Now THAT Was a Weekend

It's been a while since I had a truly restful weekend when it wasn't because someone was unwell, but we finally had one -- though it didn't start out great. My parents invited us over for dinner on Friday night, and I thought we should take Ruthie so I could give her a dose of medicine due at 7 p.m., but she spent most of the evening being crazy, barking at everyone, and then pooped on their floor. Fortunately, she made up for being so naughty by sleeping in both Saturday and Sunday -- I actually had to wake her up at 7 to take her medicine! I'm sure it's a result of being on a sedative continuously, but part of me hopes she's adjusting to the later sunrise. Either way, I had two good nights' worth of sleep and am feeling the benefits of it.

I did manage to get a batch of challah baked up on Saturday -- and resisted eating any of it!

These two raisin loaves are in the freezer now. I'll bake two plain loaves next weekend, for which I will need to make some room in the freezer (which is really why I didn't try to do it all at once -- just no room!).

Much of my weekend was spent like this:

Ruthie normally takes a good nap in the afternoon, but with the addition of the medications she's on, she is really zonking out. That makes for good reading and knitting time for me, especially when I don't also need to keep an eye on my work inbox. This weekend I managed to finish the heel of my Penwings sock and get through a good portion of a really good book.

Another side effect of the medication is that it seems to make Ruthie less interested in going to the bathroom, so much of our trips outside end up like this:

Her incision site seems to be healing well, and it's been virtually impossible to keep from running around while playing at home, so it's going to be a long week plus that we have left until she can be free of the donut and the onesie. At least after Tuesday we can go for walks again! I'm sure she'd like some fresh smells, and I would like a little more of the exercise I'm used to. Here's hoping the week ahead brings healing and more good news for all of us!

Another Week's End

Ah, Friday. It's been a tiring week, between caring for Ruthie and a big, high-profile work project, so I'm ready for the weekend.

Ruthie has been doing well, though she spends a lot of time sleeping (unsurprising, giving the medication she's taking). Though she chewed through the strap keeping the donut on the first night, I've found a way to keep it on by threading her collar through the inside, and while she doesn't love it, it seems to be working out well as a pillow for her when she naps.

She has seemed much more like her normal self in the past couple of days, once all the anesthesia wore off and she got to eat again, but I imagine it's going to take a bit of time for everything to get back to normal. She's getting a little annoyed with me that she can't go on her regular walks and visit her friends, but she's getting extra treats and lots of love.

With the big work project, not a ton of knitting has been done the past couple of days, but I did manage to get a photo of the singles I started spinning on Tuesday:

Given that the majority of the fiber was undyed, I think I'm going to end up with a pretty muted finished yarn because the pops of color will get blended as I draft. I'm spinning from one end of the braid to the other and will ply it back on itself, so I really don't have much idea of what the finished yarn will look like -- and frankly I'm enjoying the mental break that provides! I am hoping to spend some time spinning in the evenings this weekend (I've yet to try to spin around the dog), so maybe this won't take me forever and a day to finish.

As for the weekend, the weather is supposed to be beautiful, so I'm sure I'll get out for some walks. Other than the usual stuff we do on weekends, the only thing I have on my to-do list is to start baking challah for Rosh Hashanah. We are hosting the big dinner at our house, which feels appropriate given that the holiday starts the evening of the Mister's birthday, and my mother asked if I could once again bake my challah (I believe I've done it the past two years). Each batch yields two challahs, so I figured I'd make one batch plain and one with raisins. I'm not sure if I'll manage all of the baking this weekend, but I'll do at least one batch and put the loaves in the freezer until the 22nd. They take a good amount of time, but challahs for Rosh Hashanah are always round, so I won't have to worry about pretty braids. By the way, I think I may have shared it here before, but if you'd like the recipe I use for challah, please let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you. It's pretty easy and still makes a delicious loaf even if you have zero braiding skills!

I hope your weekend brings you good weather, time to relax, and maybe even a delicious baked good to enjoy!

Recovery Days

It was another quiet weekend here, which I think we all needed. The Mister has been feeling better, though he still has a lingering cough. I've had what I'm pretty sure was a sinus infection that's been getting better day by day but has been giving me a sinus headache pretty much every day for the past week. And Molly is still adjusting to being back at school and worked a five-hour shift on Saturday. Needless to say, we all were in need of rest. We did manage to get ourselves cleaned up and out to dinner on Saturday night, but other than a couple of walks and taking Ruthie out, I spent the weekend relaxing.

Saturday was pretty gloomy after some rain early in the day, but yesterday was a gorgeous fall day -- the sun was out, there was a light breeze, and because the high was only in the upper 60s, it was cool enough to wear wool socks. I decided to give my most recently finished pair their inaugural wearing:

I cast on some new projects over the weekend, but before I could do that, I wanted to finish up a lingering WIP that had some issues. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this scary-looking photo:

This is the hat I was knitting using the two 50 g skeins of Loopy Ewe yarn I picked up from the giveaway table at SSK. I did weigh them before I started and saw that one was slightly heavier than the other, but I figured I'd just use a little less of that yarn. It wasn't until I switched from the pink to the blue, however, that I realized that the blue was noticeably thicker than the pink, and that meant that it didn't go as far. So when I finished the blue half, it was shorter than the pink. To make the hat work, I needed to take some fabric out of the pink half, which I thought I'd do by running needles through two points, removing the fabric between them, and then grafting the stitches back together. In reality, my eyesight is now apparently bad enough that I didn't follow a round of stitches the whole way, so when I tried to pull the excess yarn out, I ended up having to undo it stitch by stitch to get to one continuous round. At that point, it was easier to just reconnect the yarn from the part I'd pulled off and knit up the crown again. It took much longer than it should have, but it's done now. Next time, I'll remember to count rounds or at least measure so that the length is the same!

