When Life Attacks

Friday, DH was driving to work and hit some tread that had fallen off a semi tire and was lying in the middle of the road. It was either hit it, or one of the cars around him. I think he made the correct choice. The car sustained some damage, though, so we had to file a claim with our insurance. And getting everything set up and scheduled was how that day was spent.

Saturday was shaping up to be a better day. I went to visit my sister, and my truck's transmission decided to stop working properly. We ended up cutting our outing short, and I was able to make it back home. Barely. It appeared to give up the ghost when I pulled in my driveway.

Sunday, Jay spent the day with Miss L's family, and while DH and I were able to spend some time together, I was mostly running errands. I had to do it while I still had a vehicle available. Nice way to spend Easter, no?

Monday I spent the day getting the cars to the garage, picking up a rental, and trying to activate DH's new iPhone. (Turns out the Droid phone he'd gotten was a dud -- after 5 phone calls to customer service we decided to send it back and get a new phone.) Unfortunately, our service provider was having issues that prevented activation initially, but it took them 2 hours and 3 customer service representatives to communicate that to me. At least it's finally working.

Now, the truck isn't acting up, so the mechanics can't find and fix the problem. Typical.

At least my garden is doing well.  Strawberries are ripening,

cabbage is forming a lovely head,

and the rhubarb is thriving.

The trees are all doing well too.

I finished a secret project, started another, and am able to work on the others that are in progress. There's the Triangle Summer Shawl that I'm knitting out of handspun linen/silk,

the Bouclé afghan that I'm knitting out of Joann Sensations,

the socks I'm designing and knitting out of Knitting Fever Indulgence,

and the cashmere top I'm spinning.

And, of course, I get to see an abundance of this adorableness.

I guess things are looking up.

Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel

Gretchen am Spinnrade, op.2, D.118 by Franz P. Schubert

Performed by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

What A Week

rhino virus (common cold) illustration

So, I'm still trying to recover from the micro-beastie that decided to make its home in my body.

Downside: It's been a week already, I'm not yet completely better, and I am so beyond ready to be healthy again.

Upside: Crafty goodness.

Yes, it's true. I got past the not being able to concentrate thing, and have been busy working on several projects.

First up we have the Triangular Summer Shawl. I started this last October, but after the initial cast-on and first few rows, it got set aside in favor of other projects. I don't know why. Its knit with linen/silk blend handspun, which I like. Its a pattern I've done before and like. There is no reason not to have been working on it. But I wasn't.  Having gotten a couple of things off the needles, I decided to work only on my wips, so this got picked back up. I have about 40 more rows on the shawl (each shorter than the one before, so it goes quickly), a lace edging, sewing on the lace edging, washing, blocking, and weaving in the ends.

Come to think of it, it sounds like I still have quite a lot of work to do. And here I was getting all excited about how close to finishing I was getting.

Next up is the sock I'm designing as I go. I picked up a ball of Indulgence from my lys, and loved the feel of the yarn and the color so much, I decided to cast on a sock immediately. I wasn't sure how the color repeat would go, but it turns out to be self-striping, so I knew that I could get away with some patterning without it being too busy or getting lost. I've got lace panels framing a center section of cables and ribbing. I like the way they are coming out, but am not thrilled with the short-row heel that I'd used. I think I'll do some looking around to find a heel that works better for these socks. Any suggestions? I also don't have a name for these yet, so any suggestions would be welcome.

Note to self: Make sure to write down what you've been doing, so that the second sock will actually match the first.

Finally there is the cashmere I've been spinning. I was able to pick up some incredibly soft and lovely cashmere top, and was trying to spin it for a wedding ring shawl (examples of which are Shetland and Orenburg shawls).

Truth is, it is nowhere near fine enough for that, but it is a good lace weight. The above skein is about 2 oz. (50 g), is two-ply, and is approximately 440 yards (400 meters). It is clear to me that I still have a long way to go before I'm able to ply as well as I'd like to, and before I'll be able to spin for a wedding shawl, but I have decided, overall, to be pleased with this yarn.

I still have another 2 oz. to spin and ply, and then will go in search of the perfect project. If anyone has a pattern they would like to recommend, I am open to all suggestions.

Gentlemen (and Ladies), Start Your, er, Pedals?!?

The Tour de France got started today, and that means that the Tour de Fleece did, too.

