Tuesday we had our GabCraft meeting. Rather than work on our macramé, we did string art. It was difficult, mainly because the “instructions” were horrible. Kris, who had the most complex design, was actually missing half of hers. Not that they would help much. Elaine (Kris’s BFF) had the best directions. After saying how to do it, which none of us understood, it said “Or use your imagination and be creative.” So she just did what she felt like doing. Debie and I studied our package photographs a lot and I undid mine several times before I finished. Eventually we both figured ours out. Once I figured out how to do it, the hardest part was keeping the string taught (’cause several wraps came undone when it loosened) and remembering to wrap it clockwise. Elaine finished hers quickly and I finished mine by the end of the session. Debie finished hers that night or the next day. Kris was not enjoying it, so she gave me hers. I will finish it and give it back to her to hang because it’s a dragonfly which she loves.

Once I figured it out, I actually did enjoy doing it, but I don’t foresee doing it again because, well…what will I do with it?

I’m not sure when I’ll get back to the macramé thingy. For now it goes into my UFO pile along with my quilting and embroidery projects and the diamond dots from our first GabCraft.

I have been working on the crocheted afghan. I got halfway through the second giant skein of yarn and it was not looking good at all. The change of stitches was barely okay, but then I realized that the edge was about five inches shorter than the beginning edge. I’m not a compulsive perfectionist, but this wasn’t good enough. I pulled it all out to the point where Debie’s stitches ended and mine started. It went from 18″ to about 2.5″. Right now it’s about 8″ to 10″. I definitely know how to do shell stitch now and the width is remaining even.

I always wondered how my sister managed to crochet while watching TV (beyond not being ADD). Now I know. I’d need to concentrate on the first two rows (which Debie did for this afghan) and learning new stitches, but the rest it easy to do while watching TV. In fact, I found it easier to work on while watching TV shows. I’m not so sure about movies. Also, I will try listening to podcasts. I can’t sew and listen to a podcast (if I want to really listen and understand), so we’ll see. General TV shows work because if I miss something it’s no big deal and there are very few times I stop crocheting to listen carefully.

This is the adorable baby about whom my dear hubby said “Absolutely NOT!!” 😿💔

She was born on my brother’s birthday, so Kris says she’s his cat now. LOL At the GabCraft she jumped up onto the table and stole a potato chip. Apparently she’ll steal food off someone’s spoon or fork, too.

I think I worked one afternoon on cleaning the sewing room. Probably more like half an afternoon. The table top is visible now. I still need to find a permanent (sort of) place to keep the fabric scraps I’m working on. (washing and sorting) I really want to keep the table clear so I have a cutting surface when I need it. And a clear, flat surface to put fabric into the machine embroidery hoops.

We finally decided on a storage bench/footstool to keep all the stuff I bring into the living room to stitch there. I decided to go cheap and Amazon had one that the very few negative reviews were not enough to dissuade me. Most were about the color not being what they expected (darker or lighter). The worst complained that it was cardboard. What was she expecting for $60?? It says it will seat up to 375 lbs and a 250 lbs man said he sat on his regularly with no problems. So I went ahead and ordered it. I also ordered small fabric boxes to keep some order inside the bench. The small boxes arrived today. I think the bench will arrive by Friday.

While writing above about finding a place for the fabric scraps and planning to mention the bench and small boxes, I figured it out. Right now it’s a jumbled mess, but the blanket box I throw my scraps into can be organized with the same small boxes and/or the fabric baskets I keep my fat quarters in. (I have extra.) I’d like to sort by size and color. Finding the right pieces will be easier in the organized, covered boxes than digging through all sizes and colors jumbled together . . . even if I can organize by color or size only, instead of both. Another project for the list.

Weather has been HOT!! When my sister moved to Oregon they usually had one week of this kind of weather. Now it starts earlier, lasts longer, and returns. It’s too hot to water during the day, so I do it after supper, when it’s started to cool down. Alas! That’s when the mosquitoes come out. The first time I started with the roses and by the time I got to my potted trees it was dusk and I was bit a gazillion times. Seven or eight bites on my ankle turned red and grew so that about seven or eight inches up my leg from my ankle was berry red for about a week. Now I water the trees first. I still get bit, but not as much. Fortunately, it still cools dramatically at night, so the nights are quite lovely, though a little more humid than previous summers have been–40% to 50% instead of 20% to 30%. At least it’s not Virginia’s 98%!

The “Too Much” of my title is that Kris had a stroke. She went into the hospital on Thursday for an ablation. They had to stop because she had some bleeding and that also meant she had to stay so that they could monitor her. A very good thing, because she had the stroke while she slept. She woke up unable to talk or move on her right side. The good news is that she is already able to move her right foot and raise her leg. It’s a bit more difficult, but she could also raise her right arm. She even managed to say a few words to Debie, though there’s still a lot of aphasia. Debie, who always looks for the worst so that she’s prepared, was very encouraged. Her RN training is kicking in big time. Since she worked with stroke patients when she was a nurse, she will be working with therapists to help Kris. She promised Steve (my brother) that when Kris gets home she’ll stop by every day. I’m pretty sure with Steve’s determination to be a drill sergeant and Debie’s incessant and cheerful encouragement, on top of the improvement she’s made in only one day, she will recover quickly and completely or nearly completely. She had a lot of people praying for her, but if anyone reading is so inclined to offer their prayers, good vibes, or whatever equivalent they have, we would be grateful.