A pinwheel baby blanket that had been on the needles since May. It's quite small, but I once made a teeny-tiny blanket for a friend's baby when I first started knitting and while I thought it was far too wee, she told me it was perfect for in the car or the stroller since she didn't have to fold it over a bunch of times. So I decided that this blanket was to have the same destiny as I was just plain sick of knitting it. It was a stash busting project anyhow, and I cut the stash yarn I had in half by knitting it and I'd like to use the other three balls for myself for something in the future. I wasn't totally enamoured of the yarn to begin with (Marks and Kattens Bomull, 50-50 cotton/wool) but it was more the project that I started using it with just didn't suit. I quite like the yarn now. I've since lost count on my stash buster projects...this might be #5.
A friend's birthday present, on the needles for a little while (some other socks my have taken over while in the midst of knitting these) and now finally finished and given. I made another pair out of the Patons Stretch Sock (which these are) out of the bluey-green Kelp colourway but didn't think to take a pic of the finished pair before I gave them away. Anyhow, both sets of feet seem to be quite pleased, as am I. Both pair were an attempt at a new technique for me. This Plum pair were my first toe up and short row heel socks. The heels turned out a little lacy, but I liked the way it looked, especially for a summer sock. The Kelp pair (not shown...grrr) were my first two socks knit at a time on two circular needles. Didn't care for the technique. I can't go just as quickly with one at a time on my double pointed needles, thank you very much. I actually gave up half way through the two at a time and took one on my dpns, finished it, then went at the other. But surprise surprise, I really like the toe up method. For some reason, doing a really long cuff doesn't drive me as insane when starting at the toe. Anyhow, I've enhanced the breadth of my knitting knowledge...it's all good.
Hank is adjusting well to the new digs, although I said to the constable when we first moved over, 'How long do you think it's going to take before I regret getting such light coloured carpet?' to which he replied, 'I dunno...an hour?' It hasn't bee quite that bad, but yesterday I did wash about four or five little marks out of the carpet, most definitely the result of Mr. Hank. Ah well. Whaddya gonna do.
Yesterday I was very much Charlie Brown standing in the middle of a deserted ball field yelling 'AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!' I was on my way to work, the one day I actually need to go out of the house, stopped for gas, hopped back in the Jeep and it wouldn't start. Wanted to turn over, but just wouldn't catch. I had a couple people help me boost it and nothing. So there I waited for an hour (hood up, at the pump...wouldn't even go into neutral so we could push it out of the bloody way) after calling CAA (best Christmas present EVER) for the tow truck guy so this great heaping P.O.S. could get hauled down to the dealership for the fourth time since we've moved here. Have I happened to mention that we've only lived here little over a year? We hadn't even finished paying off the last repair. So I was not happy yesterday. Today is a little better, but when I think of it, everything clenches up. I...hate...that...Jeep. Hate. The Jeep. We've been going back and forth for a great long time now about getting a new vehicle, but it's sooo nice not to have a car payment that we just couldn't decide what to do. I actually hate all cars. All of them. They're the worst necessary evil in our society today. They're nothing but a money pit, all of them. And I couldn't care less about what kind or what features...who cares???! It's just this great bloody hunk of junk that depreciates incredibly the very minute you drive it off the lot that will cause me nothing but grief for the duration of ownership. I hate having to pay for gas, I hate having to limit where I go and when because of the cost of it; I hate having to shovel it out and clean it off in the winter, hate driving in the snow (and the heavy rain for that matter...it's my eyesight). I'm hateful. But it's towards an inanimate object. So it's okay.
Anyway, that's my rant. Today is a lovely day. Gonna get my work out of the way and go enjoy it. Until later...
ETA @ 5 pm; The Jeep and I have resolved our differences. It was only some sort of emissions valve which is only in the neighbourhood of maybe a hundred bucks for parts and labour. Whee!
