I should have more clever titles

But I don't.

I've been knitting, sewing, working, and dog walking, not necessarily in that order.

In knitting news, I finished knitting the Melon Patterned shawl from Victorian Lace Today. I was really sweating yarn quantities as I knit the border on. The yarn is hand-dyed and hand spun, and this was ALL of it. But in the end, the borders are finished.

And I had 5 grams of yarn left. Whyever was I so worried?

I've also been churning along on my Wensleydale sweater and a second sock for Trent. I'm trying to finish some things. Besides the melon shawl, I recently finished the pink shawl (still not blocked). Then I finished a scarf for a lace knitting class I'm teaching at Pacific Fabrics in June.

(Knit from Vickie Howell collection Craft yarn, which I love. The pattern will soon be available for purchase from Vickie, or you can come take the class with me.)

So, in this spate of finishing activity, I've made a deal with myself that I have to finish 2 more knitting projects (any size, provided it's already in progress) before I can start something new. It's killing me. I keep adding things to my Ravelry queue. I could knock off a couple of really old WIPs that are very close to done, or I could buckle down and finish the Wensleydale sweater. Project #2 is going to be those socks, or a nearly completed hat that's roaming around in my knitting bags.

Meanwhile, I've also been sewing up a storm. I've made 3 really cute skirts, flirty little cotton spring skirts. You know, for that gorgeous spring weather we're having.

I can't show you any of the skirts, because they're all off at Bernina or the Quilting Loft being shop samples, as is the newest blouse, lovingly titled Pintuck Madness. When I get it back I'll take pictures and you can see why.

I did, however, get a picture of myself modelling the dotty blouse from several posts back.


Anyway, in the midst of all this productive crafty activity, some of which is actually work, I'm having a great time. That seems to really surprise some folks. I was at my college teaching job (now only one day a week), and one of the faculty cornered me. He had just learned that I cut back to very-part-time, and wanted to know what I'm doing now. I told him I was working at a sewing machine dealer, selling sewing machines, and teaching sewing and sometimes knitting classes. He said, "You're kidding!" in a tone of incredulity that implied I had just told him I'd taking up the stroll on Aurora Avenue. I've perfected a really blissful smile for moments like that, when the person I'm talking to just isn't going to get it.

(That reminds me of my favorite student evaluation story. At Clemson, there's was a write-in question on "What were the teacher's strengths?" One of my survey of contemporary lit students wrote in: "Teacher is very enthusiastic about literature. I don't know why, but she is." I kind of think that's the reaction of my former faculty colleagues to my new career path.)

Finally, for those of you who might have wondered, there's still nowhere to sit at my house.