Progress and a Knitting Update

I feel much better hearing that so many of my internet friends feel like I do. Misery really does love company. I made my list, and managed to stick to one project all day... kitchen cabinets. I've almost finished tidying and cleaning the bottom ones.

Our kitchen is huge. We have 16 cabinets, 14 drawers and 2 floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinets. I have at least 2 more full days of cleaning before they're all done. I'm taking everything out, cleaning the inside, re-organizing and cleaning the outside. I'm getting rid of a lot... bye-bye sippy cups, plastic bowls, storage containers without lids, lids without storage containers, broken things and things that haven't been used in say five or ten years. It feels good.

To show that I'm still a little scattered and can't stick with one thing...

It occurred to me the other day that I haven't done a post about knitting in... well... forever. I do love knitting, and I'm working on something almost every night. I knit in scattered fashion, too, so I have four or five ongoing projects. I do have to have a portable project that doesn't require a lot of concentration for car trips and long wait, and I leave more complicated, pattern following projects for home. I have finished a few things recently.

A pair of socks for me,

A pair for Pipsqueak

A shawl in angora and mohair (I wish it was a little longer, but I ran out of yarn),

And mittens.

Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival

On Saturday, Pipsqueak and I went to the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival in Essex Junction. I've been going for the past four years and Pipsqueak has joined me the last two. We enjoy it for the same reasons: seeing and touching the animals, and touching all that soft yarn and fiber. I certainly don't go to buy anything since my stash will probably outlive me, but I go to get inspiration (which usually does result in a purchase).

We started the day with a free kid workshop, which involved stuffing wool roving in a grape vine ball. Roving is washed and sometimes dyed fleece. The balls can be hung on a Christmas tree, or hung from a branch outside so birds can pick fleece from it for their nests.

Pipsqueak made friends with a llama. This one had just done an obstacle course. I love llamas. They have beautiful eyes, and the sweetest hum. Their coat is the softest thing I've ever felt. It really makes me want to snuggle them.

I was trying to take a photo of baby Diego and his mom, but Belle kept sticking her snout in my shot until I gave up and included her. Belle's owner says she knows a camera when she sees one. Llamas are so smart.

How about this purple goat?! I've never heard of dying the fleece while it's still on the animal. She wasn't being a cooperative model by turning her backside to me. I hope she wasn't humiliated by her purpleness.

We watched a little sheep herding. Border collies are amazing to watch. The herding instinct is so strong, and they obviously love their work. A friend of ours owns and trains them. A few weeks ago, she came to visit us with six of her dogs. They are so well trained that it was a pleasure having them here.
There was a sheep shearing demonstration. The sheep may look relaxed, but it's actually playing dead along the lines of, "If you think I'm already dead, maybe you won't try to eat me."

Pipsqueak got to try her hand at spinning and succeeded at making some nice lumpy yarn, which is no worse than I could do. I marvel at these spinners making fine even yarn.

My favorite vendor (and the one that got all my money) was the Bagsmith. First I tried these size 50 knitting needles that were 20 inches long and used six strands of yarn. They also have 40 inch long needles. You can knit multi-strands of yarn or roving. They make some beautiful rugs and wall hangings, which I hope to try someday. I bought a little purse kit and a french doll kit. They were evil temptresses with all their beautiful purse kits, embellishments, silk cocoons and storage units.

Suffering from SSS

Yes, it's the dreaded "Single Sock Syndrome". If you knit socks, you know the feeling. You get some beautiful sock yarn... something soft, a pretty color, maybe self-striping. You can't wait to begin. You knit to the exclusion of anything else until you get that heel turned. Oh look, it's starting to look like a sock! Then you can try it on periodically and dream of a sock drawer filled with these beautiful creations. Somehow the urgency abates and a few days or weeks later, you're ready to Kitchener Stitch the toe. Voila! A sock! You try it on, twisting your foot this way and that and swelling with pride. And here comes the let down...

you have to do it all over again! It's like a cruel trick. It feels like you finished something, but you're only half done. I read a knitting pattern that suggested that you work both socks simultaneously in sections. I get too excited to do this. I have to keep going and see what the next part is going to look like. Then there are the magic socks where two socks are knit simultaneously on one circular needle. I cannot get my head wrapped around those instructions. I feel pretty happy that I can successfully turn a heal.

The remedy for this syndrome is simple. I always have more sock yarn ready to start the next pair, but I don't allow myself to start using it until the first pair is done. It's a great motivator.