Please send get well soon vibes

Zoey is home from the vet today after having an aggressive tumor removed from the side of her face and her throat. It had spread more than the vet thought before the surgery. Her first challenge is to keep hydrated the next few days.

This is a recurrence of the cancer she had removed last summer. It grew much faster this time.

Not much else to say today. Please think good thoughts for my kitty.

Mid June milestones

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there!

It is now mid June, which to me was always just the beginning of summer. Today I overheard a lady discussing the season with a saleswoman at the department store, and learned that "summer is nearly over". Huhh? Good thing I haven't gotten around to buying any shorts yet this year. Nearly time to pull out my wool slacks for Fall again I guess.

Good thing I've reached a major "milestone" in Audrey's sweater: the front and back are complete, and shoulders seamed. Tonight I finished one sleeve too (not pictured).

I think maybe another two nights for the other sleeve, one night for seaming, and one night for the neckline. So by next weekend, I think it will be done!

Milestone reached in the Follow the Leader Shawl too - I finished gusset chart "C" and have started chart "D". It's difficult to show progress on an unblocked shawl, one blob looks just like the next. Here's the yarn photo: according to the pattern, I think I will use up 1.5 cakes of this yarn.

The garter stitch "wings" on this pattern are starting to bore me. This is a lot of garter stitch. Still, I think I will like the simplicity of the finished shawl for work. Not quite as boring as the garter stitch baby blanket I made while pregnant (that was acrylic, this is lovely wool-silk blend), but enough garter stitch to send me to the looney bin just the same.

I'm not quite sure what to knit next. I'm almost out of time to make a blanket for Michelle's baby before she is born, but I would still like to do that. I want to shop for new yarn (summer sales and all), but I haven't even dented (more like dinged) the stash I created with last summer's sales (neither of the current projects for example came from the stash). I think at heart, I am a project knitter. I really need to find the project first, then the yarn. The beautiful yarn I bought with no project in mind - just sits there. And then I've got a few skeins of gift yarn to knit up. These are easier - the sock yarn becomes socks, the novelty yarn a scarf. But time, where is the time?

How do people do it - the ones that feature new yarn purchases on their blogs each week? Can you really knit 4 pairs of socks a week? Am I terribly slow? Or are there overflowing closets somewhere, exploding with sock yarn?

Ah well, back to the needles! Best finish these before the winter (which I hear starts around Labor Day).

Not a lot of progress

The big downside to having multiple WIPs? Snail's pace progress on both at once! The sweater for Audrey is moving towards finished - the front is complete, and the back about 80% done. I'm struggling with the sleeve caps and considering abandoning them for a simple inset sleeve.

The Follow the Leader Shawl is at row 121 - just about done with gusset lace chart C.
My apologies for the crummy color rendition. It's late here, and I had to turn on a lot of lights to get the photo.

What's my excuse? Busy, busy, busy. This is the first weekend we've been home since before Memorial Day. Lots of time with family - mine for Memorial Day, DH's for last weekend. We all met in Chicago for a weekend of fun and photos - had professional family photos shot at Lincoln Park Friday, then off to the Aquarium (most of us), and a Cubs game (a few adults). Saturday was a little mellower - I went shoe shopping with my sisters-in-law (dangerous), then we saw the musical "Wicked". Excellent! If you are in Chicago, I highly recommend it. The lead two actresses were terrific.

This weekend was back at home, with one last swimming lesson for Audrey, and a trip to the zoo this morning. Perfect weather both days, I hope it continues for a little while. I also planted some tomatoes (4 plants), and hot peppers (2 plants). I have one basil plant ready to go, but I want to pick up another 2 to go with it. Maybe next weekend. Last year I put the basil in front of the tomatoes, and it really seemed to shield it from the hungry critters in the neighborhood. I'm hoping the same applies this year. I think the pepper plants will help too.

Hoping to get to a couple of yarn stores in the next week, but I may not be able to make it. DH is busy with work Monday and Tuesday, and Zoey goes to the vet Thursday. I am not looking forward to it. The tumor that was removed last summer has reappeared, and much larger this time. She does not seem to be uncomfortable yet, but I don't know if the vet will recommend treating it or letting this run its course. She is 13 years old this year.

Later