Go. Go make this for dinner now.

Still here.

Things picked up for a while, and now are slowing down a little bit, at least temporarily. I've found an apartment to rent, my application has been accepted, and a small deposit to hold the apartment is winging its way to its destination as I write.

The usual stresses and difficulties haven't changed, but this week should be a little easier as a) it's shorter, and b) my biggest source of stress and difficulty is out this week. This leaves me more able to go about things according to my own schedule, which helps a great deal.

I seem to be off to a slow start this morning - we got back in town from a mini-vacation with the inlaws yesterday afternoon. I started to get the house picked up from some work we had done - wallpaper removal, popcorn ceiling removal, painting - messy stuff that has left a residue of dust everywhere. I'm trying to look at it as an opportunity to get rid of some of the clutter as I put rooms back together. Yesterday, I poked around in the bookshelves, and pulled some books out to give away, and moved unread books that had gotten lost in the shuffle to more visible locations. Now it's easier to shop the bookcases again, find just the right reading material.

I'll post some fun travel photos tomorrow, and update the knitting news. I'm in sock mode, which means about 3 being worked simultaneously, but hopefully at least one of those will be finished up shortly. Trying to resist the call of the new and finish up some of the lingering projects. Small and portable is winning right now, thanks to the current decluttering efforts.

Aw shucks.

Thanks, everyone, for your kind words about the hat. Seriously - it's puckered in some places, but it blocked out a lot better than I had hoped. I'm very happy with it, and I'm definitely going to be knitting some more 2 color hats in the future, or I might start knitting mittens. I don't see myself knitting many sweaters this way, although I have a copy of Meg Swansen's Knitting, and there are a few things in there that strike my fancy. No promises in any direction.

Anyhow, one of the things I really like about knitting is how everything gets easier with practice. I picked up my Trellis scarf again, for instance, and discovered how much more relaxing knitting it has become. I dropped a stitch and was able to calmly correct my mistake without having to rip back to the beginning. Yeah, I'm still having to tink back a row every so often, but that's not a big surprise when I'm only half paying attention by trying to talk on the phone and knit, or watch TV, or wrangle a small kid. I think I finished another repeat and a half today, so it's gradually getting a little longer, but nothing dramatic as of yet. For me, this one falls under the category of long-term project.

Zarzuela Knits and Crochets posted regarding Summer of Socks 09, and I think I'm going to play along again this year. I love the idea that the theme is "no stress" this year, which will make it much more fun to play. I'm not in the mood for something really competitive, but I'm happy to see socks no matter what. I'm still plugging away at the 3 or so pair that I acknowlege having started. If I can finish those up by September, I'd be pretty excited. I've also had a couple patterns hit my radar lately - Marilinda has definitely captured my interest, and Charade looks like a great way to use some of my variegated yarn in a wearable sock.

Photos this weekend, if there's anything pretty that catches my eye and more importantly, if I remember to get some duct tape for my camera...

Weekends

I did a whole lot of sitting and knitting this weekend. It was the first weekend in a long while that all three of us were home at the same time, and we made it a weekend of relaxation - no work, as few chores as we could manage. Lots of reading, playing Wii, knitting, bike rides, walks, and movies. I also played a whole lot of Scrabble on Facebook.

I saw Madagascar 2, which none of us would recommend. Friday night we watched Waitress, which was cute, but not my favorite of all the movies I've ever seen. The husband and I caught up on TV - Dollhouse has gotten pretty good, which is unfortunate as I suspect it will be canceled
in the next 5 minutes. House was okay, and we still have Chuck to watch.

I finished a sock for the husband, but it's not really blogworthy. I'm continuing to work on a couple pairs for him. I'm about halfway done with the second sock for one pair, and haven't cast on for the other yet. I'm alternating between those socks and the second Primavera sock for myself. I've only knit the cuff so far.

More excitingly, I started (and finished) a quick little knit by Glampyre. This is the Reclamation scarf, a quick knit to use up a skein of yarn. I do actually wear scarves as accessories, not just for cold-weather wear. They're also especially useful in my office, where the AC is perpetually set too high, and there's a cold breeze that blows on my neck.

The yarn is Filatura di Crosa College, which isn't the greatest stuff ever. I like the color, but the texture is a bit off. It's stiff and furry at the same time, but knit on large needles, it isn't so bad. I probably will wash it once I have some finished socks, and it should soften up a bit and bloom. It's a discontinued yarn, and not one that I really feel like I missed out on much.

I am very proud of this completed knit:


I fell in love with the pattern, Selbu Modern, and decided to try it out. This is the first time I worked with 2 colors, and it was a pretty good choice for a first project. My tension is all wonky, and I had a hard time with the top of the hat for a couple reasons. First, I should have switched to dpns sooner than I did. Second, choosing aluminum needles was a poor choice, and stickier needles would have made my life simpler. Third, stabbing myself in the palm of the hand with said aluminum needles meant that I took an extra week to complete this project. I'll just say ow and move on, but I don't recommend doing what I did at all. Overall, I love this, even if my photography is lacking.



My camera is in an iffy state - the battery cover has broken, and it's hard to keep the batteries in place with a complete circuit in order to take photos. My birthday is in a week, and one of the things I asked for was an inexpensive point and click camera to fill in the void. We'll see - it's an interesting time here. Off for more laundry, some more mindless knitting, and to enjoy what little is left of the weekend.