Focus, focus...

Thanks to some dedicated knitting I finished my Margaritaville socks one day

and my Punctuated Rib socks the next.

I’ve also produced two afghan squares since I wrote last. This one designed by Marian Tabler

and this one by Meredith K. Morioka.

That makes four in total, four less than I had hoped to have made by the end of April, but I still have eight months to knit the remaining twenty squares so I’m not too concerned.

I’m still in love with shawl knitting. This is what I have done on Silver Birches so far

and I caved and cast on Aspen Grove.

I think the colours suit the name perfectly.

Meanwhile, I am gearing up for another sockdown with three projects planned: Journey Cable socks, Marie Antoinette, and a mystery sock by Yarnissima. My yarn is all wound and ready to go.

With the beginning of May also comes our trip to California! We leave for the airport early Monday morning. All the planning has been done so all that remains is the packing…and the housecleaning. No sense starting that too soon or all my good work will be undone before we go. I’ve yet to decide what knitting projects I’ll take with me. I don’t expect to get a lot done but our plans do include some longish car trips so at the very least I can work on some socks.

The time has gone so fast it's hard to believe that just a year ago I was in Toronto celebrating my sister's birthday with her. I wish I could be with her again today--Happy Birthday, Jacqueline!

Getting Back on Track

Despite my best intentions I have not been blogging as frequently as I would have liked. Funny how life seems to keep getting in the way.

Dare I say that I think Spring is now really and truly here? The snowdrops have come and gone and many of the daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips are already past their prime. Fruit trees are beginning to blossom, while others are putting out new leaves of yellow-green. And best of all, it is now possible to go out with only a light jacket, or sometimes with no jacket at all.

With the new season finally taking hold I feel as though I am emerging from a “long winter’s nap” and am anxious to shake off the sluggish feeling and get moving again. This morning I exercised for the first time in a very long time and it felt good to work up a sweat and stretch my muscles. I have a love/hate relationship with working out and don’t do it as consistently as I should. I love the way it makes me look and feel but I resent the time it takes away from more enjoyable pursuits, like knitting. Still, if my soon-to-be-48-year-old sister can run the Boston Marathon for the second year in a row (Yay, Jacqueline!), I figure I can go for a walk or ride the stationary bike a few times a week.

As for knitting, I am still in a shawl phase and began my Year of Lace fall kit, the Silver Birches Shawl (Ravelry link). I know I should finish my summer kit first but it’s just not speaking to me right now. I did one pattern repeat on the Embrace the Lace kit, just for the experience, then handed the project over to Jessica. The stole is more her style than mine and I thought she might enjoy knitting it herself.

After largely ignoring the Ivy socks for most of March and April, I devoted several days last week to finishing them up.

I am really happy with how they turned out and hope that Jacqueline likes them as well since I am sending them to her for her upcoming birthday. April’s SKA project is going much more quickly and I finished the first Margaritaville sock yesterday morning, before heading home from a four-day getaway to Wendover.

I’ve also been working on several pairs of non-SKA socks, like these Punctuated Rib socks from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns, and resisting casting on even more.

It's nice to be missed--these flowers are a welcome home bouquet from Cameron.

Of course, all of this other knitting and travel is keeping me away from the GAAA and I am about five blocks behind on my proposed schedule of two blocks per month. It’s time to get back on track with that too before I blink and it’s Winter again.

Aeolian Finale

Here are a few photos of my blocked Aeolian Shawl. Definitely worth all the frogging and reknitting.

We spent yesterday scrubbing the winter grime off our deck and outdoor furniture. It was even warm enough to sit outside afterwards in capris and a t-shirt--what a treat! We are supposed to have a few more days like that then it's back to rain so I plan to enjoy the sunshine while I can.

Blocking

Saved by the Swatch

Remember this? It saved my life this afternoon or, at the very least, my sanity.

I finished my Aeolian Shawl.

The bind-off took about nine grams of yarn. Unfortunately, I only had eight.

Thank goodness I swatched.