One of the reasons it takes me so long to get things finished is that I get sidetracked :) It might be something connected to what I’m working on or it might be something else entirely.  This results in a profusion of swatches that may or may not wind up being useful.

Bella sleeve experiments

These were things I was playing with when I was trying to decide what to do with Bella’s sleeves.  I liked the cable/bobble thing.  But while the contrast bobble seemed like a terrific notion in my head, I wasn’t thrilled by the way it actually worked out.  And I didn’t like the ruffle at all!  The other piece I did kind of like - a bit lacey, but not sufficiently so that it would look weird in worsted weight yarn, but I had pretty much decided by then that I didn’t want to go with lace.  I might try this at some point though, because I really like the pattern. 

Edging

I was trying to find out if shrimp stitching (backwards single crochet) the perimeter of a knitted fabric would help control its tendency to curl.  It does - a little.  The next experiment will be to try crocheting in the stitch below the edge (rather than in the edge stitch itself) to see if that would further enhance the effect :)

Stranded

This is another pattern experiment.  As you can see in the highlighted circle, I haven’t exactly got things down quite yet.  I have also realized that to do some of the things I want to do with this technique, I’m going to have to get more comfortable with DPNs… I may try this on two circulars though - just so I can work something wee.  Even a 16” circular necessitates more stitches than I’d like and while I know there are smaller circulars available, my ham hands would never be able to manage them.

Triangle

I’ve also been fooling around with some crochet recently.  I used to do this stuff compulsively, from teeny thread doilies on up to afghans.  I dropped it when I started knitting, but have begun to get interested in it again.  This is a simple stitch that builds diagonally and would be perfect for a shawl, but might also make an interesting sweater of diagonal panels.  Many years ago, I made an afghan out of this stitch for my folks new couch.  My dad still has the afghan on the recliner in the living room.

Adapted doily

I’d had the thought that an old-fashioned doily pattern (a large one) might make a pretty nice Pi-type shawl done in the right yarn.  So I’ve been playing with that Idea.  This is one of the swatches and I think the idea will work out well though I believe I should have used a larger hook with this (mohair) yarn.

Misty Morning

This is the stitch pattern Bron gives for her Misty Morning Stole (and if you’re into crochet at all, check out her new crochet blog - pretty cool!).  I like it - neat, easy and attractive.  There will definitely be something in the future using this stitch.

So it’s not as if I’m not doing anything see, it’s that I’m scatterbrained and keep getting drawn to all these neat ideas floating around in my head.  I know, focus is a good thing.  But so is distraction, properly channeled!

BTW, sorry about the pictures this morning, I couldn’t seem to keep the flash out of the way.  Oh well…

Friday evening, we noticed that our bird feeders were gone.  The landlord had his workers take them down.  Saturday morning, as I was leaving to visit my father, the landlord stopped me to tell me that the birds were too messy and too noisy and that I was not to put the feeders back up again.

It’s the old battle, of course, the one everything eventually comes down to.  The world is one way and you want it to be some other way.  The landlord is certainly within his rights to not want the feeders up any more, though I would have appreciated it if he had let me know it was a problem instead of just taking them down.  And while I despise the fact that a virtual stranger has that kind of say in my life, the situation is what it is and can’t be helped at the moment.

So I’m sitting here, missing the birds.  I’ll get over it and, really, in the overall scope of “life, the universe and everything” it doesn’t mean all that much.

But the view outside my kitchen window now consists only of cars and neighboring buildings.  And it’s awfully quiet…