Knitting a painted desert

This has been my project for the last couple of weeks.  I'm knitting a shawl for my aunt who we'll be visiting soon.  She lives in Arizona, near Flagstaff, and loves all things southwest.  I'm knitting the shawl in Lion Brand's homespun Painted Desert.

My aunt celebrated her 100th birthday last August, and Mr. Gadget and I missed her party. She's my dad's sister--the oldest of my grandparents' 4 children--and she's outlived all of her siblings.  We call her our family treasure.

So now I'm back to needle-felting.  My plan is to work on fall things while we're here this winter, and Christmas things when we visit again in the summer.  But now I'm in the mood to make a cat.  So it might have to be a black cat.  Unless I find myself making a yellow cat, and then I will have to abandon my carefully thought-out plans.....which I have a long history of doing.  Whatever....


Today I'm celebrating the completion of our new shower.  I'm sure I mentioned the reconstruction work that's been going on here at the Calcondo.....again!  The guys have worked hard to finish this shower so we'd have one in working order before they started the second.  A shower might seem like a small thing...in the great scheme of things.  But it will be nice not to have to tote my towel and soap and shower shoes over to the gym to bathe.  It reminds me of those oh-so-painful days of junior high.