paving the way

I am sitting here at my desk, looking at the tail end of my fourth day of school holidays. What have I been doing, I hear you cry?
Saturday was swallowed with bunny fun and oh-my-god-i'm-at-home-zzzzzzzz type seizures. By which i mean I keep falling asleep by accident.
Sunday contained minor seizure action and birthday celebrations for young Othlon.
Monday... I'm trying to remember. We've had the dog since Sunday evening so there's been dog involvement.. but really, I think i've spent the last two days knitting my seashell shrug.
I finished the sleevey bit on... (quick check on rav) the 29th of June. And then I counted backwards and discovered it took me 6 months. (everyone out there who just told their computer monitor that that is a normal and rational amount of time to spend on a bit of a sweater... I know. But we are talking about the Queen of OCD here and that is a loooong time for me to leave something I havent decided to frog. Perhpas one is maturing?).
the sleeve bit looks rather like this (realises one didnt snap actual piece and makes swift diagram).
That's the shape of the sleeve thing (except all in 2x2 rib, ech) and then the arrows show where you sew up the sleeves... where the sleeves are decreased in the middle you dont sew them up, but instead pick up and knit in the round, increasing where the little dotty dashy things are.
Things are moving more swiftly now (as predicted) if only because i have shaping to look forward to every so often.
Also, this Sunday is the second Holy Day of Obligation (AKA Fibre Day at OBDM) and again I shall be present with yarns and friends to freeze my butt off in the nicest way imagineable. So of course, I want something lovely and warm... but also obviously a hand-knit. I'll put it down to my Hungarian belief that skinny chef's can't be trusted - people selling yarn should be able to do things with it themselves... beyond pom-poms.

My calculations suggest that I have about 24 rounds to go before it is finished. I should add that it grows by about 16 stitches every 4th round and I'm currently on about 570. So it's starting to get pretty old.
But it is close.
Being so close to finishing has put me in mind of Thing To Do While On Holiday. I realise, of course, that listing things here is a really good way to ensure I dont do them, but I am at heart a great big silly fool and no amount of self-knowledge stops the inevitable.
Therefore:

• This week there will be dyeing. I have heaps for the stall on Sunday but it never hurts to have back up. plus the colour is therapeutic.
• Read all my Elizabeth Zimmerman books (again). Have already re-read Knitting Workshop and Knitters Almanac and Knitting Without Tears awaits me. Having already knocked this one over most of the way I am quietly confident.
• Get hair cut. Is disgraceful shaggy mess and does not help the older members of staff to differentiate me from students. Maybe should try for a more grown-up cut (nearly said 'sleeker' but then I remembered who I am. There are tarpaulins that are sleeker than I am).
• Get eyelashes tinted. Am forever rubbing mascara into and around my eyes and this does not help me maintain a professional image. Figure it's worth a try before i throw it all away and just invest in a nice brown paper bag.
• Possibly (indication that i realise this is madness) stick post-its to various bags of stash to indicate intentions. Very unlikely to change my practices but may generate appearance of productivity and then Monkey cant complain if i buy more yarn. ssssh.
• Clip bunny toe-nails (perhaps after investing in head-to-toe chain-mail suit with matching gloves and gauntlets).
  
• get a blood test so new doctor can get her bearings.

Sheesh.
Now i can tell you right off the bat that the eyelashes, bunny nails and blood test are the least likely to happen. Eyelashes - have to admit vanity to another person and run risk of looking like kewpie doll. Nails - bunnies object strongly and make their feelings known. Blood test - Am so bad with needles that I will lose a whole day to head-spins and nausea and that sounds un-fun.


But the seashell shrug might happen yet.


Peace out,
Ms Spider xo