Drowning In Projects

It was almost a perfect weekend with only one child in the house. It was amazing to see how happy and content she was just playing quietly by herself. She cries a lot less when there aren't three other bodies crammed into her personal space. In fact, I don't think she cried at all, all weekend. Go figure. She was so cute and cuddly and happy we were powerless against her charms. I freely confess, we fed her a ridiculous amount of ice cream over the weekend. That seemed to help her mood as well. I wonder if all those crabby baby months were really the result of an undocumented ice cream deficiency.

The older children returned sunburned and deliriously happy. They stormed the house like a tornado of floaties, dirty laundry and squeezy hugs. They all had stories to tell that had to be told RIGHT THAT MOMENT . The highlight of their adventure seems to have been a trip to the Dollar Tree where they each got a dollar to buy whatever they wanted. I missed them so. I felt sublime peace Sunday night knitting on the couch beside me Beloved knowing all four of our sweet babies were tucked safely in their beds where they belong.

So it is back to the chaos of normal life (whatever that means). The Greatest is at work. The older two are back in school (it was a toss up as to who was happier: me to see them go, or the school bound who got to go). Bird is finishing her breakfast (she got up late, needing extra sleep after the big weekend. She put her head under the water. And she "didn't even cry!"). Sweet Pea is down for her first nap. I am left with two hands to get some work done.

But I don't know where to begin.

I am swimming in projects. There is so much to do. Things that NEED to get done. And so much I WANT to get done. I think I need to stop sleeping. I could get a whole lot more done in the course of a day if I didn't waste nearly a third of it lying unconscious! Sounds like a solid theory to me. What do you think?

I am getting stuff done. I really am. I'm just not actually finishing anything. I need to revisit the idea of project monogamy.

I FINALLY made the trip to Hobby Lobby to purchase the much needed size 10 circular needles. So my brown sweater has a sleeve.

Two of them as a matter of fact. And the yoke is done as well. It is so cute. I love this sweater. It might possibly be my favorite sweater to date. It just needs blocked. And buttons. How I hate buttons. Why do I love cardigan but hate finding buttons? I need to block it today because there is a cold front moving in and this may be my last chance to wear this sweater until November. I'm sure as soon as I hit "publish" I will forget I was supposed to block this sweater. The best laid plans and all that.

My "Tiger Stripe" Sweater is getting a button band

*groan* More Buttons *double groan* Every time I pick this sweater up I am surprise by how silky the brown alpaca is. I need more of this yarn. Lots more! I love how light this little sweater is. I don't like how I decreased for the button holes, so I need to rip-it and re-knit it. But there really isn't a lot of work left. I must finish the knitting on this sweater. I'm so close to the finish line.

And that was my plan last night. I was going to rip and re-knit. Until I got sidetracked (is it ADD or early Alzheimer?). I've had a little bug in the back of my brain. It's bothering me. Much the way Tempest bothered me. A sweater is calling my name, and would give me no peace until I cast on.

I found this sweater on Ravelry (non-Ravelry link)

And I'm in love! Just look at those sleeve! I must have one of my very own.

Only there isn't really a pattern, just vague enough to be workable instructions on how to shape the sleeves (Ravelry link).

The rest of the original raglan is based on EZ instructions, but as I do not worship at the alter of EZ (honestly, reading her patterns makes my head feel like exploding from the smug), I do not have access to those specific instructions.

That's alright. It's just a raglan. I sorta know how to knit a raglan. Sorta.

The original yarn used is worsted weight. The only yarn I have a sweaters quantity of is fingering weight. Much thinner yarn. But it will be alright because I'm loving the light sweaters knit with fingering weight yarn on size 6 needles (see above Tiger Sweater). Plus that gives me an excuse to knit with my size 6 harmony needles. How I'm loving those needles! It's bad when my knitting decisions are swayed by the size needle I get to use.

And the original sweater is steeked! I totally wanna try steeks. So this is all good right? I have no idea how to steek, but I'm knitting with 100% wool, so it should work right? And Eunny Jang wrote a tutorial on steeking. I can do this.

And it's a cardigan, which means more BUTTONS! *groan* *groan* *groan*

So many reasons not to knit this sweater. But the sweater was already in my blood. It danced on the edges of my mind, begging to be pulled into the spotlight. Unfortunately with me, nagging works. Just ask my children. So instead of quietly ripping and re-knitting last night, I cast on for a raglan sweater so that I too can own a sweater with bulbous sleeves that might already have gone out of fashion.

Oh yeah. Did I mention the yarn is cream colored and will have to be dyed a different color? I've decided to dye the entire garment once finished. Thus increasing the peril. Assuming I get the raglan shape right, and get the sleeves right, and my steek doesn't fall apart, and find the perfect buttons, I still have the chance of ruining the entire sweater by shrinking it in the dye pot. Does this sweater have disaster written all over it or what?

I've pretty much set my mind to the idea of kool-aid dye. I'm thinking pink lemonade. Or possibly blue raspberry.

But the project love doesn't end there.

Did you know it gets really hot in the desert?

I'm talking super-unbearable-like-living-in-an-oven-wanna-shrivel-up-and-die-from-the-heat hot?

I know! I was shocked by this realization as well.

I've come up with a plan to make the summer more bearable (other than living in the pool, which is Phase Two of my plan. Phase Three involves living on a diet consisting solely of ice cream which should please me and the baby equally). Phase One is called "Summer of the Skirt." See the start of my pretty proto-type

Just a simple a-line skirt with a gathered elastic waist. Nothing too fancy. Nothing I would feel like I couldn't get dirty in. Simple cotton that can be thrown in the washer. The A-line is breezier than shorts, but not too breezy if you know what I mean, but there's ease of movement. Elastic waist comfort cause that's how I roll. Yet still pretty enough to make me feel special.

I'm gonna feel really special.

And did you see Marie Grace's tutorial on smocking? I may never get anything done again! And still it wasn't enough information for my brain. I've already googled more on smocking (there really isn't a lot out there. Yet another reason to *heart* Marie Grace). I've discovered what smocking plates are and dream of three white nightgowns with "Symphony of Roses" dancing across the bodice.

Must go soak brown sweater before I begin marking a sample square of fabric.

Must go soak brown sweater before I forget it exists in favor of shiny new project.

Must go soak....

Hey

Has anyone seen my quilting thread?

I know! It's hopeless. And I've still got laundry to wash, and dinners to cook, and the usual house to clean.

Must stop sleeping.

I've even got a project for The Greatest. It involves spray paint.

Lots and lots of spray paint.

Am I a good wife or what?