Lest you think I haven’t been knitting at all, here’s a look at my progress on my bag. The base is a large rectangle, and the sides so far are about 6″ or so . . . they need to be about 14″, so there’s still a way to go.

Really, I’m feeling my way through the whole process–my first knitted bag, my first felting project, my first bag design . . . Just. You know. Fingers crossed!

My lace, well, it’s coming along. I’m about halfway done with this half, so . . . it’s coming along. It just seems so SLOW (grin). Did the first half take this long?? . . .

Hmm . . . I just checked (blogs are excellent for record keeping). I was just about at this exact same point on April 23rd. I’d started on March 12th (give or take a day). So . . . a little more than a month. And I finished it July 8th–a total of three and a half months.

This half? I started July 9th, and here it is already over two months and I’m just at the halfway point? I’m going to be working on this until Christmas . . . Well, hopefully not that long. I wonder what the odds are of getting this done to wear to Rhinebeck? (No, really. Stop laughing!)

As usual, I have a whole slew of knitting project ideas percolating in the back of my brain. Not just obvious things like, say, knitting up my Sundara Hyacinth socks. But sweaters . . . and I’d love to make an afghan out of the Manos I’ve had hanging in my closet for a few years now. I have yarn for a Clapotis, too, that’s just sitting there. Silky Wool just waiting for me to give it a try. And I have lots of gorgeous lace yarn that deserves to get out of the closet. And there are a couple, small Christmas projects I’d like to make. I don’t do Capital-C-Christmas Captial-K-Knitting insanity like some other knitters we know. But I will do a hat or two, a pair of socks. Never more than, say, two or three little projects, that I always start well in advance . . . but there are a couple things I’d like to do there.

And here I am, stuck on my two, main projects and a pair of socks . . . not able to move forward until they’re done. Yes, I know, people DO add in more projects as inspiration hits, but I don’t do that. I like to keep a reasonable limit on the number of and kinds of projects I have going at once. And besides, think about it. I’ve been working on the same lace project for six months now. Six. Months. Really, I have to get this done already! It’s beautiful and I love it, but I’m ready to move on, you know? So many gorgeous lace projects popping up over the last few months . . . it’s torture (grin).

Speaking of gorgeous, you must check out this incredible art made from folded paper. Absolutely beautiful.

Now, it’s Talk like a Pirate Day. I’m not going to even try, but here’s a quote from my all-time favorite G&S, The Pirates of Penzance–sung, of course, at top volume. I’ve actually been stuck on the soundtrack (the one with Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, and Rex Smith, from 1982) for over a month now. It’s by far my favorite version–delightfully silly (as is the whole story, of course). Why, oh why, is that ot available on DVD? So, really, I’m happy to share it with you…. Come on, sing along!

With cat-like tread,
Upon our prey we steal;
In silence dread,
Our cautious way we feel.
No sound at all,
We never speak a word,
A fly’s foot-fall
Would be distinctly heard -

Come, friends, who plough the sea,
Truce to navigation;
Take another station;
Let’s vary piracee
With a little burglaree!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:With Cat-Like Tread //