Knitting Content!

Finally: some knitting. Remember I told you I was working on a new hat, and that I wasn't sure I liked it? Well, I frogged that back to the ribbing and came up with this instead. I'm actually not sure I like this either, because in typical me fashion I didn't bother to swatch so it's a little on the large side.



The stitch pattern is called Little Curls, and the yarn is Rowan Cocoon, a merino/kid mohair single in the Tarn colorway. Even though I really enjoyed the yarn, I haven't blocked this hat or even woven the ends in yet, so it may still end up as something else! I may try knitting it at a smaller gauge next time and if that looks better I'll post a quick how-to.



In other news, Fiona is now a high school graduate, even though Mary's wearing the mortarboard. Yay!

One Down, Two to Go

Yesterday was Fiona's Senior Presents event for NCL, so we've made it - one daughter through six years of community service and six years of boring meetings she chafed at and griped about. She knitted baby hats for preemies, she served food to the homeless and seniors, she delivered Meals on Wheels, she collected cans, she gave birthday parties for kids in shelters, she built Habitat for Humanity houses, and she performed many many other hours of service I can't even catalog, across many areas, to get to this point. Did I mention I had to be there for most of it? I draw the line at beach cleanups and made sure she had a ride to those, but mostly, we did it together. Anna's still in the thick of it and Mary hasn't even started yet, but they'll do it too.



At the end of the six years, the girls don white dresses and come out, escorted by young Marines and then by their fathers. For us, this was Fiona's graduation celebration. Our whole family was there, two loud tables of us, cheering her on. You can see her laughing with John because I was whooping it up to make them look at my camera!

Can you see I live in the land of the giants? John is 6'5" as a point of reference. I figure by the time Mary's 12 or so, I'll be dwarfed by all and never able to reach whatever gets put away on the top shelves of my kitchen.



The senior girls join their families for dinner and afterwards there's a fashion show for the sophomores and juniors. Anna and my niece Elizabeth got to model high-end boutique fashions and did their best Project Runway strut - very fun.

Speaking of those Marines, how awesome are they? The one who brought Fiona out told her that he had very bad stage fright! They are barely older than the girls - they told her most of their friends were attending college now. But - this is the amazing and heartwrenching part - these boys, the same age as Fiona's friends practically, are all Iraqi war vets. At an age when her friends are still being coddled by their parents. I was proud of them and wanted to cry at the same time...our young people should all be in college, all safe.

Another Noni Moment

Does it seem like the knitting has totally gone by the wayside? Every day has been wrapped up with a work project or a graduation moment. I'm knitting a little bit, but mostly I'm so frazzled that my calm-down activity has mainly consisted of playing hangman on my iphone.

When I do knit, I'm working on a new hat pattern that I'm not sure I love, and occasionally picking up a row or two of my rainbow-sleeve sweater. As soon as we get through the next week I think I'll be able to devote more time to that.

Last night was La Jolla Palooza, the last big show of the year at the girls' school. Fiona was in a dance number and then sang with the Madrigals. Above, you see the two of us crying like idiots at the end...I think I actually cried through the last 20 minutes of the show. She sang a solo, Blackbird, but what really got me was her teacher singing You've Got a Friend to the entire choir. That song is a guaranteed cryfest for me.

Today is Fiona's Senior Presents event, the culmination of six years of National Charity League service. She'll be walking down a big runway in a white dress on John's arm and dancing with him; I'm already getting a little weepy just thinking about it. And see how red I get when I cry? I'm going to need a lot of concealer.

Prom

Does it seem like I forgot I had other children? There's so much going on with Fiona right now and all the end-of-year activities. This weekend was prom, next weekend she makes her NCL Senior Presentation, the week after that she graduates, and there have been and still are a bunch of dinners/showcases/breakfasts/awards and grad night all thrown in there.



I ask you, as an adult, barring that you're, like, Angelina Jolie, when will that much attention ever be focused on you again? What a letdown to grow up!



Anyway, prom was at the zoo this year; I was informed it was "lame" but she had fun anyway.



Speaking of Angelina Jolie, you notice Fiona's dress looks like the one Angelina took her twins to at Cannes? We are just so fashion-forward around here.



We had one of those prom hair disasters, too...we went to a salon for a French twist and ended up with a French poodle. I had to take it down and do it myself; luckily I always think I can do anything so sheer confidence held it together and I covered the questionable bits with fresh orchids.



She was beautiful!

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

In case you were wondering, Fiona has picked Bennington. Finally, all my wool will have a destination.

Where Did April Go?

And how did it get to be the middle of May, I ask? I swear I blinked and a month was gone. Anyway, in my last post I promised yarn content, so here it is - the long overdue trip to Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins in Boulder. The day we were there, it snowed! So exciting for two La Jolla girls...a little over an inch by the next morning, beautiful big mountain flakes of snow, which we were able to leave behind by getting on an airplane - the perfect kind of snow.



So, you get to Shuttles, which is in a little strip mall, you open the door, and this is what you see. Spinning wheels! That was a thrill. One of these days, when I have some free time that doesn't get sucked up instantly, I'd like to learn how to spin. The store is large and has another big room for classes that's filled with looms, too. Very cool.



Above you see the magazine racks and bookshelves. I scored several back issues if IK, which I wrapped like babies and jammed into my carryon, creasing clothes without a care. Wrinkles in clothes I can steam out, but wrinkles in my magazines - heavens no.



The other cool thing they had was a lot of roving, which Fiona was very taken by - Mommy, look! They have giant yarn! All in all, it's a very nice shop with friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.



One last thing - we did see lots of wildlife on our trip. We saw deer and foxes, but also - penguins! We were on the inaugural nonstop flight from Denver to San Diego on Southwest, and we had SeaWorld penguins on our plane! Yes - Penguins on a Plane - loose! There's Pete the Penguin right by my knee!!!!!