Lots

So, it's been one of those weeks at work. Virtually no meetings. Not a single deadline. No oh-my-God-the-sky-is-falling crises (unlike the real world). Just plodding, boring, dum-de-dum work. I have just about gone out of my mind from sheer boredom.

Luckily, I got a reprieve - I stopped on the way home tonight and bought the new Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines book. Now I have at least seven projects I must cast on for right now, at least until I come to my senses, and not one of them involves dishrag cotton, mind you.

But first, good news! It fits! It looks great! I really can knit! Please join me for a short tour of...Wisteria in the Wild, as shot by That Sue.

Go knit yourself this pattern. You will not regret it.

Furthermore, although I haven't quite finished this next project, look at my handspun! (George the Vast included for scale.)

It's yarn! It's really yarn! It's a helluva lot of perfectly lovely worsted weight, and once I finish spinning up the rest of this Corriedale Cross fleece (a ewe by the name of Princess, from Rhinebeck 2007), I shall dye it all a color I can actually wear and knit myself something lovely and incredibly self-fulfilling.

Or put it in my stash and fondle it on dark days. Whatever.

Enough of the past and the present - back to the future! It is time to choose my SOAR/Rhinebeck/Fiber Twist knitting project(s). Yup, I'm going to all three and I need some knitting that is not so mindful I can't do it while laughing all day with friends, nor so mindless that I get bored. We know what happens when I get bored (see Paragraph A above).

And I want color. I have knit lots of lace and cables this summer; it is time for color, now that the nights are eating up the daylight.

I am very tempted by thhe Mason-Dixon Liberty throw (second photo here), but there's no way I could keep that pattern straight while riding to Soar or Rhinebeck. Some other time...

Maybe the Kiki Mariko felted rug... I've tried to knit a felted rug before, but it lies unfinished - I didn't care for the way it was turning out. And, frankly, I have my doubts about how well a felted rug would stand up to the ministrations of two furry beasts (see George, above). But I love the color pattern of Kiki Mariko.

So maybe I'll knit myself a wrap with that pattern, something that uses up stash, so I can buy more stash at SOAR etc. with a clear conscience.

Heh. Maybe even an afghan.

I knit myself a Kaffe Fassett coat once - it's gorgeous (someday I'll take a photo for you), or it would be on a woman twice my height who was still living in the 1980s. I've always thought I should have used that pattern to knit an afghan instead - the fabric of the coat is so heavy and wonderful, I've been known to throw the coat over myself when I've needed cheering up.

A wrap/throw/afghan, then. Fair Isle, in the simple Kiki Mariko pattern. It's a go. Pardon me, I need to go rifle the stash now.

Metamorphosis

Wisteria is coming right along.

Even the caterpillars are growing up. This is a Pandorus Sphinx moth that showed up at work this week.

That's my hand it's on - it's huge!

Along That Same Vein

This one's for you, Bezzie!

A Polyphemus Moth caterpillar - huge!

A Day at the Farm

You know you've come to the right place when there's a fleece drying by the front door.

This is the home of Pat and Bob and Isabel and Olivia. Bob had to work, Olivia had to shop (she's 14, school is about to start, what'd you expect?), but Pat and Olivia and I had a glorious fibery day together yesterday. I admired the Cheviot ram lambs - these are twins, believe it or not. The coated one is close to twice the size of his brother, and his balls are probably three times as big.

I admired one of the she-devil Shetland ewe lambs.

I admired some of the chickens.

I forgot to photograph the horse, the dogs, the cats, and the rabbits; just use your imagination. I did admire the garden's bounty.

Which was transformed in Pat's creative hands into a scrumptious lunch.

A nifty caterpillar visited around lunch time. Despite poring over Dave Wagner's great caterpillar book, I still don't know what this is.

I admired Isabel's enormous haul of ribbons from various fairs.

And Olivia's (she's 4 years younger; give her time).

Pat and Olivia tortured little wooly dogs with very sharp needles while I knit and spun.

Olivia was very intent.

An incipient dog.

An even cuter incipient dog.

We took a walk in the late afternoon to stretch our legs and admire the neighborhood crop of Monarch and Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars. One of the Monarch cats was very dark.

I think I want to go live on Pat's little farm.