some weekend pictures

 Saturday I did go and pick up my framed picture. It was EXPENSIVE (given it was a reasonably-priced print), but I'm glad I insisted on the green frame (which did cost extra) than the "plain black narrow" one they originally had on it. 

I've not figured out where to hang it up just yet; my living or dining room have the best color scheme to coordinate but I can't seem to find a "best" place just yet

 It says "the world is cruel, therefore I won't be" and that's pretty much my life philosophy right there.

I worked a little more on the striped socks this weekend. But Saturday was mostly running errands, and Sunday I decided to do some cleaning and rearranging in my bedroom

 

I also found, in among my knitting stuff I sorted last week, a project I began ages ago (at least four or five years, maybe even during the pandemic?) and tucked away in a bag (which protected it from the carpet beetles that got that shawl). It's Joji Locatelli's "Storm Shawl." I'm pretty sure without checking the ball band the yarn is Leading Men Fiber Art's in the colorway "Country Roads"

 

(Yes, turns out I was correct, but it was five years ago) 

I dug it out, not sure why I didn't do more on it. Either it was that I lost a couple pages of the pattern (it was in my Ravelry files so I could just print another one) and had it along on a trip and couldn't keep going, or I stalled out over the short row part (which isn't nearly as complicated as it looks on the written pattern) so on Sunday evening I added a little more to it:

It's going to be asymmetrical (that may have been something that concerned me about the short rows, the "how does it come out even") but I think that's intentional to the design so that the big loose bands of dropped stitches sort of loop across the shawl. (I will admit I don't *love* the dropped stitches and am afraid they'll snag on stuff when I wear the shawl, but I'm gonna keep on with it).

But maybe I just need to do this, do a deep dive and find the partially finished stuff and get it done. I know I have a John Watson-inspired cardigan that's done except for the pockets and the button/neck bands, and I started a Kari Westermann sweater ages ago and tucked it away.

Also, an impulse purchase came today; I saw this advertised on Bluesky as an "emo donkey" and decided I wanted one. He came today. He is very soft.

 

I named him Neill, in honor of Sam Neill (who died yesterday) even though Sam Neill always seemed cheery and not-grumpy in the little videos of his farm he used to post. But he did have a farm and even if he didn't have donkeys a donkey is a farm animal. So Neill the grumpy donkey it is.