Time for Finishing

It's the last Friday in June -- and I have today off! I get two personal days each year in addition to my vacation time, and if I don't use them before the end of the fiscal year (June 30), I lose them, so inevitably I end up taking off two random days in June. It's nice to take a day off just because, and I plan to make the most of having the day to myself (though not really to myself, because I've got Mo to hang out with).

My primary goal today is to finish up two projects. First, there's the second Bousta Beanie. I started the crown decreases last night, so I don't have much work left to do on it.

I also want to finish up my Benny singles today. This is all the fiber I have left to spin!

Tour de Fleece, that annual celebration of spinning that happens alongside some sort of bike race, starts tomorrow, and I'd like to kick it off by plying my three bobbins of blue singles. I have a sweater pattern (Ravelry link) picked out for the yarn, but it all depends on whether or not I get enough yardage from these three blues plied together for the main color.

In addition to working on these projects and going for my regular run, my only other planned activities for the day are making some dessert with Mo for our family dinner this evening  and joining my in-laws for a final walk-through of the condo they're going to be moving into next month. I don't think I've mentioned it here before, but they decided they wanted to move into the city from the suburbs to be closer to their grandkids, and they found a condo less than a mile from us. Their house went on the market late last week and they had an open house last weekend. They had multiple offers that day and are already under contract. It's a wild real estate market right now!

We've got a quiet weekend planned, which is just fine with me. I have some reading to get caught up on and would love to get all that plying done. And next week is a short week! I hope you have something fun and/or relaxing planned. See you here again in July (gulp)!

Unraveled, Week 26/2024

Hooray, it's Wednesday! It's been a long week already, so I'm happy to have arrived at its midpoint -- especially because I will be off on Friday, so I'm officially halfway done with the workweek. As per usual, today I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers to talk about making and reading.

My second Bousta Beanie has grown quite a bit since you last saw it, and now those of you who couldn't quite imagine how the colors would look reversed no longer have to try:

I'm getting stained-glass vibes from this one, and the benefit of using the colored yarn as the contrast is that I'm getting mixed up less frequently and thus having to tink back less (I think I've only done it once so far). I've put the hat knitting aside for the moment, however, to do some swatching.

I got selected to test knit Kerri Blumer's adorable new tee for babies and kids (see it on IG here), so I'm going to be making a 6 month size for my niece. I pulled out some LolaBean Yarn Co. Bean Sprout that I bought at Indie Untangled at my second Rhinebeck, I think -- it was the last one before the pandemic, I believe. I'm doing a faux in-the-round swatch, though I'm pretty confident I'll get gauge with the suggested needle size because it's what I usually get with this size. As soon as I'm sure of my gauge, I'll be casting on to get my version done ASAP.

Last week I did something I hadn't done in almost a year: I bought yarn. I wanted to knit another Rift tee and didn't have any appropriate (read: non-wool) yarn in my stash already, plus I knew that Knit Picks' summer sale was starting last Wednesday, so I ordered some CotLin. And I'm sure you all know the siren call of free shipping, so I added some sale goodies to my cart to get it:

Ironically, the only thing that wasn't on sale was the CotLin, the whole purpose for the purchase! But everything else here was -- two skeins of hand-painted Stroll, a skein of Wonderfluff, and five skeins of Chroma Twist. The Chroma, at least, I'm planning to use for charity hats; perhaps the Stroll will become some hats as well. I haven't figured out just what to do with the Wonderfluff, but I already had two skeins of it in a lavender shade and figured I could use this hot pink together with those.

I've had another good week of reading, in spite of being busy at work, and finished two books.

The Comfort of Ghosts, the final installment in the Maisie Dobbs series (sob!) came out earlier this month, and though I thought I'd have a long wait from the library -- it said several months when I put it on hold -- somehow I ended up only waiting a day! Though there is a bit of a mystery in this book, it was resolved about two-thirds of the way through, and it really felt like Winspear was more focused on wrapping things up for Maisie in a satisfying way. WWII is over, and things are changing for everyone in its wake. In uncovering some secrets in her extended family, Maisie takes a good look back at her life and how far she's come from being a teenaged housemaid. I am sad there will be no more, but I also feel completely satisfied with where Maisie has ended up. I listened to this book and, in fact, the whole series. It's been a wonderful companion on many workouts and through many household chores. I gave this final installment 4 stars.

