Resubmitting Level II

Where is this week going? Monday evening was spent at my mother's house in preparation for our quarterly Mom's Day Out on Tuesday. Of course, we spent the evening knitting and cross-stitching. Tuesday was full of miscellaneous shopping and, somewhat not so miscellaneously, getting material for a long-promised quilt for Abigail's bedroom. We found some lovely pinks and greens at Hobby Lobby, and the material is now washed and folded, awaiting its dissection into approximately 720 tiny triangles. Barbara Frietchie's Star, here we come! It will be a mother-daughter (me and mine, respectively) project for the forseeable future.

Wednesday evening was also spent at my mom's house, in preparation for a 6:00 AM departure for some doctor visits in Minneapolis. They went surprisingly smoothly, and we got the good news that Abigail has reached the 4' 6" mark. Afterwards we went to Half-Price books, where I found Padraic Colum's The Golden Fleece as well as a hefty book on ancient civilizations which will work in wonderfully with TOG Year 1. My children read most of it on the way home from the bookstore. Why do I continue to entertain the delusion that one day, I will be able to get a book, and later assign it to them to read?

The new KnitPicks catalog also came this week, and I'd like to say here and now that I think it is unfair. ELEVEN new yarn lines? And most especially, two new sock yarns and one new line of fingering-weight Fair Isle yarns? That is most definitely unfair. And waaay too much fun. Especially as they were thoughtful enough to offer a package of one ball of their 30 colors of Fair Isle yarn. Waaaah!

ALSO this week, the proof copies of Book B arrived. At least, they arrived in Minnesota. I don't know if anyone else has gotten their proof copy yet. Things look pretty good, and once the other proofers weigh in with their findings, I will be able to turn my attention to the next set of books which is already well under way.

And today, when we arrived home from the doctors', there was upon my desk a large box with a return address reminding me of the knitting guild. At long (but not too long) last, my level II package came back to me after wandering through the US in search of evaluators. I didn't pass. I didn't expect to on my first try. I wasn't too sure I wanted to open it, though, and find out just how much I needed to re-do. But I mustered up my courage, carefully cut the tapes, and found the evaluator's letter. I am so thrilled I have only ONE swatch to re-do ... the Fair Isle one ... because somehow, I missed row 16. Tsk! It was my favorite swatch, so I am looking forward to re-doing it, after I raid my mom's closets for more of the yarn I used last time. I goofed on one pattern as well, so will need to go over that with a fine-toothed comb and re-write/re-submit it. Everything else was in very good to acceptable shape. Aaaaaah.

In other knitting, my sock and sweater yarn arrived last week, and I'm making good progress both on the sweater (two sleeves done, and the front is done to just above the armpits) and my take-along sock. I'm working it on size 0 needles, at 11 spi. I do that sort of thing occasionally to remind myself why I 'always' work socks on size 2 needles. Did you know size 0 needles go right through clothing? They could almost be used for acupuncture. I cautioned my daughter - who is sewing together a knitted stuffed horse at the moment - about the dangers of working with small double pointed needles and using your body to nudge the needles around a bit. She could get one stuck in a stoma.

Reading. I have been reading lately, I'm sure of it, but am not sure what. Oh yes ... yarn catalogs! And making plans for homeschooling, but if I go into that now, I surely won't have anything to say next week.

By this time next week, I hope to have finished the sweater front, the first sock, and gotten my resubmission into the mail.