This is going into the charity pile, unless someone I know expresses interest. And it's two skeins used up!

The two new projects are also using SSK yarn -- I'm determined to use it all as soon as possible so it doesn't linger in the stash. First, a pair of socks using superwash Targhee/nylon fingering from Woolens & Nosh. The colorway is called Penwings, and I don't know the meaning or inspiration, but it sure is pretty! I also didn't expect it to stripe this way, so that was a fun surprise.

I also cast on a new shawl using a semisolid from the giveaway table and one of the skeins of Lorna's Laces that was a doorprize. The pattern is Tessella (Ravelry link), and it's a lot more straightforward than it looks. What you're seeing here is actually a second version; I had started it with the colors switched and realized it was messing with my brain to have the darker color associated with the light squares in the chart and vice versa, so I ripped it out and started again. There's not as much contrast between my two colors as the samples in the pattern, so it may be that the patterning doesn't show up as well as it could, but who can argue with using free yarn? And I can always make another one.

I'll leave you for the day with a little bit of eye candy: After nurturing it all summer, my one sunflower finally bloomed late last week, and this weekend, the bees found it.

Tomorrow Ruthie is getting spayed. I'm sure she'll be fine, but if you can send a good thought or two her way (and then a good thought or two my way as I take care of her after), I'd appreciate her!

Labor Day Weekending

Friends, it's September! Today is the first day of meteorological fall (as opposed to astrological fall, which is the 22nd), and it's really felt like fall over the past several days. We had cooler weather all last week, but it was actually in the 40s when I got up to take Ruthie out yesterday morning! Of course, that's not typical for us at this time of year, but all else being equal I'd rather it be unusually chilly than unusually hot.

Today is also Labor Day in the United States, a holiday to honor organized labor and what it has done for all Americans. I am excited about the fact that this year I can say I am a proud union member! Although we don't yet have our first contract, I'm excited to be a member of the United Steelworkers and am happy that the union is advocating for me with my employer. I am less excited about the fact that my employer is using the lack of agreement to withhold my annual raise from me, but frankly it doesn't surprise me.

The weekend was quiet, as expected, though perhaps even more low key than expected because the Mister was a little under the weather (he claims he doesn't feel sick, just run down). I'm someone who tends to have a lot of anxiety around illness and often end up feeling sick myself when someone in my family is sick just because I worry about them so much, so that meant I spent much of the weekend feeling under the weather. I still managed to get in a couple of six-mile walks, though, and then snoozed with Ruthie in the afternoon. Very little knitting got done, but sometimes puppy snuggles are better than knitting. I mean, who could resist this?

We'll be taking it easy today as well. All we have planned is a little baking -- Molly and I are going to make some pumpkin muffins for her breakfasts this week, and she's going to make us chocolate chip cookies for our dessert for our anniversary dinner tomorrow. I'm hoping everyone will use the day off to get a little extra rest so that we all feel better tomorrow.

A Fall-ish Friday

I know that it's not yet astrological or meteorological fall, but this week hasn't felt like summer anymore. Yesterday, when I took Ruthie out first thing, it was about 50ºF and I could see my breath! And I wore jeans yesterday, too! It is supposed to get warmer again next week, but this week has been such a treat with the cool mornings and low humidity. Good thing, too, because it's been a long, exhausting week. As I mentioned, the Mister was out of town for a tech conference that is always the last week of August and that has caused him to miss the first day of school for as long as he's been attending. It's less of an issue now that Molly is older, but I still feel bad. We only have two more first days of school with her, too! I shared a photo on Instagram, but I know not everyone is there, so here's one for the blog:

I think the transition from summer back to school hasn't been quite as hard this year because she was working this summer (and she's going to continue working a weekend shift through the year as she's able), but she's definitely not used to being "on" all day, so evenings have been rough. And of course I am doing double parent duty this week (triple, if you count being a pet parent), so I've been worn out, too. It's a good thing we have a three-day weekend ahead!

This is not an official FO post, but I'm pleased to report that I have finished my Kudzu tank before the end of the month. I worked on it during puppy nap time yesterday and managed to start the i-cord bind-off before I had to do school pickup. This weekend I'll weave in ends, block, and take modeled photos for an official share next week.

This weekend is Labor Day weekend here in the United States, celebrating things such as weekends off that we've gotten thanks to the efforts of organized labor. I was invited to march with my union in the city's parade on Monday, but I decided I'd rather have a quiet day at home. Tonight we are going out to dinner with my parents to celebrate their 49th anniversary (today) and our 18th anniversary (next Tuesday), and we're invited over to my brother- and sister-in-law's on Sunday for a cookout on their new backyard patio. I'm looking forward to hearing all about my oldest nephew's first two days of kindergarten -- he just started yesterday! Other than that, I have no definite plans, and that's just fine with me. The weather looks like it's going to be spectacular, sunny and high 70s, so I predict long walks on my own and with the pupper. Maybe she will even surprise us and let us sleep in!