Speaking of long library holds, I'd been waiting quite a long time for Enter Ghost and finally got it a week ago. This finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction and winner of this year's Aspen Words Literary Prize feels like a timely read for the moment, as it takes place in Israel and Palestine and follows a British Palestinian actress who becomes involved in a production of Hamlet in the West Bank. There were parts of this book that made me uncomfortable because of how Israel and its policies are portrayed, but I welcomed that discomfort because I want a broader view of the ongoing conflict. And I also really enjoyed the writing and structure of the book. This is one that I am going to be thinking about for a while and will likely seek out analysis and discussion on. I gave it 4 stars.

What are you making and reading this week?

Better in 2024: June

I can't believe this is the last week of June already; it seems like the longer the days are, the faster they go by! The last Monday of the month means that it's time to check in with my One Little Word and to link up with Carolyn.

The biggest change in my daily life this past month has been going into the office for work two mornings a week. I still don't see the point in being there, especially because until last week, I could actually do less there than I could at home (I couldn't connect to the printers there), but that's kind of beside the point, at least as far as my OLW goes. I was thinking about how much things have changed since I was last in the office regularly, and I'm not even talking about COVID and how that changed things. I've noticed that since this change, I've gotten Better about not caring so much about what other people think about my appearance. There was a time when I would not go into the office without my hair and makeup done. But these days, I really can't be bothered. I've gone in with dirty hair pulled back in a ponytail and not a speck of makeup on. I'll occasionally pluck my eyebrows (if they really need it), and of course I'm dressing professionally, but I've gotten to a place where I feel like my work should speak for itself and how I look is irrelevant. I know part of this comes with getting older and part of it is that I've gotten used to being more comfortable from working at home, but part of me also feels like this is a bit of an act of rebellion: If you're going to force me to come into the office, when I'm perfectly capable of getting my work done (and done well) from home, then you'll take me as I am. No one has said anything -- not that I expected them to -- but really the only person who thought I needed to come to work fully made up in the "before times" was me. And the me of 2024 is a lot Better at not hiding my imperfections (or at least at not feeling like I need to hide them)!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I'm so glad that it's finally Friday; even with the day off in the middle, it's been a long, busy, HOT week. The heat wave hasn't let up just yet, but yesterday afternoon, after we'd had several days with clouds and thunder but no rain, we finally got a quick storm and a much-needed downpour. The garden has really needed the water, and I was thankful I didn't have to go out and water in the heat, especially because yesterday was the hottest day yet in this stretch. As long as I was thinking about it, I thought I'd share a little update on the garden. If you recall, here's how the big side of the front yard looked right after I'd planted my Mother's Day purchases:

And here's how it looks now (you can tell that we're running a rain deficit from the color of the grass):

The tomato, eggplant, and zucchini plants have absolutely exploded in the planter, and the hydrangeas, salvia, and lavender are doing well. I've been dutifully watering the impatiens and polka dot plants along the border, but I'm also fighting a battle with the bunnies who like to eat the flowers, so they aren't looking as robust as I'd hope. The other side of the yarn isn't looking as good, but we do have a couple of "snacking peppers" growing! In the back, I've got one sunflower in a pot that I'm about ready to transplant up front (last year the bunnies ate all of them, so I thought I'd wait until I had one that was bigger), and though the hostas have mostly been eaten, the pachysandra is looking pretty good. Unfortunately we've had some vermin in the composter again, so I am taking a break from throwing our kitchen scraps in there. I might just take a pause, spread out what compost we have, and put down some mesh underneath it to keep the critters from digging up under it.

Though the weather has been entirely inappropriate for knitting, I have been getting some in every evening (thank goodness for air conditioning!). I finished up the Bousta Beanie and found I had enough yarn leftover for another, which I started last night (and it took two attempts because black yarn + aging eyes = the wrong number of stitches the first time).

