Manic Monday

It's days like these when I find myself singing the Bangles' song in my head. Unfortunately, it doesn't help. It just makes me that much crazier. But this is what happens when I decide to take a little time off to knit and watch movies and generally chill out -- I only end up even more stressed out when I get back to my desk.

I got a ton of knitting time in this weekend. I finished the Anthropologie Capelet (pictures coming soon...). It's a gorgeous bulky alpaca. In blue. I'm in a serious blue rut, and I've decided that I'm not allowed to buy -- or dye -- blue for a while. But the capelet is really cool. If only the weather would get a little warmer so I can wear it... I also started a horrible pair of baby booties that I'm pretty sure I won't finish. They required all kinds of little pieces that need to be somehow put together. It takes too much thought. Not worth it.

I finally snapped a picture of my finished hanks from Thursday's Dyeing Extravaganza. I was hoping to include my beautiful cherry-red lace weight silk in the picture, but alas, it's still half in a ball, half in a tangled mess, hanging on the swift. So, for now, here are the other four:



From left to right: 200 yards of Project Spectrum yarn in Bubble Gum and Hot Pink, 200 yards of wool that I over-dyed in Cobalt and Bright Green, 200 yards of wool in Bright Orange and Lemon Yellow, and 880 yards of merino lace weight (from KnitPicks) in Robin's Egg Blue (which is more of a minty green).

Paul's flight came in at 4:30 on Saturday. By then, we were both pretty beat -- so we sat around watching all the TV shows he'd missed all week, and then we crashed. Yesterday was more of the same. I bought a bunch of DVDs while he was gone (which just goes to show that I really shouldn't be left unsupervised), so we spent the day doing laundry and watching movies. Lots of movies = lots of knitting.

Yesterday I started my Project Spectrum project. Well, I guess I can't say that I started it yesterday, since I've been planning it for a while now -- and I dyed the yarn on Thursday. But I started the knitting. It's an experimental scarf that I started and frogged about five times yesterday before ending up with something I like. Not only is it fun, but it's quick -- I should be able to finish tonight during The Apprentice.

I have to say that Project Spectrum is really doing its job of broadening my color horizons. This month, I've just *noticed* pinks and reds more often. I wear more pinks and reds. I buy more pinks and reds. I even dyed my silk red -- without even thinking twice about it. So kudos to Lolly. Thanks for encouraging me to give other colors a chance...

Now it's back to the insanity. I've only got a little over an hour before I have to run out to the library on my way to knit with the girlies -- and I've got about three hours' worth of work to do... Can I pull it off? Doubtful. Will I try anyway? You betcha!