Sunday Morning

Well, somehow I just screwed up last night and lost a long, rambling post that took me about an hour to write. I wanted to just cry. This blogging can be so frustrating to me at times. I never seem to have time to sit down and write and when I do, it all goes up in a puff of computer "smoke". So, if I can remember what I wrote last night, I'll give re-creating it a shot here.

Let's see, I think I started with my new pictures. I posted a shot of my WIPs. There are (finally!) more than one at a time. How all you other knitters manage to keep everything straight I'll never know. Anyway, the lavender-gray cabled scarf on the left side of the picture is something I liked and started around New Year's but haven't finished because the weather around here has been so wacky. I mean, in the middle of January, we had 70 degree (F) weather in upstate NY! Go figure. I think if it stays like that, I won't mind so much. At least we don't have to shovel. I know lots of people are unhappy that there is no snow (or at least very little right now), but I'm not a skier and I don't do outdoor winter stuff, so it just doesn't bother me. I like hockey, and that's winter, but it's indoors, so I'm not missing anything. There I go, rambling away again.

Back to WIPs: I also have, in the upper right corner, some funny looking green and brown thingies that are going to be Fiber Trends Felted Clogs when they grow up (or shrink down...). Near them is a navy blue pair that I just cast on last night for DH, although since I took the picture, they've grown a bit. In the upper left of the picture, you'll see a lovely light purple ball of yarn on top of a (hard to see) denim blue swatch. The swatch is to be felted so I can figure out how big the unfelted part of my laptop case needs to be. The purple is Berroco Ultra Alpaca (yummy soft yarn) and I've started my first sock of a pair on dpns. I have done one pair on two circulars, but Mom got those and I thought they were tedious at best. They were all 1x1 rib and stockinette on little tiny needles. I felt like I was knitting on toothpicks with string and couldn't wait for them to be done so I could give them away. Mom does like them, though. These are the "Thuja Socks" pattern from Knitty and are a "men's" sock pattern, but I have big feet, so I think they'll work out fine. I am using size 5 dpns which is a size smaller than called for in the pattern, and I plan to lengthen the ankle and leg part a bit to make them more "lady-like", but I think they'll work out ok. The pattern is very pretty and is NOT all rib and stockinette, and that really makes me happy because if you're going to do something over and over and over, you might as well make it something you have to think about while you're doing it. The only dpns I have are aluminum, though, and I'm finding them to be very slippery. I'm wondering if I'd like working with wood or bamboo better. I may just buy a set as my "frequent buyer" card at the LYS is nearly full and a couple more purchases will give me some extra yarn money. I don't really need more yarn, but as DH says, "It's not a question of 'need'; if you want it, get it." He's very reasonable about things like that. Probably because he's a musician and he feels the same way about his instruments the way I do about my stash.

In the meantime, my faithful personal assistant, Alvin, has come to join me on the couch. She can't get into my lap because that's where the laptop is, so she'll settle for laying next to me (for a while, anyway). DH took a picture of us knitting; I've also posted that. Those of you whose cats also own them will understand when they see her "helping" me knit. She often lays on me or near me when 'we' knit. She's kind of an "old lady"; she's 13 now, give or take, and she decided she owned me about 12 years ago. I guess she was right.

The picture labelled "Cherry Bombed" is the sweater I wrote about in my last long ramble. I'm in the process of decontructing it and I think, no I'm sure, that I'm going to felt it and see what I can do with it from there. I may try sewing it into a bag for my knitting, but I'm not quite sure what it wants to be yet. I'll put a picture of the FO when I know.

I'm sure I've forgotten something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. Oh, yes. Author Kate Jacobs will be at the local bookstore doing a reading/signing of her new book "Friday Night Knitting Club" at 2:00 p.m. I plan to go, but we'll see. I will be getting the book, either way and will 'review' it here when I've finished. BTW, Julia Roberts has bought the movie rights and will be making a movie of it; she knits too, in case you didn't know. I didn't, until recently, that is.
Bye for now.....keep your fingers crossed that I don't lose this one, too.....I WILL cry, then.