No camping this weekend. It's just too cold, and rainy besides. Not massive amounts of snow like Western Kansas is enjoying this weekend, but it wasn't even 40 at noon today, and it pretty much rained and drizzled all day and into the evening yesterday. So. I consoled myself with a new issue of
Backpacker and a cup of coffee at the Barnes & Noble Starbucks yesterday. When I sat down to read the magazine later at home of course I got a fresh infusion of my bear phobia. This issue had an outdoor skills theme, and of course, as in all issues, bear avoiding skills were highlighted. Apparently you should eat 100 yards from your camp to avoid sharing your tent with a bear. Of course there was a little sidebar article about where to go in Oklahoma to see mountain lions, too. I would rather not see mountain lions.
There has been a fair amount of work done on Baby Vivian's afghan. I am more than half done. I'll still have to hustle up, because she is expected on or before next Wednesday. Still, I think there is hope. It is turning out to be very pretty and soft. The pattern is so open I think I'll be a lot happier with it after the border is on. That will give it more body and structure. I've been out to do a little shopping for the baby this week, now that I have a little better idea of what is needed. Alex came by to get his old crib, on his way from Target where they purchased a car seat/stroller combo. That covered most of the needed "hardware". I hit him with a flurry of text messages from Target to find out what Vivian has so far. Vivian has a nice swing and enough blankets, but only one crib sheet. I got her a boppy with two covers, a couple of extra crib sheets, cute outfit, a few basic everyday onsies, and a package of receiving blankets. I'll need to think about some kind of crib to have here when/if she comes over, but I think I'll just check out garage sales for a playpen or port-a-crib. If I can pick up a nice playpen Alex can keep it at home and I can bring it here when she comes.
The Kimono Shawl is nearly done. It may actually be close to long enough now, but I think I will be pulling it sideways quite a lot in the blocking which may shorten it a bit, so I am going to do a few more repeats before I knit the garter edge on the end. I want to be sure it is good and long because I know that if it is even a little too short I will not use it much. That would be a shame in the light of the amount of time that has already gone into it. It has to be long enough for the weight of the ends to keep it from falling off when I wear it so I won't have to be fidgeting around and pulling on it all the time. Also I'd like it long enough to be able to wrap it around my shoulders with a long enough tail that it will stay put. I was tempted to finish it up today so I could have the pleasure of wearing it to church tomorrow, but better to put in a little extra time now to get the shawl I want rather then something I'll never be happy with. Besides, I still have plenty of yarn left. Too bad the color photographs so poorly, because it is actually very nice in person. I think I will really enjoy it. Will the next shawl be
Icarus or
Peacock Feathers? Only time will tell, although I am leaning toward Icarus because it is a lot simpler although similar in structure. I'm planning to bring along a shawl in progress for the drive to and from Florida next month and this is one that might travel well. The body of the shawl is pretty simple.
As soon as either one of these projects is done I will be able to give more love to my Monkey Socks. I still have not touched them since Denver, even though the pattern is really very nice to knit. They are in a beautiful shade of Koigu. This yarn really is very nice to knit with. I may not even mind the hand washing because these socks will be so pretty. I thought that after I came home from Denver I would be putting my hand knits away for the season, but I am still wearing my wool socks. I wish I had finished these so I could wear them today! I'd like to have these finished before I go on vacation next month. I'll be bringing socks to knit in the car, but I'm thinking something with a nice rib, not too complicated. I've got a couple of patterns in mind from Nancy Bush's
Knitting on the Road that I'd like to try.
There has been a fair amount of work done on Baby Vivian's afghan. I am more than half done. I'll still have to hustle up, because she is expected on or before next Wednesday. Still, I think there is hope. It is turning out to be very pretty and soft. The pattern is so open I think I'll be a lot happier with it after the border is on. That will give it more body and structure. I've been out to do a little shopping for the baby this week, now that I have a little better idea of what is needed. Alex came by to get his old crib, on his way from Target where they purchased a car seat/stroller combo. That covered most of the needed "hardware". I hit him with a flurry of text messages from Target to find out what Vivian has so far. Vivian has a nice swing and enough blankets, but only one crib sheet. I got her a boppy with two covers, a couple of extra crib sheets, cute outfit, a few basic everyday onsies, and a package of receiving blankets. I'll need to think about some kind of crib to have here when/if she comes over, but I think I'll just check out garage sales for a playpen or port-a-crib. If I can pick up a nice playpen Alex can keep it at home and I can bring it here when she comes. 
The Kimono Shawl is nearly done. It may actually be close to long enough now, but I think I will be pulling it sideways quite a lot in the blocking which may shorten it a bit, so I am going to do a few more repeats before I knit the garter edge on the end. I want to be sure it is good and long because I know that if it is even a little too short I will not use it much. That would be a shame in the light of the amount of time that has already gone into it. It has to be long enough for the weight of the ends to keep it from falling off when I wear it so I won't have to be fidgeting around and pulling on it all the time. Also I'd like it long enough to be able to wrap it around my shoulders with a long enough tail that it will stay put. I was tempted to finish it up today so I could have the pleasure of wearing it to church tomorrow, but better to put in a little extra time now to get the shawl I want rather then something I'll never be happy with. Besides, I still have plenty of yarn left. Too bad the color photographs so poorly, because it is actually very nice in person. I think I will really enjoy it. Will the next shawl be Icarus or Peacock Feathers? Only time will tell, although I am leaning toward Icarus because it is a lot simpler although similar in structure. I'm planning to bring along a shawl in progress for the drive to and from Florida next month and this is one that might travel well. The body of the shawl is pretty simple. 
As soon as either one of these projects is done I will be able to give more love to my Monkey Socks. I still have not touched them since Denver, even though the pattern is really very nice to knit. They are in a beautiful shade of Koigu. This yarn really is very nice to knit with. I may not even mind the hand washing because these socks will be so pretty. I thought that after I came home from Denver I would be putting my hand knits away for the season, but I am still wearing my wool socks. I wish I had finished these so I could wear them today! I'd like to have these finished before I go on vacation next month. I'll be bringing socks to knit in the car, but I'm thinking something with a nice rib, not too complicated. I've got a couple of patterns in mind from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road that I'd like to try.
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