7:22am...It's snowing here. I'm really hoping that it warms up and this turns to rain. I don't want to wait for another foot of snow to melt! We got a taste of spring here ( was it last week or the week before?). I was out in the yard starting to clear away the brambles from the edges of the yard, and I'm antsy to be able to do more out there. I love being outside. Spotted a crocus about to bloom. These are the crocuses Winter and I planted last fall; the first of the bulbs we planted to make their spring appearance. There are daffodils coming up as well. Trying to get an idea of where to put a vegetable garden. A lot of the yard is surrounded by tall trees, which make for shady spots. The best spot so far is looking to be out the back, beyond the kitchen window, which is also the middle of where we play baseball etc. Hmmm.
As soon as I finished the Trampoline socks the other, I cast on for these:
From Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks, called the Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern, though it's sized for a woman. I'm using Panda Wool (bamboo/wool/nylon) in Periwinkle.
I posted a while back about how I've been feeling so selfish in my knitting, really wanting (needing?) to knit things just for me, not wanting to knit for others right now. Well, I think it's passing. Yesterday on the way to drop Winter off for a sleepover at her cousins', we stopped at the yarn store to pick up a pattern and yarn for socks for her. When I started knitting these new socks the other day, she asked if I'd knit a pair of socks for her too, in purple. I said sure, because I genuinely felt like doing it, and felt like I can do it, while still knitting things for myself. I think maybe finishing those Trampoline socks for myself was what helped. I'd been reading Yarn Harlot:Secret life of a Knitter and how she knits lots of stuff for others, and thinking "uh uh... that's just not how I'm feeling right now". Then yesterday, I was sitting on my bed, with a few minutes to myself reading the newest issue of Knitter's (having bought it at the store along with the yarn and pattern. How can I resist?) when I thought, I really do want to knit socks for Winter, and something for Shane and Morgan too if they want.
With homeschooling I don't often have a lot of time to myself, so I treasure any time I get...usually early morning and after the kids go to bed. I think it's knowing that I can still knit for myself and knit for the kids as well that is easing that "selfishness" (for lack of a better word coming to mind).
I've ordered a whole slew of knitting books from the library...the first being Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmerman which I picked up Friday, the last being Folk Socks which I put on hold last night...with a whole bunch in between, including Cat Bordhi and I can't remember what else. Saw a pattern at Knitpicks.com for Chalet Socks which are in the Folk Socks book.
Other goings-on around here:
A trip to Barnes and Noble last week yielded a book for each of the kids, two books for Mom (Yarn Harlot and Knitting Rules) and an Educator's Discount Card, available for homeschoolers (as well as other educators) it gives you a 20% discount on any educational materials ( of which most of the stuff we buy can be considered educational, since we learn from just about anything!). I just supplied proof from the school district that we homeschool in the form of a letter acknowledging our intent to homeschool.
We took a field trip to the NYS Museum in Albany this past week. What a great place! The highlight for the kids was the Carousel on the fourth floor, and the escalators! There were all sorts of exhibits about New York State, it's history, geography, geology, fossils, Native Americans, the Wrold Trade Center, and more. We spent about two hours (the kids were pretty fast!) there, then met a bunch of our older friends who had gone on a tour of the Capital, ate lunch and went back for more rides on the Carousel.
Shane and his friend on the Carousel.
