Here we are again

I had a complete bone scan a few days ago, and a follow-up with an orthopedic physician today -- and got some good news.  It appears there aren't any metastases in my right arm.  I'm very happy, as of course I don't want any surgery there. 
I have put the Gramps Cardi in hibernation for the time being, while I cruise the forums & project pages in Ravelry for some kinda clue about maintaining the cables in the yoke of this little sweater.  While it's cooling its heels, I must have some other knitting going on.  I finished the knitting for the CAP bracelet bags for the nieces, and don't "feel" the felting just now.  So...I dug around in my library, and came up with Nancy Bush's Lacy Estonian Scarf pattern in the Winter 2011 issue of Knitting Traditions.  And look!  I have several skeins of 100% baby alpaca laceweight yarn, including two that are the same color & dye lot.  And over here, I have the 2.5 mm circular needle called for in the pattern.  I started & frogged this d^$*#d thing about 12 times before I finally put some sewing thread into a needle, and started putting lifelines every 5th row.  Since then, I haven't made any errors that weren't immediately seen & fixable.   What magic is there in a lifeline?  I don't know, but I'll continue to put them in frequently, and hope the knitting sprites are happy. 
I had a call from my sister, with support & love & other good stuff as well as important news.  Dear old Dad has been moved into an assisted living facility a few miles from her home.  What a relief!  She's nearby, and he'll have access to social interaction, and someone will make sure he eats daily and gets his meds.  Now, I have some time left before I really must try to go back to work, and Sis is suggesting I travel to her home for a visit.  I would like to see Dad.  But can I afford to go?  I'll have to think about that.

Fly Girl

My Darlings,
If you do not hear from me for a few days, do not despair!  For on the morrow, I depart for the wilds of South Texas (Behar County, y'all) to reside in the bosom of my family, or what's left of it.  I have handknit gifts for the Princess, Miss A, and Sis.  I'll carry along Pup's Steelers socks, so he can see what progress I've made; also I expect there will be plenty of knitting time for me this week so I might actually get thru the  &*%$$^ heel -- which is all black with black reinforcing nylon.  It's enough to make my dry eyes really tired.  But I'm hoping there will be lots of daylight to knit by, always very helpful when knitting tiny dark stitches. 
Miss A's gift hasn't been photographed yet.  I used the Elegant Alpaca Fingerless Gloves pattern, but only worked three repeats of the lace -- I wasn't sure how far my partial skein of Debbie Stoller's Stitch Nation Alpaca Love (Dusk colorway -- deep purple!) would go.  As it turns out, I probably could have worked one more repeat on each glove -- but oh well!  I have found some more of this yarn online, and expect delivery soon (likely while I'm gone to Texas), which I'd like to use for leg warmers for Miss A. 
While I'm visiting San Antonio (love that town!  and they love Volunteers, too: the Alamo is right downtown) I'm going to check out the Yarnivore yarn shop, which is on (near?) NW Military Dr.  I've read some good reviews of this shop, in Ravelry, and would like to visit & review myself.  Of course, I'll see the Riverwalk again, and maybe a museum or two.  Should be fun.  Then it's off to Austin, to see the gals there & deliver their gifts in person (be still, my heart!).  I may even make it there on the Princess' birthday!  Woot! 

Hey, guys! I got pictures!

Oh, I had such a terrific time in Texas back in October -- didn't really do a whole lot, but relax! First, I have to show you my gorgeous niece in her fabulous lace beret:

Is she gorgeous, or what?!?!? She's very bright, plays the cello, and is just the nicest young gal you could hope to meet. And proved her "knit-worthiness" by wearing this beret almost the whole time I was visiting; I think she took it off to sleep & bathe, but that was it. The younger niece, Princess T, wanted a hat too. I had a ball of K1C2 Ty-Dy sock yarn with me, and access to Ravelry--so started a beret based on the Feather & Fan aka Old Shale pattern. Had some issues with it, didn't try to get it done while I was there, but frogged & restarted it once I was home. It's turned out well. Voila!:

I had quite a bit of yarn left, so I'm whipping up some itty fingerless mitts for the Princess:

And, taking an idea from Knucks in Knitty, I will embroider the right mitt with "PRIN" and the left with "CESS" -- which should make her mother crazy.
I did visit Hill Country Weavers, down on Congress in Austin, and took a picture or three:

Yes, I bought some from the clearance section (the first pic) and I bought a ball of this lace yarn, which I haven't seen since -- Sis is supposed to be mailing this stuff to me; I hope it gets home soon! I mentioned sitting in on a class, that didn't seem to really be a class so much as a sit-n-stitch, and here are the ladies of the class (if any of you see yourselves, please give me a holler--I'd love to know who you are!):

Well, we had a lovely visit, and I really should write another thank-you note. I've sent one to Sis already, but her Mum-In-Law, my "other" Betty, was kind enough to spend part of the Saturday with me--we two went to the neighborhood's Garage-A-Palooza yard sale! Most streets in this large (& well-to-do!) neighborhood had several yard sales in progress; we just cruised around until we saw several close together, then jumped out & visited all of 'em. I picked up several cashmere sweaters for pennies, practically! I don't think they'll fit me, but they can be unravelled & the yarn put to other uses. I bought some purses, and some earrings too. All in all, it was a splendid haul for very little $. Thanks, Betty Too!