Hmmm

Sigh. What can I say? Maybe I'm just not in a knitting/spinning mood these days. My youngest has been sick-I have tons of yard work to do-about 7 books from the library waiting to be read-and the knitting just isn't calling me. Now I don't mean to say that I'm not doing ANY. I have done a bit on the socks. But nothing noteworthy. Must be some kind of slump. The biggest sign was today when I actually opened the cross-stitch mag my Mom sent me.( no, she doesn't usually send them-I'm not sure what came over her...)Weirder than my perusal of this non-knitting publication was the effect that it had on me. I found things I wanted to stitch. I had the urge to get off the couch and rummage through my old cross-stitch patterns. Maybe even pick up the UFO and resume work on it. This thing has been languishing for-oh, more than five years, I think.
Yep, must be some kind of slump. Hope I get over it soon. Maybe I just need some fireworks.

My week

was so busy-I've had absolutely no time to update. I'm not even reading blogs!!! Even this may not be finished today!
And it wasn't! Good grief! Well, let's just get this one over with, 'K?
I've done no knitting or spinning. My dc went to VBS last week and I rushed home and worked like some kind of lunatic until it was time to pick them up. I reduced the contents of their rooms by approximately one third with the promise that when they are consistently able to keep the remaining items somewhat tidy, then they may have limited access to the confiscated loot. I'm not holding my breath. Also I began turning the compost pile. This is actually a job for four men. IOW, it's gonna take a while. Like maybe a few weeks.
In my spare moments, instead of knitting, I've been reading. The Anne series. Again. Oh, and the All New Square Foot Gardening (wow-I was not expecting this many changes! I really like it!) and Let it Rot! That's about it for me, folks. Nothing to see here. Maybe next time though!

Experimenting

Second try at this post-hope it works!

I've joined this group (yeah, I really need another project ;~) )and have started spinning for the shawl I will make. I have three blends in the stash that are earmarked for shawl knitting. Now I just need to decide which one to use first! To help with that, I'm spinning up a small skein of each. Here is a singles from option #1. The pic doesn't show just how fuzzy it truly is. This is a merino/alpaca/great pyrenees blend that I had carded at Wooly Knob(they did a fantastic job-haven't found a single nep yet!) I've started the second bobbin, which holds a single of merino top. I only have ten ounces of the blend so I'd like to stretch it. I have a fear of running out of yarn six inches from the end ;~)

I am done with the first repeat of cablenet. I am not loving it. Yarn's too fuzzy for a cable pattern to suit me-although it's certainly better than all the splitting that I had with the last yarn. I am not sure what to do. It's not that bad. I do have another yarn that might work better, but good grief! This is the third try already, and they are not exactly a fast knit. Makes me a little nervous to realize I am thinking of starting again.

Misc rambling

Why yes, it was in Anne of Green Gables! I think L M Montgomery is my favorite author. I finished the Emily books last week while we were in TN. Mark and I went to Pigeon Forge. First little vacation without the children. We had fun-eating out,(I did not cook once! Still a little freaked about that one) riding horses at the nearby stables, and visiting the tourist traps. Of course, I had to go to Smoky Mountain Spinnery for my souvenir. An alpaca/silk blend. Now won't that make a nice scarf/glove set? I have a variety of things that I could ply with it. But just look at it. Click on it. Nifty, huh? Yep. It's taking all my willpower not to ditch all my current projects and focus on this instead. But-I can't! Duty calls!

I have decided to work the cablenet socks in Brown Sheep's Nature Spun for my Sockapalooza pal. I really do like the pattern, but Knitpick's Essential is spun and plied too loosely. I was getting rather hostile over all the splitting. Maybe I'll post a pic next post!

Back in the saddle

All your kind condolences on the loss of the chicks were so appreciated!!! I still miss them. Saturday we received a call from a friend from church. He's the landscaping/agriculture man at the local career center and he had four young laying hens and a bunny to place ASAP since school was coming to an end. So, Mark bought the whole kit and caboodle, popped them on the trailer he uses to haul his mowing equipment to jobs and headed for home. Poor hens. They look like they've been dragged through a knothole. Apparently they spent some time with an aggressive rooster who thought they'd look more attractive with large bald patches on their backs. Really hoping those feathers grow back. :~) They are a haggard bunch. Anyway, they are completely enclosed in a wire pen, bullet-proof compared to what my little pullets were in, so I feel sure they will 'thrive and flourish like the green olive tree'. And they've forgiven dh for that dreadful ride through town and given us four eggs already. Our friend also threw in half a dozen extra tomato plants that he had. So, now I'm completely overrun with tomatoes-and after all my promises to not have so many this year! And I even gave some away!
My oldest promptly named one of the hens, Josefina. While I think that is a fine name for a chicken, I really think that particular one is Mrs. Hammond. Perhaps I can convince him to choose another of the bunch to call Josefina. If any of you can remember where the character Mrs. Hammond is found, I will send you a TREAT.