Thanks, all. Maybe the Day of Service is not an idea that's made it out of the East Coast region yet. I don't mind doing something but I do mind when stuff like this gets all politicized (by either side) and when what was really a human tragedy gets used as a political issue. Or as a goad to beat people with, to tell them they "must" do something lest they dishonor the memory of those who died.

I also get irritated when organizers act like you have to do it "their" way or what you're doing doesn't count. I feel a similar irritation when I hear the PSAs on the radio that imply that if you are not volunteering for an afterschool program, you are contributing to the next generation of juvenile delinquents. (For one thing, I do a Sunday evening program - though it's doubtful any of the kids currently attending would be headed for delinquenthood - and for another, when I'm on campus from 7 in the morning until 4 or 5 some afternoons, plus evening meetings, it's like, "Take the REST of my life away, why don't you?" I mean, especially with the hour of exercise I do every morning to keep myself from becoming obese - which apparently is now part of my "patriotic" duty, according to some - it's like how much MORE can people expect of me?)

Anyway. I'm torn about trying to give blood. As I said, I'd rather do it at the church drive because there are an increasingly smaller number of members who can donate (older folks who have had cancer within the past 5 years, or who are on medications that exempt them, or among the younger women, several have given birth recently, which also exempts them).

I suppose I could send off the scarf I have ready for Red Scarf Project. One of the women in my AAUW group suggested baking cookies for a Red Cross event later in the fall, but with the way my schedule goes, I'm not sure I'd even have time for that.

If I had had an extra week to think about it, I probably could have come up with something. I think the short notice is in part what annoyed me - it's like "Drop everything and do this" when they have no concept of how many balls some of us are attempting to juggle.

Maybe something else will turn up I can do Friday afternoon. Maybe there will be something at the library I can help with.

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Charlotte, I've substituted winter squash equally for pumpkin in soups and pies; I see no reason why it would not work equally well in breads. I admit for "cooked" things requiring a puree I'm more prone to use pumpkin because it's easier to pick up a can of it than it is to bake or steam a squash.

****

Anyway.

I finished all the knitting on the Airy Cardigan but ran out of steam to complete the finishing around 7 pm last night.

I did get both sleeves knit, all the ends woven in (easier on mohair because it has "sticky ends" - they don't seem prone to pulling out and unravelling), the edging on the front (with buttonholes) done, and I sewed up the first sleeve seam, but just couldn't work up the energy to do the second sleeve (with the mohair, it took a good 15 minutes to unpick the provisional cast-on for the sleeve edgings, and that took a lot of my patience towards the end).

But it is very close to done. Sew up the second sleeve, set both sleeves in, and put on the buttons - and that's it! I'm pleased I pulled this back out and persisted on redesigning the sleeves to be longer.

(Edited: gah, I went to the trouble to take a photo and then forgot to post it):



Now I can move on - probably back to the Honeycomb vest.