I'm participating in 3 teams this year:
Peleton 2010
Sprinters 2010  and
Team Sasquatch

My goal is to spin every day, making yarns I want to work with.  In lace weight, of course.

These are the fibers I have selected to work on this year:

This is 4 oz. of baby alpaca that I have washed and hand carded.  The recommendation I received was to spin alpaca dirty.  This fleece was so filthy, with an unbelievable amount of vegetable matter (even AFTER washing and carding), and was bleeding color so badly, that that just wasn't an option.

6 oz. of merino roving.  Soft, natural, and lovely.

2.4 oz. of mystery fiber that I think I was told is alpaca combed top.

8 oz. of beautiful, soft, lustrous, wonderful, and yummy Tussah silk top.

6 oz. of bamboo top.  This was the last of a supply that was had at an LYS, and will never be offered again.  I was told their supplier had a bunch of it catch on fire (bamboo is HIGHLY flammable) during the dyeing process, so they decided not to dye bamboo anymore.  I will add the finished singles (I am keeping this one as singles) to the hanks I'd previously spun, and am hoping it will be enough for a sweater.  We'll see.

I only have projects in mind for the green alpaca and the bamboo, but I love lace weight yarn, and knitting lace, so I imagine it won't be terribly difficult to figure something out for all of it.

In Like A Lion

March has roared in, spring has sprung, and life is very full.

After a very wet winter - the wettest I've experienced in the 15 yrs. I've lived in Arizona - the sun has been shining again, calling me outside to play.  Or just be.  Or golf, which I've been doing at least once per week (as usual), along with extra practicing at the driving range with Jordan.  I've also been enjoying some early morning and evening walks with Gypsy.  The birdsong is wonderful, and the desert is in bloom; very beautiful.  Of course, today it's raining again, but no matter.

I have several craft projects going right now, not all of them fiber related.  There's a wooden tray I'm decorating, a pillow (sewing and knitting) waiting to be stuffed, two purses in need of lining, and a needle case to be sewn.  I'm also still spinning the linen/silk blend, designing both a colorwork pullover and an aran toddler cardigan, and working on another secret project.  I haven't yet found the motivation to do more on the embroidery project I've had going for a couple of years now, but am thinking that perhaps I should make it a goal to finish it by December 31.  I also haven't yet gotten to the sweaters I'd been given, but think a goal of finishing two of them by the end of April might get things moving.

I have signed up for my first ever fiber swap.  Coggie of the High Fiber Diet Podcast has organized a "Swap the Seasons" swap on the High Fiber Diet Podcast Ravelry board.  I'm very excited!  It's a secret partner swap, and I'm really looking forward to spoiling my swap partner. :D  After all, surprising someone else with a fabulous fiber mystery package is as exciting as receiving one.

Jordan and I began the Arizona Hunter Safety Education classes last night.  He's been wanting to do this for YEARS, but we kept missing the registration deadlines.  We finally got it, though, and are learning quite a bit already.  And maybe when it's over we'll actually put it to use and do some hunting.

I'm also very much enjoying the audiobooks I've been downloading from Librivox.  It really is an excellent way to combine my love of fiber and of books, but I must admit that I miss the act of holding and reading the books.  I guess I'll just have to make some time for that occasionally, too.

Fiber!

Last June I spun up a lovely linen/silk blend that I had purchased at Tempe Yarn and Fiber with the intent of turning the yarn into the Triangle Summer Shawl from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush, but feared that I wouldn't have enough for the project.   Well, I was right.  I only had 380 yds. of yarn, and the pattern called for more than 1000.  This meant I had to go shopping.  It's a hard life, I know. ;)

On Saturday I stopped by Tempe Yarn and Fiber to get some more of the fiber.  They had two 2 oz. packs of it, so I snapped them both up.  This should be enough to make the shawl. 

Of course I had to look at the other pretty fibers while I was there, and that necessitated the purchase of this: 

It's 2 oz. of soy silk fiber.  It's soft and silky like bamboo and I've never worked with it before so I'm looking forward to seeing what it becomes.

And because I believe it's important to support as many yarn stores as possible, I also went to The Fiber Factory, where I picked this up:

12 oz. of fabulous tussah silk.  (Sigh)  I LOVE silk!

Back to Normal?

