Knitting Beyond the Basics

This is a book that drew my attention from a pattern on Ravelry, and now I don't remember which one it was, but I'm pretty sure it was one of the tank tops in my favorites--

I ordered the book through my local library. They found it somewhere in North Dakota (but does it really matter?) and sent it to me. I purused it at my leisure...and decided I wanted a copy of my own.

Off to Amazon go I, the intrepid adventurer, in search of the book in question, and I find it there, slightly used, but none the worse for wear for a measley $3.50.

I think I can afford $3.50!

So I bought it.

There's not one pattern in this book that I'm not keen on casting on immediately. Watch out STASH! Of course, I can't cast on all the projects within it's pages, but I intend to do all of them at some point in the next 20 lives that I'll have to live in order to finish all the projects that I want to finish--since I'm in my 50's, I'm a tad worried that I might not make it in THIS lifetime. I'll just have to talk with the man upstairs--of course it's likely he won't want to send me back, considering how I screwed up this try...

Tarot card for the day is from the Psychic Tarot, the 9 of pentacles--entitled Material Harvest, but dear reader, it's REVERSED--Upright, the card stands for plenty, reaping the rewards of the hard work and fait accompli--the cash bonus comes through! Reversed, it means that funds are delayed (a reference to my furlow day last week?), hard work without the benefit expected, and or financial tightness (good gravy! I think I've had enough of that for the last several weeks!). So the card means that things are going to continue to be as snug as the new socks on my feet (meaning the one's I just finished the other day..). Maybe I shouldn't have purchased the book?

But I have bigger fish to fry.

Hubby has decided that he's going to retire. (YAY!)

This means that he can either REALLY RETIRE, or he can change his mind in a week, but I don't expect him to do that. I figure he decided to retire, simply so that he could move forward with his life, instead of waiting on General Motors to get their act together. It opens some additional doors, and gives him the opportunity to make decisions that will impact his future--in other words, a chance to pursue the things that he WANTS to do, instead of what he HAS to do. I figure he's in the catbird seat right now, and I hope that he takes full advantage.

In the meanwhile...

I'm back to work on the Swing Sweater. The front and back are finished. The sleeves are on the needles, and I am 4" into them. I expect to be finished with the sweater come this weekend. The project has been languishing far too long in my queue, and it's time to get it finished. Ditto the Fair Isle Sweater, but I think that one needs to hit the needles in the Fall.

The next project on the "honey do" list is the Princess Shawl--perhaps get more done--but I'm none to keen on starting it in the middle of the summer. It stresses me out, and when I stress, I sweat, and when I sweat, I'm uncomfortable, and when I'm uncomfortable AND it's HOT, I get irritable, and when I'm irritable, hubby and I argue...and we all know what happens when people argue, right? So I suppose putting off the Princess Shawl to preserve my marriage is a good choice.

:)

The next furlow day is July 6. We get a 4-day weekend. Hot digiddy!

Hubby's sister wants us all to head to Florida in late summer and take a fishing boat excursion on the ocean. I just happen to have a furlow day the first week of September...food for thought, anyway. I have to convince hubby that it's important somehow...hmm...work...fishing...yeah, my mind definitely bends toward the fishing side. I mean, why work when you can go fishing? I think it would be pretty cool to haul in one of those big fish--although I would probably end up going overboard--even cooler to be able to take it home and eat it! I wonder if they allow that?

I'd also like to go visit Cypress Gardens again. It's been years since I was there last. I prefer it to Busch Gardens--which is so commercial--Cypress really is a garden. I like to walk among the flowers and trees, quiet and introspective, drinking in the beauty like the butterfly drinks in the floral nectar. The young men on the waterski team aren't bad either....

With that thought, I suppose I'll close, since I need to get back to work. Lunch is nearly over. Ya'll have a good day!