So much mail today and so much of it fun goodies. It began with Rob's new video card being delivered at dinner time - we weren't expecting it until at least tomorrow - and then there was a mailbox crammed with parcels, letters (I admit mostly bills and bank statements), flyers (which nearly always go straight into the recycling bin) and a magazine. I wasn't looking for any of my things until next week at the earliest and was tickled pink when I opened the mailbox and started pulling things out.

Here we have my new scrapbook supplies: not terribly exciting but so empowering - glue and a corner rounder. I really like rounded corners and finally decided it would save me a lot of trouble to buy a little gadget to do it for me. It feels so good to have glue again. I really like the glue dots (especially in these new dispensers) and it's so frustrating to have ideas and just have to hang onto them because I've got no way to hold things together.

Here also is some fibrous goodness: Both from Squoosh, a skein of fingering weight alpaca-cashmere-silk (you should feel this on your cheek - crazy soft) to become a much desired little lace shawl (more of that anon) and a braid of Blue Faced Leicester roving in yummy pinks and oranges to brighten up the grey days of fall. My Ladybug has sat sadly unused since we got Abby almost a year ago but I've been wanting to do some spinning lately and this will be so much fun to play with.

I'm trying to decide if I can wait until after I've brought my yarn in to work for my office-mates to pet (the fibre orientated ones - most of the guys care little for fine yarn) before I wind it into a ball or if they are just going to have to miss the cute skein stage and be thrust into the world of centre-pull balls and needles sticking out. I might be able to resist for the few hours left in the evening - I do have a new magazine to peruse (and a mad desire to trim the corners off every piece of paper on my desk).

Yarn: Louet Jems Merino Sport in Citrus Orange
Size: as written
Yardage: 1.5 skeins
Needles: 3.25 mm and 4.00 mm dpns

These are my first ever pair of knee-highs and I love how quickly they went. They were my travelling project on our recent vacation and I had to ration out my knitting time on the way home.

The pattern actually calls for a worsted weight yarn but I didn't notice that until I was sitting in the airport casting on. I think the sport weight turned out beautifully; these are socks that I will be able to wear with most of my shoes. I liked the way the fabric spiralled around as I knit. After some dithering I decided to knit the heels to keep the spiral going around the foot (actually I think one of them is a little off) instead of trying to straighten them out. If I make these again I might try doing an SSK decrease on the second sock, instead of the K2tog, to get the twist going the other direction.


The Louet Jems was a wonderful yarn to work with; I will definitely be using it again. It is soft and squashy and just feels nice running through your fingers. The colour was great too and just perfect for the season (I bought it last October in Halifax); it calls itself "Citrus" but I think it is more "pumpkin".

It's a little on the chilly side to wear these socks outside (seeing as how they are full of holes) but I think I might be able to get away with it with a pair of tights underneath.

(This picture is not really related to the text below but I wanted to give you something to look at. I'm trying to decide if there is enough of it to make a summer top.)

I love long weekends (who doesn't); they give you plenty of time to do all the things you feel you ought to do while still being able to do all the things you want to do. I thought I'd share my list of various "to do"'s with you.

1. Have a slow cup of coffee, outside if it's not raining.
2. Get some machine needles and sewing thread.
3. Bake something.
4. Make ice cream.
5. Find the floor in the family room.
6. Look at my garden (read "gravel") and start planning for next year.
7. Sew something.
8. Paint my toenails.
9. Look at fabrics for cushions for our new kitchen chairs.

It actually looks like a rather long list like this but it's very flexible. I like to take long weekends as they arrive without too much firm planning. It sort of makes them seem longer.