Rising up from my corset disaster, I cast on for some easy, selfless knitting, hoping to put some positive knitting energy into my hands, heart and home. DH has an aunt who was clearly the black sheep of her family. She has been wonderful to my children, and serendipitously, was my best friends’s boyfriend’s housemate in rural vermont. Small world, no? In addition to a few small items, I cast on for a scarf from yarn I received as a thank you present for hosting the GSRP. This was a lovely handpainted wool/silk/mohair mix and was just calling out for a luxurious scarf. I cast on 20 stitches, knit till it was almost gone, then bound off, not before dropping four strategically placed stitches all the way down (this actually took longer than knitting, as I forgot how much mohair likes to stick.) Attach some fringe and voila, the perfect gift for a very kind woman.

Next, I cleaned out my box of unclaimed knitted items, a small black cashmere neck warmer with fur trim, a child sized racer back vest, a pair of fingerless gloves and a really big felted hat. I decluttered the stash of a few odd skeins that were causing more guilt than pleasure and off the package went to our local Tea Shop, which serves as a donation center for Erin’s Afghan project. While I was there, I also treated myself to a new fancy tea cup, complete with strainer and cover and some tea. (A reward, for getting straight A’s this semester in school.)

All of this was after a refresher spinning class at the Iron Horse Farm. I took a lesson from Debbie last year, spun off and on until I started school again in the fall and then stopped spinning. In the mean time, I seemed to have forgotten what I was doing and how to play with the tension. Debbie got me back in the saddle (or in the spin of things … ha ha ha) and I have a lovely bobbin to show for it.

The knitting goddess must have been smiling on me, because last night I attacked my corset with a new plan and have one amazing new sleeve, located just in the right place. Tonight, DH will document my attemtp to match a second sleeve and I will hopefully have blog fodder tomorrow.