Whew!

So I crawled into Knitty Couture on a powerful mix of frustration, exhaustion and grievance. They totally understood when I said I just came to be soothed by the colours and even offered to let me swatch some cashmere since I had no knitting with me. (The fact that I was knitless tells you the level of my distress.) After sitting awhile - no I did not cry, (it was close though). And maybe eating a cranberry pistachio biscotti and a chocolate pretzel I felt much better.

This is my birthday gift to myself. I also picked up a book that will remain unnamed and unpriced in case TAO reads this. This treasure will NOT be schlepped around the country. It will be treated reverently and stored carefully at home to be read as one reads the Siddur.
The yarn is Claudia Silk Lace 20/2 in Woodland Moss. 1100 yds. And I've already cast on an ambitious project. The project was confusing and I was glad to see other peoples notes about it on Ravelry.

As previously noted here is the right front of Lillian. I had cast on the sleeve and knit about 24 rows when I found another errata in the pattern and had to rip it back. This project may sit in a closet when it's done.

There probably will be little knitting and little posting in the next few weeks. I am wrapping up an assignment and faced with a complex schedule which includes among other things being scheduled to work 60 hours and take 4 days of call the last week of the assignment, including the night before I have to turn in the keys to the apartment in a move out condition. I have a day off 9 days before I have to be moved out but it's too cold to load my car that far in advance. So I am decidedly fretful.

Since I may not be actually knitting I plan to think about knitting while schlepping stuff down 2 flights of stairs. This includes mapping out my Stash Knit Down 2008 that I joined in Ravelry and my Socks from Stash KAL. Neither of these are diets they are about enjoying what you already have and work well with my travelling lifestyle since I can pack the projects. The snag I run into with that method though, is I'll decide the project, pack it, and then after I've knit some of it decide it's wrong and go hareing off looking for a different project to use with it. Which works only if I pack some extra patterns.

On a brighter note, the poor TAO called on Monday after a harrowing and expensive day (new garage doors and a plumber are involved). Later that evening I read a passage by Dorothy L. Sayers to wit: "I'm only trying to tell you, in the nicest possible manner, that provided I were with you, I shouldn't greatly mind being deaf, dumb, halt, blind and imbecile, afflicted with shingles and whooping-cough, in an open boat without clothes or food, with a thunderstorm coming on. But you're being painfully stupid about it." Yeah, that sums it up. Good to have that in your life.

BTW - Unlike most canvas totes that are very narrow and rectangular on the bottom, the Elizabeth Zimmermann one is almost square and consequently more useful for yarn in my mind. If you are going to order from SchoolHouse Press add one for yourself, or if you go by Knitty Couture make sure to look at it.

I hope everyone has a Peace-filled and Merry Christmas. (Ps. Please send some Divinity)