can't stop starting

A sweater in its infancy

The call of new projects keeps beckoning. I keep relenting. Or rather embracing. The beginning of projects, that time when individual supplies (yarn + needle) become something more than they are, is my absolute favorite part of crafting. It's magic.

This past week I've been knitting a red Rusted Root sweater for summer. The yarn is a cotton/wool blend that stays cool in my hands even in the hot humid weather that signals summer in the Ohio River valley is fast-approaching. This is the first time I've tried knitted lace. It's not nearly as intimidating as I expected it to be. Nothing really is if you take things one step (or stitch) at a time.

I am still working on my monkey socks and my Noro scarf, but I wouldn't let myself start a second sweater until I had finished the first. And I did finish it! I've been holding out on you, though, waiting until I get some photos that do it justice. If you're on ravelry, you can get a sneak peek.

The last of the knitting news is that my friend Jennifer is coming over tomorrow for her first knitting lesson. I taught her how to crochet earlier this year; she's a quick learner. I'm excited to share the knitting love.

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In the past week I've started no less than five books. My attention is everywhere these days and nowhere. I read a cumulative 14 pages before I finally picked up one that I plan on finishing--Annie Dillard's The Maytrees. I'm surprised it took me so long to start this novel because Dillard is one of my favorite authors. I love Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, An American Childhood, and Teaching a Stone to Talk. She knows how to describe nature, noticing small details and recalling natural histories that I've never heard. I'm not so far into The Maytrees yet (see my earlier note about lack of attention), but I'll let you know how it goes. The blurb describes it as the optimistic story of long-lasting love. I think I'm going to like it.

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I'm participating in Ginny's yarn along today. Check out her blog to see what others are up to.