The heat is supposed to continue through this weekend, so outside activities will be at a minimum. On Sunday evening we're headed to our synagogue's big fundraising event that's held every two years, and it feels a bit like the culminating event of my board service. I don't have anything to do other than attend, however, and it's one less meal I'll have to worry about for the week.

I hope your weekend is enjoyable, relaxing, and as physically comfortable as possible. Stay cool and stay hydrated, friends!

Unraveled, Week 25/2024

It's Wednesday, and it's still beastly hot, so let's get on with linking up with Kat and the Unravelers!

I'm actually off today for Juneteenth, though my routine isn't going to be much different from the usual other than staying off my work computer. I still got up at the normal time, and day off from work means I can go for my run a little earlier, before it gets dangerously hot. And I will have some extra crafting time today! I am almost to the crown decreases on my Bousta Beanie:

I'm really enjoying the rainbow, and though I'll have to weigh my leftovers when I'm done, it's possible I might have enough yarn to knit another with the colors reversed.

I've also been giving some attention to Benny on my wheel:

I had to sit through an hourlong presentation on Zoom for work on Monday afternoon that was interesting but ultimately useless for me, but it at least gave me some dedicated spinning time. I think I'm almost halfway done with these singles, and I'm starting to get really excited about plying. Ideally I'd like to have the yarn done by the end of the month, but we'll see what happens.

I've done a lot of reading in the past week, though most of it has been in my Big Book, so I've only finished one book.

Piglet is a relatively new release (it came out in February), and I'd heard a fair amount of buzz about it, so when it was a Kindle deal a couple weeks ago, I decided to give it a try. The titular character seems to have the perfect life -- a job she loves, a fiancé who adores her, a new house -- but there seems to be something missing. And then her fiancé reveals something that threatens to undo everything. This book has a lot to say about food and women's bodies and our expectations about them. It also addresses Piglet's struggle with what she believes she should want and what she actually wants out of her life. I really enjoyed the writing in this book and the descriptions of food and cooking (don't read it when hungry!). I think this is a novel that would be great to discuss in a group, too. I gave it 4 stars.

I am nearly finished listening to Anne of Avonlea, which I started over the weekend when I wanted something easy and enjoyable. Today I hope to start Enter Ghost, which I'd been waiting for from the library for a long time and finally got yesterday.

What are you making and reading this week?

Just in Time for the Heat Wave

Greetings from the Excessive Heat Watch! I know it's summer, but mid-June is a bit early for mid- to upper 90s F in my neck of the woods, which is what we're expecting all this week and through next weekend. With the heat index, it's not out of the question that it'll feel upwards of 100º F. In case you're wondering, I am not a fan. I run cold generally, but I also don't like heat and humidity, so I will be spending as much time as possible in the air conditioning this week.

And because my timing is always impeccable, I've chosen this week to launch my latest knitting pattern! (I guess at least it's not a heavy sweater.)

You all saw this while it was being worked on, but now it's officially been blocked, photographed, written up, and edited. I'm calling it I'm Still Stranding -- I just love a good pun. It's up in my Ravelry and Payhip shops now, if you're interested, and an email is going out with a discount code to newsletter subscribers later this morning.

We had a really nice weekend before the heat set in. On Friday, in addition to doing my running and baking, Mo and I did a little shopping, first at Michaels for craft items (she's been into making stitch markers/progress keepers out of polymer clay lately) and then at Old Navy for some new summer duds. I found a couple of great summer dresses that I kind of want to live in this summer; she got new jeans, a cute tennis-style dress, and a two-piece bathing suit -- all in women's sizes (yikes!). She wore the suit and the dress yesterday when she went to the pool with my parents and my nephew, and then she came home completely wiped out from all the sun. Yesterday we had brunch with our parents, siblings, and nephews for Father's Day. My youngest nephew just started walking in the past week, so it was so cute to see him and the middle nephew toddling around!

Mo and I officially wrapped up all our Downton Abbey watching early last week, and now we've started in on Gilmore Girls. I've been working on my rainbow Bousta Beanie the past several evenings while we watched. It's moving right along, despite having to tink back a couple of times because I've forgotten that the rainbow yarn is the MC and the black is the CC.

