According to ancient Celtic traditions, Samhain, which we had yesterday, marks the time when the veil between this world and the next becomes thinnest and it is easiest to communicate with those who have gone on before us. I think my dream about the white cat was his spirit telling me that he is OK with how it went down and that I need to stop beating myself up about it.
Sometimes wearing earbuds while knitting with circular needles can be tricky. Oh, what a tangled web I wove — but just until the end of the row! I was doing a proof of concept piece for this shawl pattern I’m trying to work out for the Mandala “Spirit” yarn I got, but it’s fighting me. That tells me I need to put it aside and finish some of the (many!) things ahead of it in the queue.
I tried again on the Najidama Bay shawl pattern and I’m still not 100% happy with it. It’s on the back burner for now, too. Grumble. Grumble. One bright light in this tunnel is the fact that I did finish the semicircular shawl
I was working on that was going to be a September gift, and now is going to be a Thanksgiving gift . . . It’s a lovely shawl, but it just doesn’t shawl the way I like to be shawled. I have modified the pattern to have five “rays” instead of four, but it’s a WIP* that’s on the back burner with a bunch of others right now.
What I need to do ASAP is finish the three hats and four cowls that go with the above shawl and several other pieces.
I’ve been watching some knitting vlogs, and I have come to several conclusions. One is that my yarn stash which I think is so huge is nothing compared to the walls of yarn I see in these vlogs. They do a show and tell, and whip out these especially made fabric project bags that people make and sell and buy, and it’s OK. Whatever floats their boat. I prefer zip-seal freezer baggies (the kind without the little slider thing, please). They’re dust proof, waterproof, and you can see what’s in them without having to open them up. They natter on about yarn made from this breed of wool and that breed of wool, and all these little independent yarn company yarns that feature this alpaca blend and that cashmere blend. And it’s fine. I’m allergic to wool, so that cuts out about 99% of what I call “snob yarn” (i.e., anything that costs more than $10 a skein!) Compared to some of these ladies (and gentlemen) I’m just a dabbler. But that’s all right. Like the man says, “different strokes for different folks.”
My Halloween treat was this sunshiny little salad made with cottage cheese and mandarin orange sections. Snarf city! Mandarin oranges are the same thing as Satsuma oranges, BTW. I’m having chai tea with vanilla cream in.
The Owl Underground 
It’s interesting… I had a very dear friend, many years ago, who died. It was my first experience of having a friend die, and it was rough for all of us. The short tale is that years after her death, I dreamed about her, and at the end of the dream, I knew that all was well. We had quite a conversation, with an unusual ending. Some day I may write about it — just haven’t been able to yet, even though I think of it occasionally.
Now I was some Mandarin oranges. It’s getting close to time for the traditional orange, pineapple, coconut and sour cream salad that we always had on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I even have the cut glass dish that Mom served it in.
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I crocheted myself a combination scarf and shawl last year, which took me ages and I still didn’t quite get the shape as I’d wanted it, but I wore it a few times, then washed it and all the fluff started coming off… urgh! I’ve still not got rid of my acrylic yarns… some are sitting in bags waiting to go to a charity shop, some are still in their drawer. They say to me, “but Val, we’re such beautiful colours and you know you’ll miss us. We’re sorry we get up your nose and that our fluff and stuff gets all over your room, but we’re still gorgeous.” Sadness. (And procrastination.)
I know what you mean about putting yarn in transparent bags – I can’t have mine in fabric bags, I like to see what’s there at a glance.
I’m on the fence about spirits, other worlds, afterlife, etc, but I do think that dreaming of people and pets one’s known is a kind of message.
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