Sunday, May 9, 2010

I thought I'd show you what the Evenstar looks like at this point.  This is three repeats (of 56!) of the edging.  You can see the beads in the photo but not how they shine and add a lovely shimmer to the shawl.  It's not difficult to add the beads using a teeny tiny crochet hook.  I've managed to spill the beads more than once even though Elanor lent me a small container with a lid to keep them in as I'm using them.  It's slow going but it looks good.  I've found two mistakes and am now trying to decide if I can live with them or if I should start the edging over at the beginning.  I am up to 5 repeats which means I have used up 100 live stitches of the edge of the shawl. 

I also started my Travelling Woman.  It's made of Cascade Heritage sock yarn.  Isn't the color pretty?  It's shades of blue and some deep purple.  The yarn is nice to work with and the pattern is wonderfully quick and easy to memorize.   I started it last weekend and worked on it on and off all week.  I am working on chart A and will make it as big as I can and use up as much yarn as I can of the two skeins I have.

This is how I keep track of where I am in a pattern.  These are those little sticky things that you use to show people where to sign.  I like that it has an arrow and is easy to point to exactly where I left off.  I started using them with the Evenstar and decided I really like them.  They're easy to use and move around.


Today was a lovely day.  I got up and Pk went to the bakery for donuts and then made me breakfast.  I sat and worked on my knitting while he cleaned up.  Emily and Katie came over with their wheels and we spun and knitted and talked until they told me that we were all going out for lunch.

(Now, an aside here.  I am adamantly against going out for meals on holidays like Mother's Day.  It is often too crowded and not enjoyable.)

Pk decided the best gift he could give me for Mother's Day was a day with my girls.  He was right.  They made reservations at a local restaurant known for it's food and it's ambience.  The four of us went and had a wonderful lunch.  Well, dinner.  They didn't have a lunch menu so we had to choose from a dinner menu which was a little heavy for mid day but delicious nonetheless.  I thoroughly enjoyed the outing.  And decided that maybe it wasn't so bad to go out for a meal after all.

The lys closed within the hour so we chose to come home and spent the afternoon quietly together.  Kate went to Patrick's house to spend some time with his mother but Em stayed for dinner.  Pk grilled some steaks and because we weren't terribly hungry, Em and I shared one and sent the other home for Jim.  She's on her way home now and hopefully won't get stuck in too much traffic.

I'm so proud of my girls.  They are the light of my life.  They seem to actually like each other (and I know from experience that that is not always the case) and get along well.  I saw love between them today and that more than anything else makes me happy.  They're down to earth and funny.  I couldn't have asked for better company for the day.


10 comments:

amy said...

I'm glad you had a good day! I'm adamantly against going out to eat on holidays like Mother's Day, too. I worked in restaurants for too long! But Chris grilled and I made the sides and it was very, very good. My day was like any other weekend day with young, busy children. I think the kids have to get older for there to be any chance at all for a restful day ever...

Denise said...

That sounds like a wonderful Mother's Day. It's great when your kids get on, isn't it - my two are great friends as well, something I'm always thankful for.

Your Evenstar is just STUNNINGLY gorgeous. Brava!

Denise said...

And I forgot to say - that Post It arrow trick is very good, I'll grab some from the next document I get sent to sign!

Dianne said...

It sounds like you had the perfect Mother's Day! The Evenstar looks lovely!

Saren Johnson said...

It sounds like you had a wonderful day! We don't like to go out during holiday's either, way to many people.

Bells said...

oh your evenstar is just breathtaking! Seeing it finished is going to be so great!

We went out for lunch on mothers day, just the two of us, and deliberately chose somewhere small and quiet away from the crowds! Not our thing at all, not celebrating mothers day and all.

roxie said...

Spinning and knitting and laughing with your daughters. What happiness! And I know it was a pleasure for them as well.

Evenstar rocks! I admire you so much for doing such complicated, delicate work. And your sticky-note idea is inspired.

Alwen said...

Oh, my word, what beautiful lace!

So far that's the blog theme of the day, lace and the magic of blocking. Just lovely!

Anonymous said...

that evenstar is just so stunning. and your story about the girls bought tears to my eyes. mothers day is hard for daughters without mothers, i should have thought to ring my sister and tell her i love her instead. thanks for reminding me, i will go do it now!

catsmum said...

oh Evenstar is just bee-ooo-ti-ful :) and yes I rather expected that you would frog the mistakes - would've been my move too - and was on most of those recent shawls, except I don't think I blogged about it

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