Stash-reducing socks

The house socks won the 'what gets knit next' debate. Here they are, in all their glory, warming the feet of the recipient. Since I was making them to use up yarn, rather than delight the eyes of the looker, they do not match. The recipient did request that they be 'similar', and so they are.
I am pleased to report I have no more grey yarn, and no more dark purple yarn. The rose and purple skeins have been significantly lightened. No pattern, toe up, ribbing at ankle and calf.

On that note, I can announce some new yarn purchases.

1. 50 grams of Graceful in Blueberry, destined to become the Alpine Lace Shawl from Victorian Lace Today.
   
2. 60 grams of Angel in Creamy White, destined to become a shawl.
   
3. 9 more balls of Elann's Baby Cashmere in Tapestry Blue, the current ball of which is rapidly becoming the Cherry Leaf Shawl (yes, from Victorian Lace Today. )
   

The shawl currently has 7 leaves travelling up the outside edge. I've 8 more to go, I think, and then the edging, and then the crochet (shudder), and then I can start in on the Alpine Lace Shawl. (Oh joy!) I really like working with the Baby Cashmere so far. It feels wonderful, splitteth not, and will be the perfect shawl for me. Yes, me. I may have to order a shawl pin from Celtic Swan Forge when I finish this one.

In non-knitting news, my fountain pen is en route to Massachusetts to have the converter repaired or replaced, and I am experimenting with dip pens. They seem to be a bit touchier than fountain pens, but between the lefty nibs I have from my mom, and some new nibs I got from Pendemonium, I'm doing well.

School is moving along nicely. We're making forwards progress in poetry, life science, math, and Latin. Reading has become a regular part of our afternoons, and penmanship is the next on my list of things to target. And, after a some steady work on my part, I have finished all 96 Calculadders. Finished and passed, I might add. I may not keep up with my children in biology, but math is one thing I intend to stick with them through. This week (and last), we're exploring the mysteries of the distributive property when applied to variables and negative numbers.

A habit I am trying to cultivate is that of daily jotting down quotes, poems, or other noteworthy items that come across my desk. (It's much easier to do this when you have a fancy pen crying out to be used.) Yesterday's quote suits my blog nicely:

"It is not a bad idea to get in the habit of writing down one's thoughts. It saves one having to bother anyone with them." ~ Isabel Colgate