General update-y goodness

I can’t seem to get inspired by my WIPs. I’ve got two pairs of socks and a mitten. Well, the mitten only needs the thumb and then the pair’s ready. I just so don’t feel like working on it though. And this whole having three projects at the same is driving me nuts. I prefer to be a monogamous knitter, two projects at the most if one of them is a bigger one like a sweater or a shawl. At least one of the sock pairs is almost done; both of the socks just need the foot and toe doing, then they’re done. The other socks just have half of the leg done on sock #1.

Plus I have homework that I feel I should do. There’s the first coursework piece that’s due in December, and now I have to come up with a story for 10 yr olds. And I’m coming up with nada. At least I know what I want to submit as coursework for Fiction and Children’s Fiction in January. Haven’t written it yet, but I do have ideas. And since I have no portable projects right now, I’ve designated the train commutes as reading time. I seem to be flying through The Duchess by Amanda Foreman (about half way through I think). I’ve also decided to alternate between non-fiction and fiction books. I’ve got two more non-fiction books (Alison Weir’s The Lady Elizabeth and one about the Mayflower pilgrims) but a ton of fiction books that I want to read as well. Now I just need to pick what I’ll read next.

O’s parents are coming over in a bit. I can’t wait until I get my own car so we won’t have to depend on them to give us a ride to the supermarket. I could walk to the supermarket get all of the food that I need, but O likes to buy lots of soda and other heavy and/or awkward things (like pizza and potatoes). And I can’t carry that stuff up hill in the awful weather we have here. I mean, I could, but then it’d take me all day (okay, just the morning) to do it and I feel it’d zap my creativity that occasionally strikes. That’s another thing that I noticed this week: I get the creative ideas of what I could write for class and stuff only to find out that there isn’t enough space in my notebook to write them down. I’ll have to start carrying around my peach colored multi-purpose notebook again. So far it contains sections of various knitting patterns, genealogy research stuff, writing ideas, general notes to myself…

Ooh ooh! I’ve got a picture of my first “proper” handspun! It’s all done on a drop spindle too. It’s about 180 yds in fingering weight (about 15 wpi) 100% wool. No idea what to make out of it though. Not enough for a full pair of mittens, but I might pair it up with something else to make mittens. Or I could add it to my scrap entrelac scarf I plan on making after I’ve gotten my WIPs done. With that scarf I’m basically trying to use up all of the leftover sock yarn I have hanging around. Still haven’t decided if I should knit up all of my sock yarn before I start it though. I’ve got about five skeins of various sock yarns hanging around (four of those will be socks, one might become gloves). We’ll see. Anyway, here’s the yarn.

The house is still a mess, but tomorrow I can finally vacuum again! Then it’ll be exactly 14 days since the exterminator came the second time and this time I hope the bugs stay away. I haven’t really felt like cleaning up when I’ve known that I can’t vacuum so tomorrow’ll be fun! And no, that’s not sarcastic. I actually do like to clean, especially when I’ve got good music to listen to while I do it. The first room I’ll tackle is the living room, then the dining room, then the kitchen and finally the bedroom & bathroom.

I’ve been trying out my Happy Housewife scents and so far I really like most of them. There are a few that I don’t like, but that’s the fun of being in a club. Get something new that I wouldn’t have thought of ordering and be happily surprised (lovelovelove the club exclusive scent! Will very likely be getting a bottle of that) and then there’ll be stuff that won’t work on me. And I don’t mind that, it’s just how body chemistry works. Like my sister has found her signature scent that smells wonderful on her, but when I tried it? Nuh uh. So I’ll be gifting some of my non-working scents to someone. I’ll offer them first to my sisters and if they don’t want them, I’ll have to find someone who does. :)

One more thing! I have dance shoes! They feel kinda low compared to the shoes I used to dance in, but I’ll get used to it. Lol, a 2 1/2 inch heel low. I used to think that was plenty high enough, but apparently not anymore. Anyway, at least these won’t have my slipping and sliding around the floor while doing the Jive and almost killing me. :D