A weekend to exhale

If you're here in the US, you likely enjoyed this long holiday weekend. It certainly wasn't the 4th of July celebrations we are all used to, but it was nice to exhale for a few days. I actually took time off and didn't work, which is rare for me to do two days in a row. I spent time in the water with the kids, sitting outside in the horrid heat enjoying my gardens, and knitting.

Above is my Kline Shawl in action. I'd say i'm 75% done now. It's a fingering weight pattern, but like I've been doing, I went up to Sport/DK and increased two needle sizes. The colors are Wash House and Farm House. I love the round nature of Work Sock and I think it's going to hold up really well to wear this winter. Though it's hard to believe winter is coming when it's 95 degrees outside. As I ran out of Wash House, I decreased the first section pattern repeats by one and for the little garter stripes in the second part of the pattern I used a heathered grey fingering weight yarn doubled. I had it on hand and didn't want to wait to find a DK weight one in a few days when I was back in the shop, so I decided that this solution was great and make it even more mine. Why I can't just leave a good pattern alone as is, I don't know. But I always seem to change the weights used, run out of yarn, add a different color for some interest.... just something. Though this might be a pattern I would knit as is. I just bought it. I think I'll blog about color ideas tomorrow. So if you have a color or collection you'd like me to feature, let me know in the comments.

Photo used with permission of Joji Locatelli

I'm finally enjoying some success in my window boxes. We put them up last year and the flowers weren't loving life b/c one of them gets a lot of sun, one dappled sun and one shade. This combination of plants really works for all of them and they are flourishing and it makes me so happy to see them on our home. There's something about window boxes that seem so special to me.

Another thing making me smile is this little succulent that I planted that has taken off and is even flowering! Gah! These tiny, feathery flowers are adorable!

The boys celebrated an early birthday this weekend at my mom's. I'm unsure how to celebrate their birthdays later this week (8 and 13!), as we can't have a party (I mean, we can, but that's not something we are comfortably doing with the current COVID situation). So if you've celebrated kid birthdays the past few months or have suggestions on a nice way to commemorate their days, I'd love your ideas. I don't go shopping (other than grocery), so I let them pick their birthday presents online this year. I really didn't want to give them something that they decided they didn't want, or got from someone else, b/c that would require another trip to a shop to return said item. So I gave myself an out and just let them choose their own gifts.

Comments

[staci]

My kids have participated in birthday parades, Zoom parties, and a virtual Minecraft party. For the video conference parties the birthday kid's family dropped off a treat and a party hat/favors. They also had some activities the kids could do in case they weren't talking. My daughter and friends sometimes coordinated games they could play as a group over Facetime, which could also work for a party. For example, they all had Twister, so they played that. Battleship also worked pretty well. The Minecraft party was just playing Minecraft online with each other in a birthday decorated world.

[Karen machado]

It is hard, to make a decent party, for young people with their friends, now. I wanted to throw my son a graduation party, which also lined up with his birthday, but just didn’t do it. I just didn’t want to risk anyone’s health. I feel awful about my son getting the short stick on such a momentous occasion, but he is more ok with it than I am!🥺

[Jessica]

My son turned 10 last week. They did an appointment time at the local water park. Low capacity, social distancing, masks when not in the water. We made him an ice cream cake, and got him the glue slime kit he's been wanting for a while.

[Beth]

I am a sixth grade teacher, and one of my parents planned a tour of town, stopping at specific homes. Her daughter was blindfolded, and at each home, the person gave different clues where they were. When she guessed, she took off the blindfold and we had a short, distant visit. Sort of like the parade, but not.