Goodbyes

This was the week we said goodbye to visiting grandkids.

When I took Soren and his family to the airport I learned that he didn't have a hat that fit, so I dug through my stash when I got back and found some Swish DK in "Dusk." I CO immediately.

I'm using this easy pattern.

On New Year's Eve I came down with a respiratory flu, and was too weak to feel like knitting. I'm on the mend now, and I'm happy to make it into the new year. Many of our appliances didn't.

Here's a list of the appliances or devices that stopped working or needed repair in 2014:

Electric bobbin winder (I broke the foot pedal, still waiting to get it fixed)

Yøtul Stove (just needed cleaning)

Both CO2 detectors (had to be replaced)

'98 Subaru Legacy station wagon (after $1000 in repairs, DH replaced it with a 2011 Impreza)

Gas stove (oven, needed new igniter)

1982 Maytag gas dryer (lint build-up only, good as new)

1982 Maytag washer (new pump, motor and wire connector, now good as new) 

Microwave (replaced)

MacBook (was running out of memory, like its owner, now running well)

Garbage disposal (still waiting on repair or replacement)

Space heater (probably going to recycling)

Here's something that never stopped running, though:

We said goodbye to the future soccer star and his sister, Miss Daphne, on Saturday morning, as they climbed into the car for the trip home.

To end up the week we had a power failure on Sunday afternoon that lasted 12 hours. Totally missed Downton Abbey. Fortunately, we are set up to deal with power outages. Our Jøtul stove downstairs can heat the whole house if we take it off thermostat and open the door to the downstairs. Then we have the wood-burning fireplace upstairs in our living room for additional heat. We have a gas stove, and can light the burners with a match if we have to. Candles, kerosene lamps, warm pups = cozy!

What's on my needles: Still the Sandy Beach scarf, no progress this week. Several inches on Soren's new hat, almost ready to start the decreases.

What's on my Featherweight: Put away in its case.

What's on my loom: Some warp for another scarf, but still folded up.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Dyeing Wishes by Molly MacRae from Audible. Reading Dead Center by Danielle Girard, a crime novel.

What's my app of the week: KSL Vortex weather app, which came in handy advising DD and DSIL on travel home.

What's in my wine glass: Gato Negro Malbec 2013, the last of the big bottle, a nice Argentinian wine.

What's my tip of the week: Sock knitters, here's a useful tool I just discovered. I'm going to order one.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.