The Honeymoon is Over! (A lost and found post*)

I had been looking forward to Stitches West for an entire year. Then after months of waiting, February arrived and I purchased my Market ticket and my train ticket. I just couldn't wait until the 27th.

I prepared by writing down the yarn requirements for several patterns I wanted to knit and deciding what knitting I would take for the trip. I planned what I would wear and what I would put in my backpack.

Finally the day arrived. I got up early, made Safeway open the deli so I could get a sandwich to take. I ordered my favorite: turkey and havarti on sliced bread with avocado spread on the bread and sprouts. Problem. Safeway deli doesn't have sprouts. So I went to the produce section and bought a pack of sprouts and an apple and picked up a water bottle at the check out stand. I was ready to go to the train station. There was some issue with the tracks and we had to switch to a bus for part of the trip, but I didn't care, I was on my way!

My day at the market, was awesome! I bought some yarn, bought some tools, bought some patterns! Hooray! I came home and finished a couple of projects so I could start in on my Stitches goodies.

First I wanted to cast on for a Stitch Diva scarf that required the tunisian crochet hook I had just purchased. Glitch. I also needed a ginormous regular crochet hook which I had failed to notice when I was reviewing the pattern and making my "to buy" list.

Next, I cast on a shawlette. I purchased both the pattern and the one skein of yarn required for the pattern at Stitches. Glitch. I had trouble interpreting the instructions beyond row one. Got past that and then...glitch. I didn't have enough stitches to move from chart one to chart two.  I got past that as well and then yet another glitch.  This is where the honeymoon ended.  I didn't have enough stitches to move from the second to the third chart. I fudged that again and got through charts three and four and then, you guessed it, glitch. My stitches didn't line up for the final chart.  Another stitch fix and I was on  my way, on my way to running out of yarn!  I had to leave some rows out of the final chart and then had to do a yarn-saving bind off but I finally finished it.

I gave it to my mom for her birthday.  My mom loved it.  She's not a knitter, so the sad tale of the knit wreck it was won't be shared with her.


*this post has been patiently waiting in draft for over three years.

Little Bit Pretty-Pretty

Since my cat's passing (RIP :( Harrison), I have been missing the pitter-patter of little feet about the house. I've considered another cat or maybe a dog. But really those were fleeting thoughts. No other cat could replace my Harry, and a dog needs a yard!

One day in January I stopped at the pet shop by my house. My niece and nephew each have a Betta and they seemed fairly easy to care for and lovely to watch. Needless to say, I left the shop with a pamphlet on Betta care plus one small Twin Tail Halfmoon male Betta and all its accoutrement!

So far he has been very easy to care for: feed twice daily, clean tank once a week, and very lovely and relaxing to watch.  However, he is still mostly nameless. I tend to call him "Little Bit" or "Pretty-Pretty" neither of which I particularly like. Though that doesn't stop the words coming out of my mouth. Maybe I'll find the perfect name soon, but until then he'll be a lit bit pretty pretty.