For want of a nail ...

Right about now, I should be working on a new commission, but it's really hard to do that when the yarn didn't arrive.  The local post office is still working the bugs out of teleporting packages.  So, tomorrow around 1:30, I shall float off to the post office, collect a box of yarn, return home with all deliberate speed, and cast on.  Probably for a gauge swatch, alas. 

That means that today, I can tidy up loose ends in preparation for immersing myself in delightful knitting.  Some of that tidying involves writing a blog post, which was not written yesterday because I was clearing the knitting decks off so as to be ready to KNIT today.

It's been a rather eventful week, in a small sort of way, in our peaceful little town.  First off, I still have Live Plants growing in a Minnesota November.  Taking advantage of the opportunity, I picked some parsley and popped in front of the pellet stove to dry.  There's more room in my dried parsley container, so why not?  I still have fresh kale, too, but am not so nutty as to dry that. 

Earlier this week, tree trucks arrived and I began to wonder about the future existence of the tall pine tree across the street. 

Indeed, my thoughts were only too accurate.  The tree is now gone, as is the walnut further to the right of the photo. 

 On Saturday, the yarn for Filius' Jayne Hat, Attempt at the correct colors #2, arrived.  I picked them up on Tuesday after Bible Study (and a cup of delicious Coconut Curry soup with my mom, who did not have Coconut Curry soup).  Wednesday morning at 8:30 I hunted up needles and a pattern ...

 and at 10:30, I finished knitting the hat.  I collected the pom pom maker from the Closet of the Crunchy Mouse Skeleton at my mom's that afternoon, made the pom pom in the evening, and snagged a photo of the hat before sending it off to Filius via my Helpful Model and Filia.  Cunning, isn't it?  I think it looks like a candy corn.

The rest of yesterday - when I was home, that is - was devoted to my Latvian Mitten #2, in an attempt to finish off the knitting of it before today's Glorious Yarn arrived. 

Having finished the Latvian Mitten, and having no Glorious Yarn, I cast about for something Productive to do (other than weave in the ends of said Latvian mittens) and decided to tidy up my Ravelry projects page.  I went hunting for photos of my photoless projects, and got several taken care of.  One of them was my 2014 Clogs.   They are well on their way to being an excellent example of why we don't have much in the way of archaeological evidence about what the Common Man had that was knit 400-500 years ago.  Something about being well-used and used up. 

2014 Clogs

Random Scarf, Acrylic, with Bookcase

Unblocked Latvian Mittens, Graph 113, Upitis

The Other Side

Cheater Thumbs, with Elegant Mistakes

 

And finally, another picture out my front window.  You may notice there is a TREE there!  It's a curious thing.  The project updates mentioned that they were going to begin replanting trees this week.  Since there have been no trees in the boulevard strip on our property in (my) living memory, which stretches back 20 years, this was of no concern to me.  But yesterday morning (while working on the Jayne Hat), I noticed they were digging holes.  And yesterday afternoon, there was a tree laying next to the hole, and to the one further to the left.  And yesterday evening, in the pitch black, a crew came around and planted the trees.  Something else for Vir to mow around.  

Thanks to the stakes that were put in place yesterday, but which are no longer there, I know that the tree in front of the house is a Red Oak, and the one to the east is a Maple.  Other trees in town are Pin Oaks and Lindens.  

I also did a good bit of stealth knitting this week.  One commission - started, blocked, dried, seamed, reseamed due to perfectionistic tendencies, and mailed off - and one nice bit of travelling knitting that should show up somewhere around Christmas.  

This upcoming week has an exam (for a job) and a job interview (for a different job) for Filia.  Mom's taxi drives again!  I'm looking forward to spending time with her, having quiet knitting time in the car, and detouring on the way home Saturday in order to get a knitting belt at the Fiber Festival in Hopkins, MN.  Next week, I just may have a report on it -- or I may put off playing with it until I get the commissioned knitting done.  Stay tuned!