Knitting update

I have been happily knitting during practically every moment of free time that I possess.

I finished a ribbed scarf a few weeks ago that turned out very pretty.


I used a wool and mohair blend in GORGEOUS color but even after blocking the scarf (basically washing in mild liquid and setting out to dry), it is still scratchier than I would like.


And the yarn left hairballs all over the floor! I am still vacuuming up turquoise fuzz and some got stuck in the wheels of Aidan's remote control car. Next I expect Spenser to hoark up a blue hairball.

My next scarf project is for my friend Ann in North Carolina; she agreed to be a recipient of a practice scarf. I chose a cotton/Modal blend in a luscious ocean blue color called Reef.


I adore the feel of this yarn - it is very soft and silky. The scarf is knit in a squares pattern, achieved by alternating blocks of knit and purl stitches. I modified the pattern by adding rows of knit stitches at the beginning (and will finish that way at the end) and on either side of the squares. It is turning out very, very pretty.

I have learned that I like having two projects in process at one time, so that I can switch back and forth depending on my mood or attention level. I picked up some cotton yarn last week to knit some dishcloths, mainly for practice. My first attempt turned out okay; I made some mistakes in counting that I did not notice until many rows later, so the mistakes are staying in.


In case you can't tell from the photo, it is a hearts pattern. Yesterday I have cast on a butterfly design dishcloth in a hot pink color, so perhaps the pattern will be easier to see.

So, all in all, I am adoring my new hobby!

It's not easy being green

For the most part, it is a lovely time of year out here in Hooterville, Georgia. The temps are mild - highs in the low 70s, lows in the 50s - and everything is blooming and leafing. But with all the plants and trees erupting in blooms and leaves, there is green pollen. Everywhere.

I prefer to keep the windows open when the weather is mild but it is not a good idea when the pollen is this bad. I did not realize how bad it was until the other day when I found Spenser paw prints in the layer of green pollen on the computer desk. Ewww. I promptly closed all the windows and wiped every surface I could find. Green, green and more green. When I cleaned the floors yesterday, the water I emptied out of the floor cleaner was, you guessed it, green.

At least this spring we are getting more rain than last year at this time. The rain washes the pollen away for at least a little while, making odd green rivulets in yards and on driveways.

Last Saturday when we were outside, we had a very odd pollen experience. The wind suddenly picked up in advance of a rain shower and a great green dust cloud came hurtling down the driveway. For several minutes, it was as though we were in a combination of a pollen fog and a pollen dust storm. Yuck! We went inside as quickly as we could, but the pollen had invaded our eyes, noses and mouths more so than usual. How bizarre, how bizarre.

So while I like the return of green to the world, I will be glad when this green pollen period moves on.