Hats and More

Would you believe that 21 out of my 30 completed prior knitting projects this year were hats? If you know me the answer is is that all you’ve made so far? I am knitting hats like crazy and hoping that school will resume in the fall. Three of the 21 hats were gifts so that leaves so far 19 hats for the Flowing Wells School District Clothing Bank.  If school does not resume it is my hope that the wonderful superintendent Dr. Baker will be able to get the hats to the kids who need them. So I keep knitting. I also started the dozen bag today. This is the bag that keeps the clutter out of the den. When I have a dozen hats they go in to this bag and into a closet until school starts in the fall.

I also took the plunge and ordered some smaller clothing on line today.  I hope that they all fit.  For those keeping track, I have lost 8 inches off my rib cage and lots of inches in other places and 50ish pounds since 2009 when I started the make Sheri healthier project.  I have also gone from a 4x, I really don’t know how I let it go so far out of wack, to ordering a size large.  I know each store, designer and chain store have their own size scales.  This is crazy, right?   Today I ordered a size small (another division of the chain this would be a large or extra large) from one store and a regular larger from another.

Today was a relatively good day. Stay safe and stay 6 feet apart. Hat 21 is sideways.  

A Political Post

I don’t know how so many people shop on line for clothing.  I have only shopped for clothing on line after I tried it on in the store and wanted a second one or a different color.  With my clothing growing bigger every week and COVID-19, I might not have a choice.   The thought just scares me. What if I pick the wrong size or I just don’t like the way it looks.  What then?  The thought of shopping on line is panic attack worthy.

So here is what I need everyone to do.  Get out you magic wands or lucky rocks, and pray that the scientists find a vaccine for this scourge.  We need more people like Bill and Melinda Gates to step up, because Washington has become so patrician that the public be dammed.  I find it very sad that companies have to advise people not to follow what comes out at the daily press briefings because it will kill them as it has here In Arizona.  Can someone have the courage to say we are handing this off to the CDC, NIH and have Bill Gates be the point man.  This may add some calmness to this chaotic situation. It might not get things fixed any faster but the anxiety levels would be lower. It would also eliminate the anxiety that the ignorant man is spewing just to hear himself talk and get his ratings.  

The above rant has nothing to do with a poorly written set of instructions that left me so frustrated that the words I was using would make a sailor blush.  Or that I have been so tense that my back has been in spasms for almost a week. Or that my clothing is falling down or going on a growth spurt all on its own.  You can’t tell me that you clothes never got longer between wearings.

By the way the recipe will be added tomorrow.  Life happened today.

Waiting for Ice Break

It is not quite 3 a.m.m and I am waiting for my sinuses to drain. The Palo Verde Trees are in bloom and the grass pollen is very high too.   This is all because I wanted to take a walk last night to get outside for a bit.  Really dumb, but it was so nice.

This is where Ice Break in Tucson comes in.  Ice break is when it reaches 100 degrees for the first time of the year. Legend has it this is when the ice breaks on the Rilito River.  Then sand trout fishing begins for the first time of the year in question. After 3 days of 100 degree days the pollen count drops really fast.  Then I can go out on my evening walks again without worrying about waking up at 3a.m. Sneezing with an ear ache or 2..

I did not plan far enough in advance to get some hard candy to help relieve the congestion.  I was more concerned with getting the basics at Trader Joe’s then the things I would need in April.  Well I think things finally cleared up enough to go back to sleep.

It Had to Happen

It’s been needed for over a month. The dreaded to do list. I think I need a little more structure in my life right now. A lot of structure has been missing since late November 2019.  So tonight I made my first to do list of the year.  Not long, it fits on a Post-it Note.  Don’t get me wrong an awesome amount of cleaning and organizing has been going on around here. Yet I still can not find my second 16 x US size 8 knitting needle for hats. Don’t forget about knitting too.  I have planned my stash to last a long time without yarn shopping.  How many things can I finish?

I am loosely planning dinners around a shopping wish list.  I put down what we need and wish that we get most of it.   One thing that I cannot seem to find is Excedrin Extra Strength for my arthritis.  The plant that makes it, is currently closed. You can’t get it online and they won’t add it to curbside delivery. I know kind of lame.  Because of stress some days I am taking all I am supposed to be taking instead of 2/3 of what I should take. My normal amount. This means that I am using up my precious supply faster.  Tomorrow I will try driving up to the drive through pharmacies in the area to see if I can get some.  If not I hope they restart production before I run out.  It’s the little things in life I like, like not being in pain that I love. Not to mention a good sunset.

An Important Announcement

John and I will no longer be sheltering in place. Sheltering in place is drab and dreary. It fills me with unnecessary anxiety.  It bring unnecessary tension to our lives.

We have decided to share an Artist Retreat here in the beautiful Sonoran desert. We we’ll be surrounded by beautiful cactus. There is a large lizard guarding the walkway to discourage interruptions. We will also have a wonderful view of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The residence includes a kitchen and fully stocked pantry. Room for John’s 3-D Printing with plenty of filament. Also separate area for fiber arts. As a bonus there is as much fiber as I can use. There is also a full library of fiber arts books.

I will try to get a few new patterns published.  Of course Grandmas Spinning Wheel should have the supplies.

I Hate to Disappoint People

There is some dunderhead on Raverlry that has decided to name themselves the official judge of others people’s knitting. You know the type, the dreaded Knitting Police. You all know how I feel about these self appointed idiots.   Knitting is one of my own art forms and I like to push the boundaries as much as I can.  I like each piece of my work to be different and unique.  Seriously if I wanted conformity why both knitting at all? I would save the time, space and money and just get what ever cheap crap you can get at the dollar store. The kids in Tucson deserve much better than that.

The thing about this idiot,  is that they don’t know that my hats go to a clothing bank for kids.  These kids don’t have much, so getting something that no one else in school has is pretty special. I have heard stories from people who work with these kids how much they love their hats.  Not many know that I am the Hat Lady. I will not let one very insecure person stop me. They can give me as many ugh’s as they want. That won’t stop me.  They were too much of a coward to leave their name. How childish is that?

Which brings me to another point. I was raised with these quotes among many.  “ If you do not have anything nice to say, then say nothing at all.” Another that comes to mind “Silence is golden.” With everyone around the world dealing with the pandemic of COVID19, none of us need this. I knit to relax, have fun and escape. We all need to relax and chill for a while.

This is the hat that got the ugh.  I personally like how the blue and red swirl and mix.  I hope it will be going to a future University of Arizona Wild Cat.  Have a Great Weekend everyone and remember to social distance.

That Feeling

I am having that feeling today that I am stick in school in the classroom waiting for recess.  Knowing that something bad  happened and waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop and I will never be able to go out to recess ever again.

This is what the COVID19 virus is making me feel like today.  Each new outbreak makes the feeling worse. If the president would just keep his nose out of things and let the well trained Doctors and other specialists do their job we would be in much better shape.

G’d will really understand why you are not jamming into his places of worship.  Even G’d is smart enough not to interfere with Mother Nature.  I am hoping that in the long run this will help the environment and our grasp of what we need to do to end global warming.

I really want to go to recess again. So just do me a favor if you can. Just stay home until this is over.