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I’m not feeling particularly wordy these days, but I have been knitting! I’ve started the hems of the Rowan butterfly dress. Of course, I never do anything by the instructions so I’m planning on knitting it in the round instead of flat. Someone just shoot me. I should be shot, don’t you think?

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Anyway, it is going very well. At some point during the first layer of hem, about 5 stitches FELL OFF my needle, and I had no idea how to pick them up. I was so frustrated I even yelled at Chris and Alexis. Bad mommy. But since then, it’s going much better. I have the 8 row sequence just about memorized, and I’m more than half way there. I’m really really ready for the dress part, though, I’m sure after 35 repeats of that I’ll be bored as well.

Finally! Now you can see why the quilting took so long. But it came out well, and I really like it. Especially the “scrappy” binding. I love multicolor bindings.

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Last night while we were watching the end of the democratic primaries, one of the candidates – I can’t remember who – said “… but first we are Americans.”

Alexis sits up and looks at the TV incredulously, and spouts, “Um, duuuh. First we are babies.”

My cow-orker* and friend always says “Twice nothing is still nothing.” And that’s what I’ve got for you still. No new FOs.

So in lieu of pretty finished projects, I give you the tulips my mother gave me as a “hostess” gift on memorial day. Aren’t they pretty? Tulips are my favorite flower. I’ve loved them since college, when there used to be great big beds packed with tulips in the spring. They’re just fresh and simple and perfect.

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The baby quilt is ALMOST done. 4.5 more 4 inch squares and I’m done with the quilting! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I really regret the quilting pattern I picked as it was EXTREMELY boring to implement. I do actually LIKE doing quilt binding. (I may be the only one in the world who does.) There is just something about stitching the binding to the front and watching the quilt edges becoming encapsulated by fabric; seeing it come to completion one stitch at a time. It’s a bit like watching a flower unfold.

Or maybe it’s just the light at the end of the tunnel.

In other news, I actually started writing about a particular episode of my life. I’ve only got the middle of the story so far, with no idea how I’m going to write the ending, and only an inkling of how to start the whole mess. All in all, I like what I have so far, even though I know it’ll have to have a few tweaks on names, etc. I’m also debating whether it should be written in first person, or third. Of course, I haven’t touched it in a week. I have got to get past this block. I don’t understand how I can have so many ideas, but procrastinate and procrastinate and procrastinate.

I’m also putting off working on the Diamond Fantasy Shawl. I’ve only got one pattern repeat left, but I keep coming up short on stitches, and it’s irritating me. It doesn’t matter that when the whole thing is stretched out, that there is no visible mistake, coming up short is just frustrating. So every time I pick the dumb thing up, I only get two rows done, because at the end of the next right side row, I want to throw it across the room and scream. Frogging is not an option. I tried doing that way back at the begining, and I couldn’t find the stitches and ended up ripping it all back and starting over.

I’ve got at least 3 more knitting projects on my plate. I ordered the yarn and pattern for the Rowan butterfly dress from KnitPicks and because I’m boring (and because it’s my favorite color lately) I got the same turquoise yarn their sample is made from. Then there is the silver merino/lace shawl/stole thing that I haven’t picked a pattern for yet. And finally, that stuffed toy that Susan said I should do. I found the perfect pattern, but that’s a see-crud (did anyone else read Trixie Belden? Her brother always said “see-crud”).

So, yeah, all that stuff, and nothing to share. Whatever!

*Yes, I meant to put the hyphen there…