Bits and Pieces

It may always be the big things that get the attention of the world and garner acclaim but it remains the small things that define a life.

Around the studio (aka the daily grind of work and brides), things are busy as the great annual clean out and organize has almost been completed. Imagine cleaning out your closet at home times 12, and without the joy of finding a pair of cerulean peep-toe slingbacks you thought you had lost! Always a necessary evil that feels good when it is over and always brings about a huge flush of even greater creativity and accomplishment. It seems not only fair but wonderful that when moutains need to be moved to storage or taken out to the trash that the weather has been mild and delightful. Now, if I could really and truly find those pumps things would be splendid!

As one of those things that makes you remember what is important in life, and great or small causes reflection and a stir to some sort of action was my news on Wednesday. It seems my brother has had a crisis of health and will require a liver transplant. Big stuff indeed. He is six months away from even making the transplant list and I am terribly worried.My note to self remains that no matter what your plans are from planning a wedding to building a family, from running a business to punching the clock-- life is precious and short. Extremely precious and extraordinarily short. As always, count your blessings... and pass one on.

On the knit front, I have to laugh at myself (again). As I approached what I thought was the very last row of the back of the cardigan and giddy with glee prepared to bind off--- thank heavens I checked the instructions again. I have absolutely no idea why I decided it was time to bind off or where the number stuck in my head came from. The ugly truth is that I still have about 3 1/2 inches to go before that back is done and I can move on. I've finished the first big fat yarn cake of Cascade Eco and have to say that I am very impressed with the yarn itself! In all of the yardage (a considerable 478 yards!!) there was not one knot, thin spot, ugly spun-bit, and only one tiny almost not worth mentioning piece of vegetation hung in the fiber. I continue to love to knit the sheepy goodness of Eco all the while wishing the back of the sweater was done!

Speaking of the back of the sweater, a funny story from a new knit group this past Tuesday evening. There I sat knitting away with my cable needle in my mouth as usual and darling Yoel innocently asked a question. I will preface the comment by telling you that Yoel is not only incredibly prolific in her knitting but very petite. She looked across the table at my cardi on the needles and asked if I was knitting the back AND SIDES of the cardigan. ACK!!!! No dearest, this is the back only, the back of a sweater for a woman of size enough not to now (or ever) be called petite! The entire (quite funny) exchange does point up the main reason why dear Yoel manages to knit a darling fair isle cardigan in two weeks. Your Barbie could wear it, really! :)

Instead of brides and knitting this weekend in the traditional sense I'll be working a wedding show. It's always fun to meet tons of people but there is absolutely no knitting or creating of any sort that takes place and by the time it is all over I'm just too worn out to do much but sit in peace and quiet and drool on myself.

Instead, I should Get Knittin'................ those 3 1/2 inches of the back of the sweater are not going to knit themselves!!!