Whatever you have planned for this weekend, whether or not it's a long weekend for you, I hope it's full of things that bring you joy.

Less in 2025: August

Can you all believe that it's the last Monday of the month, already? Maybe it's the start of the school year or the noticeable shift in the length of the days, but I've really felt the days slipping by lately. As it is the final Monday of the month, that means it's time for a One Little Word check-in. Thank you to Kat for hosting our monthly link-ups!

Less has been prevalent in many ways for me this month. Less daylight for sure (boo) but also less humidity (yay!). In the last week or so, there has been less barking from Ruthie when she wakes up, so maybe she's learning that I will come down at the same time every morning and she doesn't need to raise the alarm. There has been less procrastination, as I called and scheduled Ruthie's spay surgery (Tuesday, September 9).

To follow up on something from earlier in the year (the "less of me" bit), I can report that I'm holding steady and have discovered that the weight I've lost has likely been due to increased physical activity from walking Ruthie. I've started tracking my walks with her on my Apple Watch and have found that on the days that I run, I am burning close to 1,000 calories, at least if the watch can be believed. So it's no wonder that without making up for that, I've dropped a few pounds. I'm trying to be more mindful about making sure I'm eating enough, and part of that is being less hard on myself if I need a snack.

With the start of the school year today, I'll soon have less time to myself, as I'll have to do the pick-up (and sometimes drop-off) routine every day again. It's been lovely to sit with a snoozing puppy until late afternoon most days, but I'm reminding myself that picking Molly up from school means about 10 minutes every day of one-on-one time -- something that's so hard to get with a teenager.

One thing there hasn't been less of this month? Tomatoes! I picked another dozen over the weekend! I also did a Costco run on Saturday, so I made sure to get some fresh mozzarella so I can have Caprese salads all week! 

Is That ... Fall?

TGIF! After rain earlier in the week followed by humidity, we finally have had some cooler weather and a hint of fall in the air. I don't think we're done with the heat altogether, but look at the forecast for next week!

Still little rain (those scattered showers on Sunday may be out of the forecast by then or miss us entirely), but look at those highs! I think I'll even need an extra layer in the morning, and friends, I am ready for it!

Our tomato plants have not gotten the memo that summer is soon coming to an end, however, and I keep discovering surprise tomatoes (because the big plant has taken over so much that they're hiding behind other plants). Here's the current harvest still to be eaten:

We sliced up a big one to have on turkey burgers on Wednesday night, and I've had some in salads, but there are still plenty to be eaten!

This weekend is the last one before Molly goes back to school, so we actually have some plans. The three of us are going out to dinner tonight at one of our favorite local places to kick off the school year. She just got asked to work another shift on Saturday and then is going to a friend's sleepover party on Saturday night, so the Mister and I are going out for a date night. And then Sunday he leaves for his annual work trip to Las Vegas that means he misses the first day of school (though fortunately at this age, Molly doesn't mind so much). Of course there will be the usual walks (alone and with Ruthie) and naps and such. But perhaps the next couple of days will be less sweaty.

Have a good one, friends, and see you back here on Monday!

Another Sweaty Weekend

It was another weekend -- another hot weekend -- here, though this weekend we actually had a bit of rain!  I'd been hoping for a good thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, which did not materialize, but we did get a couple of good soaking rains. Still a drop in the bucket as far as our deficit is concerned, but I'll take it!

We ended up going out to dinner with my parents on Friday night to a new-to-us place that we all agreed was a place we'd go back to. Saturday Molly worked, the Mister rode his bike, and I managed to go for a 6+-mile walk (in addition to my regular walks with Ruthie). I made a chocolate zucchini cake (from this cookbook) using the two zucchinis I managed to harvest from my plants before the heat killed them. Ruthie took naps -- and apparently had some interesting dreams:

I finished an ebook and an audiobook and pondered which of these variegated skeins to use with the light green semisolid for a new shawl (Ravelry link):

I was up both mornings a little earlier than I'd like, but I slept well and managed a brief nap both days, so I can't complain. The only cooking I had to do all weekend was make a salad to go with pizza on Saturday night and prep some potatoes and asparagus for the oven last night. As weekends go, it was a pretty good one! And now it's back to the usual. It's Molly's last week of summer break, and in addition to working two shifts this week, she's got to finish her summer reading assignment, which happens to be what might be my favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. It looks like it's going to be a little cooler this week, so maybe it'll be less sweaty than it has been. There are already leaves drying up and falling in the neighborhood, so fall is on the way!

Three Random Things

It's Friday, thank goodness, and because I don't have much of an update to share in the way of knitting (everything looks pretty much the same as it did on Wednesday), I thought I'd share three random things -- good things! -- to end the week.

1. We got rain!
After getting no measurable precipitation for nearly the first half of August for the first time since the 1800s, we finally got a couple of good soakings on Wednesday. I woke to a thunderstorm in the morning, and there was another as I was going to bed. We're still at quite a deficit, but it was nice to see the flowers perking up a little.

