an Amish home and saw lots of pretty towns. EG says it was worth every penny, they enjoyed it so much. Then they went on to Cape Cod to visit C & S and spend time with the great grandchild, who is warming up, apparently. Surprisingly, G & R have not ever had him in daycare, but take turns. And in other news, G wants to spend a year at Stanford, doing who knows what philosophical thing, so we shall see what develops with that. I, myself, would loathe living in Palo Alto, ugly place that it is, but to each his own. I wonder if G would ever want to get a real job in the real world, but since I think his ultimate goal is to be a professor, probably not. To me, school was a necessary evil, to be left as soon as possible, not a place I wanted to stay.

Jason managed to get his flu shot, by waiting in the rain for several hours on Tuesday. I see the government plan: Make the elderly wait in the pouring rain for hours and hours, and therefore there will be less of them left to need the flu vaccine. He thinks ahead and brought his umbrella so is none the worse for wear so far.

I had six videos that needed to go back to the library on Saturday but did not remember them until late. I was going to rush out and stick them in the slot, but someone, who shall remain nameless even though I am married to him, assured me that since the library was closed on Sunday I could return them after church. I tried to carry out this plan, only to see that the library is after all open on Sunday from 1 to 5. Now I will have a fine, even though I stuck them in 3 minutes before the doors were open. Bummer.

The sun came out today and a beautiful fall day it was. I am even wearing a sweater. Which reminds me of a funny thing that happened yesterday. I went out to the garage to put some laundry in the machine, and it was raining. As I walked into the garage I noticed a wet-looking spot on the garage floor in front of the dryer. I was surprised because how could the roof be leaking there, it is new roof and excellent, especially on the downslopes. I bent over the spot to see if it was indeed wet, and what felt like a big drip hit me in the back of the head. I went into the house and got the flashlight, put it on the wet spot facing up, and examined the area of the roof the light was shining on. Nothing. Then I looked closely at the spots and saw that they were some ancient spill of dried lacquer. If they were not water drip spots, then what hit me in the back of the head? I bent down again, and the pointed lace collar of my sweater flipped up and hit me in the back of the head. I scared myself for nothing.