Sunday in July

The weather is spectacular. Too bad I've had to spend almost all weekend working on a presentation for a very serious and concerning meeting tomorrow morning. Work stress is rising, sleep is scarce.

Last night after toiling all day on the presentation, calculating and worrying about my future, I took a break to finish some yarn I started a week ago. It was 4AM before I finally passed out, but it was worth it! This yarn is lovely, and I have a project in mind already.

The yarn was spun from the Wensleydale Top I bought in May at the Mass Sheep and Wool Festival, from Spunky Eclectic. Wensleydale is a nice silky long wool. I like working with these long wools. I spun it to a fingering weight, and yielded about 328 yards from about 3.5 oz. It still needs to be soaked and set, but I was so pleased and the light in the backyard was so nice I didn't want to miss the opportunity to capture it before the weekly grind starts up.

Lest you think I have given up knitting altogether, here's proof that I do still knit! I picked up Nancy Bush's book Knitting Vintage Socks earlier this year but had not delved into any projects till now.

I don't know what it is about the Noro line, but I find myself drawn to it again and again. This is the Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn and it much more pleasant to work up than the Kureyon Sock Yarn. It's denser and softer even before it gets washed and blocked. These socks are going to be very warm! These colors, especially the ones in the foot are very pleasing combinations, and I'm pleased with the placement, since the foot will be more visible than the leg when worn.

One of the longer range goals within my knitting world is to knit up every pattern in the book. This is the first of several simple ribbed socks at the beginning and seemed like a good choice for a multicolor yarn like the Noro. The other patterns will likely be knit up in solids or semi-solid colors so it's nice to have one pair not like the others.

The second sock is already on the needles and will progress whenever the stress level gets me to the point that I cannot think. There is tons of stress, all job related. It may be time for me to face up to choices I've been wanting to make for a long time. I just need to navigate treacherous waters and it takes tremendous psychic energy to do so.

There is good news in all of this, and soon I will share some of it on this blog. Sometimes when things are stalled in one area, others open up. Forward, always moving forward. Except when I'm not. Confused? Yea, me too.