A Long Week!

This has been a very long week! I took Monday off from work. It's my Mental Therapy Day -- I went spinning with my friends. On the first Monday of the month, several ladies get together for a day of spinning, and I always enjoy that. When I used to have Monday off, this was perfect. But now that I have to work Mondays, it's a bit more difficult. Since I worked on Friday, I took Monday off instead, and it all works out fine.

It was a bit of a struggle to find a ride but I did it. The lady that hosts this spinning day lives way down in the south of the city, so I need to find a ride down there. Luckily, I have several friends that come from the north and are willing to pick me up. I pack a lunch, take along my small spinning wheel, a spindle, some fibre and some knitting. All this because I'm not sure what I will want to be working on that day! Of course, something that I have finished, for Show and Tell. It was a great day, and good to see everyone since we haven't met since June.

I've been trying to encourage some of the knitters at work to work on a couple projects, but it seems they are content doing whatever it is they do. But I do have one woman that knew a few things about knitting, and needed a bit more help. So I have been pestering her to get working on a few things. We started with a simple hat, knit in the round. This was the first time she worked with double pointed needles, or circulars. But she did very well, knitting two hats. Then I started her on a simple baby jacket... that didn't get very far! Then we talked about doing some mittens. We were going to do this in May, since she was taking some classes earlier and didn't have time for anything else!

It wasn't until July that we got started on the mittens! All she could find was some acrylic, but I accepted that. I keep encouraging her to get some wool, or at least a wool blend, but that is very hard to find at Michael's or WalMart! But I got her to cast on, knit the ribbing, and then the body of the mitten. We did increases for the thumb gusset -- except someone didn't count the stitches, and one thumb ended up being a bit smaller! She is able to knit in the round very well now. I showed her how to do the decreases for the end of the mitten, and then we did the grafting. That was easy.

I showed her how to pick up a few stitches for the thumb, and knit around, and to decrease. She was very excited about that, since it was nearing the end!! Then she darned in the ends, and all is done! Her daughter was so thrilled to have them done, and wore them the next day when it was rather chilly! Now, she is going to work on some for herself. I gave her a skein of my handspun for this project. It's in white wool, and we might do some dyeing when they are done. Little by little, I'm getting her to learn a new technique with each project, and trying things she would never attempt on her own.

But I wanted to show you the mittens! One is slightly larger (don't know what happened there) but are not too bad. This is not my choice for a yarn, but that was all she could find. I have shown her a thrift shop where she is finding some needles for her collection, and some yarn.

I'm off work on Friday. This has been a very long week! I'm exhausted! After I came home, and checked some emails, had a little snack, I went to bed before 9 o'clock! That is the exciting life I lead! I don't need supper EVERY day, you know.

I'm working on another pair of socks. These are in a dark blue, almost navy. I find that I have to work on them in daylight; it's too hard to see at any other time. It's in an interesting basketweave pattern, looking more complicated than it really is, and I'm having fun doing them. They should be quite nice when done -- soon.

It rained again today. I was going to take the bike to work, but changed my mind. It was a most unusual wet dreary grey misty day. The weekend should be a lot better, with some sun, and maybe a bit warmer. And I have so much to do!