A Small Fire and a New Name

Well, my brother's yearly fireworks display went well. Mostly anyway. The setting is picturesque. A dock on the river, framed by trees, but with enough open space that you have the perfect view. After a decent round of single shots, my brother and cousin set up for the final bit of fireworks, lit the flame, and strolled back up the dock so they could enjoy the full view. And things, as they often do, went a little wrong. See, my brother and cousin forgot to take the paper cover off the top of the firework...thing [it's a technical term, seriously]. So the "thing" turned over, and began shooting horizontally instead of vertically. Whoops. Over the water, it was actually an impressive display. And as the final one went off, and nobody had been hurt, we all breathed a sigh of relief. That is, until, my father pointed out the small fire down the river shore. Remember that addendum? A dock on the river..."framed by trees..." Well, it has been exceptionally hot and dry the past few weeks, and one of those brilliant little flaming starbursts landed in some brush, and voila, fire. My brother put it out pretty quickly, but everyone was frantic for a few minutes. Still, no injuries, so I declare this one a success.

Work is not quite as hectic as it was thankfully, which is a good thing for everyone around me from what I understand. Apparently, I lose my sense of humor when I am stressed. Really I don't know what they are talking about--I thought I was perfectly delightful. Nobody had their face ripped off now, did they? In fact, I believe I showed remarkable restraint. Not only that, but I managed to make some headway on a couple of projects.

Brandywine Shawl [Ravelry Link] in Plymouth Yarn Mulberry Merino on a US6 (4mm)
I choose a worsted weight for a heavier shawl, and the silk adds a nice sheen to the whole thing.





And since my new love is Doctor Who, some TARDIS socks [Ravelry Link]. Done in Dream in Color Starry and Knit Picks Palette





Ahh, thanks for hanging in there. When I do blog, the posts tend to go a bit long [I tend to ramble, and get a little adjective happy]. Anyway, I am thinking about renaming the blog, and I would like some feedback on a new name. The current one is a bit obscure. Thoughts?

Are we there yet?

This week's blog title perfectly describes the past month and a half. I feel like I have been moving at full speed for a while now, but never quite finishing anything--at work or at home. On top of that, my Xbox died. I was using it mostly to watch DVDs, so it wasn't that big of a loss I guess.

Anyway, in an effort to resolve the stagnation, I am redirecting.

Ever since I moved from a townhouse to a single bedroom, fully packed boxes have sat in the basement. I will be moving again the beginning of next year, but the thought of moving ALL of this stuff makes me a little sick to my stomach. So, it is time for a purge. I have already gone through all of my old shoes. Clothes are next. Yarn isn't going anywhere. Then kitchen-ware. Yarn isn't going anywhere. Then the assortment of other things I have collected through the years. Yarn isn't going anywhere. Books will be the hardest. About two and a half years ago, during yet another move, I had to purge about half of my books. It is still a sore spot for me. I tear up a little just thinking about it. I have my Kindle now, which ensures that the collection space-wise won't grow much more. Except for the knitting books, need to have those in full color and size. Yarn and yarn-related items aren't going anywhere.

I am also going to try and knit some quick and easy type things that I can finish quickly. My current projects all require at least thirty to forty hours of knitting time apiece or more. So, I will try some dishcloths, Quincy [Ravelry Link], Selbu Modern [Ravelry Link], Lace-Edged Hat [Ravelry Link], and Grove [Ravelry Link]. I have a new collection of organic cotton for my dishcloths. Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton is pretty pricey, BUT I have never been happy knitting with any other cottons.

I got these at a discount:



Speaking of dishcloths, I finished some Doctor Who inspired dishcloths from the same ball of Malabrigo Organic Cotton. I have enough leftover to do another cloth too. They are unblocked in the pics, so they look a little messy.

The Tardis [Ravelry Link] (this dishcloth is bigger on the inside)



And a Dalek [Ravelry Link] (pattern is called EXFOLIATE!, which I think is just fantastic). And yes, the bobbles are JUST as annoying to make as they look.

Oh, and I got my new phone this week. A Droid. Love.

Making Friends with Spring

I have a love hate relationship with Spring. It loves to torment me, and I hate the effects. My allergies can be severe, and this is the first Spring that I have not had to spend on prescription meds. Of course I still take a daily dose to manage, but I am not nearly as miserable as I usually am. And for some bizarre reason, Spring, instead of finding a way to undermine my lack of misery, has been surprisingly agreeable.

No one is more surprised than me that the flowers I planted weeks ago are not only still alive, but thriving.

This is a mix of Marigolds, Lantana, and a Dahlia. The Dahlia started off with a single miserable bloom. Now it has cycled through several blooms.


I don't remember the name of these blue purple flowers, but they were pretty tiny when I first got them.


The Lantanas are my favorite.