It just occurred to me that hubby and I have a road trip coming up at the end of the week and I need to get my knitting ready! We're driving over to Pullman for WSU graduation. My sister-in-law is receiving her Master's Degree. Way to go Debbie!! She doesn't have a blog, but her Ravelry ID is "waitingtoknit", so pop on over and give her a congratulations if you're so inclined. We'll be staying at the same bed and breakfast as last year. I think the trip will be fun and bring back a lot of nice memories.
Anyway, I have some decisions to make – at least 12 hours on the road provides a lot of knitting time. Of course, there are socks:
The black speckled is a plain Jane sock that should be easily finished in no time flat. And then there are the Cookie A socks that I put aside for other projects. There is the last sleeve for hubby's Torgier:
That, too, could be easily finished. Or should I take something new?? I got a case of startitis this week and cast on for a baby afghan for our Pregnancy Care Center. It's for charity, so of course that justifies anything – right?
The only problem is that I used size 8 needles because my size 7's were engaged with another charity baby afghan. I've decided that 8 is my breaking point for needle size. Regrettably I think I am developing arthritis in my right hand. I've been having a lot of pain in my index finger knuckle and have trouble gripping things. This week hubby put in a lever type doorknob on the door to the garage because I was having trouble opening it. Anything larger than a size 7 is really hard on my hands. But on the positive side, lace knitting on teeny needles does not seem to be endangered.
The baby afghan on size 7's is also presenting its own set of problems:
Yes, it's lovely, but I can't tell you how many times I've ripped the dang thing! The pattern is not that difficult, but I keep getting off on my stitch count. Part of me says to just rip it and start over, the other says that I will not let a simple afghan defeat me and I must press on!! The yellow one will be frogged to be started over on smaller needles – any votes on the fate of the the little hearts? And while we're at it – any suggestions on your favorite baby afghan pattern?
We had a new little visitor at our bird feeder yesterday:
I know that squirrels are considered a real pest at feeders, but we get them so seldom and I'm inclined to think that they deserve a little snack now and then too. We'll see how fast he goes through sunflower seeds. He didn't seem too shy and let me get pretty close for a picture.
Two birthdays this week – Isobel turns 4!!! How can that be? And hubby turns the big 60. How can than be?? I'm close behind him and find it hard to wrap my mind around that. Neither of us feels 60 – except when trying to grip size 8 needles. So – how old would you be if you didn't know how old you were??
missouristar 
I think I would old enough to know better and young enough not to care!! Have a great trip!
No hurry with the Torgier now that it’s May, so I vote for taking the socks.
Baby blankets are the only knitting in the world more boring than scarves. Don’t know how you do it.
Unless faced with some contradicting evidence, I don’t think I’m a day over 40. Daughter Heather is turning 41 in a few days. What’s with that?
Almost forgot – Have a great trip.
After my last knit blanlet, I’m more inclined to crochet them.
The older I get I realize it has nothing to do with age. I know old 50 year olds and young 75’s.
Oh, it’s best to take all the knitting – you need choices, of course! Bumpy roads and changes in sun angle could make all the difference.
And I gotta say, I’ve met “old ladies” who were younger than I am. So I’m pretty happy with 55. Though it might be fun to have do-overs on my 30’s…
You have some beautiful WIPs going there, but I’m all for starting something new 🙂
(You could always start a new trip project and then have a WIP or 2 along for extras)
How old would I be??? Good question – In years I’m 54 – how old do I feel – hmmmm – probably 40ish.
Well, I know how old I am NOT! I am not 27! That is the age that I was when we adopted our son, who was 10.5 months when he came home to us. BG is that age now, and I KNOW I am not 27 anymore!!! LOL Perhaps 40. That’s a good age….. Yes, I proclaim that I am 40! (As long as that doesn’t mean that I must come out of retirement that is…..)
As for squirrels, at any time I can probably see 8 – 12 in my yard. Sofee loves them, and I normally do also, but I spent all of Sunday planting 4 flats of impatients in my flower beds, and they spent the majority of their Monday uprooting them! Pesky little critters! So…..if you’d like a few more, I could perhaps send you some……
Socks are my travel projects – easy socks, not the Cookie A variety.
Happy Birthday to your guy! If he’s anything like my hubby, he’ll wear 60 well. I’ll never forget when my mother was nearly 80, and she was a little demented from her Parkinsons. One of us said something about her being 79, and she got this absolutely horrified look on her face and said, “No not THAT old!”.
Great projects–the Cookie A sock really caught my eye.
I haven’t really used needles over size 8 since my mid-20s. I just rationalize it by saying that sweaters over that size are too warm for me, I can’t get good stitch definition on bulky yarns, and I really like to knit lace. I also never use straight needles any more. For some reason, my left pinky hurts after a while–I think I rest the needle on the small joint near the the nail. I guess I’m losing fat on my hands as well as my feet, and relocating it to my middle.
Being 60 doesn’t seem to be that bad, now that I’m a few years into it. If I didn’t look in the mirror or at the calendar, I’d swear I was in my mid-40s. Perhaps it is because DH, who is 10 years my senior, still tells me I’m young enough to be his daughter.