Mostly well again

Wow. That bug was rough! Sorry for the long absence, but the headaches got worse instead of better and for some reason, I couldn't focus on a darned thing while I had them. No knitting, no spinning, no "getting stuff done" around the house. I did manage to read a couple of books (Thief of Time and Night Watch) and work out my pattern selection for the blue yarn.

My youngest DD ended up getting an ear infection just as we were both feeling a bit more normal, which was a REALLY BAD THING. For everyone. I think this might have been our fourth ear thing in seven years, and because we really don't ever have them, I wasn't looking out for one. The poor baby was fine in the morning and crying constantly by the evening. We had a late night at the clinic (long lines) and barely made it to our pharmacy before they closed. Then we still had homework for the oldest to do and party invitations that had to be done. A very late and tiring night, which was too bad because the little one couldn't sleep well because of the pain and so I got about two hours sleep last Thursday night. Deeeeelightful. Made my headache all the more pleasant, you know?

Okay, sorry for whining, but it was a crummy week last week. This week has been all about catching up at work and getting back on track at home. I think I'm nearly there. I've got more student employee trauma at work, but I'll just hire more. Right? Still, I'm ready for a break in the library. A year and a half (or more) of barely contained chaos (in a library of all places!) is more than enough fun for me. Next week the students will be on a break and that will allow us a little time to recover and prepare for the next session. We are having some electrical work done during the week as well, to allow for more laptop use by students. (We have been woefully low on outlets for them to use.)

Knitting is finally up and running again. I have decided that I've talked myself into slow-motion knitting on the sock. I may spend the next 50 years on that darned sock. I could probably start and finish 200 other pairs of socks before I ever finish this one. I have no idea why this is, it just seems that I knit and knit and get nowhere fast. I will not give up, however I will work on something else. I was feeling a bit "slumpy" there for a while, not very eager to do anything new (not even buy new yarn!) and just uninterested in knitting. I was very concerned, then I got sick. I had all that time at home to knit and I absolutely couldn't do it. I didn't want to and I couldn't concentrate. I decided to cut myself some slack and do some reading and, ta-da! I came out the other side all ready to go on a new (sort-of) project.

Some of my sick time was spent piling through my patterns for just the right one for the blue Softwist yarn (American Blue). I'm still not convinced it is "the one", but I don't want to waste more time waiting for the perfect thing to come along. I don't think it ever will. (At least not until I've already knit it up into something else! LOL) I've decided on the Henley T Shirt from Knitting Pure & Simple. I have enough yarn, and it looks like it will fit loosly enough for me to be comfortable, but not huge and crazy big. Most other patterns I have are too fitted, and unless I can lose some more pounds, I'm not wearing fitted anything.

The yarn is splitty and snaggy and I'm not sure I'll like it much by the end of the project. On the other hand, it is soft and I love the way it drapes and I love, love, love the color, so I know I will wear it until it gets trashed. I thought the yarn was snagging on my bamboo circs, so I tried some metal needles. They snag it too, so it must just be the yarn. Still, I have way too much invested in this project (emotionally and time-wise) already, I'm not going to give it up. This sweater, much like the never-ending sock, are sort of "hump" projects I think. I can't move on, really, until they are done.

I'm still feeling pretty optimistic about my project list for the year. Just getting started with a new project has me pretty jazzed. I'm hoping it will go quickly, I could use the adrenaline rush. Or maybe just a serious caffeine habit. - HA!