I've poured all my free time and energy into blanket squares and I've finished numbers 10 and 11 and started #12 since the last post. I am starting to feel the fun of making these squares now that I've made this blanket the main event instead of just an in-between project for those days when I was too tired to work on a more complicated project. I hate to say it, because I like to think that I am a "process" knitter, but now that the end is in sight, it is getting easier and easier to set aside the time to work on these (you know, when I should be vacuuming, or doing the dishes, or hanging out laundry...).

I'll be away for a while since I'm headed out tomorrow on a 9-day road trip and camping excursion around the Japanese island of Shikoku. I was a Girl Scout for about 10 years but I have never gone on an actual camping trip, since platform tents with cots and wooden floors don't seem like quite the same thing. I was always more interested in the arts and crafts badges than wilderness survival. Does that surprise you? Fingers crossed that I don't have any frightening encounters with animals of any size.

I don't plan on driving too much so that means heaps of time for knitting on my spring break. I'll definitely be working on two projects, and if there's room in the car, I'll bring the blanket squares, too. (The one thing I have retained from scouting is the Boy Scouts' motto--"Be prepared!").

Posted by Molly at 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Zapped of enthusiasm, that is. I have been in a serious knitting slump! I am making lots of progress on all my WIPs, but I have been totally uninspired to start something new and exciting, which is really unusual for me. I am usually aching to start the next project on my to-knit list, and thinking of what social engagements I can cancel to stay home and knit. I blame all the plain knitting I've been working on lately. Stockinette is a nice break when things are busy but I am ready to start something more exciting. But what?

Last week I decided to cast on for a new Leaf Lace shawl. I made one as a gift last year and was mesmerized by the lace pattern. I had been aching to use my bright new Fleece Artist (thanks again Becky!!!) but something about it just isn't right. I have something new in mind now so I'll be frogging and looking forward to seeing how that plays out...

There are a lot of new ideas and patterns out there but nothing has been speaking to me lately like Eunny's new designs. Is she superhuman? I drooled over every photo in her entry last week and today I have decided that I MUST knit this someday. Isn't that colorwork just beautiful? Thank god there is a lot of inspiration out there in the blog world, since there certainly isn't much in my knitting basket at the moment. Once I work through the less exciting things I have going on now, I might just be able to let myself splurge on the yarn for another exciting new project.

Until then, the blanket squares beckon!

Posted by Molly at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

What's that they say about actually writing down your goals? I guess it works! I only made that list last Monday as a kind of joke, sititng at work wishing that I would have the time to do all those things. I should write things down like this more often--4.5 out of 7 is not too shabby!

1. Finished Block 9 on Monday night, less than 48 hours after starting it. It gave me hope that maybe my goals were reasonable after all!

2. Didn't actually cast on for new lace shawl, but did wind 450 meters of beautiful Fleece Artist into one massive pull skein during an installment of the BBC's Jane Eyre. It took more than an hour to wind the whole thing by hand, especially since it started getting to be the size of my head and a little difficult to wind towards the end!

3. This was easy! It's setting aside the time to work on it now that might be hard.

4. I finished this sock one morning BEFORE school! Getting up and going for a walk at 6:30 lately has given me time not only to eat breakfast and get ready for school like a normal person, but also to watch the morning news programs and fit in a little knitting before I leave. It's like a dream come true!

5. No second sock syndrome for me! Wound this skein on the train to Kobe this weekend (with the help of my own personal knitting assitant) and cast on straight away. As much as I love sock knitting, will be setting this aside to save for for those waiting room or train travel spurts of knitting time.

While in Kobe, I made a trip to the wonderful, 8-floor Yuzawaya craft store. It was overwhelming in it's abundance of craft supplies, but not as amazing as the Tokyo branch in Kichijyoji where I found it harder to resist temptation. I escaped after a brief run-through of each floor with just these adorable buttons. I bought two of each pack, and will set them aside for use, someday, on some baby knits. Anyone having a baby?

*Title taken from my new favorite lunchtime pastime, catching up on celeb gossip at www.bestweekever.tv. How else would I have heard that Britney shaved her head?

Posted by Molly at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)