I guess I'm a joiner...

Usually I am unable to join the various swaps and KALs due to financial worries, but Beth has come up with a way to solve that problem for me, along with the knitters who've sworn to knit from the stash: The Great Unloved Sock Yarn Swap. Hurry and run, don't walk, over to see Beth and sign up for this swap. I am very excited to be in on the fun since I have sock yarn out the whazoo. Not to the extent of some, but for me, it seems like a lot. Looking at the collection has me burnt out because, well, I am a sucker for those self-patterning yarns. I see them and think "gee, I can whip up generic socks that look great with no effort whatsoever". Problem is generic is boring, stripes, patterning or whatever aside. I am comfortable enough with socks that I crave cables, aran designs, something which demands a smidgen of attention and challenges me. The pride which comes with teaching yourself a new technique is out of this world, a high worth the headaches of numerous visits to the frog pond. A happiness similar to watching your child take her first steps. The pride just wells up inside and bubbles over. You know exactly what I mean.

I had hoped to show pictures of the first 2006 adult socks but a snowy, gray day dashed those hopes in an instant. The wind was awful at times. Our feeders were busier than the bank on the first. Chickadees, nuthatches, sparrows and cardinals were gorging on black oil sunflower seeds. What was intended to be a pre-school science lesson has stretched into 3 years of devoted bird-watching while we eat. A shepard's hook and several bushes house the feeders on one side of the house, a few are right outside the large dining room window. Miss E learned early to identify several breeds and will narrate the bird-drama for me while I cook. We have a rather bossy sparrow who likes only one side of the feeder and will chase the others away.Great wake-me up in the mornings with my tea.

Oh, I fell off the knitting wagon there for a moment. I finished another pair of baby socks this afternoon and picked up Rockin' R's Guernsey again. Since there are inches of stockinette, I have been trying out new ideas for the next project. Maybe something for Dulaan? I need to check on yarn requirements before I decide since the other, larger stash is mostly acrylics. The Debbie Bliss "How to Knit" book has several children's patterns which appeal to me. They are simply written and the book includes some awesome stitch patterns so I feel comfortable in thinking I could change one pattern to show off some stitch work a bit. I just need to get my rear in gear and hunt up more circs so that I may have more than one going at a time.

Speaking of circs, did I mention that Rockin' R is learning to knit? She's known the knit stitch for quite some time but was frustrated by the quality of her work. After watching her struggle with those blasted straights, I hooked her up with a circ and taught her to use it like a straight. WOW! Her stitches are absolutely perfect now. She isn't ready to learn to purl, she says, so garter stitch it is for now. I'm thinking she could master in-the-round work rather quickly and be cranking out stuff in no time if I could find the nerve to teach her. Suggestions? Remember, this is my dyslexic daughter who often learns best on her own, following her own set of ideas and directions.

I could go on and on but it is late and I need some sleep. Hubster goes Monday for that gallbladder surgery and I have tons to do yet. I owe some of you emails...I will get to it, I promise!