Sometimes, spit happens

Let's just say...there has been a lot of 'spit' lately. As in fighting off a depressive bout, not hearing back from people who said they would contact you sooner, my mom's surgery, emotional exhaustion, random back pain, and to top things off I apparently picked up bronchitis. Ain't nobody got time for that! So, lots of stuff. However, in the midst of all that I've been working on several items. Let's recap, shall we?

I managed to brilliantly match the stripes on the Vinovias, BUT

despite ripping out the stress-knit toe (hospital visiting will do that to you) to redo it, there STILL was a bit of the next color on the second toe. Oh well, I am soooo done with this project. They will still keep Tiffany's feet warm, and I'm ready to move on to the next sock.

I also plied up the first third of the pinky-purple stuff from Rebekah, and WOW. Just WOW. Not only am I getting much better as a spinner, but boy is this stuff lovely! Now I just need to get the other thirds spun...

This weekend, because I figured I could use the finishing endorphins, I picked up probably my oldest surviving WIP, a hanging dishtowel that I abandoned all but done before heading to Africa. Well, a few minutes work added the green top, and now I just need to figure out either a) where I put the buttons I have, or b) find something suitable to buy.

This helped kickstart my making a second one this weekend, only this one is for a trade with a friend. Apparently, having bronchitis plays HAVOC with my ability to count, so I had to rip this out...more times than I'd care to admit. However, it was worth it as I'm digging both the color combination, but also the fact that I KNOW it's just as it should be.

I've been making good progress on my Fancy Mee shawl as well. I'm really wondering how big this will end up, and if I need to add to it. At the moment, I'm just enjoying the ride...

I did some cooking before/as I got sick this weekend. I made bagels for Saturday breakfast,

as well as this adorable apple pie for my Dad's birthday dinner. Pretty pleased if I do say so myself!

So, that pretty much gets you caught up on what I've been doing for the last two weeks or so, and hopefully I can kick this plague and get my life back sooner rather than later! Parting shot: Sister dates at the Grizz with your new Chickenboots bag which is AMAZING helps a lot of things.

In which I thought I had accomplished more...

One of the many good reasons to set yourself a goal of blogging at least once a week, is to have the chance to recollect what you have accomplished in that time period. I had an odd job that took an afternoon last week, but I must have been reading and running errands more, because I don't have a huge amount to show for my time. One thing I finally finished was plying the last of the three RoundHouse Alpaca Farm rovings, the chocolate brown with stellina. I have to say, it's my best yarn yet!

I just wish there was a bit more of it... Now I need to make the final decision on how to ply the pink stuff that has been sitting quite long enough.

During the course of various social events and low-attention actives I got the heel turned and am ready to start the toe decreases on my sister-in-law's sock. I enlisted a mutual friend to get a sneaky idea of if she liked matched or fraternal socks, and it seems I need to figure out how to deal with the hand the sock company dealt me. Oh well, I know I can do it, it's just a bit tedious.

I've also been working away on my hat out of handspun, and then I hit a snag yesterday. I don't think I have enough white to finish it. So... Options.

Start using the brown again and pretend that was my plan all along. Not a huge fan. Plan 2-rip the whole thing back, knit the bottom only using the brown, and then do the top using only the white. Also not a huge fan. Plan 3 and so far the most favored-rip back to where I changed to just white, keep alternating with the brown for a lot longer, have just the very top in white only. I just hate ripping back! I've got another gamble going on this scarf too; I ordered a faux-fur pompom this afternoon in the hopes that it will be close enough to work. If not, I'm sure I can find something else to crown with it!

Ah, as I write memory is coming back to me... One of the reasons I didn't seem to have a lot of show was because I spent a big chunk of one day last week hand mending my oldest and most beloved pair of jeans. My jeans tend to wear out on the inner thigh, so there is now a huge patchwork of mends holding that pair together. I hadn't received my sewing machine yet, plus, it's really hard to work around all the fabric bunching up. So, I did it the slow way, and found I really should have used a thimble. The jeans are back in service now, and I only have two other mending projects to work on. Still waiting for that darning mushroom...

The other thing I spent a lot of time on last week will have to wait a few days to be posted, as they are surprises for some special folks. And, I did spend quite a bit of time reading too, as well as working on studio documents for when I start teaching piano.

As a certain special day is coming up, I decided to treat myself to a few things. One I want to write about a little later, but my yarn gift to myself was Nomadic Yarns McGonagall colorway which I have been wanting for some time. I've had my eye on that colorway for awhile; not only am I a Gryffindor, but I was also a house mistress for three years, and McGonagall was the second best teacher at Hogwarts (some things about those books are ruined for you when you work at a boarding school). The best was, or course, Lupin. So, I will have two of her skeins of HP colors for my sock knitting delight!

One other thing I did last week, was try out a Southern Living peanut butter brownie recipe. It was *amazing,* and I particularly appreciated how it wasn't too sweet, though it is rich. It made a lot, so we've been steadily working out way through them. There are worse things to have a weeks supply of...

Well, that's me! Enjoy Valentine's Day, remember you are greatly loved, and do something you love just for you this week.

Hustling while I wait

I used to tell my kids to 'hustle while they waited,' in other words, to find something productive to do while they waited for me or a supply. I'm still deep in job hunting; I have several initial inquiries/applications out there, and I haven't had any subbing for over a week. But, I have a place to teach now, so I'm hoping to have my studio open for business in the next week or so. Having the looming deadline of three and a half weeks before I'm incomeless is a rather large motivator...

So, while I wait, I've been doing some fiber stuff. I'm working on the Vinovia socks, and I realized that they are going to be loooooong because I missed a key phrase in the directions, which isn't a mistake per say, but lets just say I wasn't anticipating getting so close to knee socks in my lifetime. Also, the little bit of yarn was tied on the wrong way, so the first bit of the color repeat is backwards. Which means I have a "how crazy do you feel today?" question when I cast on the second one. I actually am on the foot now, but am too lazy to take another picture.

I have started working on a new crop of dishcloths for my 'hope chest;' nothing exciting, but I'm enjoying the colors and the fine gauge of the yarn!

I started the Fancy Mee shawl that I've been dying to start for about two years now. It's designed rather along the 'goldfish memory' lines, meaning there are several changes of the two colors and the texture in the different sections, so you don't have much chance to get bored. Here are some pics of the two sections I've finished so far. I'm back at a garter stripe section just now, which I had to knit the beginning of twice because I'm an idiot, but its all sorted now!

I was sitting in church on Sunday and realized my lap was full of little blue bits. Turns out the fake leather cover of the 10 year old notebook I'm using for sermon and bible study notes was disintegrating. So, I used the end of one of the fat quarters I made my car trash bag out of, and handsewed a cute little cover for it. I'm actually quite pleased--the piece of fabric was almost the perfect size.

I've been slowly working on some altering/mending projects (I really need to get my jeans back in rotation again), and I decided to go ahead and use part of the gift card my ex-coworkers gave me to buy a replacement of the sewing machine I had to leave in the bush. I got the same model, a basic Janome, but I really enjoyed that machine, and it did all I needed it to do. I had hoped to find some fabric for a new garb skirt at Jo-Ann's today, but was disappointed. I'm going to have to decide how much that means to me this spring.

I thought I'd share the picture my brother sent of him modeling his requested item--the Cthulu ski mask. It was a true labor of love, but my bro is worth it!

Finally, I could resist bringing this gentleman home when I found him at Dollar General today. Just in time for Valentine's!