Impulse control

First things first: I think my knitting mojo is going to be making a much-anticipated return, my friends.  I finished a long-standing project that was sucking my will to live this weekend, and now I feel as though a bevvy of wonderful opportunities are laid out before me.

Long-term project monogamish-ness had made knitting about as exciting as brushing my teeth, and now that the never-ending project of doom is getting the snot blocked out of it upstairs*, everything feels shiny and new.  I'm stalking patterns on Ravelry, drooling over yarn, daydreaming about books...  Heck, I may even put a few rows on the green scarf tonight!  My trust, faith and deep, deep devotion to knitting has been restored, people. 

It was in that spirit that I went stash diving this afternoon.  I know exactly what my next "big" project is going to be, but can't cast on just yet, so I was just having a wee look around.  You know, a "I wonder if I have the yarn for that other thing that caught my eye this morning" gander, if you will.

Have you ever gone stash diving and come across yarn that you didn't remember you had?  Didn't remember at all?  And I'm not just talking about a solitary leftover hank of Cascade 220 or a stray skein of Colinette Jitterbug.  No, I'm talking sweater quantities of yarn.  Yarn that you were in such a frenzy to buy because you absolutely, positively needed that cardigan right. frickin'. now and it's just been sitting there?  For 3 years???

Um... yeah.  Me neither.  I mean... who does that?  Right?

*Ahem*

Happy Knitting, Everyone!

*More on that project once I've been to the button shop!

Stoked

On the eve of a month-long hiatus, I decided it was high time I visited this sadly neglected space.  How've you been, friends?  Was Spring kind to you?  Is everyone happy and healthy?

Things around Casa de Dear have been... well.  Probably just as busy/hectic/crazy/stressful as they've been in all of your homes.  Sure, we have some special issues that most families thankfully don't have to face.  Even so, it's not like our family has the exclusive on stress/worry/exhaustion. 

(STAND BACK!  I'M GOING TO GET PHILOSOPHICAL!)

Sometimes I wonder about the pace we - as a society - live our lives by these days.  Seems like we fill up a great deal of our time with "busy work" that, ultimately, don't really mean anything.  But I digress...

My reaction to prolonged stress is to s-l-o-w down.  I focus on the tasks at hand, but beyond that, things get very quiet in my head.  Which translates to a total lack of blogging (but I'm guessing you're already figured that out, heh).  Not much sewing.  Not much of anything, truth be told.  Lots of reading.  Lots of gardening.  Lots of wine tea drinking.

Sure, I've been knitting.  A stitch here, a row there.  The projects I worked on were irrelevant though.  I mostly just knit because knitting is what I do, you know?  And asking me to not knit would be like asking me to not breathe. But I can't say I've been stoked by the knitting lately.

Some things DO have me pretty excited though, and even though they're not knitting-related, I thought I'd share them with you.  A list, in no particular order:

•  Summer:  I am so, SO happy summer has arrived.  Flip Flops, kids spending entire days in the pool, trips to the convenience store for Freezies, pre-bedtime fishing on the river... Yes please.

• My garden: despite the setback of - ahem - inadvertently killing all my seedlings, all my plants are in the ground.  This year we're growing: corn, pumpkin, tomatoes (cherry and roma), cucumber, basil, thyme, sugar snap peas, broccoli, green beans, carrots, garlic, lettuce and spinach.  Yum!

• Eating from the garden: it's still too early for the garden to really be producing anything (it will though!  Boy, will it ever.), but so far we've enjoyed lots (and lots!) of fresh spinach in our salads and sandwiches (or straight from the ground, if you're Émilie), and this past weekend I fixed roasted potatoes with our garlic scapes.  Nom.

• Garment sewing: more specifically, I want to make a skirt for myself.  I've got the fabric, the pattern, and the notions.  All I need now is the time!

And there you have it, friends.  No knitting news (yet), but I'm here, sharing things I'm excited about with you.  And it's a start.

Happy Knitting, Everyone!