Busy, Busy

I'm still here, but a few things are distracting me from blogging...

Sunflower, zinnia, and nasturtium seedlings.

My friend Pat's lambs - three pairs of twins from three ewes (two Shetlands and a Cheviot). All six lambs are rams - anybody want a nice chocolate or dark gray Shetland wether? Pat isn't keeping any rams or wethers.

It's time to certify vernal pools, too.

I have been knitting; here's the Moderne Log Cabin blanket, with only three skeins to go. This is getting enormous. And heavy.

In related news, I didn't go to the Connecticut Sheep and Wool Festival, nor am I going to Maryland Sheep and Wool, nor even the New Hampshire equivalent.

Let's just say I've been getting my fiber quotient instead at WEBS and at the 11th-anniversary sale yesterday at Emily's Needlework. Emily had quite a number of yarns at 50% off, if you bought all there was of one color. I do like to support my LYS, you know.

Finally, don't you wish you were this content?

In the Slog Bog

No pics today; I'm too weary of rain and snow and general late-winter-allegedly-spring-even though-it's-the-middle-of-April-here-weather-get-your-frigging-act-together! dreariness around here to take and post any photos. But I definitely feel a need to chat, so get your tea and settle in.

So, what's new? Well, I've joined the Mason-Dixon Slogalong, so I'll have company finishing up the Lamb's Pride Moderne-ish Log Cabin blanket. I have about 5 skeins of yarn to go - that's about 1000 yards of worsted-weight. Enough for some sweaters, if I were skinny or knitting for kids. The blanket is turning out really nicely, I must say. The Lamb's Pride makes a really, really nice weight and texture of blanket. I'm only slogging, rather than skimming joyfully, through this now because I'm getting bored with making square foot upon square foot of garter stitch.

But at least I'm plugging along on it. For some reason I'm into the mode of actually finishing projects, not just flitting mindlessly from new project to even-newer project without ever finishing anything. Odd, for me, but I'll take it.

Speaking of finished projects, remember my socks? My brand-new, first-ever socks? I wore them all day Saturday. Now I get to add them back into the WIP pile(s) - they have a hole in them. Reassure me that if I knit socks with an appropriate amount of nylon in the yarn (these had none; not a good choice for Louet to put into their sock-dying kits), I'll get socks I can wear outside the house.

Along with my new compulsion to finish things, I seem to have acquired a glimmer of sanity. I went to Webs on Saturday (pre-sock hole) and only bought enough yarn in their sale for two projects. I actually put back enough yarn for two other projects. Should I see a doctor or something? This is so unlike me. And I even vacuumed yesterday, washed the bathroom curtains, did my taxes, cleaned out the fridge and the kitty litter...this is not normal behavior, right?

I'm paying for it today, though. I was supposed to go spend the afternoon knitting with my blogless friends Melissa, Chloe, and Jess, but I'm not going - I have a tummyache and it's a two-hour drive. I don't think I can chance it, especially in the car that is beginning to show its age.

You know, it's really unfair that buying yarn goes so much faster than knitting it up. I suppose if I knit more hats and other small projects, I could almost keep up, nut no, all I want is to knit sweaters and blankets and things than take well more than 1000 yards per project. Plus, it's beginning to occur to me that if I spent my money on clothes rather than yarn, I'd actually have something to wear.

The sun better start shining soon around here; clearly I'm beginning to harbor unhealthy thoughts.

Two by Two, Part Two

Look, it's a pair of socks! My FIRST pair of socks! Hoorah for me!

Details: Louet GEMS merino yarn, hand-dyed by me using the Gaywools dye in the Louet sock dying kit. The pattern also came from the kit - a basic 4x4 rib, top-down sock, with a slip-stitch heel. Fits me perfectly, although I would have liked a longer cuff. This pair of socks took well less than 100 grams of the 150 grams of yarn included with the kit. I might be able to knit another matching pair from the remaining yarn, but instead I think I'll knit a pair with solid-blue heels and toes, and use the hand-dyed yarn for the rest.

Next up: The Lambs Pride Moderne Log Cabin Blanket, shown here with one of the surprises in my Easter basket from Earle. Yes, that is a sheep head on top of that Pez dispenser!

Discipline

I've been having a bit of a life crisis recently. No, no, everybody's happy and healthy and all that, but I feel...like I'm not accomplishing enough in the way of knitting. Remember my whiny blogiversary post of a few days ago? That's what I'm talking about.

But today, I feel better. May I present The Hats?

Five wool hats, all cozied up into themselves, to give to the Yarn Harlot, or her designated recipient, when she comes to WEBS to promote her newest book. She's collecting hats for the homeless as part of her book tour.

Admire how the different yarns give very different effects when knit in the same pattern, on the same size needles. From bottom left, we have Elann's Sierra Aran, Christopher Sheep Farm's bulky 3-ply, and Candide's good old heavy worsted weight, in a beautiful blueberry-ish color. All from my stash, mind you.

Note that these hats are finished close to two months before the Harlot event! I am feeling exceedingly virtuous. [The virtuousity has yet to carry over into doing my taxes or getting around to planting the sunflower seeds indoors, however.]

Let me think.......I believe I cast on for the first of these hats on March 19th or 20th, and I finished the last one last night (I even knit on the blue one at staff meeting yesterday!) - that's five hats in about 15 days. Not bad, not bad at all.

So, I think I will turn my newly monogamous and disciplined self to finishing up those stripy socks in time to wear them to meet the Harlot. And if I'm really obsessive [me, obsessed? naaah...], I could finish up my handspun shawl, too. You remember, the one I made a little boo-boo on the night the Pats lost? The one I haven't touched since?

How about the Celtic Dreams sweater, too? No, the Harlot's coming to WEBS on May 30th, and despite the godawful sleet/hail/freezing rain crap we're getting as I type, late May will be too warm for a heavy cabled sweater like that.

Maybe instead Norah Gaughan's Lacy Waves Top from the new Lace Style! The yarn's in my stash (as of two weeks ago, ahem) and it's mostly just simple stockinette, with fancy sleeves and a jot of lace around the neckline - even the color of Hempathy I have will go beautifully with the handspun shawl. Easy! Of course, I can get that done, too! Meant to be! In fact, I bet I could make one of Annie Modesitt's wired lace hats to wear with the socks, shawl, and top, too! And a knit skirt, of course - a linen knit skirt, even! Wouldn't that be something?

Nothing more, of course, I don't want to go overboard or anything.