Summer’s Last Gasp

Chicago is SO much cooler in the summer than Washington, DC! Of course, anything unlike the inside of an oven qualifies as cooler than DC, but still – weather here has been so nice: low 80s, sunny. Unfortunately, for a sweater girl like me, that is not warm enough for a tank top, especially if there’s a breeze blowing! I’m rushing to finish the Soleil tank before my trip to Tennessee this weekend. I hear it is still hot there! A pic of its almost-finished state:



This project has been the perfect level of difficulty for me. I sailed through the lace, stumbled a little with the neckline instructions, and was challenged in making suitably neat selvedges. Before I finish, though, I will need to tackle crochet! Yikes. But it’s getting finished this week one way or another.

I imagine you all have read or heard about the utter devastation from Hurricane Katrina. It is heartbreaking to see how families and communities have been torn apart by this disaster. I visited New Orleans last November for the first time. I stayed on St. Charles Street, ate beignets at Café du Monde, and took the trolley out to the Garden District to visit the Garden District Needlework Shop. What a beautiful city. I hope that everyone affected will get to safety and find some comfort, soon.

A view of Decatur Street and St. Louis Cathedral, in happier times: