Friday Felines

 I'm missing this cat, who lives with my daughter in Denver:

Vashti is a very sweet, mellow cat. She'd like to be more friendly, but Rachel's first cat, Delilah, hasn't gotten over not being an only cat.

Gift Worthy!

We've all gifted handmade items to people who didn't appreciate them, leaving us feeling that we had wasted a whole lot of time. My daughter, however, is a very knit-worthy young woman. She not only liked the mittens and hat I knit for her, but she even sent me a photo! (If you look behind her, you can see the cat quilt I made for her.)

The holidays sure aren't the same without Rachel and Seth. Keith and I rang in 2020 in Phoenix, along with my mom. Tonight will not be half as fun.

I've been knitting my Habitation Throw whenever I watch TV or socialize on Zoom, so it's coming along. It looks way better in person than in this photo, I'm happy to say.

In the last month, I got around to learning a jewelry-making skill I've long wanted to master: using brick stitch to attach beads to a metal ring. It's rewarding because it goes pretty fast.

I used free tutorials on YouTube to figure out the technique. It amazes me how generous people are with sharing their skills. I'm sure many of them are offering the tutorials in conjunction with a business, but it's still really nice. I thought about buying a tutorial on Etsy, but I figured that I know enough about beading to figure it out with a little help.

Keith has a strong preference for the fan-shaped earrings, but I like the the full circles just as well. What do you think?

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve. We'll be binging on The Mandalorian. Keith likes it more than I do, but I am the advisor for the Star Wars Club at school, so I like to be on top of it.

Tiny Needle Tuesday

 Yes, it's been a bit more than a week. But I have two excuses. First and foremost, this newly minted professor visited for a week:

That's my daughter sipping a Prosecco Mojito in my backyard. We had a great time together, even though there wasn't a lot to do.  Her research area is race and policing, and I'm a special education teacher, so we have a lot to talk about!

Also, last Monday, I started working full-time. We have two weeks of professional development, and I have been busy! There's paperwork, meeting new kids, learning new technology, anti-racism trainings. It's a lot. My head is about to explode!

But there has been some needlework. I finally finished my Cozy Blue project, and it is adorable. I'm going to make it into a mini-quilt. Kym might notice that I've changed up the colors, as I bought the pattern but not a kit. Honestly, Cozy Blue's color choices were better than mine!

Now I've begun another cross stitch, this one from Satsuma Street. I love their designs.

I'm not going to tell you the name of the pattern -- but you can figure it out if you go to their Etsy store.

Speaking of Etsy, I saw an Etsy commercial on TV last week. It makes Etsy look like a Target. There was no mention of handmade or one-of-a-kind items. I was so disappointed. We have enough large retailers!

Kitten, Kids & Mitts

So, where I have I been for the last month? Well, here is one of the highlights:

Mostly I've been working, practically drowning in paperwork and testing. And there was the matter of the lab stool that came crashing down on my foot in biology class, prompting weeks of light-duty. I still can't wear most of my shoes.

But spring break was pretty amazing -- as well as insanely busy. I started by flying to Miami, where I got to have dinner with my photo-shy son. Seth is working 20-hour days, six days a week, so I was thrilled that he was able to get away for dinner.

I had a wonderful time hanging out with Rachel and my grand-kitty, Delilah. Rachel is a true minimalist --except when it comes to her kitty. Delilah is one spoiled kitty.  

This is probably the special ed teacher in me, but I could swear that kitty has an attention deficit disorder. No matter, I fell in love with her. I think Rachel would have disowned me if I hadn't.

Miami is a great town for coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores. This coffee art came to me at Brewing Buddha, where the coffee was velvety and rich.

We spent a morning wandering around Wynwood, the artsy part of Miami. The murals there are phenomenal.

And we found these amazing gourmet donuts:

Then it was off to Seattle. Take my word for this: Flying from Miami to Seattle is a very long trip. But my aunt was celebrating her 90th birthday, so Rachel and I spent 12 hours getting out there.

We didn't have much time for sight-seeing (although we did walk past the original Starbucks), which was just fine. Many of my favorite people were there, so it was a wonderful weekend.

Rachel, left, with two of her cousins, Robbie and Jennifer. I wish
they could spend more time together!

Of course, I had to have some good travel knitting with me, and I was very pleased with my choice:

These fingerless mitts are based on a recipe by Kirsten Kapur. I grabbed a skein of Crazy Zauberball from my stash, and I love the results.

I'm going to get two pairs out of one skein, so I'm quite pleased with that. It's a mindless pattern that was perfect for travel. 

I hadn't knit with this yarn before, and I found it to be a fun yarn to work with. It's hard to stop because you want to see what color is going to come up next. It's a bit scratchy, but I think it will soften with a good soak and some wear. I definitely want to keep one pair for myself.

Keith met us in Seattle, and then he and I took a red-eye back to O'Hare. I actually made it to work that day! 

A Whirlwind Tour

I hate long travelogues, so I'm going to take you on a very short tour of Eastern Europe, starting with a view of the elaborate Parliament in Budapest, built when Hungary was part of an empire.

We toured the Jewish Quarters in both Budapest and Prague, which was pretty painful. The Dohany Street Synagogue in Budapest is the 2nd largest in the world, but only fills for the High Holy Days. 

The most upsetting memorial for me were the cast-iron shoes placed along the Danube, where Jews were tied in groups of three and pushed into the river.

Budapest is known for its Ruin Bars, funky establishments set up in buildings that were allowed to deteriorate during the Soviet years.

Prague is just as beautiful as Budapest.

Rachel noted that St. Vitus Cathedral must have been the inspiration for some Disney castles.

I fell in love with the Italianate architecture in all three cities. This is Prague:

Lviv, in Ukraine, is less touristed than the other two cities, and retains some of the neglect that the Soviets bestowed on it. The car, for all my fellow Cold War peers, is a famous Russian Lada.

Lviv is known for coffee and chocolate. The Vienna Cafe has been serving both since 1829.

Of course, the best part was sharing the trip with my lovely daughter, who is enjoying a chimney cake here.

The wedding in Ukraine was almost beyond description. But that's another post.