Things have been quite hectic around here lately. School started for my ds the day after Labor Day, so I was in a bit of a tizzy to get everything ready before then. I'll have to admit that I didn't quite get the classroom finished (I still have a couple of maps to hang), but enough to get the ball rolling. Last year Jay's least favorite subject was math (Algebra I, if you're interested). Well, so far this year, he has declared that his 2 favorite subjects are science (as always), and ... MATH! I couldn't be happier. We've also been blessed with the friendship of a math major, and he's willing to patiently answer all of Jay's questions and to discuss math with him for hours. Jay LOVES it. And our microscope is the favorite tool that we are using this year; it was well worth the investment, and I think every home should have at least one.

On the fiber front, I am spinning up some lovely maroon wool that I purchased at Tempe Yarn and Fiber. I'm not sure what type of wool it is, but it is fairly soft and spins quite easily. I'm aiming for a dk to worsted weight 3-ply, and so far that's what I'm getting.

I've finally finished knitting the Galveston Shawl, but haven't yet blocked it. It is large, lovely, and deserving of its own post, which it will get when I've blocked it.

A few of my friends have been busy having babies, so I've decided it's high time I got busy knitting something for them. I'm making the Cables and Textures Pullover from Leisure Arts #3325, Beautiful Baby out of Patons Beehive Baby in Baby Blue for the one that is almost 2-months-old. I'm making the 6 mo. size, figuring that he'll still be able to wear it when I'm done that way. I have a bit of a cushion for the rest of them since they aren't yet born, so when I've finished this one I'll cast on for the Cables and Checks pattern.

I'm also designing another pair of socks. I've not been able to settle on a name yet, but the texture reminds me of thermal underwear, so I've been calling them my Long Underwear Socks. We'll see if I can't come up with something better. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. :)

I've also finally cast on the Alpine Lace Scarf from Victorian Lace Today. I love the yarn (Alpaca with a Twist's Fino), and the pattern is beautiful, but I think I must be a little laced out right now because I haven't gotten much beyond the first edging pattern repeat AND I haven't even had any desire to knit it. (Sigh). Maybe it's the weather.

The Fall issue of Knitty has come out, and I find myself quite enamored with the Girl Friday cardigan. I feel certain that I will have to have this be the next project I start. I'm just trying to decide whether to make it with SWTC's Craft or Love from their Vickie Howell Collection. What do you think?

Boring

A new month has arrived, and I have nothing to say really.

Last Saturday, the Knitwits met at my LYS, which, though small, was very accommodating and has some Really Lovely Yarns. I picked up 2 balls of Noro Silk Garden in colorway 84, and 3 hanks of King Tut cotton in 329. I don't currently have plans for either beyond a swatch of the Noro, but they were too beautiful not to buy.

I've finished knitting up a new pair of felted clogs for J. He went through his last pair so quickly that I've had to let him know that this pair has to last for a while or he must learn to knit. I've also started, and am half finished, knitting another pair for myself. Mine are starting to get a bit ragged and worn through on the bottom, so it's time. I figure that I'll just felt them at the same time when I've finished knitting mine. Pictures of before and after next time.

I had been spinning up the most beautiful bombyx silk, but my dog got ahold of the roving, and, though I saved it, I just haven't had the desire to finish it. I'm sure I will though, as I've plans to turn it into a swallowtail shawl, and am eagerly anticipating the knitting.

Spinning

SONG FOR THE SPINNING WHEEL

FOUNDED UPON A BELIEF PREVALENT AMONG THE PASTORAL VALES OF WESTMORELAND

The belief on which this is founded I have often heard expressed by an old neighbour of Grasmere.

SWIFTLY turn the murmuring wheel!
Night has brought the welcome hour,
When the weary fingers feel
Help, as if from faery power;
Dewy night o'ershades the ground;
Turn the swift wheel round and round!

Now, beneath the starry sky,
Couch the widely-scattered sheep;--
Ply the pleasant labour, ply!
For the spindle, while they sleep,
Runs with speed more smooth and fine,
Gathering up a trustier line.

Short-lived likings may be bred
By a glance from fickle eyes;
But true love is like the thread
Which the kindly wool supplies,
When the flocks are all at rest
Sleeping on the mountain's breast.

