I’m back home again, enjoying the mild Santa Cruz weather and trying to diffuse peace among the feline members of the household. It appears that when I’m gone, they spend the majority of their time contemplating their hatred for one another, so everyone is on the qui vive and ultra-touchy when I return.
My summer Shakespeare class starts tomorrow and my little home is being sanded today in preparation for painting, so all is chaos under heaven. I did have the good sense to pick up lots of fresh fruit and veggies on the way to work, so at least I have no excuse for making things crazier by grabbing candy bars when I need a snack.
My leaf-yoke sweater has a little less than half a sleeve to go, so I’m hoping to finish it up tonight or tomorrow. Then I’m going to play with a few more one-skein pattern ideas for some yarn from Curious Creek. I spent much of the day yesterday sifting through all the new stuff I’d missed on Ravelry and the various free pattern sites during my travels. My favorite free patterns include the Tonsil Toaster from Wool in Hand; the Simple Dress from More Knits, which makes some nice use of ribbing to help with shaping and would make a good charity knit; Gudrun Johnston’s Taj Mahal from Knit on the Net, which has wonderful texture at the neck and hem; and the American Girl sweaters for doll and child from Classic Elite. I’m also quite taken with the Gillaspie Gothic Gauntlets from Counting Sheep Studio, which are knit to resemble medieval armor. This last pattern costs $6, but that seems like a fair price given the intricacy of the finished product.