Monthly Ball Band Tally

March was a much better month for having ball bands.

The month's knitting tally includes a pair of socks, a finished baby cardigan, two pair of Compass mittens, and felted slippers. Some spinning also happened - and in fact, I'm planning on my next serious knitting project being a shawl to use the yarn. Serious knitting projects, because one simply cannot go days without knitting while waiting for yarn to be spun (although, since I'm the spinner, the yarn gets spun faster if I'm not knitting) and dried. And my spinning wheel doesn't fit into the front seat of the car (no, I do *not* need a traveling spindle.) So I need a traveling, non-serious, knitting project.

I finished up socks Tuesday morning and haven't cast on for something yet. I think it's a record.

Molly's Fault doesn't count as a project. It's a lifestyle.

March Musings

Every so often, I remember that projects with garter stitch seem to take longer than they should. So it has been with Minni. She's done now - or as done as she can get with the yarn I have on hand. Praise God for Ravelry Stashes! I've found someone with a skein of the color I'm out of (almost out - and 2 yards will not make a sleeve) and we're working out the details of a swap that will not only let me finish Minni, but also clear out one of my yarn boxes! How efficient can one get?

The socks are done, too. I'm positive my camera ate some pictures of them, but here's what one of them looks like. They're warm, and toasty, and TALL! Now I need something old-fashioned to hold them up better. But for sitting and knitting? They can't be beat.

Of course, now that the socks are done, the weather warms up. We lost almost 2' of snow in our front yard in just over a week. The flowers are up, the sidewalks are visible under all the snow that the plows pushed into the yard, and the yard needs a good vacuuming. Inspired by the warmth, I started some Swiss Chard, peppers, and parsley. The first is up, the latter sprouted in a paper towel and has been gently transferred into pots, and the middle isn't saying anything about its activities.

The massive time-gobbler of genealogy has been kept under strict control. But - because it's always fun to find new relatives - I'll still pass along a bit of family history here and there. Back a ways up my husband's tree, he has a Very Jewish Relative. (Just like I have Very Polish and Czech Relatives ... can't get more Polish than Tekla Gaciarzianka, can you?) Dan's Jewish Relative is named .... Judah Levi. You can't get much more ethnically distinctive than that. Judah came from ... England. And because he seems to have been escaping an unpleasant situation in the old country, the line dead ends there.

The shawl hasn't been frogged yet. It's nice to pop on in the evening when my shoulders get cold.

And a question: Why do all the pictures of roast veggies show them with nice dark marks from roasting, but mine - despite cooking them for twice the suggested time - don't? Yesterday's new recipe called for roasting potatoes until golden brown - 20-25 minutes. I upped the temperature 50 degrees and cooked them for closer to an hour, and they were still pasty white. It's a small annoyance in life, but if anyone has a solution, let me know!