William Wordsworth, 1812

I've been completely enraptured by spinning lately. I finished spinning the silk/linen blend,

but fear that there will not be enough yarn to do the Triangle Summer Shawl. I may give it a try anyway, and just get more fiber to spin if I run out. It was very enjoyable to spin, and just seemed to want to be spun into yarn.

Now that it's done, I've moved on to spinning up the baby camel fiber that Jenny gave me for my birthday last year.

It's like a downy cloud that spins up so easily, and, camels being desert dwellers, I had heard that it was not as insulating a fiber as wool, alpaca, or yak. I'm finding this to be true, though there is, of course, a degree of insulating ability. I really enjoy spinning this, and think I may have to add it to my stash of fibers that I just keep on hand.

I haven't decided how many plies it will end up being, but as of now, I'm leaning toward a 4-ply. I guess we'll see how it goes.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

The Garden of Creativity*:

Still busily knitting away with my focus being on my secret project. So, moving right along, next we come to the spinning area.

In trying to decide what to do next, despite the distraction of all the pretty colors and textures, I decided wool and alpaca were out - it's just too hot for that right now. Likewise the yak fiber, even though I've not ever spun it and I love trying new fibers, had to be eliminated due to the heat factor. Bamboo was also eliminated due to the fact that I had been spinning nothing but for what feels like months. That left me with silk, baby camel, and a blend of silk and linen. By virtue of being quite intriguing, the silk/linen blend won. I have become addicted. The softness and sheen of the silk is a delight; the roughness of the linen, not so much. But I am looking forward to seeing what some washings will do to it. It also spoke to me quite quickly about what it should become. Within the first few minutes of spinning, it was decided that this would be perfect for a summer shawl. I'll be doing the Triangular Summer Shawl from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. I can hardly wait!

I've also been feeling a great need to branch out into other crafty areas, and have settled on a few sewing projects. Which works out well since I'm also needing a couple of dressier things for a trip I'll be taking, which, in it's turn, gives me a deadline to get things done by. In going through my fabric stash, I came upon a lovely, silky brocade that I decided would be perfect for a dress. And conveniently enough, my Serendipity shawl goes quite well with it. The other find was a very pretty, gauzy, floral print and matching lining (with all the notions) that I'll be making a skirt with. This is a project I'll be excited to finally get done, as I've had it planned for, literally, years.

The Garden of Plants*:

While I didn't plan ahead enough to get anything in the ground outside before the summer heat arrived, my indoor garden is growing quite well. This is something I delight in because for all but the last 5 or 6 years, I'd had a VERY black thumb. To the point that I merely had to be in the same general area of a plant and it would begin to wilt and die. Florists and nurseries would see me coming and lock their doors. Yards would scream in agony as I walked past them. Okay, so it wasn't quite that extreme yet, but all the plants that entered my house certainly seemed to find it inhospitable. And then one year, my mom sent me a plant that had such a zest for life that not even I could extinguish it. That plant grew and thrived and went through several repottings, teaching me how to care for, not kill, plants. Sadly, we went on vacation one year, and not even that hardy little fellow could survive the neglect that came from my not planning for it's care in my absence. It's memory and legacy lives on, however, in the houseplants that are currently gracing my abode. The cactus actually belongs to my son; a memento from a field trip to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The aloes came in a single small pot which they quickly outgrew necessitating a seperation. I had thought the trauma of the separation had killed the smaller of the two, that it had sustained too much damage to its root system. Thankfully, after a period where there was no visible activity with it, it has begun to grow again. This fern was purchased at the same time as the aloes in a tiny little pot. It has thrived through a move and transplants, and is in need of another move to a bigger pot. They are truely the best dollar store purchases I ever made. And funnily enough, they were purchased, not to beautify our home, but for a science experiment about the effects of sunlight on plant growth. This basket was a gift sent to my family upon the death of my mother. Since my father didn't believe he'd be able to keep all the plants going, and because he wanted to share them as memorials with my sisters and me, I brought it home. I feared, as first, that it wasn't going to survive the move (8 hours in a car and being moved to a different climate) because it began to wilt almost as soon as we walked in the door. After a couple of weeks, however, it decided that this really isn't so bad a place to live and is returning to health. And I'm so grateful to my houseplants, as they have given me the courage to try outdoor gardening again when the weather cools a bit.


*I do not, in any way, wish to imply that gardening with plants is not a creative pursuit. For the purposes of this post, however, this distinction between the two was necessary.

