As Time Goes By...

...yeah, I know. It's a song lyric. (You did know that, right?)

So it's been busy, which is why I got distracted. But I'm back tonight, and I thought I'd update everyone. 

Knitting...

The baby knitting continues, and I have a bit of a problem. The Universal super wash is slightly smaller than the Cascade super wash. I've done this pattern so many times, that it just felt "off" as I got to the middle of the back, where I was about ready to cast on for the sleeves. 

I'm about 1.5" or so short of the actual length I need. So I dragged out the schematic and decided --- surprise, surprise --- to actually READ the drawing and adjust my knitting. It's amazing... mainly that I thought enough to do that. 

So I've added 6 more rows to the back and I'll use my tape measure a lot on this one. And I've learned something valuable about changing up the yarn - you have to pay attention. 

It's coming along nicely, even with the blip. I picked out buttons, and polled my knitting group. I'm not going to tell yet... Comment - and let me know which ones you think would be better. I'm open to suggestion. 

I've put all my buttons in the same bag and hopefully won't lose them again. 

The gauge I'm getting is technically correct. It's correct for what the ball band says. It's a tad small for what the pattern says. But that being the case, that's where I found the schematic helpful. As I re-wrote the pattern into my notebook, I almost didn't put the drawing in there, but now I'm glad I did. 

Occasionally, I have these flashes. So I grab 'em while I can and make sure that I've got my knitting ducks in a row. I'm thinking another 2 weeks and the sweater will be done. Then, booties and hat. I may make the hat the same size, since it's just a rolled-brim straight knitted hat. I think the "toddler" size might be too big, but the "newborn" size will stretch, even if the baby's a bit of a chunky monkey. 

The booties? They'll be a bit larger. First off, the kid will be born in July - no wool booties then!! So I want to make those a bit bigger, provided I have the yarn of course, and he or she can wear them into the cooler weather. 

I've pulled all my stash and stuck it into another bag, which helps keep my current project bag halfway organized. Maybe I might (depending on the buttons chosen) have to add some of the black-and-white yarn from Little Manu's set I did last year. For cuffs, I think. But then again, with three balls of the Universal, maybe I'll be ok. 


What's Going On In the World...

OK, I'm so upside-down that I can't see straight.  

The constant smoke-and-mirrors has really got so many of us in a tangle. It's a deliberate attack by puppeteers pulling his strings, because I don't think he's smart enough. Fool enough, yes. Greedy enough, OH YEAH. Stupid enough - undoubtedly. But not smart enough. He's letting others lead him by the nose. 

But what he IS good at is the proactive attack. The recent smear of President Obama, and the distraction that's caused has torn our attention away from the obvious problem of Russia. 

And that's just where the puppet-masters want our eyes. Not on the stuff they're pulling with rollbacks on clean air and clean water bills. Not on the stuff they're pulling with gutting essential agencies. 

But on the antics of a 2-year old trapped in an elderly man's body. Because he is elderly, folks. 

I'm picking and choosing what to react to. And I'm stepping away from the news when I need to. We have to do that. 

Because together, we can all contribute a little something and make changes where we need to make them. But individually, we'll be worn to nubs if we let ourselves. 

So be selective. Check your sources. Do your research. It'll help. You won't feel so adrift. 

The Weather is Nuts...

It's howling a gale out there. There are tornado warnings for south and west of us. A strong line of storms will likely play havoc. And it's going to be extremely lucky for us if our neighbor's dead tree doesn't take out our power lines. 

Welcome to March 2017. This followed February 2017, where the Chicago area had no measurable snow. 

Yes. You read that right. No. Measurable. Snow. 

Before you break into your springtime happy dance, let me break it down for you. 

No measurable snow points to the most obvious change in our weather patterns. So do the (now familiar and frightening) night-time tornadoes. 

No measurable snow means that, if the spring isn't wet, the farmers will be in real trouble. But yet - a wetter spring also means they can't plant early enough. 

And if it's not a wetter spring, then we're headed, California-style, into a drought. Which will be a death knell to many farmers, too. 

Have no doubt about it: this wacky weather isn't funny anymore. 

I just opened the back door because I thought something crashed into the deck. Caused the Elkhound Alarm System to activate and probably woke up Hubby. 

Yikes... 

Random Picture...

So Quinn's favorite spot as a puppy was in my lap. And it's been a while. And she's been wanting to get back there. So the other night, we took off the cone and she jumped up. And nestled in where she's used to snuggling. 

This is what 45 pounds of Norwegian Elkhound looks like when it thinks it's a lap dog. 

She stayed up on my lap for a good hour, nudging me to pet her and to hug her. I think sometimes she gets fearful and nervous and this calms her down. She's kind of a nervy dog anyway - always has been. But when she figures out that you're ok - you're fine. She attaches herself to you and wants to play or snuggle or just lay next to you so that you know she's "your dog." 

Or you're "her human." Haven't figured out yet which way she's leaning.