WolfWeave

My head is spinning: we’re off on a last-minute vacation…all researched and planned and packed (well, not packed yet!) in under 3 days. Minor miracle! I’m planning on taking CeCe and Green Gable with me but have to run out now to get the 20″ size 6 needles needed for GG (thought I had already bought them but…) and then somehow my size 4 32″ has also disappeared so I have to buy another. Decided to use the Debbie Bliss Cathay in purple for GG instead and use something else for CeCe…maybe the KnitPicks Shine in red? or the Cotton Fleece in turquoise?…as Bonne Marie has so thoughtfully provided a list of alternate yarns in wraps per inch. Now where did I put that? I know I printed it out. Ack!! Pack already!!!

See you when we get back next week. In the meantime, you can place your bets on how far I get on either or both sweaters! [Hint: I am going with husband and all 3 boys (see photo below), staying in a condo with a washer/dryer and kitchen. You figure it out.]

Tracy Morgan Smith
1955-2006
A dear sweet person and a great friend,
a supreme collector of dolls,
lost her battle with breast cancer today.
We all mourn her passing.

Endless high school graduation activities for my middle son (though we are very proud of him and it was nice to have his older brother home for a few days):

Two (what seemed like endless) birthday party celebrations for my middle son and myself. His 18th went on forever; mine was short and…well, short.

My mother-in-law’s 90th birthday.
Lots of getting everyone ready for their summer school/summer jobs activities (loads of driving, filling out forms, and computer time involved).
Figuring out college forms, tests, requirements, orientation activities, etc.
Multiple doctor and dentist appointments all around.
Visiting with several ill friends.
Major shopping for new clothes.
Spending blocks of time with my parents, especially after my mom suffered a nasty fall, bruising/cracking her ribs.
Trying to figure out our summer schedule (hopeless), and where to squeeze in a vacation.
And all the other detritus of daily life.

Consequently, no knitting to speak of. Looks like all those neatly ziploked summer projects are going to end up being projects for next summer! I did manage to knit a few inches of CeCe but had to rip it all out when I discovered a major mistake in the first few rows of lace (which I made the mistake of trying to knit while talking to my mother). Then I cast on once more and knit a few inches but something was majorly wrong with the edging on one side (one side looked perfect and the other looked like crap) so I ripped it all out again! Sending out an SOS to Bonne Marie!! Ergo, CANNOT knit when distracted or interrupted, that much is plain! (By the way, I did swatch with size 6 needles and preferred it and was a bit closer to gauge, so decided to go with size 6 needles and size 5 for the bottom ribbing).

Sigh, maybe I should go back and try Green Gable again–the KAL is bound to have worked out most of the kinks in the pattern by now (see sidebar for KAL). Or I still have my Square Holes Sweater to finish. I’m beginning to wonder whether I’m one of those easily distracted knitters who drops a pattern as soon as she hits a snag or gets a bit bored with it. But I don’t want to be that kind of knitter; I want to perservere; I want finished objects!! I want a summer sweater to wear–is that asking too much?!!

Yet another week gone by without any knitting…though I may be getting close! This week vanished with the usual family runaround, plus I was laid low with a 24-hr bug of fever & chills that knocked out one of my free days, ‘natch. (I never did make it to the 2nd set of postcards either, so will have to start cleaning my sewing mess out of Aaron’s room.) A pile of newspapers to read and then I suddenly realized I hadn’t given a thought to what I was wearing to my son’s high school graduation next Friday because I’d been so focused on the boys having their suits and shoes and ties, etc.

Anyway, my fashion realization resulted in a closet explosion (seriously–lots of bags headed for the attic; at least I’ve lost weight) and 2 more wasted knitless days of shopping trips, mostly fruitless. But now I do have something to wear (even if I had to reject the worn-just-once-last-November Eileen Fisher silk outfit for the worn-just-once 3-years-ago Eileen Fisher silk outfit, albeit with a brand new tank top). And now I’m thinking about a quick knit–a small purse out of Noro’s Daria cord (of which I just happen to have 3 skeins matching my outfit; sometimes a large stash comes in handy) because I have no small summer purse except for a cheap crocheted one from Target, bought many summers ago, that always serves in a pinch, as I get dressed up so seldom.

So Noro Daria it is and I had better be able to start knitting it tomorrow! I have Noro Vol. 19, with 2 purse patterns, a pattern from the LYS where I bought the skeins, and another pattern found somewhere on the web which is very much the same as the pattern from my LYS, except that both sides of the purse alternate 4 rows of st st with 8 rows of garter stitch. All the patterns look rather wide and sturdy, whereas I want mine more dainty and dressy, so I’ll have to play around with it.

I had managed to swatch for my CeCe sweater out of Debbie Bliss Cathay (I love the feel of this yarn, even more after it is knit and washed) but am not…quite…on gauge…It calls for 20 sts and 28 rows but I have 19 sts and 28 rows (on size 7 needles). I suppose I should swatch again with size 6, especially as it is a cotton blend yarn; but I am so tempted just to knit the next size smaller sweater and let the chips fall where they may! Any wisdom on this?

And so it goes. But most important of all, next Saturday is Knit in Public day (and also happens to be my birthday), and people around the world are participating. Click on the “Show Your Sticks 2006″ button to the right to get to the main web page and join in the fun. It’s a revolution, people!