Batty Batty Bat

About Last Night …

I was up in my atelier knitting away, trying to upload a pattern to my Knit Companion app on my iPad when I heard my hubby downstairs “kind of screaming” in disgust like he was grossed out by a cut or something. The man constantly cuts himself shaving or bumps himself and gets a cut so nothing surprises me but this time it sounded different and when I hollered down a “what’s happening?” his response was “A BAT! There’s a bat in the house.”

I put my iPad down, turned off the television and headed downstairs to “help” get the bat out. I was at the same time grossed out, fearful and anxious. I held the door open hoping it would exit … the big mistake I made is that I turned OFF the lights going up the stairs … bats don’t like the light. SO … up the stairs it went. (I had closed the 2nd floor doors, thank goodness. Can you imagine what would have happened if it had gotten into my yarn stash?!) Anyway, it settled in the highest part of the house and gave us time so hubby could get the fishing net and capture it long enough to get it downstairs and outside. It was a bit tangled in the net but with a little time and patience, it freed itself and flew off. It’ll be a while before we stop looking for bats in the house.

I have finished the knitting part of the two little boy vests. I need to block them next (after my plant is done drinking up the water in the sink) and sew in all the ends and stitch down the “v”. That’ll be two finished gifts in a week. Yay, me!

I’ve also made some good progress on my Sabai Top. I like the yarn pretty well because it’s soft but I am wishing it was that beautiful linen like my green tabard. I loved knitting that yarn. Regardless, I’m at the 18 inches point of the body and the goal is 21 inches so I have a bit more to go and then the ribbing. I suspect that if I applied myself today that I could finish it. I’m torn – because I want to knit the Reverie Socks (see the cute little pale pink sock below) that I cast on on Thursday because I’m really enjoying the pattern (so much better than the Lochside Socks that I didn’t enjoy knitting. It’s in time out and I am considering frogging.)

I also knitted a big circle with some super bulky Lambs Pride yarn that went on clearance at the store for a sample … and hope it’ll sell some yarn and be a useful container for the store. Today I’ll felt it into a “bowl”. My friend and colleague, Carol, found an old Plymouth felted bowl pattern in a donated binder and on the same day the Lambs Pride variegated Burly Spun yarns went to clearance (discontinued). We each brought a hank home to make a sample for the shop – to sell the yarn and to use as display support in the future. Mine is knitted and needs felting. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

It’s going to be another hot one today. I’ve turned on my a/c in the atelier and plan to spend some serious knitting time. The rest of the week is going to be busy – good busy but busy. I’ll take today to recover from my 3-day work week last week and store up some energy for the one that’s coming. How is life for this semi-retired person so busy?

Gone knitting.

Silent Night – almost

We sat on the front porch tonight listening to the silence.

The rain had stopped and it felt good just to get some fresh air.

The fog was rolling across the lake and filling up the valleys between the trees on the other side. Fluffy. Thin enough to see through in some places and pea soup thick in others. There was a loon fishing – moving from the left of the house to the right of the house on three or four breaths – and a pair of Canada geese flying through the fog just above the water. Honking to each other all the way up the lake. I could sometimes see them in the foggy misty white and then they’d disappear.

The people in the big house across the lake must have arrived for the weekend and were banging open their house. It’s a mile across but when the lake is mirror smooth, you can hear everything. Even from a mile away.

And as we sat, the fog rolled closer. Obscuring the ability to differentiate between the water and the fog and the clouds in the sky.

Until a bat flew over the water and we couldn’t tell if it was one bat or two.

And now, the loons are outside calling their calls. It’s apparently mating season but we’ve missed the sounds because of the sound of the rain on the roof. Their calls are one of the reasons that I love this place so much and am grateful to be here.