Updates

I'm a bad blogger. I wait and wait and wait to post, even though I know there's blogworthy stuff happening that I should just post and get it over with. But instead, I wait, and then I wind up with mile-long posts that go on and on and on!! OY!

Well, I've been doing plenty of knitting in my "time off." So much, in fact, that I do believe I'm in danger of giving myself carpal tunnel!! Actually, I think it's one specific knitted item doing this - Tempting
. This sweater is done COMPLETELY in K1P1 ribbing. That's a lot of switching yarn, and it's a pain in the wrist! I've gone down to only doing a row or two each day. I need to be at 15 inches to add the sleeves in. I'm at 13 inches now, so I figure maybe in about two weeks I'll be able to put some finishing touches on! UGH! It's killing me not to just finish this up when I've come so far, but I won't be ble to knit anything if I let myself get CT!!!

I also took some knitting time last Thursday in the park while waiting for some FREE SHAKESPEARE to begin. I worked on my new Clapotis. Here's what it looked like then:



The Maryland Shakespeare Festival gives free summer shows at Maryland National Captial Parks and Planning sites. This year they were putting on 2 Gentlemen of Verona. It was a really great show. Very interactive and fun. The actors really did a great job handling the outdoor setting and the VERY interactive nature of the audience. They are all masters at improv, I'll tell you. See:



Nope, these aren't the "2 Gentlemen." This poor little guy volunteered to go up on stage during a scene. I think he was shocked that they called him up there, because he wouldn't move once he got on the stage. They almost had to carry him back to his family when they were through with the scene! Hilarious!

I neglected to take a picture of one of the best parts of this play - my friend Dave. He called and interrupted my solitary knitting meditation before the play. I chided him severely for not being "civilized" enough to join me for some Shakespeare in the park. About 20 minutes into the first act, he showed up, his backpack loaded with cheese, crackers, wine, grapes, and Peperidge Farm "Verona" cookies. Damn. This guy should just marry me already and get it over with! I mean, who does that? Why is it that no "man" I'm "seeing" would ever do something that nice, generous, impromptu, and perfect? I must have "doomed love" karma, because it's never the guy that I'm head over heels over who does this kind of stuff. Never. Damn.

I've also gotten more yarn. Like I needed that! But when it comes to KnitPicks, my mother is all over their sock yarn. So, of course, I had to go in on the order, too! My aunt and I convinced her to try knitting socks about two months ago. She's knit three pair since then! Oh yeah, she's addicted! She hasn't even touched any of her quilts lately, she's so into socks!

Here's what's just been added to my stash:



First, there's KnitPicks Andean Treasure in "Embers" - that's going to become Wendy's
*Sizzle*. I love this top. I plan to wear it to work with a nice, crisp, white, collared shirt underneath. Or maybe a nice floral-y shirt, with or without a collar - I'll be shopping for that after the paychecks start rolling in!

Also in the group photo, we have some of KnitPicks Memories sock yarn in "Red Hat" for my former MIL. She is a member of this lovely society, and I think she'd get a kick out of the socks. Plus, she deserves them. She's really a nice lady and I miss hanging out with her. So I'll knit her socks instead!

There's also some Dancing - another KP sock yarn. This one has elastic in it. I don't think they are going to make it anymore, but I had to try it anyway - the idea just sounds wonderful and stretchy. I also got one skein of their solid sock yarn to be contrasting heels and toes when I knit my remaining Koigu (leftover from my Clapotis) into some socks for me. The green will be smashing!

The yellow/red/brown ball at the top is some sock yarn from Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farms. That's going to be socks for me and for the boy - the ball is huge - 475 yards! It's Merino/Tencel and it's so shiny and soft. I think these socks will be wonderful, and I want a great design to knit them into. I'm not settling for plain old socks here!

The pink at the edge of the pic is some Rayon/Silk concoction that I got from eBay to knit a Clapotis in. This was when I was first considering Clapotis, before I became obsessed with the idea of doing it in Koigu. Then I just had to do it in that. So this one will be for my cousin Pam, who is always asking when she's going to get something handknit. This Christmas, she will!

That leaves the three purple balls - all Mostly Merino 77% Merino & Corriedale Wool and 23% Mohair. It's very scratchy, though, so it's going to be knit into a messenger bag that I saw at Knitty.com
. I think I have enough, but I'm planning on omitting the pocket from the pattern, and it might not have as long a strap as the standard messenger. I am also going to need to borrow a washing machine to felt this in, since our machine isn't hooked up to the hot water. Don't ask, it just isn't. Bleach is my friend. :O)

I think that's it for now. More pics and updates later. Hopefully not too much later!

:O)