2. I met some new neighbors.
Okay, this might be stretching it a bit, but yesterday as I was walking in to the office, I heard a noise up a driveway, looked to my left, and saw this mama and her babies:

The photo isn't the best because I was trying to take it without scaring them, but the two fawns still had lots of spots and were so cute! It's a good thing Ruthie wasn't with me because I don't know what she'd make of deer; she already gets freaked out by rabbits, squirrels, and birds, to say nothing of dogs she doesn't know.

3. Girl dinner
You may have heard of this trend. "Girl dinner" is apparently the name for having what amounts to snacks for dinner, but in our house, it's what Molly and I eat when the Mister is out of town or at a work dinner and we don't feel like making an organized meal. It's what we did last night, when I made homemade pita bread (using this recipe) and we had some dips to go with it. I make this pita a lot, and while it takes a bit of time, it's always excellent. Here, have a piece!

I will note that if you'd like to try to make it, I find it works just fine with regular all-purpose flour. The dough is also very sticky, so you'll want to have extra flour on hand. And if you can't eat it all at once, it'll keep in the fridge and reheat in the microwave very nicely the next day.

We have what I hope will be another quiet weekend ahead. Molly is working tomorrow and then having a friend sleep over ahead of her last week of summer vacation. I'm looking forward to sneaking in a nap or two with Ruthie, who reminds you to make sure you're getting enough rest, too!

Have a great weekend, friends, and see you back here on Monday!

August Weekending

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you had a good weekend. Ours was hot but good. As they have done for the past couple of years, some of our Chicago cousins stopped by to stay with us overnight on their way home from vacation in North Carolina. It had been more than a year since we last saw them (when we went to Chicago for another cousin's bat mitzvah), so they hadn't before met my niece or Ruthie. It was all a bit chaotic Friday night and Saturday morning, but it was a good time. And my cousin's two daughters are growing up very quickly. The two of them had a sleepover in Molly's room -- the oldest is only 12 but already pretty much as tall as Molly!

We had everyone -- the cousins, my parents, and my brother and his family -- over to our house for breakfast on Saturday morning before the cousins left for the final leg of the trip home. Leo even came over to play with Ruthie!

It's still amazing to me how similar they look -- that same white stripe down the middle and a pink spot by their nose.

I mentioned that it's been hot; after a week where the humidity dropped significantly and temperatures were more bearable, our highs are climbing again this week, but the big thing is that we haven't had measurable rain since July. There were a few sprinkles on Friday morning, but that's done nothing for how dry everything is. I've been trying to water the plants, but the grass is pretty crispy. The tomatoes don't seem to be bothered by the heat, though -- look at what I picked on Friday!

That tiny zucchini was only picked because the plant it was attached to was dying, and I ended up tossing it in the compost anyway because there was a bug burrowing into it. The tomatoes look great, though. I can't get over how the one plant has grown. I've managed to harvest about four cherry tomatoes, but that plant has been dwarfed by the full-size plant. I've got some fresh mozzarella in the fridge for caprese salads for these.

I'm hoping for an uneventful week ahead. I finished up a big work project Friday afternoon, so I'm hoping things will be calm in that arena. Molly has three work shifts this week, and the Mister has a brief work trip, so Ruthie and I will be on our own for much of the week. I hope to have a real knitting update on Wednesday (and for sure I'll have a reading update). In the meantime, please enjoy this short video of Ruthie enjoying her first taste of watermelon!

New Month, Less Heat

It's August, which means it's almost fall! (Yes, yes, I know there's a ways to go yet, but Molly goes back to school at the end of the month, and I always think of the start of the school year as the start of fall.) After several days of excessive heat and humidity, a cold front came through yesterday, bringing a little rain but also much cooler weather. The high today is only supposed to be in the upper 70s -- that's something to celebrate!

Between the heat and some early mornings (Ruthie has decided to announce she's up between 5 and 6 a.m. lately), it's been a long week, so let's wrap things up with some good things, shall we?

First, I successfully donated blood yesterday, my fourth donation of the year to date. With five months left in the year, there's plenty of time for me to reach the maximum six donations possible in a calendar year.

Second, I got a little treat in the mail yesterday (not a surprise, because it was a treat I bought for myself). 

The photo is terribly due to cloudy weather and the plastic bags, but what you see here are four bags of fiber from Southern Cross Fibre. Yes, I am actively trying to use up stash, but with David retired from dyeing, there will not be any more of his fiber except if someone is destashing, which is what happened here. I got a fabulous deal (I basically paid for the price of two bags, shipping included), and what's more, among these are some of my favorite of David's bases to spin.

Finally, something that I hope will give you a laugh. Do you remember how the name Ruthie was given by the rescue was Kitty? We thought it was a silly name at the time, but it seems that it might have been more appropriate than we thought:

Either she's part cat or she's been looking over my shoulder at one too many pictures of Giroux.

Have as good a weekend as you can, friends! I hope if you've been in the heat, you're also getting a respite.

Less in 2025: July

Somehow it is the last Monday of July and it will be August by the end of the week. How that happened, I'm not sure, but I think we can all agree the year is flying by. As it's the last Monday of the month, that means it's time to check in on my One Little Word. Thanks to Kat for hosting our monthly link-up!