I have a feeling this is going to be a very busy week -- I received all the content for a magazine late Thursday -- but I also have Wednesday off for Juneteeth, and I think that break midweek should keep me from getting too stressed.

Stay cool and well hydrated, friends!

No Such Thing as a Day Off

TGIF! I am technically off today but was up at the normal time because there are many things I am planning to do today. For one thing, I want to get my run in before it becomes beastly hot! But it's also going to be a girl's day -- Mo and I are planning to go shopping this afternoon. I will be baking challah for dinner tonight. And there will be laundry (there's always laundry). But! I am finishing the week with an FO:

These have been in progress for a while, so I'm glad I could finally give them enough attention to finish them. They're for my sister-in-law (the one with the small feet) for her birthday in September, so I'll block them and then put them away until then. I used my plain vanilla recipe over 68 stitches for these. The yarn is Knit Picks Felici in the colorway White Russian. The name makes sense for the white and brown stripes, but I'm not sure what the pink, blue, and yellow have to do with it. They didn't ask for my opinion when they were naming it!

I thought about starting another sweater this week but thought I should knit some charity hats first. I don't remember if I've mentioned it on the blog, but Mo and I are headed to a knitting retreat -- TwinSet Summer Camp -- out in eastern PA next month, and they will be collecting hats for Knit the Rainbow. I think I only have one charity hat in my stack at the moment, so this seemed like a good time to build that up. And because it's Pride month, why not get out the rainbow yarn?

This is the start of a Bousta Beanie using some leftover West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply (if it looks familiar, it's because I used it for these socks. I'm only using two colors rather than the three called for in the pattern, but it'll look like more because of the self-striping.

We've got a relaxing weekend planned, with only a Father's Day brunch on the schedule (I am in charge of making cinnamon rolls). I'm bracing for the hot temperatures that are predicted and planning for lots of cool beverages and maybe some naps indoors. Hope it's a good one for you!

Unraveled, Week 24/2024

Good morning and happy Wednesday! This week I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers with a real, actual finished object!

Please ignore the crazy hair; I'd just blown it dry.

Pattern: Rift by Jacqueline Cieslak, size 40 in./102 cm bust
Yarn: Uru. Yarn Asher (36% linen/flax, 34% cotton, 19% Lyocell/tencel, 11% nylon) in Cucumber, 1.5 skeins
Needles: US 8 (5.0 mm)
Started/Completed: May 22/June 9

I've had this pattern in my library for a while, and when I won the yarn from Pam and Greg of the Unraveling podcast, I knew it would be perfect for a summery tee. In fact, I've been planning to knit this pattern in this yarn since the beginning of the year, and for once I actually managed to knit a project for a particular season before the season was over!

There are more than 2,300 projects listed on Ravelry for this pattern, and having knit it, I can see why. It's very straightforward and suits many different bodies quite well. It has some really nice features, like the split high-low twisted ribbing hem (ribbing that continues up the side), short row shaping for the shoulders, a three-needle bind off for the shoulder hem that provides just enough structure, and a minimalist finish on the neckline. There are also options for whether you want the v-neck in front, back, or not at all and for short or long sleeves.

My only modification to the pattern, if you can even call it that, is that I kind of threw caution to the wind and didn't make any adjustments when I didn't quite get gauge. The needles already felt so big and the fabric so loose that I could not fathom going up a size, so I ended up with closer to zero ease than the called-for 6-12 inches. That is after some horizontal stretching when I blocked the tee, which is also why it's rather cropped despite having added two additional inches to the body. Had I known that I would have plenty of yarn, I would have added a further two or three inches, but it's too late for that. I plan to wear this version over tanks and dresses, so it'll be fine, but for my next one, I'll either go up a size or actually swatch to get the correct needle size. I will also make it longer so that it's not so cropped and I don't have to wear it over something else (at my age, I'm just not comfortable letting my once-housed-a-child belly hang out).

