Hanging Out at the BOA

I carpool to work with someone who starts work half an hour before I do; she was worried I'd mind and wouldn't want to carpool with her since I'd have to leave earlier and would have an extra half hour to kill once we got into Richmond. Put your hands up if you think I have a problem killing time! This is the cafe at the Bank of America building. You don't have to buy food to sit here, although generally I at least buy something to drink and a bagel in the morning. I love this room--it's like a glassed-in patio and the stitching light is the best. There's also an outdoor patio that has lots of trees and flowers and good views of the city. Generally I have the cafe to myself in the morning, and when I am not working out at the Y across the street, I have lunch here too. It's never crowded and no one even casts a glance my way when I pull out my needlework. I love this space so much and I'm so grateful to the Bank of America (my own office is too crowded to find a nook for stitching) that I'm thinking of switching my bank account over to them.

Here's a little more on Ann Smith. I have to admit my attention is wandering. That's just about right--it's been about 4 weeks. Time to move on to something else for a while.

So I picked up Catharine O'Neal and worked on the thistles on the top right.

I have signed up for a three-week knitting class at the Yarn Lounge in October. The project will be a Fair Isle hat by Mission Falls. Here's the project I've chosen. As a knitter I'm an advanced beginner or an intermediate. I'm good at some things--knitting, purling, cabling, increasing, decreasing--but not others, including changing colors. This class will teach me to do that. The following month is a three week class in mitten-knitting which I will sign up for if I like the hat class.

I do adore my handicrafts. For years I have wanted to learn woodworking, and Richmond has a place where I can indulge my curiosity and take classes. I am going to be investigating that also. One beginner class teaches the students to make a small shaker table. Other classes teach wooden bowl making or pictures frames.
Peaches: "I like crafts too; I deconstructed this timothy tunnel in no time at all!"

I'm off to steam some crabs for dinner. Happy week ahead!