This month, particularly the end of this month, there has been LESS worry and anxiety, especially with regard to Ruthie. I know you're all aware of how worried I was about how she and the Mister would do alone together while Molly and I were in Nashville. You all told me it would be fine and good for them, but there was a lot of negativity before we left and I really wasn't convinced. And aside from that, I'd also had some moments of frustration and had been questioning whether the decision to adopt a dog when the Mister wasn't fully on board was the right one. But when we got home and found out that not only did they both make it through but she had no accidents and didn't bark at him the whole time we were gone, I felt so relieved and reassured. It's clear that I will forever be her favorite person, but I'm seeing better interactions between the two of them -- and it's not just that Ruthie is more tolerant of the Mister, it's also that I see him willingly spending time with her and trying to get her to come to him.

All this is not to say that the stress of having a puppy is totally gone, but I think enough time has passed that I've gotten some perspective on the early days and can see how far we've come. And with every day that passes, we get closer to leaving the puppy period behind. Maybe one day I'll even miss it (though not the pre-6 a.m. wakeups)!

Because a post related to Ruthie is not complete without a photo of her, here is a portrait of the new branch manager:

Home Sweet Home

After a whirlwind trip, Molly and I arrived home yesterday shortly before noon (we actually got in about 15 minutes early, something that almost never happens with air travel these days!). We missed the final breakfast and didn't really have a chance to say goodbye to a lot of people, but getting an early flight out made the most sense. And we got treated to a beautiful 360º view of Downtown Pittsburgh on our descent into Pittsburgh International Airport:

Let me catch you up on the rest of the trip. On Friday afternoon, we had our class on pin loom weaving with Angela Tong. I had learned how to use one of these looms before, but it had been several years since I'd done it last and I had forgotten a lot. We both really enjoyed it and can see how these little looms could come in handy for using up all those little bits, especially as each woven square takes only about 8 yards of yarn.

Both of these squares were woven using DK weight yarn; these looms are designed to use yarn in the sport/DK/worsted range. But Angela also showed us how to use fingering (the trick is doing some of the warping with the yarn held double).

Saturday was market day. I only had a couple of things I wanted to buy, and though I did end up going back for an impulse purchase later on, I think I was pretty restrained. The market opened at 9, and we were not among those waiting in line for the doors to open until just a few minutes before. I asked the woman who was first what time she got there, and she said about 7:20 (for reference, breakfast was served starting at 7:30).

I know some of you are really here to see what I came home with, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer! I came home with more than I expected, although only some of it was actually purchased at the market.

One of the perks of attending this retreat is that there is always a long table along the side of the wall in the lobby of the main building that's the giveaway table -- anything on it is free to a good home, and anything that's left after the retreat ends is taken to a local creative reuse place. There's always the usual acrylic/fun fur/novelty yarn that typically stays the whole time, but some people also drop off some really nice yarn, and if you happen to check the table at the right time, you can get lucky. That happened to me -- I found four skeins of fingering almost right off the bat, one from Miss Babs, one from lolodidit, and two 50 g skeins from The Loopy Ewe. I also found three skeins of Shibui linen yarn that will be enough for a summer tank, a skein of what looked to be DK or worsted with some minis, and a cute cotton drawstring bag from Quince & Co.

Here is what I bought at the market: a bag from Fat Squirrel Fibers, two skeins of self-striping Targhee sock yarn from Woolens and Nosh, three lotion bars from Tuft Woolens (not pictured), a pair of tiny yarn skein earrings from Oink Pigments, and a braid of Shaniko wool from Cesium Yarn. I actually went back to get the fiber because not only was it a breed I've never spun, but the colorway is Neighborhood of Make Believe, and I couldn't resist a Mister Rogers reference.

But wait, there's more! Another big feature of SSK is the door prizes! Vendors and attendees generously donate a ton of prizes -- yarn, fiber, project bags, accessories, etc. -- that can be won via a random pull of door prize tickets (everyone gets some to start in their goodie bag, and you can earn more through the knitalongs of teachers' patterns prior to the even and at random during the event). There are also special prizes on offer if you donate to the Scarritt-Bennett Center; every dollar gets you a ticket. I was lucky enough to win one regular door prize (two skeins of Lorna's Laces sock yarn) and a special SBC raffle prize (a hand-woven towel).

Let's not forget the aforementioned goodie bag, either! Molly and I both opted to just get the goodies included in the retreat fee, which was delightful without all the add-ons. We got a large zippered tote bag, a skein of yarn dyed by one of the vendors, a pen, a tape measure, a gauge ruler, and a set of point protectors. There were also folks from two local yarn shops (Haus of Yarn and Bliss) handing out goodies as we were waiting in line to check in on Wednesday. Needless to say, we were very spoiled! I'm happy to report that everything fit in my luggage, though Molly ended up using her tote bag as a second carry-on on the way home, mainly because we'd purchased some snacks and had a lot left and those bags wouldn't fit in our backpacks, so it was just easier to carry another bag.

I'm also very happy to report that Ruthie was a Very Good Girl while we were away. We'll ignore the fact that she chewed through two harnesses (a replacement for the newest one is on its way!), but she didn't have a single accident and didn't bark at the Mister at all! I think he is exhausted and very happy to have us home, and she was certainly thrilled to see us, but it honestly went much better than I expected and I am so relieved!

