7 DAYS and COUNTING ...

I go back to hell work in seven days.  It's an unbearable thought - it's always like this after having 10 weeks to myself to do whatever I wish to garden and quilt and knit and sew and cook and run people around.  I think that I will get all Scarlett O'Hara about it and drop into denial.  I'll think about it another day.
When we were last at the nursing home, we noticed that someone had given my father a shockingly short haircut.  Basically, his head was shaved.  I'm looking into this, and in the meantime, I thought that a warm hat might be in order to replace the ball caps that are placed on his noggin.  I dug down deep and came up with an old skein of Rowan's Cocoon.  And some Noro.

The Cocoon is extraordinary - everything about it is DENSE, yet soft.  I went back to the label to discover that it has mohair in the mix (mohair makes my skin crawl).  I realized that this hat is going to be too warm to wear indoors.  Even if it is pretty!

I'll finish it up and put it in the hat basket.  I like to keep a basket full of hats-for-the-taking.  More on that later.  For now, I'm thinking that Jared Flood's Turn A Square hat might be a better choice.  I'll use a light worsted.  I am reminded that my father used to wear a flannel hat to bed.  We children thought that this was very funny because it resembled a Santa Claus hat!  What I know now is that he lost a lot of heat through that partially bald head of his.  My mother insisted upon having the windows opened, even in the dead of winter, and their room was like a meat locker!  My mother has always believed in the healing properties of fresh air.  We don't even need to get into that, except to say that she used to dress us in our snowsuits on wintery days and shove us onto the front porch.  There could be swirling white-out conditions, but by God, we went out and took the air!         


 Dad also needs a new winter quilt.  Flannel is always so soft and comforting, so I'll need to go through the stash to see what I have - what I'll need.  I've been admiring Red Pepper Quilts for a long time, and she recently completed a quilt that she calls the Poseidon.  It's simplicity really reaches in and grabs my heart.  I love the Kona 'Snow' bordering effect too - go and have a look at her work.  I'm just wondering how I can incorporate the flannel with the cottons.  All suggestions welcomed.


Did I mention that I have to go back to work in seven days?  Last night, when I went out to admire the garden, the tip of my sandal caught on the fence and DOWN I went, into the tomatoes.  HARD.  I am sorry to admit this, but the first thought that came to me (after the initial swearing) was SHOOT!  Nothing seems to be broken!  I'll have to go back to work, after all.

And leave all of this loveliness.