Finishing (or Why It Has Taken Me So Long To Post)

I've been busily working away on some projects, getting some done, getting others started. I kept promising myself that I would update just as soon as I'd finished (fill in project here). Problem is, I would finish one and see how close I was to finishing another, or start "just a quick project" that I would decide I needed to finish and photograph before posting.

Well, no more. I'm not finished with everything. Not even things that are Really Very Close to Being Done got completed. But, here's what I have finished.

Having decided to read 52 books this year (I'm currently at 27 read), here are 3 of my most recent reads:
Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodrigez. A very engaging story of the aid work one American beautician did in Afghanistan.

American Gods and Anansi Boys both by Neil Gaiman. Having heard a lot of praise for Neil Gaiman and "anything he writes", I decided to check things out for myself. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the books were as good as the hype.


As for my knitting, I've finished a few UFO's that have been OTN for too long:

This stole is "Serendipity" from the Mystery Stole 4 KAL.
It took me so long to finish for 2 reasons. 1)I ran out of yarn, and had to spin some more to finish it. Of course, I flubbed on the guage a bit, hence the darker area near the center. 2)The Drama. There was a big hullaballoo when the final clue was released, and I have to admit that spoiled the project for me for a while. Not the clue, not the pattern, just the way that the "discussion" went down. That said, I do like this stole a lot, and am looking forward to wearing it. And yes, I do have a place to wear it.


Next up we have La Luz.
I'd finished the knitting portion of this nearly a year ago. I had the lining all cut out and the materials I used to fill it. And yet, it just sat there, lonely and abandoned on a shelf, waiting for me to complete it.

It is done now, though, and I LOVE using it. I stuffed it with flax seed and lavendar and it feels and smells so lovely when warmed in the microwave for a few seconds. I can't believe I waited so long to finish it.

Finally we have the Lines 'N' Vines Cardigan. I REALLY dislike the way this turned out. I'm not quite sure what I did wrong on the knitting, but it doesn't seem to be quite even on both sides. Which is wierd because it was the same needles, same yarn, same guage, and same number of rows. And of course, the lumpiness of the wearer doesn't help. I believe I will simply harvest the buttons (which are wonderful) and toss the rest.

Not pictured, but also completed, is some bamboo roving that I was spinning into laceweight singles for a friend. I am relieved to have it done, but am having a hard time decideding what to spin next.

My works-in-progress include:

•A bamboo clutch purse that is knitted, but waiting for me to sew in the lining.
•A felted purse that is also waiting for a lining, and a bit of sewing detail.
•The Galveston Shawl which got put into time out when I realized I had flubbed about 15 stitches of the pattern, 2 rounds down. I can't decided whether to just drop and repair those stitches or tink back a couple of rounds. The dropping is the most appealing option, as each round is currently several hundred stitches (I've not got the actual count, but I believe it is in the neighborhood of 800).
•A new pair of felted clogs for Jordan, since his last pair are completely destroyed. I swear that boy is harder on shoes than anyone I know - including me!
•And another secret project that I can tell nothing about except that I'm doing a secret project. I can't wait 'til I'm able to finally start sharing about my secret projects; I'm so excited and happy about them.

The weigh down challenge is not going well, I'm afraid. I reinjured my knee by trying to do too much too soon, and have been somewhat out of commission for a while now. I am, however, finally mended enough to get rolling again on the exercise and am looking forward to finally seeing some progress. Some neat tools I've found to help me along my way:
The Daily Plate (this is the one I find to be the most helpful)
Calorie Counter Database
Nutrition Data

Onward and upward!

Happenings

I have been feeling the need to do some nesting lately. This has manifested in the way I do my house cleaning, and in baking projects. So when I stopped by the drug store a few evenings ago and saw these in the clearance section, I had to bring them all home. Especially since they were only 99¢ each!

They are Roasting, Gifts from the Kitchen, Blissful Brownies, Toast It!, Brunch, Cupcakes, and Cookies & Bars. I spent a delightful evening going through them and making menu plans. And there were only 2 or 3 recipes that were repeated. I'm excited to get started.


But instead of using the cookbooks, I decided to bake a family favorite last night - Gingersnaps.

This recipe makes the most delicious gingersnaps ever. Even my DH who isn't overly fond of this type of cookie loves them. They have the perfect texture of slightly crisp on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. And the seasoning is just right too.


