Ow

I have great co-workers. They are thoughtful and kind. They have scheduled a baby shower on Tuesday as a celebration for all three of the pregnant ladies in the office.

Three. Apparently there is an unwritten rule that someone must be pregnant in my division at all times. I jest not. When I arrived 12 years ago someone was pregnant. It continues.

We used to blame it on the presence of the Division of Reproductive Products down the hall. Now that we've moved to an entirely different building, I think it must just be us.

Tuesday. I was expecting to have a bit more time, seeing as one of the ladies is not due until December 27.

I had already finished one Baby Surprise Sweater for the Fair.

So I started and finished another. My row counting was more accurate this time. I like the sleeve cap effect.
And another.
I had grand plans for getting all three done. If I knit 30 rows per day, I should have been able to finish both sweaters. I got all the way through the second sweater and up to this point on #3 (see above). I think I hurt myself. I'm getting shooting pains through my right wrist and my elbow is numb. This is bad, right? I'm debating- do I knit through the pain and try to finish, or do I slow down and conserve my mouse hand? A hand I need for actual working.

I think colleague #3 is getting an IOU.

Eat my dust

Another Montgomery Count Fair has ended and I've just returned from picking up my entries. The grand outcome: three first places, a second and a fourth. My Strikke-along sweater, my Odessa at Sunset hat and a flame hat I made for Little Brewer #2 all took first. I got a fancy little ribbon for entering more than three items.

I made this hat during my jury duty. It didn't turn out the way I had hoped. The gauge is rather tight (it was a murder trial- I was tense) and though I tried to follow a flame schematic, the flames look more like blobs than flames. I expected it to look more "flame-like".

The Baby Surprise Jacket took second. One of the judges wrote "Go Redskins" on the back of the comment card. Ha ha. Now I have to stress about who I can give the sweater to. Do they like the Redskins? Not like them? Prefer Lacrosse? Argh.

The pinwheel blanket got fourth. I hope the judges didn't think these were swastikas. The crochet blanket category is hotly contested.

I have no idea what the competition was like this year because I am too cheap to pay the $8 admission fee just to visit the exhibit hall.

TDFKAL and stuff

I just had the weirdest dream. In it, I was reading Julie's blog at Samuraiknitter when I see a post from her asking what the fuck is going on and when I'm going to update my blog. Thank you for the psychic message, Julie, but stay out of my head.

Anyway, there I was, one day until the riders get to Paris with 25 rows to go. "I can do this," I thought to myself. "That's only a little over 12 rows per day."

Note to self: Remember, you knit SLOWLY and you have a full time job.

Self: I can knit at work.

Note: You can't knit at work.

Self: I can close the door. No one will know. *maniacal laugh*

Note: It's wrong.

Self: I can put up a sign that says "T-con."

Note: It's wrong. You'll be taking the American people's money and not working.

Self: Stupid conscience.

Note: What was that? Did you say something?

As a result, I didn't finish by the end of the Tour. I was a DNF on the scoreboard of knitting life. Here are two photos of the Baby Surprise just after placing the stitch holders.


And that's pretty much how it looked at the end of the race. I am happy to say that I eventually did finish last Friday, the equivalent of walking my bicycle into Paris. Why did it take so long after the Tour? Because I got called for jury duty in a courthouse that does not allow metal needles. I spent a week on a jury for a double homicide first degree murder trial. That's a story unto itself.

Back to lighter stuff.

Unfolded...
And folded. Pretty cute! I added buttons and whisked it off to the fair for judging.
For those of you who have a hard time figuring out how to fold the garment after knitting, position the knitting so that the buttonhole rows go straight up the front. Once you manage that, you'll see the open seam is at the top of the shoulder, not the bottom.

In other news, Gettysburg lost one of the last remaining Battlefield "witness trees." Link to CNN, because the Gettysburg Times doesn't publish on Sunday.