Uncategorized – Page 16 – Not Plain Jane

What’s a knitter to do when she has made so many adorable Mason-Dixon Dishcloths that she doesn’t know what to do with them? Why, she sends them off to ~~unsuspecting victims~~ dear friends, that’s what! I love making surprises.

Yesterday was a much better day than last Wednesday. Much, much better. I had been tempted to ask for a do-over (we get do-overs in knitting, don’t we, so why not in life?), but yesterday was everything a good day off should be.

I feel repaired. Each day has been a lesson in fixing Jane’s bad mood, and the neckache that it caused, too. Tender care, extra rest, a bit of letting go, and something as simple as play have patched the sore spots.

One reason the day was better:

Yes, fresh local strawberries. In a bowl, with yogurt. Or plain. Delicious!

Another day-maker: Spinning happened. I spun all afternoon, while I listened to the last hours of In Cold Blood and gabbed on the phone with my sister. This is Blue Moon Handpainted Merino roving in the colorway called “Alina.” I got it at Rhinebeck last fall, and I’ve been “saving” it. For what? I spun most of a bobbin very fine and with a good amount of twist, and then I decided to ply a little sample. Since it was about 9:00pm by then, and I’d gone bug-eyed from all that spinning, my plying neither suits the yarn nor satisfies me This little 36-yard skein is kind of sweet, anyway. A better yarn will become socks one of these days, and Amie, you’re right — it will probably be three-ply.

Annabelle had a delightful Wednesday, too, because I brought her a present:

Her very own catnip plant! She likes to step out the door and bury her face in it, but she hasn’t taken a bite yet. Herbie from downstairs has, though. He’s a skittish little tabby, and sweet as can be. I scared him when I opened the door yesterday afternoon. He went flying down the wisteria and landed right side up, dazed but not hurt. He was too mellow to hurt himself, I guess.

Finally, this is my Fairgrounds sock in progress. There used to be more of it — I was almost at the toe decreases — but it was looking stiff as a board so I’m re-doing the foot. This is medium-weight STR, but I blithely knit it on 2.5mm needles as usual, then 2.25mm’s for the foot. Silly. I’m not in a big hurry to finish it. I love the way this color stripes, and I like the seed stitch cuff (I knit it on 2.75mm’s so it would be looser, since it’s not ribbing).

Now all I have to do for the rest of the week is work. Father’s Day means everybody will be buying their dad a book, and many of them don’t seem to care which one — go figure. And I must try to get through the heat wave we’re about to have. Heavens, people, it’s supposed to hit eighty! We’ve been fortunate this year, but actually, we could use some warm weather, to keep the Summer People happy. Cool temps or rain make them shop more (which is good), but it makes them grumpy, too (which is not so good).