We all have a routine that keeps our lives running. Get up, brush teeth, make coffee, drink a cup, get dressed, head out the door. Don’t forget phone-keys-wallet. We run our dishwashers, we sweep our kitchens, we vacuum our floors, and feed our pets.
Being writers, we work from home, and our cycle of routines is fine-tuned, because our house is also our work space. Nobody likes to work in a mess, so we perform the necessary maintenance. For the majority of the time, our routines hold. The house is, if it’s not guest-clean, then at least presentable. The clutter is kept to a minimum. The surfaces of the desks are somewhat visible.
But there comes a time, usually at the end of the novel, when all of that goes out the window. There is no energy to spare to clean up and arrange things. Every ounce of mental fuel is going into the book, and at the end of the day you are so tired, that you open the refrigerator trying to figure what you can make for dinner, hit decision paralysis, and then go to your favorite take out app and stare at that blankly, too. At the end, you will order the same standby you usually order, simply because there is not enough creativity left to think out of the takeout box. “You have ordered from Firehouse Subs 17 times…”
Yesterday we spent the day cleaning. We threw away random items that accumulated on random horizontal spaces. Why in the world did I need to keep broken headphones from a year ago? Who knows? We washed the couch throws. We vacuumed, we mopped, we retightened the screws in the dining room chairs. We still have the bedroom and the dining room to go, but for now, the study, the living room, and the kitchen are all clean. The house feels bigger somehow. It’s easier to breathe.
Today will be more laundry – we have got to unpack the bags from the Dragoncon. They are only partially unpacked right now, and if there is one thing cats love more than throwing things off your desk, it’s sitting in your suitcases. I still have some bookkeeping maintenance to do from the trip.
Grace Draven might drop by today. When we talked yesterday, she asked what we were doing, and I told her, “Between the books cleaning.” She knew exactly what I was talking about.
I imagine Gordon will soon decide to cut the grass. It rained a lot this summer and the lawn didn’t quite die to the brown wasteland stage. We let the native groundcover spread and right now, the back yard is lush and green and looks like something out of a Shire. As much as I love the look, we found a couple of coral snakes in the backyard before, and while they are shy and timid, they are also highly venomous. Short grass is a must. This way neither the snake nor we will get surprised.
I started a new craft project. Two actually. The first is a knitted cardigan. This will explain how little brain I had left – I could not do raglan increases. Normally it’s not a problem. You have 6-8 markers depending on the pattern and you increase on each side. At some point in the writing process, the raglan increases became the Crete’s Labyrinth. I knitted some during the Dragoncon, because we didn’t have to write, but my cardigan might have to wait. Or I will give up and just do the 4 rectangles.
Kid 2 has moved into her new house, and she asked for a blanket. She wanted a kind of retro-looking pattern with greens and purples, so I am working on the daisy squares.
I bought a yarn from UK. It’s called Stylecraft Special, and it is so soft. It’s acrylic, so it should stand up to the German shepherds.
I ordered the yarn from the Little Wool Shop and the shipping was very reasonable.
The squares are looking kind of tilted, but this will all straighten itself out in blocking and joining. It’s going to have a white border and will look very cottage. I just winged it, because I remember how to do it, but I found a written pattern that is similar and free. Here is the Ravelry link and here is the direct link to the designer’s blog.
Here is what I did, if you want the differences. I am very bad at pattern writing, so I recommend looking at Stephanie’s instructions linked above because she has awesome pictures and is all around better at explaining.
Click for terribly written pattern.
With yellow yarn
Row 1: Chain 5, join in a ring.
Row 2: Chain 3, 11 double crochet into the ring, join again.
Join white yarn
Row 3: Chain 4, 3 treble crochet into the space between the yellow double crochets. Free the hook, slide it into the fourth chain, catch the loop from the last treble crochet, pull through to make a cluster. Chain 2. 4 treble crochets between the next double crochet, make another cluster. Continue to the end, join together.
Join purple yarn
Row 4: Chain 3 (counts as the first double crochet), 2 double crochets into the first 2 chain space, chain 2, 3 double crochets into the same space (corner made), chain 1, *2 double crochets into the next 2 chain space chain 1, 2 double crochets into the next 2 chain space, 3 double crochets into the next 2 chain space, chain 2, 3 double crochets into the same space, chain 1* repeat from * all around. 4 corners and 2 spots with 3 double crochets each.
Row 5: We are doing Row 4 again, but this time we are going to have 3 spots with 3 double crochets each.
