Catching Up

This is the Virginia Creeper that grows "in" the corner of my yard.  From whence it came, I really do not know.  The neighbor who shares the fence at the back of our yard, when I told her how beautiful I think it is in the fall, suggested I train it along the fence we share.  So I did.  And then, once it was going along nicely and about to turn red, the fellow who does her yardwork whacked it right off.  I'm talking four or five feet of growth.  Oooh that burns me up.  We were going to have our annual fall family photos in front of it!  I don't know if this was an intentional assault or not, but alas! no beautiful, red-leafed background for photos this year. 

So...  What else has been going on around here?  We are quickly approaching my sister's wedding date, and have lots of little buzzings surrounding that.  Zoom told me this morning he does not want to be the "ring boy."  Then this evening, I told him that he did not have to be in the wedding if he really didn't want to be and he said, "Oh fine.  I'll be the ring burier."  Or is that barrier? 

In the past year of knitting - oh hey!  I've been knitting a year!!  So as I was saying, everything I've tried has just magically fallen off my needles as if I was born to knit. 

Until now. 

I really wanted to make myself a sweater for the aforementioned family photos, and Marly assures me that I'm well qualified.  Apparently, though, I'm not.  I searched and searched for a free, cute pattern I could manage in a week or two, and I finally settled on the February Lady Sweater, which more than 6,000 people have accomplished.  I'm figuring, if more than 6,000 people have made it, it must be simple.  It must be cute.  The pattern must be easy to follow.  I have found that the pattern is easy to follow but I just can't get the lace pattern.  I can't.  And I don't have time for all the ripping and redoing I'm doing.  Finally, I gave up on that and am, disappointingly, resorting to the non-lace version that I've seen.  Which, I'm sure, will be just as beautiful, but I'm doing it because I couldn't manage the lace.  I feel like a failure, I really do.  I have gone over and over it.  I have done lace knitting before.  The only thing I can figure is that my needles are not ideal.  I am using the bamboo circulars that I happened to have instead of the Addis I love, because I don't have long enough Addis.  The joint from the cable to the tip has a sort of lip, and as I am a tight knitter, I think my YOs are getting hung up on the seam of the needle.  So even though the back side is all purls, my YOs are getting all out of order as I try to slide them back on the needle.  It is SO aggravating.  And I don't know how many FLSs I will need but I suspect I will need at least two because I have to finish this one, and I am going to have to prove to myself that I can do it.  But I'm going to have to prove that after the holidays.  ARGH.  I have even stayed up until 2 in the morning a couple of nights, trying to find an alternate lace pattern.  I have finally concluded that it is just not meant to be at this point.  I think I am also suffering from no-time-with-Marly-or-Judy, lately, and my needles have lost their magic.  So if you must know, this has been consuming my mind, and I really didn't have time for consumption, so the house is less than tidy these days and the fellas in the house are not pleased.  I spent the afternoon today cleaning the basement and one of the bedrooms so hopefully this trend continues and everyone will be happy. 

I also knitted my sister a little evening bag.  I am still not sure if I love it or if it is just okay.  It's really cute, but I'm a knitter, and she's not, and I am not sure if it suits the occasion.  I do like it a lot more now that I've added the sparkly beads!  I need to line it and then hopefully I'll have some pictures to show you.

I have joined a reading group, which I've always wanted to do.  I couldn't get to the first meeting, where they established some guidelines and picked a book.  We are reading The Shack; I'm only a chapter or two in, so don't tell me about it if you've read it!  We'll be reading a book a month, and everyone gets to pick a book when their month comes up.  I have no idea what I'll pick but I think I'm halfway down the list.  The rules stipulate "no bodice-rippers or serious sci-fi unless you have a convincing presentation."  I don't know why, I thought that was funny.  So I guess the field is wide open.  

Well, here I am going on and on.  I didn't realize I had so much to share, but then you should know me by now, right?  

Oh, my mother-in-law won some beautiful alpaca yarn today at the fairgrounds and thought I would like it.  It's beautiful!  I looked for a link to this company / farm but was unsuccessful; maybe I'll be able to find one once I have a finished object to share. 

And, I am making a Halloween quilt, by machine! and it is so cute.  By that, I mean I am enjoying the fabrices, although it is just a simple square block.  Hopefully a picture of that to show, soon, too. 

Happy last few days of September to you!