Down time

Work is still a big ol' piece of crazy pie, and looks like it will be for a while. It is inspiring me to think quite a bit about fear, and the overcoming thereof, which I might post about at some point, if I can make all of my thoughts cohere on that topic.

In the meantime, I decided that the better part of valor, when all is nutty in multiple areas of my life, would be to simplify as much as possible in those places where I can, and to insist upon my right not to feel guilty, or like a failure, for doing so. (Note: I am the only one trying to deny me that right, so it's a rather internal sort of insistence.) Yesterday was one of those days with event piled upon event: two soccer games (the last in Older Daughter's season), a play to go to (a dear friend's daughter), and an evening fund-raiser for Younger Daughter and her classmates' trip to New York in the spring for the Montessori Model UN. They are going as delegates of Angola, and she had a little speech to give on the languages, festivals, and history of Angola (very little - a few sentences on each). I'm guessing that her teachers ended up regretting giving her the language bit as I took one look at it, gasped at the mistakes, and reworked it with her (without warning them, but come on! we all know I couldn't let that go). It was much better once it got fixed. (heh) In any case, everything went as smoothly as a day like that could go, and I cast on for another hat like the green one, this time in blue, for Younger Daughter.

In the wake of a few questions about it (for which, thanks!), I have decided to try my hand at writing out the pattern for it. I spent some time during the warm-ups for the first soccer game yesterday charting the cables, using the first hat as a model, then cast on to see if following my chart would get me a hat. I got through the set-up and into the first couple of cable rows before the games were over, and then wasn't able to pick it up again until last night, when Rick and I finally sat down to watch a movie. But somehow my third cable row didn't match the chart, and that's when I decided not to feel guilty, or like a failure, for putting it down and doing something easier for the moment. (She learns! It's a shallow learning curve, but there is progress.) I haven't picked it up yet today, but I think I know what happened, and it was just a matter of picking up too many stitches in one row.

Older Daughter wore hers last night, and I admit to being really rather disgustingly happy with the way it turned out.
It's a little askew there (she'd just been accosted by many small children wanting to buy raffle tickets).
It reminds me a little of the stonework in a cloisters,

or lacey carvings

or of old arches.

In any case, I'll keep working on it when my brain can handle it. I need to figure out how to chart it (outside of my notebook). Anyone know any good charting software that won't break the bank? I suppose Excel is an option, right?

Meanwhile, today was spent here at home, knitting Bel Air, and reading a book. Just what the doctor ordered.