Goodbye, Summer!

Summer of 2009 was very hectic.

Having three children has challenged my organizational skills, and perfected my referee-ing skills this summer. If I had only had a whistle and a flag : "Foul! Name calling related to physical features! 10-yard penalty!...Unnecessary roughness! No hitting your brother in the nuts! Ejection from the living room and removal of television privileges for 24 hours!..." In the midst of the perpetual battling, some days felt like a riddle...how do you get 3 children to 3 different places at the same time with one mini-van? But, the parental trauma that was summer is now ended, and the school year has begun. I am looking forward to finding the new routines and the new form of "normal" whatever it looks like.

We did find some fun over the summer, however, and I found some knitting time in between everything else. (And sometimes, instead of everything else...)

• I had a high-school reunion. It was more than 10 years, but less than 25. We danced to "Pour some Sugar on Me" and reminisced about the large and tall hairstyles we sported in our youth. But I'm not saying when I graduated.
  

• I took my sock out boating with my family. My Dad didn't think it was TOO weird that I had to photograph the sock on vacation...
  

• The kids, my parents and I went to the American Museum of Science and Energy. The "Hair Raising Show" is still a big hit.

• We participated in the Denver AIDS Walk. In order to ruin my children's lives forever (according to the 11 year old), I let my sock have it's picture taken with the AIDS Awareness Condom.

What I should be doing right this minute is either washing dishes or reading assignments or writing a paper for school. (I'm kind of disconcerted that every minute of my life seems to have more than one thing I should be doing "right now.") What I am doing instead is showing you the knitting projects I have on the needles currently, hopefully to motivate myself to finish something:

• The Colorwork Hat (Rav link) from the latest issue of Vogue Knitting. This is not technically "on the needles" but look at all those ends! And by the way, have you seen any of my sewing-up needles? There are about 47 of them in here somewhere and I can't find even one! I hope to finish this up by Thursday, which is the earliest day I will be able to run and purchase more sewing-up needles.

• Vilai Socks from Sock Innovation by Cookie A. These require much concentration, they are beautiful and I love them. I love them so much that I have hidden their project bag away from the children, and now I can't find the sock to photograph it...

• Almost a whole pair of socks for my Mom. They are a little crazy, but cheerful. They are Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's basic Sock Recipe, and are knit from Online Savanne Color which I ordered from Simply Socks Yarn Company. It's probably a discontinued color, but I have loved all of the Online sock yarn I've tried. It feels nice to knit with, the colors are bright, and it is machine washable.
  

• Talia: A project which will have earned an entire post for itself if I ever get it finished. Those stitch markers are some that my BFF Vickie made, and I love them!
  

I am looking forward to whipping out some small projects as part of the Stash and Burn Podcast "Single Skein September" Challenge. Stand by for details. I can't believe it's almost September!