Climbing the Third Stair

A few weeks ago my friends Karin and Ami gifted me with a parasol. Not just any parasol: it was black with rows and rows of black lace ruffles and black roses: a parasol with style and presence. I was delighted--I'd given such things a casual look at Gencon but could never quite convince myself to buy myself one.

Today I got the chance to use it, because I was going to church (and thus wearing a nice dress) and it's hot out. I mean hoooooot. I mean all this weekend we've been having heat indexes in the 100+ F range. (That's 38+ for you metric folks.) I had gotten about half-way down my block when I became totally enamored of my parasol and started pondering buying another one in a non-black color to go with the non-black part of my wardrobe. It wasn't the stylishness of the thing, it was the discovery that a parasol is like a hat, only better. It's better because hats only shade your face, but a parasol shades your shoulders as well. Also, with a parasol you can still get a breeze through your hair, the lack of which is the only real downside of summer hats.

On my way home after church I stopped at the local Walgreens to refill my steroid prescription. While I was waiting in line an older woman leaned over to say, "I saw you in church today and your outfit looked so pretty!" I grinned and thanked her. Walking home after that I passed an apartment building where two women were hanging out on a shady balcony. "I bet you are glad for that umbrella now!" one of them shouted down to me. I half-turned and yelled a happy "YEAH!" back to her. Since it was now past noon I was not simply being agreeable: having portable shade was really, really nice.

I'm now keeping my eyes out for nice umbrellas suitable for being upgraded (Exalted?) into parasolhood. I can't make anything as nice as the one I was given (I do not have the focus required to sew on that much lace ruffle, no matter how much I like lace ruffle), but I think I can fancy it up enough that it is clearly a Parasol, and not an Umbrella. Or maybe I'll just give up and buy one at Gencon. Regardless, the one I have is going to be getting serious work this summer.

Yesterday I ran a few errands, which ate up a lot of my day--one of the perils of carlessness. But I am missing my seam-ripper and hand sewing needles, which meant I really needed to get to a craft store to resupply. I declare, when I move I'm going to find about six seam rippers scattered about my apartment.

In the afternoon I walked down to the thrift shop at St. Teresa's. I didn't have any particular reason to go, except that I thought the exercise would be good for me (it's around 2 miles there and back) and after my mohair score earlier this week I was feeling lucky. They didn't have anything interesting in the craft shelf, so I did my usual tour of the women's clothes--and there I got lucky. There was a rayon dress of a style I already own (and like) in red-rose-on-black print. LOVE! The colors are such that it will work as fall-wear, and if I find a nice pair of slim-fitting black pants I might even be able to extend it into winter. (I realize that most people don't consider short-sleeved rayon dresses as winter wear, but I work in a room with two ovens, so...) And it only cost me $1.50. Bwahahaha!

I checked out the sweater rack next. I don't wear sweaters much anymore (see: room with two ovens, above), but I keep an eye out for ones that can be unraveled, felted, or otherwise be used as components. There were some wool sweaters, but none that I liked enough to want to unravel, and then I found IT. IT was a 100% cashmere sweater, and I (naturally) found it by touch. It was like...a kitten in garment form. And it was a lovely pale blue. And it was marked "Large". Now, I didn't expect it to fit me (I am somewhere north of Large) but it was $1 and I knew that if I absolutely could not fit into it (because if I could get into anything that warm and cuddly at all it was going straight into my 'comfy stuff to wear around the house' pile), I knew that it wouldn't be that hard for me to find a friend who wanted it. Also, did I mention that it was a cashmere sweater for $1?

So I got it home and as I was getting ready for bed I tried it on and....IT FITS. Against all odds, really. Except the length of the arms make me wonder if it isn't a men's large, which generally run larger than women's. I don't mind at all, as the Basic Sweater is kinda unisex anyway and once I add a string of pearls and some Chanel #5 no one will be the wiser. *bliss* My first cashmere sweater! Now I just need it to get really really cold so that I can wear it.

Meanwhile, I am now very behind on my housework. Time to post this, and see about excavating my floor--I have some sewing projects I want to get started, and as things currently stand I don't have enough book-free living space to lay out the fabric. *sigh*

Today is Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, and it brings with it a host of important questions: How am I working to bring the light of Christ to my life and the lives of those around me? What is the proper response to the rampant commercialization of the Christmas holiday? Where is my creme of tartar?

This is the time where I start to get serious about making cookies and candies to share with others. Some years go by without me getting anything done, but I try. I have my grandmother's recipes for her gingerbread and white Christmas cookies (that's really what the recipe card says, "White Christmas Gookies"), and I mean to get them posted here this week as well, in case anyone needs a good cookie recipe. I didn't get any candy made today (I'm giving up and buying some more creme of tartar) but I did get a batch of my experimental Cranberry Banana Jam made. I'll have some for breakfast tomorrow and decide if it is a keeper, or if I have to tweak the recipe further.
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I came across this link last month but never got around to posting it.
A hand-knitted tank cozy.

I am totally enchanted by this--I've described it to a friend as a kind of metaphor for my soul. Sure, it's knit, not crocheted, but all things being equal crochet uses a third more yarn which makes knitting the choice of fashion-conscious warlords on a budget.