Productivity Rocks

Being productive is such a glorious thing! I tell myself that the reason why I am not more frequently productive is that I wouldn't truly appreciate it when it happened! Yesterday I had the opportunity to be home as the staff at work was attending a conference. Woo Hoo! The morning found me skipping my walk (shame on me), eating Kissables (double shame on me) and I rolled up my sleeves to clean the house. Really CLEAN the house. You know, the kind of cleaning you don't do when you perform the usual maintenance that gets you though most weeks. Well, me anyway. I even polished the hardwood floors and did a couple loads of laundry. When at last the morning was almost over and the house was sparkling, I managed to clear a few things from my desk and do-me list and then settled into a nice quiet lunch with the dogs. (Did someone say chicken?)

Knit-wise it was a great day, I frogged back the wee bit on the sock on the needles. Despite a gauge swatch it just wasn't happening for me so I frogged back the few rounds on the circs and picked up smaller Addi's and cast on my 72 stitches. After completing a few rounds of 1x1 ribbing, I'm so glad that I changed needles, it made a huge difference and will look wonderful. So another couple inches of this (slow) ribbing and it will be time to start the pattern. I always wish I knit continental when I do 1x1------ although I have always thrown, and am fairly fast with it, I know that this fiddly rib would be faster doing almost anything else.



Then with great happiness I used the 'Dirter" and wound off my Fearless Fiber worsted and cast on for my Mittenettes and worked a few rows. This yarn is just yummy in it's coloration and I think the Mittenettes are going to be quite fast to work up.


Now the PI! What WAS I thinking anyway to think that I would have not only these two new projects cast on and waiting for happy knitting AND get the Pi bound off? DUH!!! I chose to use the sideways garter border on the 576 stitches of the Pi shawl and I love it! It does lie nice and flat, is beautifully flowing and looks great with the plain-ness of the shawl and the Gull border---- really great! But this 8 stitch garter border is NOT a quick ending to the project! The shawl is attached at one end of the border when you knit 2 together at the shawl end so in reality you knit 16 stitches for every ONE stitch of the Pi. At 576 stitches in order to cast OFF the shawl it will take 9216 stitches. That my Blitters is a crap load of stitches. I can tell you though that it is wonderfully relaxing (as has been the entire shawl) and so rewarding! It is an easy border to set up, and really quite mindless as it goes along. As the wonderful border starts to show itself you think----- ahhhhhh this looks cool! And as you go further and further binding off the shawl which has been tightly enclosed as a 'raisin' or a little knitted bag on the circulars falls away and onto your lap giving a tempting peek at how the shawl will look in all it's glory OFF the needles. But first you have to get past that pesky 9216 stitches, who is counting? I have every hope of being done and to blocking by Saturday morning. At last glance I had about 180 stitches waiting on my circular to be attached to the garter stitches. Once again I love my Denise needles, taking off one of the tips and attaching a button has made me confident that none of the Pi stitches will slide off the end while I am working the edge with my DPI.





I (being the Dork that I am) keep checking my place on the waiting list at Ravelry. I know I am not the only one because I see many of you doing the same thing. Then of course there is always the ever popular Nanny Nanny Boo Boo Dance that happens when the invitation comes and said knitter is ushered through the hallowed gates of Ravelry magnificence. Don't laugh, I will do the same and so will you if you aren't already there--- (in which case you have already donned your fuzzy slippers and done your version of the happy dance). This morning the Ravelry Checker said:

Found you!

• You signed up on June 12, 2007
• You are #8605 on the list.
• 1037 people are ahead of you in line.
• 13616 people are behind you in line.
• 33% of the list has been invited so far

AHA! I think that maybe in a week------ or so? I have my slippers ready, just in case.

I'm back to work and think I will take my sock out for a knit or two, so far today there has been just an endless stream of tasks and being butt deep in brides. So there has been no time (as I had hoped) for a moment or two while on the phone, or waiting for a file to upload, just not a free second to get a Row Fix. That makes for a crabby girl so I will manage to squeeze in a few rows of ribbing just because.