Row 6: In the corner space, chain 3, 1 double crochet, chain 1, 2 double crochets, then *2 dc in each dc, 1 dc in the 1 chain space, skip 1 dc, continue from * to the corner, in the corner we are doing 2 dc, chain 1 2 dc, and continuing from * again to the next corner.
I am skipping some dc in the Row 6 because when I tried it without skipping, the edges of the square ended up too full and loose.
I have lofty plans today. I’m going to drink all the tea, and at night I’m going to drink decaff coffee with too much cream. I’m going to crochet the blanket, watch silly TV, read some books, and run around with Gordon in the WoW. We made a couple of blood elf hunters. I blame Matt Frost, Jeaniene’s husband for reawakening some nostalgia. And that is my staycation plan until the new writing begins either next week or the week after.
I use Stylecaft Special yarn a lot, it has such a glorious range of colours. I’m in the UK and I use a company that also ship internationally, the wool is delivered in the most beautiful organza bags which I then use to gift my work in when finished. Cleaning and putting stuff away after a journey is hard work
Nice to see you relax! And congratulations to Kid2 on her new home.
I am using Stylecraft DK on the Sungold colorwash pattern by Lucy at Attic24 and it is very soft, but FYI it can tangle dreadfully if you pull from the inside. (I didn’t realize it when I started, as I have previously always had either skeins I wound or center-pull balls)
Thank you for the pattern notes, I want to do a flower granny afghan and your squares are lovely.
I have discovered this. I wish I had gotten your warning a week ago, heh.
I asked the company where I
bought mine (Wool Warehouse, also in the UK) how to untangle the mess and that’s when I found out. They actually replaced the one ball because it wouldn’t straighten out, and now I rewind each ball before working with it.
Good to know if I ever use this yarn. 🙂
I love the Daisy pattern. I would like to buy this blanket. What is “WoW”? I must have miss this.
I hope you get to do all of your things for your staycation plans. I normally get to do one and then end up doing other necessary home chores.
WoW, World of Warcraft, online computer game.
Hooray for the cleaning! And, granny squares, or at least those were what they were called when I was young. My grandmother made them from all the leftover bits of yarn she had from her projects. You have a fortunate daughter to get a blanket of those.
My grandma, too! I have one of her granny square blankets. As one of the few (the only?) grandkids to crochet, I also inherited her yarn stash. About one full trash bag made the cut and I used that yarn for years. Many people got gift blankets made from that yarn, and it makes me smile to think of her yarn legacy.
Another WoW player here – though from day one my main has been a feral druid – because of the shapeshifting, of course. No wonder I love the Kate Daniels books! I discovered them when the 3rd book was out and have been a fan ever since. Now I’m listening to the GA Magic Rises version and it’s great.
I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable vacation.
Ilona, please read up on the net about blocking acrylic. Adding heat is called “killing the yarn”. It flattens and stretches it and it will never go back to its lustrous, natural self. You have to do the damp pinning kind of blocking and then always use the drier on the lowest setting. I’ve had students that didn’t know about harming their projects with heat and it was just sad. You probably already know this, but just in case, an awful lot of work and love goes into an afghan. Yours is going to be great!
No worries, I don’t do steam blocking. It’s not great for any yarn. I’m firmly in the rinse, pin, dry camp.
Enjoy your time at home. I know it must be a huge relief to be back. Clean houses are a wonder! I always wonder if mine will ever be clean again. I’m a clean freak living with two hoarders and one who does not notice or care how anything looks or smells. Add four cat’s worth of fur (and I’m allergic) and the mess here is just unbearable to me. I am working on creating a small space just for me to relax and revel in – someday…
Have an enjoyable and peaceful interlude between braining!
That will be a cute blanket. I will pass it to my friend who recently took up crochet.
You’ve accomplished a lot of things. Go Team Awesome. I hope you both enjoy your downtime.
Rest and recharge your batteries. You have more than earned it and absolutely deserve it. Your BDH understands. Cleaning Therapy is an Awesome mental RESET.
Thank You For Sharing Your Genius With Us!
P.S. : I only Follow you guys but I started Reading Grace Draven as you mentioned her in a blog or two. I love her work! If you can say….how is she doing now? I still send Healing Energies to her. And I’m looking forward to Megiddo’s rescue. 😊
Hi Claudia,
So glad you found Grace Draven books through the blog! Here is a recent update from Grace on her health https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1iXwk3TM3SySE6dW/ 🙂
Thank you Mod R! You’re the Best!
Y’all don’t take much time off!
