Kninja Knitter

My #MarkItMonday check-in and life update is here. Knitting time was hampered a bit by a busy schedule along with some stressful moments. On Sunday, in fact, I barely got any knitting in until I finally made it to the movie theater. More on those tales in a bit.

First, I made decent progress on the Paper Daisy test knit, managing my daily stitch count goals every day except Sunday. Being ahead of schedule meant that yesterday didn’t cause a setback. Sorry to tease, but still no photos of this one.

My first DVD sock for the month is close to completion. While watching Cabrini at the theater, I finished the leg. Ready to start the ribbing!

I also made great progress on my latest Laura Nelkin project, a pair of Larch Peds, shortie socks with multiple nods to Monty Python. 😆 I needed a US0 needle which arrived last Monday, so I knocked out one sock and got started on its mate.

Other projects are languishing so I can meet my 3/31 deadline for these three projects. I’m not overly concerned as I’m enjoying the knitting time when I have it!

As for the struggles… I had to deal with another flat tire this past weekend. Precisely one week after missing a show thanks to a flat tire, I was on my way to see the show and discovered my front tire was blown. A royal mess. And since I hadn’t taken the time to get the first one fixed, I was truly stuck. Missed the show (again) and called on friends to help me out with transportation on Sunday morning.

I’m incredibly grateful for these chosen family! One lives nearby and was able to bring me to church with her. The others are my weekly brunch companions. I rode with them, and after the meal they brought me to the airport car rental.

Other than missing the show and having to shell out a fair amount of money to replace the tires and return my car to good condition, I was very blessed. I’m trying not to dwell on the negative, really!

The brightest part of the weekend came when my uncle (my dad’s youngest brother) called. He shared further news about his brother’s passing, but then he explained that he had recovered some recordings that he’s had in a box for decades! After procuring a player, he’s begun digitizing them, having no idea what specifically was saved.

The quality of the recordings he shared with us is pretty good for the most part. And the sessions he shared were from a couple family gatherings from 1967, the year I was born. The first was from ‘Mother’s Day, which was also the day I was baptized. Most incredible to me was hearing my grandmother (my mom’s mom) who I never knew. She died less than seven weeks after that recording. The second was from Thanksgiving, and my family was visiting, having moved from Connecticut to Pennsylvania that summer.

There are so many wonderful moments in those recordings. And I realized that all but one of the active speakers (my older brother and a cousin are heard in the background only) are now deceased. 😢 The recordings were made specifically to send to my uncle (the one who shared them with me) when he was stationed in Vietnam. He also sent a PowerPoint presentation which combined a recording session he had made for his now-wife and a slideshow he had sent her to accompany the recording. An old-school presentation!

Other bright spots for the week included time with my grandson, naturally, and the purchase of a new bed. That decision has been a long time coming! The foundation was delivered on Saturday, and hopefully the mattress is shipped this week. This should further help me in my pursuit of quality sleep!

Lastly, I received the details on my hotel reservations for the upcoming tour of the UK and Ireland! This is very helpful so I can get a better sense of what I can do and see during my big vacation adventure. In addition to the tour itself along with the excursion I included, I’ve booked two other activities for my “free time.” More to come. Oh, and I still need to look at my hotel proximities to local yarn shops.

Knit on. 🧶