I predict she'll be a velcro dog for the next several days until she's sure I'm not leaving her again, but we all got through a challenging week and made it out the other end okay. You all told me it would be fine, but I needed to live it for myself to believe it!

This week it's back to the usual schedule, with a couple of medical checkups thrown in for fun (going for my mammogram on Thursday, so here's my reminder to get your boobies squished!). I'll be back on Wednesday for my usual update, and I'll try to be a little less verbose then!

Our Trip Thus Far

Happy Friday, friends! I have to admit that taking a trip and leaving on a Tuesday has really messed with my sense of time and what day it is. I've been confused for the past two days, so it's a good thing I have Molly around to keep me in check.

We've had a good first part of our trip. The retreat didn't officially start until Wednesday evening, so we came in a day early so we could do a little tourist-ing. Wednesday morning we hailed an Uber to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame, partly because there's some Taylor Swift stuff there, but also because why not?

There's also a special Dolly Parton exhibit right now, featuring a number of her outfits, some shoes, one of her Grammys, and various other memorabilia. There were some fabulous beaded high-heeled boots that I neglected to take a photo of, but I did remember to capture this:

That's her ribbon and medallion from the Kennedy Center Honors -- Dolly clearly is a national treasure!

The retreat kicked off with the opening reception Wednesday evening, at which general information was shared and some door prizes were given away (neither of us won anything). I told Molly that it would probably be the most people knitting at once that she's ever been around, and I don't think I was wrong.

On Thursday morning, after breakfast, the two of us covered ourselves in sunblock and walked a little more than a mile to Centennial Park (partly through the campus of Vanderbilt University) to see the replica of the Parthenon. I had gone to see it my first year at SSK, back in 2017, but Molly wanted to see it, too. We opted not to spend the money to go inside; as cool as it would have been to see the giant sculpture of Athena Parthenos, I thought it better to save the money for yarn.

You may notice some dark spots on my shirt. I'll be honest with you: That's sweat. Even at about 9 in the morning, it was hot and very humid. We had water bottles with us and didn't walk very fast, but we had to shower when we got back.

We didn't have classes on Thursday, so we spent the afternoon in the main building sitting and talking with other attendees. I even did a little spinning, my first since we adopted Ruthie!

We went to dinner with some new acquaintances and then explored the Try-It-On Room a bit -- people bring in sweaters and other garments that you can try before you decide to make them for yourself. A lot of what was available to try was a bit big for me, but I think this Isabel Kraemer sweater might be a possibility:

This afternoon we have our class -- pin loom weaving with Angela Tong -- and this evening is the Tasting Room, where we'll have the opportunity to try out all sorts of tools and fiber equipment. Saturday is market day and then the closing reception in the evening, and then we leave Sunday morning!

I may have already acquired a bit of yarn from the giveaway table (some may still go back if I change my mind), and I'm sure I'll pick up a few pretty things at the market. I promise a full report on what comes home with us on Monday. In the meantime, have a great weekend!

FO Friday

Friends, I can hardly believe I did it, but look what's done!

Obviously it still needs to be blocked and ends are woven in but not trimmed, but all the knitting is done. And it fits! I tried it on last night to be sure and was greatly relieved (I had been holding it up to me along the way but never actually tried it on). This isn't a proper FO post, of course. After it's blocked, we'll do a photo shoot and I'll share all the details, but for now you can see some proof of life, so to speak.

We've got a hot weekend ahead. Tonight the Mister and I are going out to dinner with some friends, and tomorrow morning is the last session of puppy class. Molly is working tomorrow and then has a friend sleeping over tomorrow evening, and we're all invited to dinner at some friends' on Sunday evening. In between all the usual stuff, Molly and I will need to pack for our trip this weekend. We'll see if we can pack light enough to carry on our luggage or not!

Have a good weekend, friends, and stay cool! Ruthie recommends napping as much as possible.

Holiday Weekending

It was a hot long weekend here. Friday ended up being much less relaxing than I'd hoped. I went for a run and cleaned bathrooms as planned, but then the Mister decided to get out our steam cleaner to clean the bathroom floor, some of the hardwood floor, the cooktop, and the sliding glass doors at the back of the house that open up to the back deck. All of this was happening in the kitchen and family room -- the two rooms where Ruthie lives -- which means she didn't get much rest. And then we had family over, so lots of people. Let's just say she was a very tired girl Friday night! The good news is that she seemed completely oblivious to the fireworks. I did buy a white noise machine for near her crate, and I'm sure that helped (or at least it didn't hurt).

We went to our penultimate puppy class on Saturday morning. I'm going to miss seeing the puppies playing together after next week, but I won't miss the stress of driving there and back and worrying if/when Ruthie is going to get carsick! Molly worked from 10 to 2, and after she got home, we went over to swim at some family friends' pool for a little. Then we had plans to go out to dinner with a friend of Molly's and her parents, which was very fun but made for a later night.

