1 week and counting

One week from tomorrow and I will be on vacation for 2 weeks - i can hardly wait. I have been trying to decide what projects I will take with me. This is what I decided on - one crochet and one knit. The crochet project I picked is a stole I designed and I am using yarn I received from my SP - here is a picture:



The knit project is one I wanted to make since I saw it on this blog - I went out and bought the book the same week. I am using this yarn that I bought at The Yarn Tree in Brooklyn.

I am still waiting patiently for the yarn I bought from Mystical Creations and Red Bird Knits - I hope the buttercream comes before I leave - the other probably won't, as it is dyed to order.

Tomorrow my mother is spending the night at the respite center - a trial before we go away - please keep your fingers crossed that all goes smoothly and she has no trouble sleeping over. I don't know what I will do if she can't stay there.

Here is a picture of my mystery stole - I haven't gotten very far but it is coming out really well - the yarn in elann's Puruvian Alpaca - so soft and warm it will be very very cozy when it is finished.

Oh and I splurged and bought myself these: just cause i could.

Almost normal again

Today was Clara's first full day at the Day Care center - my brother said she got home okay and was ok. So it seems this will work and I can get my life back it relatively normal again. Yeah! I can't tell you how exhausted I have been - I think I have gained about 20 lbs since my brother was in the hospital - I eat my way through stress - not good! Hopefully things will calm down now and I can relax. I am glad she is happy there because she will be staying there while we are on vacation. They have a respite program there for just such occasions.

My vacation is in 2 weeks and I am really looking forward to it this year. We leave on Sept 6 and fly here, we are staying here. From there we are driving here and up to here and finally here and from there we fly home. I am hoping to meet up with another knit blogger or two while there.

I am working steadily on my scarf exchange scarf - I want to finish it this week so I can mail it out before I leave. I have indulged in some retail therapy and purchased this in the buttercream color. I also bought this and this in vanilla and peach respectively. I have picked out a few things from GOL that might work with these.

I think I am going to soak in a hot tub then work some more on my scarf - later........

Weekend Update

Well some good news - I found a Day Care program that will take my mother in. It is in the neighborhood and she starts on Monday. It is a temporary solution till her Medicaid is approved and I can get her into a nursing home. She is totally unable to care for herself anymore and needs constant supervision. I can't stress enough to everyone to plan for the future, start now - set up a care network, join your local senior center and AARP, get Long Term Care insurance - Don't wait till you need help to start thinking about these things.

Enough of this - on to knitting content. I received a pkge from my secret pal last week - here is what was in it:

and this

I used the beads to make this:

And here is a sock I started about a year ago: I don't know why I never seem to finish socks. These are really pretty and the yarn - cascade fixation - is really soft and stretchy, I am sure I would love wearing them - if I can ever get myself to finish them!

Progress

I finally finished something - my SES is done! Here is a picture of it blocking:
and here is a closeup: I even added beads to it, but they match the yarn so perfectly, you can't see them unless you get really really close.

I decided to finish it in a hurry after I realized that my mother had broken the yarn on this and on my mariah, I don't know why - she doesn't remember doing it, but I found the ball of yarn from mariah in her apartment today - she must have stashed it in her bag when I wasn't looking when she was here last week. I have 2 people from different Adult Day Care programs coming to assess her tmrw - I am praying she can get into one of these soon. Then I have to find out who I can call to do a PRI assessment, which is the first step to getting her into a nursing home, so she can have 24 hour attention, which she needs.

I've made some progress on my scarf exchange gift too, see: I think I am going to trim it with Jo Sharp DK wool in aubergine, I really like they way they look together and I found a very pretty edging pattern in one of my stitch directories. I like this pattern I am using for the scarf because it is reversible, I like that it looks the same on both sides

Still here

Sorry I haven't posted in a while - I am still dealing with my mother and her dementia. I have found 2 Adult Day Care programs in Queens, someone is coming from each on Monday to assess her condition - so please send positive energy my way that she gets into one and will be happy and I can get my life back.

Haven't really been doing to much knitting/crochet - my heart and head hasn't been in it. I frogged the purple scarf when I realized I had knit the same row 2x. I am a little farther along on it and will post pictures soon. The elegantly Simple shawl hasn't been touched, neither has the mystery stole and I haven't started the mystery shawl. I did receive my order of Zephyr in the copper color - wow is this stuff gorgeous! I have to wind it - I think I am going to use it for a shawl in GOL.

More later.....

need a laugh?

Please check this out - after I stopped laughing I was speechless.

I have joined a whole bunch of swaps and exchanges - The Crochetville Autumn SP, Celia's Scarf Exchange, Crochetville Holiday Exchange, the Summer of Lace, Mystery Shawl KAL, Mystery Stole KAL & the Crochetville Squares Exchange! I admit it - I am a joiner.

Here are the first of the 34 squares I need to crochet by October:
I am using a dk wt acrylic in sage and rust colors - I really like the combo - I'll see how far this yarn gets me - If I need more I will add more colors instead of getting more of the same.

Here is an updated picture of my Simply Elegant Lace Shawl:
I LOVE this yarn and want to buy lots more in all their colorways - If I ever get back to Montana I am camping out at Mountain Colors.

I also picked up 2 books - A Gathering of Lace & Shawls & Scarves - the best of Knitters. I wan to knit everything in these books - I can't decide what to start next.

Once last "What's wrong with this picture":
Located by the train station in Wantagh