Highlight of 2022 -- So Far!

2022 is the year that we come out of Covid travel restrictions.  This may not seem like such a big deal to most folks, but for my daughter and her fiance, it was a Very Big Deal.  They had gotten engaged in the first summer of Covid -- 2022.  They were hoping for a wedding in 2021, when they could have a nice party without requiring everyone to wear a mask.  As we all know, 2021 was not that year.  

2022, however, was.  They planned a summer wedding, in his parents' back yard.  The weather was mostly cooperative -- the rain held off until just after the last table was served.  And the rain was only a half-hearted effort -- just enough to kind of cool things off.  And then ... there was a rainbow.  It was, quite honestly, magical. 

Carrie had her good friend design and sew the dress.  It was finished almost at the last minute, but was WELL worth the effort and wait.  The groom obtained a very nice suit for the day.
 

Don't they look happy?   Turns out that in Alberta, you can pay a fee and anyone can perform a marriage ceremony.  They persuaded their friend to do the honours, and he did an exemplary job.  It was very personalized, and perfect for these two young adults.  

Here are some more pictures of The Dress -- 

There are three layers to the dress itself, with Chantilly lace on the bodice.  It was just perfect for my girl. 

Both of my sons were able to attend, requiring flights from Arizona and Washington.  Miraculously, there was very little drama involved.  (Someday I will tell you all the adventures my Jeff endured while flying various places.)  Jason came over to the AirBnB we rented, and pictures were taken!

It was such an awesome time to hang out with the two of them and watch their "baby" sister be all grown up.  The two of them gave a very nice impromptu speech, unrehearsed.  I understand that Jeff had some ideas, that were pretty much all scrapped in favour of Jason's off-the-cuff speech.  Jeff did contribute a most memorable line and item -- a coffee mug emblazoned with "Most Okayest Sister," which was received with great laughter.  Considering that she is the only sister they had for much of their lives ... 

This trip was also an opportunity for Jeff to introduce his Young Lady to the family.  We had sort of met via video chats, which was delightful.  Even better was to meet her in person and watch the interactions between the two of them, and her Little Man.   For privacy and permission reasons, I have not included a photo of him, but he is as adorable as his mama.   It seems I was a great hit, having provided an I-Pad for him to play with!

All in all, this trip to Calgary has been the highlight of my year!  

(Also, please note that this is my post for August, so I am not behind any more!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July … or how I spent the heat wave!

 Technically, it is August.  August 4, actually.  However, I started this post in July, just before I went away, thinking that I would have time to finish up and polish everything nicely.  Yeah, right.  I should have known better. Having admitted this, let me get going on what I accomplished in July!

This is the Aran Afghan I was knitting for my step-daughter.  That girl surely knows the way to my heart -- she selected the pattern herself from a big pile of patterns!  The magazine, McCall's Super Book of Afghans was purchased by me way back in 1975 or so.  I have knit a few afghans from it, as evidenced by the poor condition of the magazine itself.  On a whim, I searched on-line for it, and found another copy in far better condition than mine.  It lives with me now. 

In any event, this particular pattern is known as the Aran-Stripe Afghan.  It consists of five panels, joined with a garter stitch border at the top and bottom.  Instead of sewing the panels together, I opted for a three-stitch i-cord join.  It worked amazingly well!  The afghan was very well-received by my step-daughter.  You would have thought I had gifted her the sun, moon and stars.  I used a 5.0m needle and James C. Brett Aran with Wool -- 3.5 400g balls.  I rate this a successful project!

Another project recently off my needles is this beautiful wrap.  This is named the Stella Wrap, designed for Ella Rae Cozy Alpaca.  We carry the Cozy Alpaca Chunky in the store, and were accidentally shipped a bag of the worsted weight.  Of course, we didn't discover the mishap until after the yarn had been opened ... What's a girl to do with orphaned skeins of yummy wool?  The pattern calls for 5.0m needles, which is the size I used.  (I guess it's a good thing I have several sets of interchangeable needles, eh?)  The wrap is roughly 17 by 48 inches, so it will be more like a poncho than a shawl.  In any event, it is lovely and soft and warm.

We also ordered and received another fabulous baby/child yarn.  It is King Cole Tropical Beaches DK.  I have no idea why we didn't bring this in earlier.  The colourways are spectacular -- happy, happy, happy and the hand is super soft and comfortable to work with. Since the new yarn had arrived, we needed a sample.  Initially I was planning to make a baby blanket -- there is plenty of yardage in the skein to complete a generous blanket.  Not seeing anything I really liked, I started browsing through our pattern binders.  Sure enough, I found something I liked -- Sirdar 5214.  There was plenty of yarn left, so I went ahead and made up a little bonnet as well.  Except it isn't pictured here ... Anyway, a 4.0m needle for the bulk of the design with a wee bit of 3.25 for the garter stitch edges.  Love, love, love it!

And since knitting isn't my ENTIRE life ... Doug and I went sailing on a beautiful summer Sunday.  And brought home a trophy ... again!  This was the Lake Scugog Sailing Club Memorial Trophy.  The other highly competitive boat/team had a rigging failure and withdrew from the race just as they rounded the last buoy.  Sad for them, but we got the trophy. 

Sailing, for me, is incredibly restorative.  You have the sun, the wind, the waves, and yourself (and sometimes your partner), and that's it.  No interference from radios, telephones, tablets, neighbours, pets, children ... It makes me happy.  I have been away for the past 9 days and am looking forward to a sail tomorrow, weather permitting.  

There is lots of other news, but I am gonna save it for a bit.  My heart is too full to share just yet.  

Cheers, everyone!