Lazy Day, Movies, Actual Craftsual Content.

I took advantage of the rare "cool and low humidity enough to open the windows" state of last night to sleep with the windows open. I learned two things.

My allergies are triggered around 3 a.m. This will be significant later in this boring saga.

Dudley gets chilly and has to sleep entirely under the covers, which in this case was just a sheet because it has been So Freaking Hot and Humid at night for at least a week.

So, around 3 a.m. when I was freaking Wide Awake I realized that I need to make a cotton or bamboo or some other fiber cover for my bed for those times when a blanket is too much but a sheet is not enough. Because I was not only wide awake but slightly chilly, but not chilly enough to make a real blanket an option. I need a very light, airy throw, just a little extra layer of insulation between me and the AC. It has to be machine washable, because duh, I do not sleep alone, and it has to not look tacky.

I am in search of a sophisticated crochet motif (I have several in mind, so don't knock yourself out with suggestions) that will work with the yarn and make a light cover for our hot, humid nights, just enough to keep the AC chill off but not actually make me WARM, that can be washed and tossed in the dryer. I can't find a blanket of the right weight - even commercial cotton blankets can be too heavy.

I spent the day experimenting with what was already in the stash. Softball Cotton is too heavy. Softball Cotton in the fine weight is too light - I'd like to finish this fast, and certainly before I retire. So I'm looking forward to the delivery of the Bambu 7 (it was on backorder, but I got a notice that it is shipping UPS tomorrow). It may be The Answer.

Movies: When one is awake with draining sinuses at 3 a.m. and starts channel surfing, it can really ruin one's sleep. I had never seen "The Boston Strangler," in its entirety. Bits, yes, start to finish, never. Damn, that is an awesomely well done movie, so sharp and sophisticated it is timeless. So instead of falling asleep I watched the entire movie, then dozed off until Murphy pointed out that it was morning and his bladder really needed relief. (Dudley almost never has that bladder issue, he's a dog who appreciates a good long sleep. He'll stay in bed until Murphy says it's time to get up.)

I spent the morning unsuccessfully swatching crocheted squares (I'm thinking squares in case I underestimate the yarn needed, so can fall back and punt and add another color - yeah, I planned it that way). Bleh. I don't own the right yarn (yet) and it got tiresome. But then I remembered something I did need to make.

I have a real issue with carrying a felted bag in the Florida sun past the first Hot Flash. It's just a Cosmic Wrongness. One should not carry the woolly Cold Climate bag around here when it's 90.

Years ago (I think Girl was a freshman in high school) I made a crocheted tote bag, I think Lion Brand did the pattern but since they have made their patterns a pain in the ass to search and require registration they can kiss my ass and I won't link to them.
Anyway, it's just a big round bucket-style tote bag with a strap. And I realized that I could make one that looks nicer. And I have a cone of tan Crystal Palace mercerized cotton in the stash, waiting for a job like this. (It has been waiting at least 5 years.) It would be just right for carrying the odds and ends I tote to work that don't fit in the big leather bag, like Lean Cuisines and fruit salad and whatever. So I started it, using an H hook and worked the base in half double crochet, until I was halfway through Silence of the Lambs on AMC and realized that I was a an idiot because that base so totally needed to be single crochet. And I ripped it all and restarted it in single crochet, and it's much better. After I make the turn to the upright part of the body I think I'll throw in a mix of textured rows so it's not sc-till-I-want-to-scream. I'm more creative in crochet, I think because it's so much more flexible as to the stitch counts and such - I can eyeball crochet all of the time. I can eyeball knitting about 3/4 of the time, the rest of the time I crash and burn. But I have a good feeling about this bag - it's a stash-eater, it's useful, and I have a Vision in my addled brain. Photos when it looks slightly more interesting than a single crochet circle. Whoo.