My dad Fred pretending to play a mirrored art saxophone in his home. Yes you can see where my love of pattern and color came from!

When a parent’s health begins to fail it takes physical time to help them, but even more consuming is the mental time needed to process the changes. That is the place I have been in for the last 6 months or so. My dad passed away two weeks ago, and it took more energy out of me than I cared to admit.

Fred was what people describe as “a character” which meant that most people found him absolutely charming, but at times his only child struggled with his craziness. He could be great fun,  creative, and loved me, his little girl. While he was 89, a large part of him still wanted to party and he was pretty darn angry these last 6 months that he couldn’t go out to wine and dine a pretty woman! As I ponder this loss, one thing I can truly say is I’m happy to have his spunk, spirit and creativity in me. He loved my sewing, and was very proud of my artistic side so he would say, “it’s time to get back to it”!

I’ve done a little sewing in the last few months. I made another pair of my self-drafted pants that came out well, however when stress hits knitting is a must. It just calms my nerves when the project is easy and repetitive like this tunic length sweater pattern, Truss from Shibui Knits. Their patterns are simple, but have an understated elegance and a nice fit.

Cascade Eco-Duo in Hazelnut made for a warm top that I wore over a turtleneck before the spring weather hit. The stripes were a BIG surprise, but luckily I found the subtle pattern very attractive. It’s a great pattern, and I may splurge on the recommended Shibui Knits yarn next time.

I will be sharing some spring sewing on my next blog. It’s time to welcome the warm weather!