I'll just note that I'm not sure this yarn is available any more, but it was an interesting blend. It has chainette construction, which means there were some slubs here and there, but I do like the feel of it in fabric form and didn't have any issues with hand fatigue as I often do with 100% cotton. I don't think I have anything in my stash currently that doesn't contain wool that would be appropriate for another Rift, so I will have to do some thinking about what I'd like to use for my next one.

I'm also down to just one WIP now -- the current socks, which are nearly done -- so I fully expect to cast on All The Things in short order.

I have finished two more books this week, as I continue to slowly make my way through the brick.

I had never heard of Small Island until Mary selected it as one of the titles for our group's exploration of past Women's Prize for Fiction winners, but I am so glad I read it! This story is told from four perspectives -- an English couple and a Jamaican couple -- in 1948 and in flashbacks to WWII and before. It deals with some big issues, like colonialism and racism, but there is so much that is relatable about these characters. I'll admit that for the Jamaican couple, Hortense and Gilbert, I immediately had the characters of Lucille and Cyril from Call the Midwife in my head, as if they were reading the dialogue in accent to me. I found the book easy to get into and hard to put down once I had time and attention to devote to it. I gave it 5 stars.

Next, a reread: I'm fairly certain that the first time I read Howards End (which I know had to be after the Merchant Ivory film version came out, because I remember reading a tie-in paperback copy) most of the nuance of the story went clear over my head. But this time around I've lived quite a bit more, read quite a bit more, and have a much clearer understanding of the British class system. I was struck, though, by how much of the story has to do with men ordering women's lives around and assuming that they know better. I listened for my reread, and the audiobook was the rare one for which I had to slow my playback speed down to 1.25x because the reader was such a fast talker. I gave it 4 stars.

In addition to the tome, I've been reading Piglet, which just came out a few months ago and which I scored when it was a Kindle deal last week. I read half of it in one sitting on Monday afternoon and imagine I'll finish it up before the week is out.

What are you making and reading this week? Got any recommendations for a great plant fiber-based yarn (sport or DK) for my next Rift?

Highs and Lows

I was a bit disappointed to realize it was Monday when I woke up this morning, but I suppose a new week is easier to face when you know it's only going to be a four-day work week (I'm taking Friday off). We had a pretty good weekend, although it had some unexpected moments. We did have some amazing weather all weekend, with blue skies, sunshine, and low humidity, which I always enjoy.

As I mentioned, we had tickets to the baseball game Saturday afternoon. It'd been about a year since we'd last been to one, so we were all looking forward to it. And as it was also Worldwide Knit in Public Day, I took my sock in progress to the game (though let's be honest -- I would have taken my knitting regardless). We had great seats along the first base line, with the sun behind us so we didn't have to worry about getting burned.

Shortly after I took this photo, something dramatic happened: A foul ball was hit in our direction, bounced off some seats, hit our friends' younger daughter in the face, and ended up in my seat. I'm happy to tell you that she's fine, though she has a pretty impressive black eye now, but they took her to Children's Hospital to get checked out just in case. And she got to keep the ball, of course! Because of this excitement, I didn't do much knitting because I thought it would be better to keep an eye out for foul balls. And it ended up being a really exciting game that the Pirates won!

There was plenty of time for knitting at home, and thanks to a good amount of time spent finishing Downtown Abbey (the series) and watching all of the first movie and part of the second, I finished my Rift tee!

I still have to block it to try to get some more room, but it does fit -- just not with any real positive ease. I'm hoping that once it gets wet and I stretch it, it'll be a little more comfortable. I can definitely see myself knitting another of these, though I might knit the next size up (or at least actually bother to get gauge). Once I get this blocked, I'll take some photos and do a proper write-up.

Finally, yesterday was our synagogue annual meeting, which officially marked the end of my second term on the board and my second year as board secretary. I still have to submit the minutes, but for all intents and purposes, I'm done. This moment is a little bittersweet; though the board has been a huge commitment in recent years and I've grumbled about the time it's taken up, I will miss being involved. What I neglected to mention in my last post, though, is that our congregation is currently involved in a process with another one (one that actually was formed years ago when a group split off from our congregation) of looking at a possible unification and the creation of an entirely new entity. So while I have to take a year off from board service, in reality, my synagogue may no longer exist in another year, and if we do move forward with this process, there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved in figuring out all the details. It's an exciting time, and we'll see what happens.