For the Horde! (Also a blood elf hunter:)
enjoy the break and the cleaning, y’all. props for tightening up the bits that hold the sofa together!
j
I think your basic work pattern is similar to ours.
We work on projects ,in my husband’s case teaching Kayaking correctly and safely, and riding his Andalusian horse three times a week.
In my case balancing my painting with my time with my horses, and trail riding with my husband, teaching riding …then we madly clean up the house because there is company coming …my late mum used to say you clean up for company and if they don’t come ,the house is clean..its a win…it always makes me feel better living in a picked up space…
Stylecraft dk is my go to yarn for afghans. A tip for blocking- I use kids playground mats that come in large squares, and T pins. Cut a square piece of cardboard the size you are blocking to. Put cardboard on mat, put a pin outside ea corner. Lay yarn square inside & stretch & pin (I do another on top to save space.)
Assemble squares with the ‘zipper method’ (google it). Easy & looks really nice.
Crafting is a great way to recharge energy!
Everyone is loving the new WoW expansion. I’m extremely tempted to play as well but that’s a rabbit hole I can not enter right before my classes start.
Weird you have the coral snake problem also. I lived in Louisiana until about age 30, hunted in all types of woods, and never saw a live coral snake until we bought our home just North of Baytown TX out in a semi rural area. I have “found” 6 coral snakes in the last several years in our back yard area. And the really great thing is no one makes antivenin for them any longer.
I looked this up and found a 2020 clinical case study from Florida (Florida Man had picked up the snake to move it) which said that production of antivenin had resumed. It looks like it may go in and out of production because coral snake bites are so rare. The article said antivenins from related species can be effective.
One thing I found kind of hilarious is that in Australia, *for some reason* they have developed polyvalent antivenins that work for a number of different species. Another fun fact from the article: Texas coral snake venom is several times more lethal than that of Eastern coral snakes. Part of the reason bites are rare is that the snakes are mainly active at dawn and dusk, and spend a lot of time underground. At the time of writing, 2020, there had been one death in the US from a coral snake bite since 1967.
Important takeaway from the article: Go to the ER immediately, even if there are no marks from the bite (coral snake fangs are small). Symptoms can take as long as 13 hours to show up, and you want to get antivenin in you as fast as possible, or at least be under medical observation for 24 hours.
Re: cats and suitcases
Some years ago I discovered my purpose in life. It was to travel to my sister’s with my suitcase, so that her cat could lie on it. Before that, I did not know I had a purpose, but once I did, it was clear. At least according to the cat.
Staycations are the best ‘cations in my opinion!
Any time I can stay in my house with only my husband and me, in comfy pajamas and eating junk, while playing games or watching movies or doing crafts, I view this as prime leisure time!
Enjoy some rest, you deserve it!
Congratulations on the book, the cleaning, and the crocheting! I hope your relaxation was every bit as wonderful as you hoped it would be.
For Heaven’s Sake! How can you
not understand how devoted the BDH is to you?
You write these wonderful
“letters” to us as though we are dear friends and you just had to fill us in on how you are doing. They are so beautifully written and invite us into your life. Even when you are not crafting a novel, your talent shines through.
That is why we are not just the BDH. We are the DBDH , the Devoted Book Devouring Horde.
Have a lovely week cleaning, resting and creating even when you aren’t writing a book.
What about being fluffy and chalant, in addition to DDBDH?
Everything sounds lovely. Nothing better than a clean house and and empty schedule. Thanks for the pattern, too. That afghan looks just like my cup of tea.
That sounds like a lovely staycation! I hope you both enjoy it.
Thank you for your wonderful work!
Thank you for this! I’m not “between” until November, but this helped me take a deep breath today. Enjoy your staycation, and congrats on finishing the book! 💙
My mom made blankets like these for my sister and I when we went to university. A very fond memory of ours.
Knit sweaters/cardigans with that daisy square pattern is very in right now with Gen Z/Alpha
Have fun y’all. I wish you lots of good sleep, the way the heated throw feels right when you need to be getting up but just want to turn over but you can’t cause you will be horribly late. I hope you feel content, having finished your first version of your book. I hope the temps are nice and the breezes are gentle. No humidity or angry sky like Texas can do. And then, good appetite, good comfort food, good tea and milk, coffee and milk. Sooner than you know it, it will back to the grind. Supine is lying on the spine. Lol.
Work life balance is tricky. You deserve some down time for sure. Have a lovely moment of deep breathing and being a mom and a wife instead of 1/2 of the BDH god pair.