Yesterday was thankfully calmer (though Ruthie was up before 6, ugh!). At one point, there were three of us napping on the couch in the family room! My nap was pretty brief, though, and I spent the afternoon reading and working on my Midsommarkrans, which is now cruising down the body:

It may be ambitious to get this done in the next week-ish, but it's not entirely out of the question. The knitting at this point is simple enough that I can work on it downstairs while Ruthie naps. At this stage, the only thing that happens other than stockinette in the round is four decreases (at markers) every 12th round. After I work those decreases four times in total, I work even for a bit and then work four sets of increases at the markers. The bottom is finished off with a round of eyelets (yo, k2tog around) and several rounds of garter stitch -- easy peasy. I'm enjoying this yarn so much, too, that I'm thinking that perhaps I will pick up another couple of skeins at the SSK market to make the other top that I originally bought these for!

Speaking of SSK, this week is all about getting ready for it, and frankly I'm nervous. The Mister is going to have to do a lot with Ruthie, which is a challenge given that she's still skittish around him. He's been joining me on walks the past several days, and I have him giving her treats and feeding her whenever possible. But it's going to be a challenge: I am clearly her person and have been doing pretty much everything (I think Molly has taken her out on her own twice, and one of those times was when I was sick and physically couldn't), so getting Ruthie to trust him enough to let him take her out for walks is a big ask. He's not happy about it, either, as he's not a huge fan of hers because she barks at him and runs away from him (see the vicious circle here?). If it were just me going to SSK, I would cancel at this point, but Molly is so excited about going that I'd hate to do that. So send some positive thoughts our way, would you?

A Free Friday

It's Friday, and it's Independence Day here in the United States, though I'm not feeling much like celebrating this year. Still, I have the day off (not that I slept in, because some-puppy was up before 6) and we're having family over for a cookout this evening. Otherwise, it's going to be a normal day. I'm going to go for a run a little later and then have to clean all the bathrooms and do some laundry. Ruthie and I will likely curl up on the couch for a nap this afternoon. And tonight I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that the fireworks don't wake her up and scare her (she's been indifferent to thunder, so I'm hoping the booms don't bother her, either).

I don't have much of a knitting update, but here's a new photo of my Midsommarkrans, with the body well under way:

I worked all the top sections using one skein of yarn (I didn't want to add to the complexity by also alternating skeins), but now that I'm working stockinette in the round, I've added in the second skein and am alternating every round. The body is very simple, with the only thing to pay attention to is some simple shaping -- decreases and then increases at four points indicated by stitch markers. I think it might be overly ambitious to have this done to take to SSK in less than two weeks, but at worst I can take it with me and likely finish it while we're there. I'm going to have to start thinking about what to take with me in any case and soon.

We've got a hot summer weekend ahead. Molly is working tomorrow, after which we may go swimming, and tomorrow night we have plans to go out to dinner with one of her closest friends and her parents. Other than that, it will be the usual -- puppy class, walks, naps, etc.

If you're off today, I hope you enjoy your long weekend. If you're not, I hope the day passes quickly so you can get to your weekend. See you all back here on Monday!

Less in 2025: June

Is anyone else in absolute shock that today is the last day of June? Despite the longer days, this month always seem to pass much faster than I'd like, but this year it seemed especially quick, I suppose because I lost some days due to illness (mine and Ruthie's).

So how has Less made itself apparent in my life this month? Several ways.

To start with, there's certainly Less in my wallet after trips to the vet, urgent care, the pharmacy, and the vet twice more (to pick up meds). I'm sure in the long run, my health care is a lot more expensive, but the bills were certainly bigger for Ruthie this month!

There is also these days Less of me. Those of you who have been reading for a long time might remember that several years ago, when my cholesterol was starting to get a little high, I made some major changes to lose weight and get it down, and I've been maintaining my weight ever since. But this month, in spite of more than a few days of not exercising at all (first because I was ill, then because of the extreme heat), I've lost more weight. I know part of it is due to anxiety about the aforementioned illnesses; when I'm really worried about something, I lose my appetite. But I think another part of it has been because it's rare these days to find me sitting down, especially at a mealtime. Keeping an eye on a puppy who is always getting into mischief can be a full-time job, and it can be even more challenging at breakfast and lunch when I'm the only one here with her. It is ironic that I'm losing weight without trying or wanting to for probably the first time ever in my life! I am keeping an eye on it, just in case it's not my increased level of physical activity and something that merits seeking medical attention, but for now I'm just trying to make sure I'm eating enough.

On a more positive side, this month there's also been Less to-do about puppy bedtime. Hearkening back to when Molly was little and demanded I stay with her until she fell asleep, I had been sitting with Ruthie in the evening after her final walk, letting her curl up and fall asleep in her bed, and then trying to transfer her to her crate and leave before she woke up. Kym told me that I was pretty much nuts to do that (well, she said it using much nicer words) because I was letter Ruthie have all the control. Instead, she advised, say goodnight, put her in her crate, and leave her. And naturally she was right. We have a bedtime routine now -- I sing a little to her (I changed the words of "Goodnight, Ladies" from The Music Man to "Goodnight, Ruthie), put her in her crate and pet her for a minute, then close the door and leave. For the first week and a half or so, she cried and barked for up to an hour. Lately, though, she has been great. I hold her when I start to sing and then put her down in front of her crate, and she goes right in and curls up. If we hear anything from her, it's either a noise she's making in her sleep or there's something outside she's barking out, and it's usually very brief. I'm hoping one day we'll get to the point where she puts herself to bed, but I have a feeling we've got a while until that happens. In the meantime, I'm enjoying our little snuggles and then having my evening back.

