I spent quite a while today going through other blogs, and I'm almost embarrassed to update this one. My life is far from exciting and if it wasn't for being an online record for myself, I'd abandon it in a heartbeat. No, this blog is a totally selfish online published commitment for me to improve my knitting skills - what little I do have. I learned to knit years ago, but didn't continue it because my mother would knit all kinds of nice sweaters for me. This allowed me to explore other needle arts and I could still have gorgeous sweaters. She died 8 years ago, and I came to the realization that there would be no more beautiful sweaters unless I knitted them myself - ahh but knitting was so boring! I did a few baby items for my children, and then a sweater here and there, but nothing much until a couple of years ago. I would get frustrated with published patterns - because even though I'd match a gauge, the sweater wouldn't always fit right. Sigh... So I wouldn't waste my time doing adult items that didn't fit and I had no idea how to adjust.

This year I found Elizabeth Zimmermann and my outlook on knitting has changed. So has my attitude towards fibers. I'm now considering dusting off my mother's spinning wheel and having a go at it. That will be a bit down the road yet, as I need to get supplies. My brother's sheep won't be sheared until spring, so I have to either buy my wool or just wait and read how to do things and get ready.

I'm so drawn to learning the technical side of knitting now. Clothing construction has become interesting - learning how the percentages work and how one actually figures out how to construct things. There is finally a reasonable explanation of how things are figured out. Now if only I could find a rule of thumb for socks. I've been searching for a percentage system for them like EZ's, but still haven't found what I'm looking for.

I got a little knitting in today - a bit more on DH's sock and a few inches on my DD's sweater front. DH's sock appears that it will be taking a bit more time than the others that I've done. The Kroy is finer, and the K2P2 ribbing is slower than straight St St. I'll work on the sock during General Hospital, and my Christmas presents at night after the kids go to bed. DD's sweater shouldn't take too long to do. I'm hoping the color combination will look ok - I'm not sure though at this point. Don't really have too much of a choice at this point tho. LOL

I need to order a few circular needles so that I have the right size for the Dobbelmossa and the weekend sweater. I don't have any 16" circulars and they aren't to be found in the department stores here. Maybe I can sneak to the LYS over the weekend and see if they have any. Seems like whenever I go down there to get what I need, they don't have it. Maybe my needs aren't "normal" :-)