WIP Insanity

More new blog stuff today. I've fiddled a bit with the sidebar, to make the headings of all the different stuff that's in there a bit more prominent. I've also darkened up the red colour on the pages a bit so the colour scheme is more to my taste. And I've added a button for my blog to the sidebar, too. I realise this is probably the ultimate in self-promotion. It's not like I think I have raging hordes of readers all chomping at the bit to add a link to my blog to their websites, but I'm getting into this blog culture thing a bit more now, and it seems to be customary to provide a button for your blog, so that's what I've done. Feel free to use it - download it to your own server and all that jazz.

I'm stunned again - there's been another comment. Thank you, Sue! You have hit on a critical point - being able to finish projects faster than one can think up more to knit. I am completely incapable of doing this. Perhaps that's why I'm interested in increasing my knitting speed? Perhaps it would just be easier to stay away from pattern books. No, that couldn't possibly be easier.

Hillhead slipover for Grandpa

My mother tells me that my grandfather now has a nasty cough which is actually getting worse. They're trying to move him to the hospital where his doctor is so that he can get better attention, but a bed isn't opening up. I'm quite scared about this but I'm still thinking I should order the wool for the slipover. The Jamieson & Smith people got back to me - with any luck, I will remember tonight to phone them with payment information. Soon the wool will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine. I am so strongly hoping that there will still be a point to having bought the wool when it arrives.

Unknown for baby MacDonald

I remembered that I was looking for an excuse to design another pattern for the book I want to write. Because if I try to just write patterns independently on my own "free time", the book will stay unwritten. But it really would be cool to do something Simpsons-y for my coworker. Argh, this indecision. I will think on it. I have months.

Spanish Knight sweater for Mom

Mom called me this morning with her bust, waist and hip measurements. She wasn't thrilled about doing this, because she thinks she's huge (she's not). She even made me promise not to tell my dad what the numbers were. But I now definitely know what size to make her. Hooray!

Stornaway sweater for BIL (cream)

I AM WORKING ON THE CUFF. Yay!!! 22 more rows of ribbing and I can cast off and be finished. I can't believe it. Victory is so close I can almost taste it. Mind you, I will still have to weave in a few ends and wash and block the thing, but essentially, completion is within my grasp. I'm almost afraid to triumph - don't want to tempt Murphy's Law or anything.

Patons sweater for baby Rosatelli

I'm about 5 rows from the end of sleeve #1. I seem to have gained some measure of control over my tendency to screw up the pattern. I'm not relaxing my vigillance on that point, though.

NEW - Unknown for baby Gelman

My mom told me this morning that my ex (whose in-laws play bridge on Wednesday nights with my parents, hence my access to the following piece of news) is expecting baby #2 in July! Huge surprise! I'm very happy for them. This may be the excuse I was looking for to make Kim Brody Salazar's Mountain Laurel Crib Counterpane. Isn't it beautiful?

And now, a public transportation pet peeve. (Just one? Surprisingly, yes...for now.) What is with the people who extend themselves beyond the borders of their own seats? I'm not talking about large people, mind you - that's annoying too, but with them, it's happening because of their body, not because they're being inconsiderate with their elbows. Every single person I sat down next to today crowded me out with shoulders or elbows. Particularly this one guy on my first train. His shoulders extended ridiculously into my seat (which is very weird, because he was pretty lean) and he stretched his arm halfway in front of me as he read his paper. !!! Maybe it was his poofy coat? I don't know. All I know is that it was annoying. Fortunately, with the knitting, I have the opportunity to repeatedly nudge these people to coax them back onto their own side. (I'm Canadian, after all - I avoid actual confrontation if possible.) Usually it works. And yes, I'm aware that this complaint makes me sound like a six-year-old? (MOOOOOMMMMY! His leg is on MY side of the car!!!)