February Blah

February has given me the attention span of a gnat. Even though this kind of weather is prime knitting season, I can’t seem to concentrate or maintain interest in any one project for any length of time. I did cast on a new sweater with the green 220.

But writing the pattern was just taking more effort than I currently have the brain power for, so there’re a whopping three rounds on the needle. I also spent the last two (snowy) days working on the doom blanket, but in spite of being several hundred rows longer it looks pretty much the same. So I put that aside and finally started sewing in the zipper on another sweater.

I’ve been putting it off since December, and it’s really hard not to just put it away again at the moment. I really, really hate sewing in zippers. Why did I ever let it be February with nothing mindless and squishy on the needles?

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In Which I Am Weak

I am still plugging away at the sweater – I finished the hem lace and the knitting part of the sleeve lace. But there’s just so. much. left.

To make matters worse, my yarn support was delayed, so I don’t even have the very legitimate excuse of a deadline looming to give me a break from this sweater. I tried working on my purse socks a little extra. A Friday night trip into D.C. even gave me enough time to finish one of the socks.

But it just wasn’t enough to make me feel excited about the sweater again. And I am weak. So even knowing that (hopefully) by the end of this week I will have to put it down and work on the new design, I cast this on last night:

Think I can finish it by the weekend?

One of Those Weeks

I have a new design I was hoping to finish knitting this week, but we’re giving the state reading test next week and I’ve been pretty darn zapped all week. Literally all I’ve been able to manage knitting is a few desperate rounds of the “comfort knitting” self-stripers.

And I do mean a few desperate rounds. Yes, that is not even an insole. And yes, that is still the first sock.

On the other hand, it is also Teacher Appreciation Week, and my students are adorable. My house is full of flowers.

Survival

Survival is definitely the theme of this week. I did manage to survive to Winter Break (obviously), although the virus I always seem to get on breaks from school showed up right on time. Unfortunately my schedule does not slow down for a couple days yet. The Winter Break Plague doesn’t seem to know about that particular part of my calendar!

“Christmas Tree Skirt No. 1971” by Carole

However, in addition to surviving 39 hyperactive ten year-olds the week before vacation and (for many of them) Christmas, I have also now survived the darkest days of the season. The solstice was yesterday, and each day from now on will be just a bit brighter than the one before it, literally.

“Striped Apple” by Ala Ela

We’re also having a fantastically unseasonable warm spell, just days after our last dusting of snow. It’s supposed to be back to unseasonably cold by tomorrow evening, but for now I’m enjoying it. I’m clinging to little things like the warm and the returning sun to help me get through these next few days of being incredibly social while I’d rather be curled up in bed.

No pattern. Just Sharktopus.

Most of my knitting right now is samples and swatches that I can’t share with you, so instead I’m sharing a few of my favorite little holiday projects I’ve done over the years. Happy crafting is another great way to survive the “endless” bits!

Mini Startitis

Apparently mental exhaustion is a pretty good cure for startitis. I gave myself permission to cast on whatever struck my fancy over the weekend, since I’d finished all my active WIPs except the sample for an upcoming design. So what did I cast on?

A very sensible pair of Smitten Glittens to replace my ones that are finally wearing out, and

Pattern is Snowflake #13 by Angela Grabowski

a couple of these super-fast little snowflakes to hand out to coworkers along with some cookies on Friday. That’s it. Two little bitty projects. I am so darn tired and ready for Winter Break I have absolutely no desire to start anything else either. I think I’m doing it wrong.

Messy Little Frustrations

The Black Hole is still chugging along largely unchanged, and I’ve reached a point where I’m growing suspicious I will run out of yarn for my Hatteras Hat. I’ve stopped knitting on it in the hopes my yarn will magically breed while it’s resting. Or something.

 

Additionally, I have a coworker I work closely with who is expecting a baby in February. I’d been starting to suss out what her nursery is like and get a feel for what baby knits she might want, thinking I should get on that soon. Well, turns out the school is going to have a baby shower for her in mid-December. As in like, 2 weeks from now. I have absolutely no pattern picked or yarn bought, let alone project started. Crap.

This is a week where knitting does not feel good. Time to do something else, I think.

P.S. Christine Guest is giving away a copy of my pattern Lovely. Hop on over to her blog if you want to enter to win!

The -Itises

Finish-itis is well and thoroughly over (and I got sadly little finished) and has been totally overtaken by start-itis. I knew I shouldn’t have gone on Pinterest. Say something to make me go work on a WIP!