Whole Bunches

There have been times since I left work, where I feel as if I do nothing on the planet but knit, as if that is my whole and sole purpose for still being on this earth.  The last few weeks has not left me feeling that way at all.  There was the dolly making week then the cooking week and now I can rest.  I am so looking forward to this week,  where in I plan nothing but knitting and cleaning my house.  And I am only cleaning my house because even I can't knit 12 hours a day.  6?  Yes, easily.  8.  On occasion, but not the 12 to 18 waking hours of the day.

After the rush of getting Thanksgiving on the table, and the lovely crush and noise of all my kiddies running and screaming and having a wonderful time doing what little kids do, Thanksgiving Monday was a blessing of quiet and rest and knitting.

I started by knitting on my first daughter in law's Still Light tunic.  I started this in October of 2012 and it's past time to get it done.

I am, thankfully back again, just past the point where I had to rip back an entire ball and a little to go back and knit like the pattern says.  I am about 3/4 of the way through the pocket increases now.  I love the yarn and pattern but its a big project for the very fine Drops Alpaca.

I knit for hours on this yesterday.  Hours and hours till I just had to stop and save my fingers and hands.  In my heart of hearts, I could have knit more.

I tried to occupy myself.  I wound some wool for the next small project.

Remember the Sweet Fern mittens?  Restarting in this luscious yarn from Colour Adventure.  I just could not get past the creamy section of the gradient in the original yarn. that took a whole half hour.

I played on Ravelry looking for the right pattern for one of my treasures, a yarn from Estonia.

 I think I lean toward Knitted Lace of Estonian and the Lehe shawl or possibly Maikell   or perhaps Queen Silvia.  Its a lovely fine yarn and is quite different from regular lace.

I spent quite a long time dreaming.

I still had day to go.  You just cannot realistically go to bed at 6 p.m. when you are not ill.  No one would understand if you said you went to bed because you couldn't figure out what to do when you were done knitting for the day.

So I picked up and did one side of the button band on Ripstick.  

I hoped the very different yarn weight would be easier on my tired hands.  It was.  I did the other side, but I am going to redo once I have the buttons.  I was not happy with my button holes.  I can do better.

So I picked up this.

Sock one, well done. Sock two underway.  I only knit a few rounds on the sock.  By this time, my hands and my brain were well and truly done.   

It seemed like a mixed up day, but it really wasn't.  It was just a nice full day of knitting and other than those moments when I wondered what on earth to do without knitting in my hands, was completely peaceful and lovely.

A rare kind of day.