Doo doo doo....

Looking out my front window.

Yesterday I could not figure out where to drop my son off for daycare, which was held at a school we don't normally go to. It was his first day of spring break, and since my boss was away, I decided I'd take the day off and spend it with him. We ran some errands, played outside, and I then started to spend some time on my least favorite yard chore. Raking. This represents a tiny fraction of what needs to come up off my yard - and this is from an area that has already been raked once this season. Ugh. I have a lot more work to do.


I'm hoping to get the piles picked up by the end of this week, but the job never seems to end. My legs are really sore from picking up the piles, but I need the exercise anyhow.

At least you can see pretty flowers out the back window.


So the boys are off for their vacation, and I've got the house to myself. Which means I have been doing my best to be anywhere but home. It's weirdly quiet. I'm going to settle down for the rest of the evening with a movie, some popcorn, some knitting, and some tea. I'm hoping to get close to finishing a sock - I'm not sure how long it should be, and the husband isn't around to try it on, but I know it needs a few more inches of foot regardless.

Tomorrow, in to work to collect my computer and my phone charger. I've picked up 2 new knitting books recently, which will make good blog fodder for tomorrow, I think.

Day 2

I swear to you I had fewer of those 2 days ago. It's been a week. Thankfully, tomorrow is Friday, and the boss is out, which means I can relax and have a better day.

Julie freaked me out about carpet bugs, which prompted me to pull out my roving and spin a little bit. I am not very good at making yarn with my spindle, which isn't much of a surprise. I don't play with it very often, and honestly, I don't really have time to take up spinning, even though I do find working with the spindle to be really relaxing. I think most of my yarn is safely stored in plastic bags inside plastic tubs, but there's one area in my house that I'm a little nervous about. I think I'll dig into that area this weekend, but it's hiding a lot of things I don't really want to deal with.

It rained all day and wasn't a good day for photos. Hopefully tomorrow the pollen will have been washed away a bit and it will be slightly drier. Roads were flooded for my morning commute - high tide + rain + living at sea level = hazardous conditions. If it's a little better, I'll snap a shot of the wrap I've been knitting away on. Let's face it - it's a novelty scarf, but it's silk and it feels fantastic, and I'm feeling totally unashamed of it.

This cheesy 80's moment

Brought to you courtesy of a lousy day.
Humor me. I gave notice today (3 months) and it didn't go so well. But, hey - I made it this far. I can make it another few months, right?

I'm challenging myself to blog every day this month. If nothing else, it may help me get out the camera more.

Tuesday 10

Today's prompt: 10 Things on my To Do List

1. Pay taxes. Yup, haven't started that yet. Still have to contact the old school to get paperwork I need to fill out the forms, too.
2. Rake the yard. Spring leaf-fall is in progress, and the live oaks are dropping leaves like nobody's business.
3. Get back to regular running. I miss it and I need it.
4. Sort the paperwork in the kitchen.
5. Clean the garage.
6. Finish up some unfinished knits.
7. Figure out when I'm going apartment hunting.
8. Notify my boss of my plans.
9. Run western blots.
10. Cut sections.

Exciting, no?

Nothing profound here.

I was going to write a serious and thoughtful post, but then being thoughtful started to make me sad, and I need to go to work soon.

So instead you get two quick photos:


I finished this up over the weekend. This started out as a pair of Dashings, but it didn't take. One skein of Cascade 220 makes a short scarf, child-sized. It was a satisfying knit, and I understand why so many people made these. It reminded me that I have a lot of Cascade 220 in the stash, and that at some point, I really do intend to make a cabled sweater, one of the ubiquitous patterns, but one I like a lot.

But I get distracted by shiny things, like this.



This being more Handmaiden Sea Silk, my celebration for finding a new job. I've taken to wearing scarves a lot. I wear a lot of basic things, like plain shirts and black cardigans, and a bright splash of color makes me look less grim and more put-together, while requiring very little effort. This is an important part, because I don't really want to take the time to get dressed up, and don't really see the point if I'm going to get dirty anyhow. (I have darkroom chemical stains all over my best-fitting pair of jeans currently, but that's not stopping me from wearing them.) I know that knitting scarves is passé, but I'm not that stylish anyhow, and this is for a scarf/wrap that I'll probably start in August or so.

I'm trying to finish some things up before I cast on for yet more new. Now 50% done on a lace scarf that's been an albatross for too long, and soon to start either ripping some socks or finishing them off. I'm never good at resisting the call of the new for long (usually those projects hanging around forever are there for a good reason), but I'll be making an effort to clear the deck at least a little bit over the next month or so.

Wallowing.

Yes, wallowing. New Handmaiden Silk Rumple, color Peridot Mist. I'm celebrating. A nice reminder that better things are around the corner, especially on a Wednesday.

Good things

It is an absolutely gorgeous Saturday. The second day of spring, according to my son, who seems to know these things.

This has been an interesting week, very much of an emotional rollercoaster for me. Wednesday marked 6 months after my father's death, which was a rough day for me. I had an experiment inexplicably failing in the lab, which was really upsetting me - I can deal with things not working, but it's so frustrating when it's not consistent, and there's no good reason for it not working. I got some positive reinforcement in other ways, which was nice, and most importantly, on Friday, I got word that I got the job. I'm currently in DEEP denial as to what this means on some levels, but right now I'm basking in it.

Because my friends are enablers all, I did start the hat that was calling my name. I'm not certain I have nearly enough yarn to finish it, but I'm not so concerned about that. The whole point of this one really seems to be to try it. I've never done stranded knitting before, and I'm certainly not doing it very well. I grabbed 2 leftover balls of yarn - some Shibui Knits in mulberry, and leftover Dream In Color Smooshy in Happy Forest. The pattern calls for Koigu, and these yarns share a very similar base. My stranding is uneven, and I have a strong tendency to drop the yarn from my left hand, but it's fun knitting. I ordered a smaller size 2 needle, a shorter one, as I do seem to keep knitting hats, and that 16" length is easier to work with than a 24". Trying to do this on 2 circular needles was an exercise in frustration. I can do it, but I wasn't happy. That mention of ordering a needles? Er, it's probably not coming to my house without friends. I decided I needed a celebratory present, or a consolation present, earlier yesterday. I settled on some ridiculous yarn, something extravagant, but I'll share that later.



Time to grab a quick brunch and head in to work. Going to take some of that simple knitting with me, try to read and knit during the long incubations.