In progress comes to a screeching halt

I've been feeling a little non-big-project-y with knitting for a while. I have a few things on the go (SHOCKING) but none of them are really big projects. I think I go through phases like this from time to time. For a while now I've been trying to come up with something to make using the leftover bits of sock yarn that I can't seem to part with. I finally stumbled across a simple semi-modular pattern and have begun making squares.



I may end up doing a "sashing" of a plain color around each square, or I'll leave them as is. I anticipate this being a fall-back work in progress for quite some time. It's small pieces, they're completed relatively quickly and pretty portable. Perfect for how I'm knitting at the moment.

The square is from a jacket and pants (??) in Vogue Knitting Fall 2007. I'm making the larger size square, the pattern for which is actually available online here (link to the pdf file).

I finished a pair of socks for the boy.



(well "finished" in that the knitting is done. Not "finished" as in okay to wear. The toe needs to be grafted. But, for the purpose of this post, they are finished enough.)

I started spinning some roving that is SO not me, color-wise. I picked up 2 braids of Fleece Artist Merino Sliver at Gina Brown's a month or so ago. They weren't the exact same colorway, but they were close. And, at first glance, they are not me at all. I'm trying to think more openly about color with spinning (thanks to the success of the very orange Christmas yarn).



I'm waiting for the next batch of the Fiber of the Month club from Spunky Eclectic so this was to tide me over. I"m planning to ply it back on itself and try out coils (ee!!).

Next up, a not at all interesting back story...
On Friday, I stopped at Superstore on my way home. I had a 2L milk carton, a tin of coffee, a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner in this bag:



By the time I got from the store to my car (I was parked right by the door) and from my car to my apartment, the milk had ripped the bag and the plastic handles had stretched and were cutting into my hand.

I finally decided enough is enough:

Loaded with exactly the same items as the bag above. Ahh.
Fabric from Ikea. I used the directions from Wisdom of the Moon here.

The biggest project I'm working on at the moment is a surprise for a friend who occasionally reads my blog so I won't reveal the whole thing but I'll show you the bits. Note: this project may one day be used as evidence of my insanity.


This is over 200 felted balls. I used up a bunch of little bits of stash wool: leftovers, some that I spun but didn't like, some roving that was terrible to spin... It's turning into this:



I had been cruising along on these projects (cue ominous music) until...


My hand slipped while I was carrying a very full, very heavy pot of boiling water. I couldn't let the pot drop (the burns would have been all down the front of me then) so I had to hold it and let the boiling water pour over my fingers.


I have a fairly high tolerance for pain. I can't remember the last time I cried because of pain. Well, last night I was sobbing from the pain. I was supposed to be going to a concert given by my friend's chamber choir, but instead I became more aquainted with my new best friend: a bowl of cool water.

No knitting, no spinning, no sewing, no nothing but watching season 1 of the X-Files and waiting for the heat to leave my fingers. (the first 2 pictures are from this afternoon, almost 24 hours after the scald) The pain is gone enough now for me to use it a bit, but the blisters are right on knuckles which makes most tasks a bit difficult.

(sorry if that last bit was gross/whiny)

So, hopefully it heals quickly and I can get back to doing stuff. How do people who don't make stuff fill their days/evenings? Seriously. TV without knitting/spinning/felt-ball-sewing-together/sewing is not that interesting!