Not Quite Done

Okay, so I didn't finish it last night - but I'm very close (and I'd be even closer if I didn't need to spend my lunch break running home to let the dog out). I'm using 72 stitches on size 8 needles, k1p1 ribbing for the first 5 inches, then decreasing to 64 stitches and continuing with the colorwork. The yarn is worsted weight doubled up, so the hat is coming out nicely cushy.
.
Pressing on . . . .

I Don't Want Your Money - Really

I've written before about the flurry of activity surrounding those stupid pirate hats last summer. Everyone loved them, everyone wanted one, and I was sick to death of making them. But one nice lady from Delaware really wanted one for her goth granddaughter, and I said I'd make it. I said I'd send it to her, and then she could send payment back when she received it. I did that because subconsciously I was (am) really sick of the pirate hats, and if I didn't take her money up front then I wouldn't feel as committed to a particular time frame for the project.

I've had this problem before. Rick ran into a VERY unfortunate situation a few years ago on a handyman side job, where the customer insisted on paying for everything up front and then was perpetually unhappy thereafter when the timing of the project (and the multiple changes she required) weren't completed as quickly as she wanted. I mean, really - I lost a friend over it. So other than maybe supply money, please just wait to be sure you're happy before you pay me.

Anyway, the Delaware grandmother insisted. And I took her money, and her address, and promised to mail the hat soon. And then I went home and made the other 4 or 5 pirate hats on request, and in the ensuing chaos of my life I lost the nice lady's address. I felt very guilty. I looked at the hat, and felt more guilty. I decided to make some matching hand warmers as an apology, should I ever find her address. I started another hat, in warmer fibers, since the granddaughter certainly wouldn't want cotton in November (even in Delaware). The guilt was constantly nagging me.

Today, she called. I didn't remember her having my number, but apparently she came across it and figured it was time to nudge me about the whole thing. Thanks, Lynda! I still feel very guilty, especially since she was so nice about it. But I'll have them in the mail by the weekend.

In other news, Tasha informed me last night that I needed to take her photo for the yearbook. I took a bunch of them 6 weeks ago, of course; but the low evening light resulted in photos that her yearbook advisor thought were too grainy. Then Tasha was just going to have her friend Sam take a head shot with the yearbook, so I figured we were all set and forgot about it. But last night at 6:00, 1 hour before choir practice and with the best part of my lighting and studio equipment set up down at the hair salon, Tasha desperately needed a head shot by today.

We managed something. The backdrop is a bed sheet and I made some color adjustments to compensate for the cheap florescent lighting I was using. Tasha's not really happy with it, for all the reasons that a teenage girl is usually not happy with her own looks. But hopefully, it will get the job done.

Good Stuff

Okay, so my sermon for next Sunday is mostly done. And I dropped off the proofs from last weekend's "glamour shots" session at Studio 55 during lunch, and found out there are SIXTEEN people signed up for photos, with one more on a waiting list!!!! I can't wait! It lets me get the experience I need with my equipment, and I'm donating the studio time to Pam. She provides one free 8 x 10 for each customer, and they can buy any desired reprints from me. Frankly, I'm not that excited about being in the reprint business, so I'm pricing things to encourage them to just buy the rights to the digital images and be done with it. But 16 people! Even if only a few of them buy their photo rights, that adds up nicely as we move into the holidays. And Pam says she's hearing a lot of interest in doing this kind of thing regularly - perhaps before Valentine's Day. Woo hoo!

Meanwhile, I started talking to our insurance lady because I wanted extra coverage on my new camera equipment and Tasha's new laptop. She suggested "business insurance" for my photography thing, which hadn't occurred to me because I tend to think of it more as a self-supporting hobby. But for fairly cheap, they're getting me insurance that covers all my equipment, the replacement costs if I accidentally drop a light pole through a stained glass window or something, the medical costs if some idiot trips over my stuff at farmer's market and sues me, and a bunch of other little things. I'm glad I asked; and between the insurance and this weekend's festivities, I'm really starting to feel almost official.

Meanwhile, Rick and I are supposed to attend the wedding of one of his work buddies this weekend. (I think I'm only going to make it to the reception, what with the other stuff going on. But still.) I have this brand new, very pretty Granny Square afghan (not the one at right, but along the same lines) that I picked up at an auction for a ridiculously low price. Not that I needed it - I just couldn't stand to see that much work go for nothing. I'm thinking about wrapping the afghan up as a wedding gift, but I want to add something to the package. So, picture a couple of newlyweds snugged up on the couch, and keep it rated "G" since these are co-workers. What would you add? Popcorn and a movie gift card, maybe?

Does Anyone Else Find This Disturbing?

Squirrel foot earrings. I mean, ew. And why? And wouldn't the little toenails get caught in your hair and feel creepy against your neck?

.

Ew.

A Story In Pictures

This weekend I finally finished this:

(Modeled by my friend Paige.)

And then I went over to Studio 55 and took this:

.

The first of the "Glamour Shots." (There are more with pink boas and such, but I like this one.)

.

Then the puppy, who is growing quickly, decided that she absolutely must play with my knitting. Lives were in danger, and several tragedies were narrowly averted.

.

But then on Monday it started doing this:

And by the time I got out of work, cars were skidding all over everywhere. I went to pick up Tasha from school because she had a flat tire, but I wouldn't have wanted her to drive that rollerskate Celica in that weather anyway.

.

And this morning, we have this:

.

Actual snow on the ground. And everywhere I go, people are remembering that black ice is a bad thing and saying things like, "Well, Winter is finally here."