I'm almost finished with my socks, though I'm wishing I had ended the pattern on the first sock about a round before I did. Since I didn't want to undo the toe to fix it, I'll keep it the same on the second sock, but another time, I'd leave the last purl round off, and let the zig zag BO be the final ridge. I still need test knitters for my aran weight fingerless mitt pattern. Please e-mail me or leave a comment with contact information if you are interested. I'd like to get these published by the end of February, if that gives you an idea of a time frame. The first mitt I knit took me about three days with lots of homeschooling, errands, extra evening activities and so on - this isn't a project that will take a large chunk of your time. Please, please, please let me know if you can do this. There will be prizes and rewards for those who do.

Again, my knitting is a bit mixed up this week. Partly, it's because I have had so many other claims on my time, so I've had to work on things that don't require much concentration. Partly, it's been because we've been exhausted and sleepless and a little worried about Nejat. Also, I have a new set of projects for a friend who lost one twin this past fall, and just was flown to a nearby city's hospital because she has a pretty serious rupture of membranes, and the other twin is only 27 weeks old. Please pray for them as well. Her husband is trying to be home and at work with their six other children, while she is in the hospital. So, I've set aside some of the other projects I was working on to make some preemie clothes, since I don't think she'll be able to keep her in as late as I kept Nejat in, as she is five weeks earlier than I was at my rupture, and she has less water in the pool, it sounds like. They, too, could use your prayers.

This month is the last month of my Magnolia Club subscription, and the fifth month of my Paradise subscription. The yarns this month were better than last month's.


You'll have to trust me that there is more green in the skein on the left and that the center two are more brown than they appear. It's hard for me to capture color anyway, and with little good outdoor light and the lights of the room, it's nearly impossible for this poor photographer.
People were talking in the Paradise group about finding knots in their yarn. I don't normally wind my yarn until right before I use it, because I like to keep it more relaxed and have the tags on the hanks or skeins. However, since this was a small lot, specially hand dyed color, I wound mine so I could get a replacement if there was one in an inopportune place. Which there was (see above). However, not only did they replace it, but they let me keep the first skein, too! The second skein was a nicer example of the colorway, Palouse Yarn Company's Merino Fine in Idler's Rest, as well, looking more like the trees than simply the tree bark. I still haven't decided what to make with it. The two middle skeins are some MadelineTosh Blue Faced Leicester Light in a neutral colorway called Floorboards, which I am loving. It is a brown that tends toward the purple and grey. I'm having a hard time deciding what to make with it. There is enough to make two pairs of socks, or a rather big shawl, or some small garments, or...

Since this is the last month of my Magnolia subscription, and I'm trying not to buy yarn outside of souvenirs this year, I am not going to be seeing any more MadelineTosh for the year unless it's given to me as a gift. So, Yarn Box is tempting me with their sock yarn club and there are noises of a sweater quantity Magnolia Society subscription starting up soon to lead me astray from my good intentions as well. However, I am steeling myself and looking away, because now we have an ambulance and ER bill to add to our medical bills. I'm expecting to have those bills in hand about when I've paid off Nejat's and Mariam's. At least I have the Paradise club to get me through August, when it ends, as Rich told me to ride it out rather than cancel it, which was my inclination.

Between our emergency adventures and our time commitments this past week, I have done absolutely no reading that wasn't directly related to homeschool lessons or Morning Prayer.



Also posting to Keep Calm and Craft On

Labels: Baby, Design, Family, Homemaking, Knitting, Prayer Requests, Yarn, Yarn Along