The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Long post ahead, so settle in. (This is what happens when I don't blog for over a week.)

The Good
Lolly's Project Spectrum 4.0 began this month. Project Spectrum is a project-along (does not have to be knitting) in which the primary goal is to celebrate color. The theme of this cycle of Project Spectrum is the cardinal directions. Did you know that many cultures see a relationship between each direction on the compass rose—North, South, East, and West—and color, season, element, and natural material? For March and April, the designated direction for the project-along is North. Green, winter, earth, and stones/gems/rocks are the associated color, season, element, and natural material. Below is the inspiration for my first project.



The photo in the upper left corner is what my backyard looks like in late winter. Branches and leaves that fell last November were buried under the snow for months and now lie wet, waiting to be cleaned up. Among these are small signs of leafy green new life.

The photo in the lower left corner was taken at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior a few summers ago during my trip to the Upper Peninsula. The blue-green color in the rock is oxidized copper.

The yarns are Pagewood Farm Denali in Maple Leaf (upper right) and Navajo (lower right). I just love this yarn. I'm using it to make Joelle Hoverson's Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.



Another good thing is that progress has been made on my selbuvotter mitten.



Yeah, remember that? I went to mitten group on Monday and wunderinstructor Janeen taught me a new way to hold the yarn in my left hand. The trick is to keep my index finger low; I was holding it too high up off the needle, so my left hand and forearm were aching after only a few rounds. Not fun. No fun = no work on the selbu. But now I've gotten up past the first star in the pattern. One star to go, then I meet with Janeen again on Monday to finish the tip and do the thumb.

Progress has also been made on my sock yarn blankie.



This progress is primarily due to a new tradition we have going on at ThreadBear: Beer o'Clock. Well, really it's called the Memory Keeper Throw Group, but I like to call it Beer o'Clock. Those of us working on the blankie (and a few of us who are not) meet at ThreadBear on Friday evenings to swap yarn, knock out a few squares, partake in food and drink, and have some laughs. Good times.

The last good thing? New hair color. Needed a pick-me-up.



The Bad
Stash acquisition. Part of this has to do with several trips to ThreadBear for mitten group and Beer o'Clock. 'Nough said. I'm too embarrassed to say more.

I am still knitting with the yarn that hates me.

I have two projects that have to be finished. Literally, I am within 80% of them being done, but I just can't bring myself to finish them. Seven projects on the needles = too many.

I am losing my family's NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket competition. I fear that my bragging rights may be gone. Y'all need to rally for me.

The Ugly
Second day of spring in Michigan.



Scooter, however, could care less about ugly dead foliage and yard clean-up. For him, spring is about one thing and one thing only: