Sweaters, Songs and More...

So I promised you pictures of buttons. Here they are. These are some vintage buttons from my friend Kelly at Le Mouton Rouge Knittery. She got a big old box of 'em and I saw these and immediately - even though I'd bought some triangular Celtic knot buttons - HAD to have these. Had to. She was kind enough to give them to me, which was very sweet of her. There are actually 5 of them, and I have 19 balls of the yarn - so in truth, if I wanted, I could knit up some Gull Lace wristlets and use the buttons as accents. The sweater takes 3 - and honestly, I should've done it with just 2. Anyway, I have extra and I may as well use them. 

I'm moving along on the sweater; the lace pattern is really easy to memorize - almost too easy, and you can easily become complacent. I'm not sure whether this is zipping along or I'm being deceived by the fact that this is a DK-weight and it's not a baby-sized item. I'm doing 7.5" in length, and they said do 1.5" as garter stitch to finish. This being a silk + wool yarn, it'll "grow" a bit, especially with the entire body being lace. So if it gets a little longer, I won't cry, but I didn't want to have it too long. 

I was a little worried about the "alternations" I made in the pattern. I still don't get the "knit 4 rows of the lace pattern" thing because my 3rd buttonhole wasn't there, I couldn't see doing 4 rows of the lace there before you actually started the body, and finally - I messed up and reached my yoke length on the RS. So I added enough knit rows to make myself back on the correct side to start knitting the lace so it wouldn't be "backward." 

I can tell you that those 50g balls go fast! It seems like I'm already on ball #4 or so. 

Empty Bowls...

When I worked at the university, we had a project that was a great fundraiser called "The Empty Bowl Project." Everyone was encouraged to decorate a bowl, and then the bowls were sold. 

Well, Kid #2 had something similar at his high school, and he brought me one of the bowls that one of his students did. It's really pretty, has 3 little ball legs on it, and will be perfect for yarn. Or notions. Or just sitting and looking pretty. Haven't quite figured out where to put it yet. Still organizing, still tossing out magazines, and still clearing out the office. 

Songs...

So my guitar teacher and I thought I needed some new songs. He says to me, "Ever heard of the Wailin Jennys?" Ummmmmmm - YES!! So I did some research and found a beautiful song called "Arlington" (which has nothing to do with Virginia or the cemetery) and I was able to find sheet music for it. I've been working on it all day. I've also got a few others, including "One Voice" which I'd love our choir to do. 

Hubby was also able to find me a couple of new Tric guitar cases. Mine were pretty beat up, and I can't get them from my usual source anymore. Figures. 

So I'm all set to go. It's going to be fun. I'm also hoping to see Neal Peck and the Stay Tuned String Band this month at one of the free concerts in the downtown area. 

Politics...

Well, I know it's been a while and I've been processing a lot. But I have to go there. The Nectarine Nemesis says, "When will the world start laughing at America?" 

Ummmmmm. November 2017... the day after the election. And after the disaster that was his ham-fisted (pun intended) attempt at diplomacy? Yeah, they're rolling in the aisles. 

Even The Guardian pointed it out... So, folks. Let's get over Kathy Griffith (for any number of reasons, including Ted Nugent -- go look it up if you don't get it), and let's focus on what's important. 

The social safety nets which are in danger of being cut out from under the most vulnerable. 

The environment.

Jobs.

Education. 

Medical care/insurance. 

We have a lot to worry about with the Twitter-freak in the White House. Let's not get distracted. 

Get involved locally. Contact your representatives. Find a cause that you're passionate about and do something about it. 

Random Picture...

On my way to the "Essential Oils for Animals" workshop in Peoria, I drove through some of my favorite parts of Illinois: the slightly hilly "down south" area, where there are wind farms (take that, Nectarine Nemesis: the future is wind and solar, NOT coal!!) and rolling hills. 

Let's face it, Illinois is more famous for jailing its governors and not paying its bills. We've clearly got the most dysfunctional state government. And that's not hyperbole. We're broke, we can't pass a budget and we keep electing the same people. 

What's the definition of insanity? "Doing the same thing and expecting different results." Yup. That about sums it up. 

Anyway - that day started out cloudy, but the sky was a gorgeous shade of blue in some spots, and the wind farms were doing their thing. It's really pretty.