Even though it is all about Icarus around here these days, I fear it shall not be done in time for Rhinebeck. Ah me. I only have a chart and a half left, but at 400 + stitches per row, it is slow going. And then there is the blocking. I may end up wearing my *merkin*!

I need to decide on a fiber festival project – socks seem to fit the portability bill it’s just a matter of which pattern. I really don’t want to knit a stockinette sock. I wonder if I could stand to knit another Retro Rib? It has been awhile after all and I do adore that pattern ….

D#1 got home on Friday evening and we have been loving having her home. No special event on our calendar, just lots of companionable sitting around. She heads back to Alfred tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, I am working all day today – I keep telling myself she is going to sleep all day anyway, so what am I really missing?

Vicki arrives on Thursday! Hip hip hooray!! I have made her visit my excuse for some intense fall cleaning. It is amazing what a difference washing light fixtures makes. I would have sworn that the one in my bathroom wasn’t dirty – until I took it apart and cleaned it. Now it’s all sparkly!

Hey, what’s Vicki doing in my bathroom anyway?

Mother issues are on the agenda. It’s time to deal with the universal archetype of the mother as well as your own personal experience with having one or being one. Most importantly, learn to mother yourself.

That is my horoscope for today. And it just so happens or actually, not just so – the horoscope people would have you believe that it is most definitely not a coincidence that lots of motherish things have been on my mind these days.

• Over this past weekend, a young man from our local high school was killed in a senseless driving accident. It was late at night, he was in a brand new sporty machine and high speeds and wet roads don’t mix. Thankfully he was alone in the car. I did not know this boy. I do not know his mother. I can’t stop thinking about her.
• Last night my friend took her gigantic, football playing boy/man to the ER with a very high fever. When I spoke with her, the fever was on its way down and they were leaning toward thinking it was viral and not his appendix. He will be fine. She will be fine. But in one quick instant he became not this teenager on the doorstep of adulthood, but reverted to the little boy we all remember.
• My teenager on the doorstep of adulthood is coming home today. D#1 has a long weekend after this past midterm week. D#1 still loves college life. However, sophomore year is not the fun-fest that freshmen year was (which is a good thing!). She is tired. She is re-assessing her planned major. She has been struggling. Her intention was to double major in education & math. Some grinding calc classes are making her rethink. Which is also a good thing.

And since some of you do enjoy the knitting, here is an Icarus update: I am not enlarging it. Because it is already significantly bigger.

I am using Blue Sky Alpaca Alpace/Silk and it is a sport weight. The pattern is written for a lace weight yarn. When Cara was here she brought her Seraphim Shawl. This is also written by Mim and is also a mostly stockinette stitch shawl with a lace border. Figuring the proportion of lace to stockinette would be roughly the same in both shawls, I decided to compare their center lines. Mine was at the point where the stockinette ends and the lace work begins. The Seraphim and Icarrus center lines were exactly the same length. And mine is not blocked. Since I am using bigger yarn, my lace section will be bigger and the blocking process will add considerably to the overall size. I will also tell you that there were some yarn concerns in the decision as well. (although I would have made the same decision without them) Fingers crossed that I have enough!