Will This Ever End!

I am listening to Leonard Cohen, and the rain is falling, and my cats have their noses covered up. I think I can use a line from the song, "There ain't no cure, there ain't no cure...." Why is it that I can plant some itty bitty seeds, and I never pay attention to how long it takes to germinate these seeds? When I see the little leaves first poke through, my heart soars. I am so excited! I watch them daily to see the little leaves. But I am never, ever aware of the time it takes to make a little plant. But this damn pink thing is driving me insane! It is going to be a tank top for this summer. It gets very HOT and humid here. I would never, ever go out in public with this on at my age. But I wear as few clothes as I can at home. It is knit in the round of knit 3, purl 2, and it goes on and on. Yesterday I knit as much as I could. I resisted checking the length. I have to have 15 inches before changing the pattern. Any fool can see that it is not 15 inches! But finally, I grab the tape measure, and damn! only 2 inches since I last checked! Will it ever grow?!?

I am also knitting a pair of socks for a male friend. I made him a pair of socks approximately 10 years ago. He still wears them, darning them, and taking care of him. He still has a pair of wool socks he wore in college! Which was a long time ago! The ones I knit before were heavy wool boot socks, which now are relegated to being house socks at night. He saw a pair of my thinner weight wool socks and admired them. They were of handpainted wool, and you know how wild that can look. He asked if I could knit him a pair that he could wear as dress socks. So I showed him the yarn in my sock basket. He picked out a grey blue Fortissima yarn that has flecks of pink, yellow, and black in it. It is a good choice since it is 75% wool, 25% nylon. It is really going to be pretty. No reason to show a picture right now. How exciting can a rib be in the beginning of a sock?

I am also knitting a Newport shrug from Manos Simple Style. I already had some beautiful variegated turquoise blue yarn, and I was able to match some Manos pink, sage, and lavender for the contrast colors. Obviously I never finished it before Spring, so it is put aside for a Fall shrug.

I am also doing other things. I am working on one of my flannel blankies. I learned a quick way to sew two strips of fabric with batting between. When you get through, you only have to add a binding. I have bought gobs and gobs of flannel shirts and flannel sheets at yard sales and thrift shops. The flannel I buy is in good condition, but washed and soft. Most everyone comments on the softness of the finished blankie. I showed a friend how to do this, and she only buys new fabric. I can't see that hers last any longer than mine do. But everyone is different- thank goodness!

I have been listening to whippoorwills at night! How good it is to hear them again. The barred owls were talking the other night, too. During the day, I am so used to hearing the roadrunner clacking its bill, but now it is cooing. Must be LOVE in the air! There were 2 ducks on the pond Monday. Since the rain yesterday, the frogs have really been singing. There must be a tree frog right outside my bedroom window. There is a big bullfrog in the pond this year. I don't remember him last year. So all signs of a new season are here. At least some of the trees are coming back after the killing frost.

Well, I guess it is back to knitting the pink thing!

Little by little, one travels far. -J.R.R. Tolkien