Finally, a progress shot

As promised, here are some shots of my finished FLAK back.




My original plan was to use moss stitch/double seed stitch as the filler, but then I saw a cable pattern in one of Elsebeth Lavold's books that I liked. The repeat fits in with the other cables, and the gauge is about the same as the filler stitch, so I went with it. (It's the cable on the left) I'm happy with how the back turned out, and I've been trying very hard to remember to check the cables at the end of every row. The stitch markers really help me keep track of the cables, so I haven't made too many mistakes.

I've started the front, but I can't go too far before I have to figure out how to fit the short rows into the cables. Kelly at Cloverhill told me she'd help me, so I'll have to go up there soon. It seems like every class I take is taught by her, and I'm glad. She explains the mechanics of things very clearly, and tells you why you are doing something, so you really understand the process. I took a class on short rows from her recently, and took my FLAK with me. She seemed really pleased at how well I was doing with cables. I told her I couldn't have done it without her, and it's true. She demystified cables and gave me the courage to do something as advanced as the FLAK.

I went to Ollie's for the first time yesterday. I'd heard about it from Mom, so stopped in to check it out. $150 later, I left with a whole cart full of stuff! That place has all kinds of stuff, from sheets to hair dye to carpeting to drills to slot machines! I got a new set of glasses for $14, to replace my 20-year old set that is missing about half. I got some things for Xmas gifts, and a bunch of little things like extension cords and shower cleaner. My big score was a large Scunci steamer for $30, and it included a Swiffer-like mop set. Apparently, people use the steamers to clean things--who've thought? Hey, maybe I'll try steam-cleaning my shower! Nah.

Looking up

Been feeling better the last few weeks. I still haven't found a doctor to see about my meds, but taking them twice a day has helped, so it doesn't feel as urgent as it did. My therapist is on vacation until next week, but she gave me homework. I'd forgotten that they do that. I know it's stuff that's good for me, but it's hard. I guess that's what I pay her for.

I went to Rehoboth Beach last weekend with my parents, Auth Ruth, Uncle Paul, Julia, and her two kids. It was nice to get away for a few days, but I don't know how relaxing it was with 8 of us in that little cottage. That's the bad thing about having everyone there--you do everything as a group. The Delaware Symphony Orchestra gave a concert by the water in Lewes, followed by fireworks. I think Julia and her kids were bored, but I enjoyed it, except that I forgot to bring my knitting! It was the perfect knitting situation, and I blew it. Sigh.

On Saturday, there was a sandcastle contest on the beach, so Mom, AR, J, Ridgely, Daniel and I went to see the entries. (See what I mean about doing everything as a group?) There were some amazing castles and sculptures, but they were mixed in with the people on the beach, so it was crowded and hard to take pictures. Here are a few that I really liked:

A melting snowman and igloo



I'm a sucker for dripped-sand trees




Front view...
...and the back yard










What's that you say? How did I get those pics on my blog? Funny you should ask. I used my birthday money toward a digital camera, and got a Canon PowerShot A540. I'm used to using an SLR, so I was glad to find one that lets you choose the aperture, shutter speed, or both. Not that I know how to make it do that yet, of course. I think I'm going to have to learn one new thing a week, because just looking at the menu screen turns me into a blithering idiot. This thing sure does a lot of stuff! The last two pictures were done by "stitching" two pictures together. I decided to play around with that setting, and it seemed to work pretty well. I also took some shots of my completed FLAK back, so stay tuned for that post, coming soon.