Well, then. They tell me the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I guess you could say that’s where I’ve been recently. It’s hard for me to believe it’s been FOUR YEARS since I’ve posted on this blog. I think when Pippin crossed the Rainbow Bridge he took the biggest part of my heart with him. Even writing this down makes me cry. Some losses you just never get over.

But two new kitties have come into my life: Milo and Satai. Milo, a/k/a The Cow-Dog Kitty, is a black and white short hair with black spots on his sides like a cow. He just acts like a dog, chewing up all the wires (cell phone, electrical, etc.) he can find in the house. Oh, and he loves to chew on my knitting needles also...especially my bamboo ones. Grrrr! He is quite the talker and will practically carry on a conversation with you. Satai is a tabby-point Siamese and very laid-back. His fur is a bit longer than Milo’s and extremely soft. Unlike most Siamese I have known, he doesn’t talk much and has a very soft voice. He does like to chew plastic bags and claw furniture AND my jeans. While Milo will come and sit on my lap while I am knitting/watching TV, Satai doesn’t like to sit on laps. Oh, no. But just let me go lie down on the bed, even for a few minutes, and there he is, wanting to snuggle up close to me...even clawing to get under the covers when it’s cold in the room. Oh, and in case anyone is wondering: both boys are rescues from the SPCA so they are “fixed,” have regular vet visits, and are indoor-only kitties.

Well, on to the needlework. I have been doing some needlework the past 4 years: a little crochet, some sewing, some cross stitch, and a lot of knitting for The Common Thread Circle. I don’t get to attend the circle meetings each week but did get to go to one in October and drop off a number of hats and scarves I had made. I keep one of those mesh laundry bags hanging on my home office door and just keep tossing hats and scarves in there until it’s full. Everything gets washed in “free and clear” gentle soap and then sent on to The Common Thread Circle for delivery to local hospitals to be given to the patients.

So, as of today, January 1, 2019, this is what I have on my needles (at least at hand where I can write this down):

1. A pair of socks in Indulgence 6-ply, color 8 (variegated blues). Hubby gave me a copy of The Knitter’s Book of Socks by Clara Parkes for Christmas so I have chosen the first pattern in the book, “Stepping Stones,” for my first pair of heeled socks to knit. This is on 2.75mm/US2 needles so it’s going to take me a while to get them done.

2. A knitted hat in Red Heart Super Saver Heather, color 0405 Plum Heather. The band is on 5.5mm needles and the rest of the hat is on 6.5mm needles. This is my third hat from this skein and I really like the feel of this acrylic yarn. Again, this will go to The Common Thread Circle.

My current j-o-b is very stressful so I have taken to sitting in my car and knitting at lunch time rather than eating in the tiny lunch room with my co-workers. Generally, I work on hats that are somewhat mindless to knit rather than anything I have to really concentrate on doing. It seems to help lower my stress level...except I just don’t want to go back in to work. I’d much rather sit and knit for the rest of the afternoon. ‘Nuff said.

So that’s the latest. I’ll try to post pictures as I finish things...certainly as I turn items in to The Common Thread Circle.