* there are now fewer than 3000 people ahead of me in the Ravelry queue. Perhaps I will get in before Thanksgiving.

* And TChem - from the email - yes, I've used Araucania before; it was what I made the Fibonacci-sequence cardigan from. I'm looking forward to starting the Cobblestone Pullover; that may actually vault to the front of my queue, in front of Arwen and the yellow saddle-sleeve pullover and other things I've marked that I want to make.

there are so many things I want to make.

I read somewhere that curiosity is the cure for boredom, and there is no cure for curiosity. I think having endless projects is another cure for boredom. (I also think of the British actor George Sanders (probably best known to those of my generation as the voice of Shere Khan in the Disney version of the Jungle Book), who committed suicide, leaving behind a note that said, "Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck."

And - wow. I can't imagine getting so bored* that I'd want to do that. There's too much to learn! Too many books to read! Too many fibers to try knitting with!

(*and yeah, it's entirely possible there were other "issues" there - like depression - that he DESCRIBED as boredom, but still))

And speaking of books to read: the Crimean War book is really fascinating. Learning a lot of stuff I never knew before. And it's pretty well-written, not nearly as dry or eye-glazing as some history books. And yes, even some of the "layperson's history" books are pretty dry.

So anyway: kind of itching to start something new. I also found (after some searching) the Paton's Soy Wool Stripes I bought last year (uh, yeah, on the 2006 Longview trip) with the thought of making the "Band Geek" glovelets out of "Not Another Teen Knitting Book." And I want to start those, too - they are going to be a try-out for the pair I want to do of my Manos (I'm probably going to reconfigure the pattern a bit - using more of a herringbone stitch, maybe - with the Manos so I want the knit equivalent of a "muslin" to try the pattern out on).

Oh, and speaking of cardigans?



It's always a big day when I first wear a new sweater "for reals." Yesterday it was chilly enough (at least in the morning) that the alpaca hoodie was necessary (by noon, outdoors at least, it was a bit warm for it).

I really love this sweater. I really love how it fits - the sleeves are not at all baggy and are in fact kind of form-fitting and it looks very professional (I mean in the sense of professionally-done, not in the sense of "business casual" though it's still dressier than what a lot of my colleagues wear) and it's cozy and nice and the color is lovely.

Not sure how the yarn will hold up yet...it's so soft I'm fearful of pilling but I haven't seen that happen yet. But then again I've only worn it one day.