Waiting

Even with knitting in hand, I hate waiting. Lately, I've been too edgy to knit much...I don't know what it is, but I start knitting and then can't concentrate on it. I'm preoccupied, but I'm not sure by what.

I signed up to test another pattern - a women's cardigan made with laceweight! Don't worry; it's held double :) The yarn I plan to use is a bit lighter weight than called for, so I'm waiting to find out what the gauge is so I can swatch. I have lots of different laceweights just running around, and I think this will be a great way to use them and maybe get something for myself out of the deal. Plus, the deadline will ensure that I actually make the thing.

With Passover and Easter coinciding this weekend, I get Monday and Tuesday off just when I need it. I've been painting rooms in my sister's house on my days off, but I think that I won't need to paint anything this coming week. A nice little rest. DP has a meeting downtown tomorrow, so I'll either come along with him and hang out at a coffee shop (and plug the meter), or stay home and work in the garden. I have to see if my poor crushed berry canes have done any sprouting at all. A big birch branch fell on them sometime this winter and broke most of them.

Well, I'm off to whip up a potato gratin and a chickpea salad for dinner tonight.

Fashion plate

Navy pants, brown socks and black shoes - I am totally fashionable.

Still working on the Waistcoat socks; I decided to try one sock using the crochet hook method to bead, and it's slow going. I also spent all of Sunday at my sister's house painting, so I didn't get any knitting done, except for some darning. DP's socks really needed it.

Beady and bready

DP took me to the store today to get beads - hooray! I got silver, gold, bronze, green and red, which I think will make a marvelous waistcoat :) My plan is to put half of each color of bead in a bowl, and thread them onto the yarn. Hopefully, I'll have enough...and the back of the leg won't be too stiff with all the beading. I'm excited to try this out, and if it looks anything like my imagination, I'll be very happy.

I also just pulled a batch of b-bread out of the oven. I used this recipe, but I swapped out rum for the bourbon. One, I don't have any bourbon in the house, and two, I love rum and bananas together. Frankly, I love rum in anything, but that's beside the point :)

I just need to finish the foot and heel of the second Diamond Waistcoat sock, then I can cut the yarn and bead it up. Goodness, that banana bread smells lovely!

Little bunny's getting fat on bread and honey

I'm eating buttered bread with honey and drinking tea, and it's raining outside. Hooray!

I just finished my March SKA socks, and I love them:



That Eidos yarn is amazing. I started out not liking it, but it won me over. Great stitch definition, nice deep color, and it stands abuse well. I carried it with me on the bus and over at my sister's house for a month, and it's none the worse for wear.

Now I can concentrate on my Smaug socks...but I really need to get to the fabric store to pick up the beads for the sock backs.

I also had a nice meeting today with a woman doing a project for a Folklore class. She needed to interview knitters, and I thought it would be fun to help a fellow knitter (and folklore lover) out. It was! We had a great talk, and even kept on talking after she had gotten the footage and recordings that she needed. It was fun to talk with another person close to my own age about knitting and fiber crafts - especially a real live person :)

It's a Yorkshire kind of day

It's cold and rainy, and I have a cup of Scottish breakfast steeping. I'm just about to sit down and read Wuthering Heights - it's just that kind of day.

DP has been very sick the past week - stomach sick, fever, chills - but he seems to be a bit better. I'm letting him sleep, and the rain on the roof makes good white noise for him.

I'm excited for the next mystery sock clue; here's what I have so far:



I really like how this yarn is knitting up. I wasn't sure about it at first, because it has a firm hand, but I like the stitch definition. We'll see how it wears.

I'm also working on my Smaug socks, which have now been dubbed Diamond Waistcoat socks. Here's the toe:



I still need the beads, but maybe I can get my sister to take me to the store sometime. DP's in no condition to go anywhere.

I've also been working on the Uinen sweater, and I'm into the sleeves:



I've finished both fronts and the back,



so I really need to get these sleeves done. I may not actually put buttons on it, depending on the fit. Time will tell...

Once DP wakes up, I'm going to make a seedcake, but I haven't decided whether I want caraway or cardamom...decisions, decisions.

Socks and redecorating

I'm working on the March mystery socks for the SKA KAL, and I'm really enjoying how they're looking. The Sanguine Gryphon Eidos is really nice yarn, once I got over its high twist. The next clue comes out tomorrow, and I can hardly wait :)

I'm also working up a pattern for some lacy socks inspired by the Folklore and Fairytales RAL/KAL of The Hobbit. The colorway of the yarn is Smaug, and I'm really excited to start working on my pattern. The problem is that I need to find my third circular needles in US0...two circs are being used for the mystery socks. Sigh.

In other news, I reorganized my craft room. Once we took out the couch, I had a lot more space, but things still felt cluttered. I got a new desk (only $30!) and put it together this weekend - I love the open feeling of the room now. Lots of floor space for sewing or blocking, lots of wall space for pictures or nothing, and just a great feeling. I spent about an hour tonight working on my map of Beleriand, and it was so nice to be able to put it on the floor and work with my pastels without having to move a couch or trunk out of the way. This openness won't last however; we're going to put a futon in this room so it can be a guest room for when my family members are over at the holidays. I'm enjoying it while it lasts, though!

Well, my focaccia just came out of the oven, so I'd better look to it.

Let them wear socks, and let them eat cake

I'm trying yet another yellow cake recipe - dp loves boxed yellow cake with chocolate frosting, but I refuse to buy boxed cake mix. I've tried various butter and oil cakes, but nothing is quite right. Currently, I have Smitten Kitchen's yellow cake in the oven - most of her recipes are great, so I have high hopes for this one. I don't know what to do about the frosting though...dp didn't like the buttercream I made last time, though that might be a review of my skills rather than the recipe :)

I finished the Nibblers socks - hooray! Here they are in they're poorly lit glory:



and the detail shot:



I finished the second sock in about 5 1/2 days, so I'm only a little bit behind schedule. I'm currently working on the March mystery sock for the SKA sockdown on Ravelry. I'm happy to be knitting down the stash - though if I use up my sock yarn, I'll only have sweater weights left. It's likely though that I'll top up the sock yarn, if I could only get someone to take me to the yarn store!

I also finally got some cardigan pictures off the camera:

Side one:



Side two:



I love that it's reversible, and I love both sets of buttons. Now that my sister and my best friend are expecting, I think I may have to whip up a few more of these for them. So cute, and so quick. Though if either of them is having boys, I may not go with this cardi - it is a bit delicate looking.

I still have two half finished cardigans for myself sitting in my WIP pile, but I don't have the energy to work on them. I think I need a nice vacation, so I can concentrate on just relaxing, at which point I'll be able to work on the sweaters. I need to have either a certain state of mind, or a really hard deadline :)

Well, off to pick out a frosting recipe...