Whenever I get all, “My life is just WRONG!” I can be assured that a bad, bad cold is on it’s way. Evidently that’s what overtook me yesterday, and the doubt is still hovering today. But at least I know it has a trigger – a virus!
I should have learned by now – and I have my blog to go back and chart this stuff – but nothing makes me feel more malaise-ridden and self-doubting than the onset of a cold.
So now I’m tucked up in bed with my knitting, computer, a nice book and some ginger snaps (and tea!) beside me. Hannah’s still asleep, Gerry’s left for his “training wheels” job* and I’m ready to rest and work simultaneously.
To do today:
- Write Monthly Newsletter
(to get more signups for classes in Sept & Oct) - Firm up classes for East Coast in Oct
- Try to get MORE classes AFTER Oct
- Finish “James Skirt”**
- Swatch Soft Cardigan & Gripsholm Jacket
- Create illustrator charts for Black Prince
**Training Wheels Job
Gerry – and his doctors – are feeling that perhaps his recovery is going well enough to contemplate returning to work (he’s BORED)
To that end, Gerry’s signed up with a workforce group that finds re-training funds for disabled folks. In order to prove that their clients have the stamina to be worthy of the funding, the work force group arranges minimum-wage, low-impact, temporary jobs as a sort of trial run.
Gerry’s first gig at a Borders Books was fine, but perhaps a little to physical. Now he’s doing phone work for a PR firm a few hours a day, and he’s enjoying seeing other folks and interacting. And, as small as his paycheck is, it’s a help and covers the extras for the kid (we’re devoting it to back-to-school stuff)
If all goes well he’ll be able to enroll this Fall for video streaming and video conferencing classes, buidling on his 20+ years in TV, and his ability with any type of computer. As with any challenge, I have mixed feelings, but I’m very proud of him!
**James I Skirt
James I of England, VI of Scotland, was the king who brought Scotland and England together. The Protestant son of a Catholic Queen and successor to a Protestant Queen, James was unique in that his mother (Mary of Scots) and son (Charles I) were both beheaded.
It’s a period of British History I’ve been fascinated with for several years – his reign was a unique time of peace between a long-seated monarch and an incipient civil war – and he looked good in pumpkin breeches.
Okay, not exactly pumpkin breeches. But they are full at the hips, drawn in at the waist and knees.
Which made me feel they’d be perfect for a bubble-shaped dirndle type of skirt. Chenille cried out as a stand in for the Prince’s velvet, but I wanted something more practical and washable. And something that would weigh less. [Falcon optional]
I stumbled upon Bombay by Trendsetter, which has a lovely hand and – to my eye – looks velvet-esque when blocked. And it’s relatively lightweight, washable, and has good yardage.
So today I’ll be finishing this skirt, doing some swatching, and with any luck I MAY just finish Sutton Hoo (pictures to follow…)