My own personal indulgence, however, was not cookies.
I LOVE Greek food.

Truly.
Deeply.
Passionately.
So today's baking project featured one of my favorites: Spanikopita (otherwise known as spinach pie).

The seasoned spinach and feta filling wrapped up in layers of buttery phyllo dough are so delicious. Add a dollop of homemade tzatziki sauce and I'm in culinary heaven. Of course, the baking isn't doing anything to help with the weigh down challenge, but I figure if I leave the cookies to the men and work a bit harder, the spanikopita indulgence won't throw me too far off.

All of this doesn't mean that I've been ignoring my fiber projects. I have two bobbins of superwash merino singles ready to be plied, and a bobbin of alpaca singles for Navajo plying.

Since both are birthday gifts, and a teensy bit late, I'm hurrying to get them finished and delivered to my friends. I hope they enjoy them. I've had fun working on them, spinning a bit thicker than I usually do. I'd heard from Bams on The High Fiber Diet podcast (sorry, I don't remember which episode) that it's a good idea to vary the thickness of your yarn or you may forget how to work with other thicknesses. Good advice, indeed, as I did struggle some with making the adjustment. Well worth it though.

I've also made quite a bit of progress on my Lines 'N Vines Cardigan from the Fall 2008 issue of Knitters Magazine (it's the cover sweater).

I've got the back and both fronts finished, and am just over halfway through the first sleeve. I'm really enjoying this pattern. The lacework ribbing adds just enough interest to keep from being boring, but not so much that I feel like my brain might explode. I'm looking forward to being able to wear it next winter. The yarn is stashed Mary Maxim Starlette in Chocolate Brown.

So, that's what's been happening with me. What's been happening with you?

Miscellany

Among my New Year's resolutions this year was getting fit. I haven't usually been a fan of exercise, at least if it feels like exercise, but I'd started walking and found myself enjoying it a lot. So when we got back from Utah, I stepped up my walk to 8 mi./day. I LOVED it. My family, not so much -- they disliked the amount of time it took me away from home. I'd planned on starting interval training (i.e. Couch to 5K), and, having found a podcast that went with it, decided to start.

Day 1: Super Easy (seriously, after 8 mi. walks how could 2 mi. intervals not be easy?!)

Because of this, I didn't take the next day off and so,

Day 2: Super Easy ---- Until I injured my knee.

Thinking this was not a good thing and that perhaps taking a day or two off would be wise, I did just that -- I took 2 days off. Since my knee was feeling better, though not totally healed, I decided I would do Day 3, but power walking instead of jogging. Bad idea. Bad, bad idea. Two weeks later I'm in the doctor's office having him tell me my knee is deranged (yes, he really did say that!), that I need to see a specialist because he suspects an injury that may require surgery to fix, and on crutches for the foreseeable future. Did I mention that Day 3 was a bad idea? Of course, I'm sure 2 weeks of pretending that it wasn't really injured didn't help either, but we're just going to ignore that. *Sigh* You may feel free to join with me in hoping that staying off of it and taking anti-inflammatory drugs will make it magically go away on its own. :)

In other news, we decided to upgrade the operating system for our computer. Turns out we also had to upgrade the memory. ($cha-ching$) Thanks to that little adventure, I now know that there are 2 types of RAM on my computer, and how to replace them. This was not something I'd had a burning desire to learn, but I find myself pleased by it anyway. Then I installed the new OS. Unfortunately, my hard drive is full with stuff that I know nothing about, the new and old OSs have programs on them that are not compatible, I can't get the entire new OS to load, and now many programs are just not working. Isn't it simply fabulous how much easier technology has made our lives?? And so, there will be no new photos until I can figure out how to make everything work because, one of those programs that's not working is my photo program. (Note to self: Add "become computer guru in less than 1 week" to to-do list.)

I've been knitting and spinning like a fiend, but don't have much in the way of finished objects to show for it. Mostly because they are all big projects, and I have apparently contracted knitting ADD (having a total of I-don't-even-know-how-many projects currently in process). I'm sure that the fact that I've read a total of 16 books this month, with another 4 that I'm currently enjoying has nothing to do with it. Ah, well. Maybe I'll add "Give up sleeping" to my list of New Year's resolutions. Then again, maybe not.