How does a project get to be a year behind schedule? One day at a time. (Fred Brooks)

"Books"

Shutterday challenge

Even though it's a Monday, I'm feeling pretty good about myself. Which is surprising, when you consider that between the flu and Gramma's death, I've only been able to work at full capacity about a week and a half of the last 5 weeks. Maybe because today is the first really good day I've had in the past month. (More likely it's the two cups of coffee I've had since getting home from work this afternoon.)

Despite the looming tower of books on my desk waiting for reports and/or goal modifications, I'm really not that far behind at work. As of today, all of the monthly and quarterly reports are finished. And the staff is finally giving me good data to work with...there were only a couple of reports that I had to get creative with explanations.

I'm coming along pretty well with some of my other projects, too. I'm on the gusset of my second ILG sock. (Okay, it's my third sock in that pattern; but remember, the first one doesn't count until I can find the replacement yarn.)


The first sock is so pretty...I'm posting a picture of it, too. I've put that sock on so many times "just to see how it looks" that it's going to be worn out before I ever get to wear the pair!

I'm also working on two socks on two circular needles. I've been wanting to try this method, even though I didn't really like the way my last toe-up sock turned out. I've decided that my problem with toe-up socks is that I don't follow a pattern for them. I don't mind listening to a pattern for top down socks on dpns, even though I know the basic method of doing a sock that way without a pattern. But for some reason, toe-up just makes me think that I know better than the pattern makers. Except that I'm totally clueless on how to do the heel from that direction.

Along with that, this pair is intended to be a gift for someone. (I'm not telling who, yet.) So I want them to turn out really good. I wanted something simple, since the yarn is self-striping. But I'm not sure that I really like the stitch pattern that I've used. It doesn't help that two different people have commented "what nice slippers!" upon seeing me work on these socks. Maybe I should frog it and start over with a real pattern. Or maybe I should keep going because the stitch will look better as it becomes a sock. I don't know. I'm open to opinions (especially from the person, although still nameless, that this sock is meant for!).

By the way, several of my family and friends are destined for gift socks. If you think you are on that list (or would like to be, since I love an excuse to knit) and you have a preference for color and/or style, please let me know. I accept subtle hints ("I wear a size 11 and my favorite color is blue.") but a direct request might be safer ("Aunt Sandi, I don't like socks but those fingerless gloves in black sound really cool for Christmas.")

In addition to my knitting projects, I started another project this weekend. I decided to redo my bedroom. I've moved the furniture around, and my plan is to make the bedroom look like a bedroom by removing the desk (Becky's excited about that, since the desk is going to go into her room once we paint it to match her decor). I'm also going through the "attic closet" with an eye to reducing the number of boxes I have stored there. I'd like to be able to switch the "attic" storage into the double closet, and then use the walk-in closet for my clothes and dresser. I don't have any pictures to post because I refuse to let anyone see the mess I've made by cleaning up the room. It isn't too bad, really. I only have to climb over two boxes to get to the lamp; and even though I would have to crawl over the bed and under the desk to reach the TV, the remote control makes that unnecessary.