Thank you to Kat for hosting our monthly One Little Word link-ups! Be sure to visit her post for today to read her reflection and get links to others'.

TGIF

What a week it has been, friends! The heat has been something else. I know other places have had it worse and I am lucky to have AC to hide out in, but just taking Ruthie out for (brief) walks has been enough to leave me dripping. I made the executive decision to not worry about exercising this week -- too dangerous to do outside, frankly -- and have accepted that I'll be a little stinky all day until I shower before bed. I haven't blown my hair dry in a week, not that I've needed to, and much of my time has been spent in a dark room. We finally got a brief thunderstorm late yesterday afternoon. It didn't do anything for the humidity, but it at least dropped the heat index by about 20 degrees. Today we're only (ha) supposed to reach a high of 88ºF. Still a bit too warm for me, but it's better than mid- to upper 90s.

While I haven't made a ton of progress on my Midsommarkrans, I am happy to report that I have conquered the left/right confusion and have 3/4 panels done and the fourth under way:

After knitting and reknitting so many times, I am finding that I am getting faster at the lace because I'm not checking the stitch key as often. I've just started the neck shaping on this panel and it's moving right along. I hope that by next week, I'll have joined all four panels in the round and gotten started on the body.

By way of a pup-date, I'll let you know that Ruthie is doing much better (although she did wake me up at 4:30 a.m. yesterday -- good thing I had the day off and could nap with her in the afternoon!). She has a playdate with Bagel this morning and puppy class tomorrow morning, and she's had a couple of quick play sessions with the pups on the next street over this week when we've happened to run into them on a walk. She has been enjoying taking naps on these hot days, which isn't much of a departure from her usual routine except that I've been next to her. We've pretty much given up on keeping her off the couch in the family room, so we got a slipcover to protect the upholstery and it's working well. She still occasionally "digs" or chews on it, but, you know, puppy.

I am not going to express any hopes or expectations for the weekend ahead because that hasn't gone at all well the past two weeks. Instead, I'll say I hope it's a good one for you, and I'll leave you with the spectacular rainbow we spotted when we went out for our last walk yesterday evening, right after the showers moved through.

Unraveling, Week 26/2025

Who else out there is melting? It's so darn hot out there this week, and I know how lucky I am to be able to spend most of the day in the air conditioning, but puppies do not understand this and so I've been out in it regularly the past several days. I'm happy to report that Ruthie is doing much better and in fact is loving her new diet of chicken and rice with the occasional addition of pumpkin puree. She's also gotten a probiotic from the vet that's like a giant piece of candy to her, and to encourage her to drink more water in the heat, she's gotten some weak chicken broth (from making the boiled chicken). I may have in fact been a little overzealous in trying to get liquids into her because she's had several accidents in the house and that hadn't happened in a long time. Fortunately she's been nice enough to have them on a towel or blanket or on one of the rubber/synthetic mats by the door, so at least cleanup was easy. When we haven't been taking quick walks outside (though not as quick as I'd like), we're staying insight with the lights dimmed or off to help keep things cool, and she's been napping a lot.

Feels like 100+ outside and she still has to be touching me!

But enough puppy stuff -- this isn't a dog blog, it's a knitting blog! Time to join in with Kat and the Unravelers for another week!

I'm sorry to say this week there has been more unraveling of my Midsommarkrans tank. Yes, once again I mixed up left and right. I was looking at the left-hand side back panel as I was working on it, but of course it was actually the right back panel as worn. Good grief! I think by the time I finish this tank I will have knit it about four times. Also, it might be winter. But all that is to say that I don't have a progress photo because it looks pretty much the same as the last time I shared a photo because all I have done is knit, rip, and reknit the same section.

Fortunately the hat is going much better, as you would expect. I knit on it while Ruthie was napping as I was able, and it's grown. I really like how the neon sections are pooling so that I get thin neon stripes. I think this will make someone very happy.

I have finished only one book this week, but it was a great one.

When we first meet Cora in the late 1980s, she is on her way to the local registrar's office to register her newborn son's name. Her abusive and controlling husband expect her to register the name Gordon, the name all first-born sons in the family carry. But Cora rather likes the name Julian, and her daughter Maia, who is accompanying her on the errand, suggests Bear. From there, the story splits in three, imagining where life goes for this family if the baby had received each of these names. Every seven years, the reader gets another installment of Bear, Julian, and Gordon and gets to ponder that old question: What's in a name? Within each possible life trajectory, there are triumphs and tragedies, achievements and losses. This creative structure allows the author to examine the dual impacts of nature and nurture and how something that seems as simple as choosing a name for a child can have implications far beyond identity. The prose is beautiful and often emotional, especially when dealing with abuse that's hard to read, and you never stop rooting for Cora and her kids. This may very well end up being one of my favorites for the year! I gave it 5 stars.

Sitting inside with a good book and a cool beverage seems like the best way to get through this heat wave! I hope the rest of you who are in it are managing. Remember your sunblock and to stay hydrated!