Spring Update

There really isn't any explanation for my lack of progress on the various projects that are now on the go. I seem to be doing something, but haven't anything to show for it.

I have been studying again, and found another way for a provisional cast-on. It could be used for socks and mittens, I suppose, and anything else that requires casting on in the middle of your work. So I had to try it out, of course --- and then had to do a couple of different increases as one would do for socks. Then I had to do another one, to see if I really got it right, and then these things grew larger and larger, and before I knew it, they had become socks! I couldn't rip them out, now could I? So I am still working on them. There was so size planned for these (they are going to be small) and I don't know who is going to get them.

I am doing them both together on two circular needles -- only because I didn't have one that was long enough! One is quite short, the other a bit longer. It doesn't matter, really; it all works just the same.

I was planning on doing the after-thought heel as I got to it, designing the whole thing in my head as I worked on the boring foot. But when I got there, I just decided to go on ahead and do the heel later. I put in a contrast yarn to mark the position, and continued up the leg. As I got near the end of one ball of yarn, I started the ribbing for the cuff, and it seems to be about the right length. I'm showing you a pic of them on the needles, trying to show you both needles, just as I started the ribbing. They are not identical, but nearly so. I should have started one from the outside of the ball, to get a different order of colours, but that is alright too. I just may do another one (or two) this way, and have a variety of options for wearing quite different colour patterns to make up a pair at any time.

I am presently coming to the end of the ribbing, and will start on the heels any time soon. I sure want to get these done!! They are not difficult at all to do, just are boring. They are something to do when I am waiting for pages to load while surfing.

I have been doing more spinning on the spindle. I have a couple more skeins completed -- no pics, very ordinary stuff. I also picked up a couple more cheeses at the thrift shop (they know me too well there!) and will attempt that lot. There was some knitting that someone started, but never got very far. I ripped that out, and will separate all the strands and spin it up. I got two shades of gray, some white, some brown and some black. It seems quite nice, so will make a nice yarn. It seems a lot finer than other wheels I've had, so I may do it into a 3-ply this time.

The lace moebius experiment is not going anywhere. I haven't worked on it at all. I need to come up with a simple pattern for the edging, and just haven't had the energy to even think about it. The long-suffering lace shawl is also waiting for attention. I did get some fuzzy mohair to do the last section along the outside edge a few weeks ago. I'm not sure yet if I will use it -- it is the right shade (couldn't find any co-ordinating colour in the sock yarn) , and I think a different texture might add something to this shawl. I just need to sit down and start and see what happens. Just.

I'm still surfing the net, looking for more patterns. Whatever is wrong with me? I will never ever get a chance to do them; I have great ideas, but lack the time to work on them. I had better get started on one of them!!