And now I need to get moving -- Mo has an orthodontist appointment at 11, so I need to try to squeeze in my run and a shower before then. Have a great start to your week!

Week's End

TGIF! It's been a long, sweaty week here, and I'm happy to see Friday arrive (along with cooler, less humid weather). It's been nice to have Mo home with me this week, though her presence hasn't changed my routine all that much. We did bake some cookies together the other afternoon, but generally she does her own thing while I work.

Thank you for all the commiseration on my work gripes. I still don't understand what purpose my being in the office is supposed to serve, and my time there has been decidedly unproductive. Other than sitting through team meetings (which mostly don't involve me), I've only once had something to do while I'm there, so it really does feel like a waste. We'll see if anyone cares and changes things going forward.

My Rift tee has grown quite a bit since Wednesday -- I'm nearly done with the back!

If you click to embiggen the photo, you'll see that the left shoulder short rows are complete, so now I just have to do the right shoulder to match. The front will have a v-neck (the pattern gives you options for the neckline). I played around with my photo editing app to try to get the color a bit more accurate, but it's still not quite right. Oh well! This project has been an excellent accompaniment to our evenings watching Downton Abbey. We reached the final episode last night, which is bittersweet. We still have the two movies to watch after that, and apparently there's a third movie coming? In any case, it would be nice to finish up this tee by the time we've finished with all the Downton stuff to watch.

I'm also working on finishing up my current blue singles (so I can get on to the next bobbin of blue singles):

We've got a few things on the calendar this weekend, aside from the usual chores and errands. We're going to the baseball game tomorrow with some friends and my brother-in-law/sister-in-law/nephews, and then Sunday morning is our synagogue's annual meeting -- my very last meeting on the board! It's a bit bittersweet rotating off the board; it's going to be a bit sad not to be as involved, but I'm also looking forward to having fewer meetings. The bylaws mandate that after two consecutive terms, any board member has to rotate off for a year before they're eligible for another term; we'll see if they come calling again this time next year.

I hope you have an easy end to your week and a relaxing weekend!

Unraveled, Week 23/2024

After a cooler weekend, summer weather has arrived with a vengeance here in SW PA! It's been hot and humid, and it looks like we may get some thunderstorms this afternoon (I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can get my run in between raindrops this morning!). It's Wednesday, which means it's time to link up with Kat and the Unravelers. Here's the current state of my WIPs:

My Rift tee is just about ready to split into front and back after adding a couple extra inches of length to the body. And I picked up the Felici socks again yesterday when I went in to work, something that continues to feel pointless to me. I'm going in on Tuesdays and Thursdays for my 9 a.m. team meeting, and then I sit alone in an office until about 11:30, when I leave to go home. I genuinely don't see the point of it, particularly as we're often on Microsoft Teams for the meeting as well (because we have a coworker who doesn't live here and joins remotely all the time, and not everyone is always in both days). Annual review time is coming up, and I will of course be bringing up this new hybrid schedule, though I realize there's not much my direct supervisor can do about. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that someone who has some say-so comes to the realization that my being physically present doesn't change anything.

In any case, the sock is getting some occasional attention. I'm not in a rush to finish the pair (the recipient's birthday isn't for three more months), but I also don't want it to linger on the needles for too long.

Not shown in the WIP photo is my current spin, which is approaching its end. I've got a length of fiber about a yard long left to spin into singles, and then I will get started on the third and final blue.

I have only finished one book in the past week, but that's mainly because I've been doing a lot of reading on a Big Book!

