Accomplishments

Just when I think I'm finally starting to get on top of things, more things always crop up. So it was this week. When it gets crazy like this I often have the urge to completely shut down. Luckily, once I start moving on a project I can usually keep my momentum up to work on other projects, or at least finish the one I started. It's just a matter of finding enough hours in the day to sit down and work on whatever project it is and also fighting off the urge to just relax, unwind, and knit. It is helpful if your projects also includes some sort of knitting deadline. Then you can combine the best of both worlds.

My secret knitting project got finished in time but I still can't show you that yet. Soon, though. Very soon.

I finished the Trick or Treat socks.

These had nothing to do with "things that needed to be done" but were totally "things I wanted done." So I sat down one night and finished off the ribbing, washed, and blocked them. These socks, to me, embody everything quintessentially hand dyed. Both from the same skein but one pools and other doesn't. They have a variety of bold colors in a unique arrangement. I will have this color up for sale shortly in the shop. If you're in the Duluth, GA area then you can pick some up from Rare Purls Yarn Shop.

I mailed off my hand knits for the February/March charity group, the Adoption Center of Washington, yesterday.

That's 2 vests, 3 pairs of big socks, and 1 small jacket/sweater that I had made years ago out of acrylic (ACW isn't picky on fibers). The little tags have instructions for care on them. I'm quite proud of these items and I hope they find a good home with some children in the Ukraine or Russia. P.S. If you haven't been keeping up with the news lately Russia has suspended all adoptions to the U.S. following an incident where a Tennessee mother sent her adopted son (aged 7) back to Russia on a plane alone. You can read the story here. I know this is heartbreaking for parents who are trying to adopt (especially since adoptions from Russia are already difficult enough) but also for the orphans. There are over 230,000 children in state run orphanages and over 650,000 in some type of state care. This suspension only makes it that much more difficult for these children to get homes.

Now I'm working on finishing up week 2 of the next KAL that EEROP is hosting, the Road Scarf.

I actually had this on my list of things to do this week. As the moderator of the group (and designer and runner of the KAL) I feel it is my duty to stay on top of things. You can see that I've finished all of 4 rows there at the top. Here's a closer look.

Those 4 rows need to be 4 inches by tomorrow so I can start the next section of the KAL. It's not hard, just takes time, something I have been woefully short on this week.

Other than these knitting accomplishments I successfully administered the CRCT to 20 1st graders which is deserving of a raise (I think). And I taught a toe up sock class, started a Bible study, and dyed 4 samples of yarn for a custom dye job. When I put it all out like that I feel way more productive than I thought I was!

Next week is more Bible study, another sock class, more dyeing of sample yarns, more KAL, more sock knitting (for myself), and Stitches South! Looks to be another week of accomplishments.