Imagine....

this sock only the toe and two inches complete...

Amazing what a difference in patterns make for speed. Oddly, this sock is just flying. I've hardly put any time into knitting on it, yet I am already 3.5 inches into it. I better hurry and decide on a new to-go sock, because this one isn't going to last. Still debating....thick plain boot sock or fingering weight sock for the next.

Why no...there are still no photos!

Yes I know there should be but there aren't...just the way it is. I have a ton of them but for one excellent reason after another they just don't get handled. I desperately want them labeled and cropped because there is a very good chance I will forget details, as time passes.

In the meantime, there are my ramblings....
Do you get obsessed at times? I do frequently. I knit like mad for a few months earlier this year after a pretty long break from obsessive knitting. I just couldn't get enough. Then something else caught my attention (don't ask what, I don't remember today) and I couldn't get enough of that. Then Kumihimo caught my attention and ooooo....shiny!....off I went. And let’s not forget the weaving obsession. I'm really still obsessed with Kumihimo braiding just don't have enough 'sit still' time to get the Maru Dai out. When life went crazy a few weeks ago I fell back to my knitting. I always have a to-go bag of it ready; I don't leave home without it. So I've been working out of that bag. Now I am re-obsessed with knitting. I'm looking at patterns, planning future socks, picking out pretty shawl patterns I won't make (love them, never seem to wear them) etc. All this, even though I know good and well that I have a second sock of another pair sitting in my bag, along with the hate*. I also know good and well that I will be making plain vanilla socks, that I don't need a pattern for, when I start a new pair. All silliness.

*hate is a hat I started last winter. It stays in my bag in the hopes that one day it will be finished. When discussing that hat with friends I always mis-type it hate. Good name for it actually. While it is a super simple k4p4, I dislike it so very much that I wish I had the heart to frog it. It looks fine, it fits fine, the color is fine, it knits easily yet it is all I can do to look at it I dislike it so much. Absolutely no idea why, not had this happen in many years of knitting.

I'm still here....

Apparently life was a little more complicated and crazy than I realized. I'm not working on much craft-wise. Still knitting here and there....I am in the middle of turning the heel as of this morning. I'm sewing tops of Dresden plate blades, for a very few minutes, every day or two. I've not even looked at the braiding or weaving, in at least 2 weeks, with no hope for a bit longer. On days I thought I might get back into the swing of playtime, I needed sleep worse. Boy, I hate making that choice....play or sleep...sleep or play?

Food....

Pizza rolls. They hit the freezer, for future meals, as soon as they were cool. I have a gallon of milk heating to make yogurt now. Life blew up last week and I have a fridge full of perishables that are going to spoil, if I don't get them handled. Today I am going to cook as much as I can, in between 10 billion other things that must be done, ASAP.

I accomplished next to nothing craft-wise this week. A bit of knitting that was a loss of progression (frogged). I was very happy to have it to do, it kept my hands busy at least. I pulled out one of my Dresden quilts I am working on, managed to thread a needle and put a few inches into the hand piecing. The quilts were planned as very long-term projects but maybe not this long-term!

I almost goofed on the fabrics for one of the quilts. Pulled out my quilt packet to restock my 'on-the-go' pack and found a note sticking to the bottom 'fabric being discontinued. Order more this week'. The note was from last fall sometime. It was supposed to be on my desk, not with the fabric. Typically, I forgot without the note reminder.

I've always used yardage for my quilts, never pre-cuts. Last year when I decided to hand-piece a quilt, I impulsively bought a couple-three charm packs intending to make a small throw. I liked the way the colors worked in the plates so much, I decided to expand to a full size quilt. The place I purchased the charms, didn't have more when I returned a few weeks later. In the meantime, I started a second quilt. Apparently in my obsession with the second quilt and knitting socks, I forgot to order fabric. I scrounged around online and thankfully found a few more charm packs. First 6 or 7 places I contacted didn't have enough but finally found some.

Sigh...

I've been knitting this week. It's been a while since I put any real time into it. Apparently I have forgotten how to measure. I knit and knit, didn't measure and barreled right past the start of the gusset. I had to frog 3+ inches to my very great displeasure. I am not a fast knitter!

Looking to the positive side, at least I successfully re-load my needles and get re-started. The negative side, sock won't be finished this week, after all. I was moving right along thinking, gosh this is quick...look how much I got done! When I should have been thinking....hey dummy! start the gusset! It shouldn't be gaining inches this fast!

Life...

Life exploded with emergencies. Back later this week. I have pictures of pretty things....

If only....

there were more hours in a day. I have a bunch of photos, taken of things I have been working on but never quite enough time to crop and such. Okay technically there is enough time, but it is back to that nasty 'must choose one' each day problem. I braided this morning for 30 minutes rather than do photos.

Some of my playtime the next two weeks is going to be used up for 'cook ahead'. My goal is make something for the freezer every day. I have a list of our wants. So far so good. I mixed up two batches of cookies yesterday. I thought I was baking one batch yesterday, and one today, but then realized both needed chilling first. I started early this morning and baked them all. Kept a few out for today and tomorrow and put the rest in the freezer. Tomorrows goal is stuffed bread sandwiches. I want at least the dough all the mixed up. If I can get half of them filled and baked, I'll be delighted. Whatever remains, I'll finish on Thursday.

Stuffed bread sandwiches: make a batch of your favorite soft bread dough to the shaping stage. I make equivalent to four loaves of bread at once. I add finely chopped garlic when making the dough for extra flavor, other spices can be used too. Decide on your fillings. The fillings can be almost anything as long as it isn't super wet. Meat and cheese is common. Pizza toppings work, as do roasted vegetables. Roll out a section of dough, thin, about twice the size of a sandwich. On half, generously pile your filling. Fold the un-topped half over the filling and pinch all around to seal the edges. Poke a steam hole in the top. Transfer to a baking pan. Let rest about 5 minutes (few extra minutes, if dough is cold). Bake at 425° until golden brown, about 10 minutes in my oven. Remove to a cooling rack. Serve warm or cold. To freeze, allow to cool completely, then package and freeze. They can be re-heated in the microwave or oven.