I'd had The Cloisters tagged in Libby as "to read" (a list I keep of books I'm interested in reading, eventually, that I'll go back to and check the availability when I need something new) since hearing about it on a podcast a while back, and the audio was available when I needed something to listen to late last week. I'd call this a work of "dark academia," a story set in an academic setting with something slightly sinister in the background, though perhaps not the best example of the genre I've read. Ann Stilwell, having just graduated from a small college in Washington State and seeking distance from her life there, finds herself in NYC ready to work as a curatorial intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When she learns that her position is no longer available, she falls into another one at the Met's Cloisters museum, known for its Medieval art and gardens containing deadly plants. She soon becomes part of a team working to research the history of the use of tarot cards -- and becomes enmeshed in the lives of the people she works with. I found the book to be entertaining, and I certainly enjoyed the art history piece of it (have I ever mentioned that I minored in art history in college?), but there was a bit of a twist at the end that left me not liking the main character very much. I gave it 3 stars.

My Big Book will, I expect, be with me most of the summer: A Suitable Boy. I'm into Part Four, of nineteen total, so I'm moving right along. I'm also reading Small Island (it's been coming to work with me for when I don't have anything to do) for our next backlist Women's Prize discussion. That's going a bit faster. I expect I'll be ready for another audiobook soon, too.

This afternoon I'm going in for my annual mammogram, so I'll close this out by reminding those of you to whom it applies to get your girls squished!

Let Summer Begin

Did you know that meteorological summer begins June 1? So while the calendar might still say it's spring for a few weeks yet, I'm officially in summer mode. Part of the reason for that is that Mo is officially on summer break. Apologies if you've already seen this on Instagram, but I couldn't resist sharing it again here:

Her school does a really nice end-of-year ceremony for each school level -- Lower School (pre-K-4th), Middle School (5th-8th), and Upper School (9th-12th) -- in addition to the commencement ceremony for the graduating students, and the highest class in each level are the special honorees. Mo finished 4th grade in spring 2020, so their virtual event was a bit of a let-down. That made this ceremony all the more special. All the members of her class wore dresses (the rest of the Middle School students had to wear their uniforms), and they were recognized by the faculty with personal anecdotes and a rather hilarious song about them to the tune of "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast. Some special awards also were handed out, and we were all so proud that Mo received the Scholar Award for achieving a 3.8 or higher GPA (students at her school receive grades, but their GPA is only calculated internally for awards like this or for reporting to colleges). We had our families over for a celebratory dinner on Friday night, and then she proceeded to sleep nearly 13 hours -- I guess she's really needed to catch up on sleep for a long time! She has no real plans for the summer other than enjoying it. She plans to read for pleasure, do some clean-outs of her room and the basement (which mostly is storing toys she's outgrown), and do some more cooking. We also just signed her up to do the Great Race 5K with us in September, so she's going to start doing some training runs with me soon.

This past weekend was moderately busy with chores and errands and so forth, but it felt rather relaxing in comparison to last weekend! I did give some attention to my Rift tee, and I put half of it on another needle to stretch it out and verify that it will fit.

For the life of me I cannot get my phone to capture the color accurately; it's a bit more yellow in real life. The good news is that just laid out like this, it's measuring 35" around, and I'm fairly certain it will stretch when it's blocked, so I think I will be fine on the fit. I think I'm going to add a bit more length to the body before I split for the sleeves just so that it's not too cropped. I have about 150 yards more than called for in the size I'm making, so I should have plenty to add an extra inch or two. While the fabric I'm getting with this yarn is a little lumpy-bumpy, it feels good, and I think this tee is going to be worn a lot this summer (provided I can keep up my momentum on this project and get it finished soon).

Summer brings with it a lot of time outside and in the garden, and while the bunnies are still trying to eat everything in sight (they seem to be especially fond of hostas), I'm happy to report that my raised planters with fencing are keeping them out and everything in there seems to be growing well. One has a tomato plant, an eggplant, and several zucchini plants, while the other has two kinds of peppers and basil. I've got spaghetti and butternut squash growing along the side of the fence in our driveway; it worked out well last year to have them there so I could drape the vines on the fence as the fruit started to grow. And my beloved hydrangeas have exploded in the past week or so:

There are actually two plants there that were put in the ground at the same time, but the one on the right lost about half its volume last year because of what I suspect was a rabbit den in its root system that killed off a good portion of the plant. I'm hoping it'll come back eventually. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the full range of colors that we're getting!