Time to Blog

Today's title is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Obviously, it has been a couple of weeks since I posted anything, so it is time to do that, but it also has to do with finding time to do it. Sharing a computer with two teenagers makes it difficult to get my turn. So, I've been making notes in my Moleskin about blogging topics. Hopefully I'll get to some of them sooner rather than later!

For a year or so, I've been thinking about starting a knitting group on campus. A colleague thought it would be a great idea, but it took me a while to get around to it. Well, I finally got around to it and had 7 enthusiastic knitters attend the first one this past week. I had offered to share information about the internet knitting community, so found myself talking more than was necessary, but I think we'll do more knitting and sharing at our next meeting. Yes, they want to do it again! At our next meeting we're going to bring our favorite knitting books.

I spent last weekend traveling with one of my sons to visit colleges and sat up late through the last two ALSC games to make sure I didn't jinx the Red Sox by going to bed before the game ended so got lots of knitting done. One of the projects I put a lot of time into was a prayer shawl which suddenly had a purpose, unfortunately. My youngest cousin lost a 6-month-old baby very suddenly and I wanted to get the shawl blessed this week and send it off to her on Monday. So sad. As always, seeing someone else's misfortune brings clarity to the blessings in my own life, which include two healthy young men, my sons.

The other knitting problem I'm facing is that I've been invited into Ravelry! Yes, it is very exciting, but the problem cropped up when I went in to register and needed to pick a username. There is a warning to choose carefully as it is the name you'll be known by in the Ravelry community and that is what has me stumped. What do I want as a name? Here are the ones that have come up: CateinMaine (my son says someone will try to stalk me), Cateroo (an old nick-name -- sounds too young for a 50-year-old?), JourneyKnitter (refers to my blog), or NanaTalbot (my grandmother's name), or something else. LavendarLady crossed my mind as I can't seem to stop being drawn to anything purple or blue. I've got to make a decision very soon -- I hope my invitation hasn't lapsed!

ON MY NEEDLES
The prayer shawl needs to have the fringe put on before church tomorrow morning. It is a deep, mottled purple yarn (Lion Brand, can't remember the name) -- soft and textured. So, I guess this is actually "off" my needles.

I started the Vine Lace Vest from a pattern on the Classic Elite site and am using Berocco's Comfort in a poison green color. It has gone together very quickly and all I have left is a little ribbing around the sleeve openings. It is a birthday gift for my sister-in-law since my son told me there was no way would my niece be interested in it ("Too old-looking," I think he said)! I like to pick yarns that can be washed for many people I knit gifts for, though I prefer to knit with natural fibers myself. The Comfort, however, has been quite nice to work with.

I'm also working my way through another Vermont Felted Bag (a Webs pattern and an earlier knit-along on Ready, Set, Knit) using Artful Yarns' Shakespeare. It doesn't feel as sturdy as the Berkshire handpainted (a Webs Valley Yarn) I used for the first one. It is a one-ply, loosely spun variegated yarn in a beautiful combination of blues and nearly turquoise. I'll finish it this weekend and try to get all my felting projects felted at once. If I like how this one felts, I'll order some more. The colors are great and the price is right (on closeout at Webs).

I haven't touched Zeben's socks, the feather and fan scarf, or the jacket in a couple of weeks.

Feeling like I'm getting to the end of a couple of projects, though, allowed me to cast on for a new one. The Cabin Fever "Braids Cardigan" out of Webs' Colrain in Grape Jelly. I cast on during a meeting yesterday, but didn't get far until I got home and could concentrate. I took it with me to a football game last night, but it really was too cold to knit and it was an interesting game, so I'm about to put on the teapot and pick it up for a while this rainy Saturday morning.