No gold watch here.........

Sam retires tomorrow.........well, today is actually his last day as they're closed tomorrow for the holiday. He will still be putting in some hours for around 4 months, around 40 hours a month to help with problems during the transition and solving engineering issues which is something he loves to do.  But there is no gold watch waiting for him here at home to celebrate his retirement - he's getting shoe bags made from McDonald's fabric.........and yes, there is a story going back 25 years........
 

We bought our first land here in Oregon back in 1986 with plans of retiring except we just couldn't wait so we started planning to move shortly after purchasing it......we came from the DC area where we were both born and lived until moving to OR. The joke was that he wouldn't find a job (it is difficult here in SW OR) and that he would have to go work at McDonald's clearing tables. Not that there's anything wrong with working at McDonald's - my godparents owned and worked hard at 6 of them in the Houston area until they retired. I gave Sam a surprise 40th birthday party 25 years ago and we already had this plan in place to move so I asked my godparents for a McDonald's cap - they not only sent me the cap but an entire uniform. Oh, if I had thought ahead I would have kept that uniform just for this day.......but I wasn't forward thinking enough at that time. Fast forward to this past spring at The Mill End Store in Portland where I spotted these two flannel fabrics on the clearance table, only a half yard of each. I had to snap them up but had no clue what to sew.....my friends suggested boxer shorts - cute but they would never get worn - I decided on golf shoe bags so I don't have to look at big old honking golf shoes in each vehicle......hmm, is this fabric better than golf shoes???

Here they are rolled up and tied with a coordinating ribbon made out of the one fabric. I wonder what Sam will think of these when he sees them tonight..........

A dear friend gifted me this book last month for my birthday - it has so many patterns in it I want to knit and what is better than knitting shawls - no worry about size like sweaters. I had picked one out to start on but then I couldn't decide on which handspun to use or if I want to spin something new so last night I decided to start on another pattern.

It's this combination shawlette/scarf. I'm using the handspun I finished not long ago from Ashland Bay merino in the Baltic colorway..........will look perfect with jeans. I've only knit 6 rows so far but those scallops along the edge are starting to show. After knitting the lace edging there is a series of short rows in garter stitch to shape it. This will be a quick knit.........if I have time to sit down and work on it in the evenings........