almost but not quite

I'm almost ready to leave on my trip. The stuff I need to teach workshops, do the trunk shows and book signings? Check! That's packed. The snacks are ready (Check!), the audio books checked out from the library. I'm nearly there. Tomorrow, at an unseemly hour, I'll be in my Yellowmobile and starting the drive east...and, you know, maybe 12 hours and 700+ miles later, I'll get to my folks' house, just one long neighbor state away. No sweat, right? As long as I've got the audio books and the chocolate with espresso and the almonds, I should be ok, I hope.

Then there are the other "almosts." In an attempt to calm myself this week, I've been spinning a lot on my antique Canadian Production Wheel. It's a meditative thing, this wheel. It makes an occasional few thunks as this enormous wheel goes round, and puts a lot of spin into my yarn. The yarn it produces? thin. Think very thin. I'm spinning up some Shetland, and when it's a 2 ply, it'll probably be about fingering weight. Here are two different photos, which show the dark brown color in two different kinds of light. It's the same yarn. I'm up to 6 balls now, ready to ply.

I've been trying something new while I spin. I have these arm/leg weights that are theoretically for exercise. I'm not a big fan of the exercise thing, beyond walking my dogs. So, I've been spinning with weights on. The weights maybe make me burn just a few more calories. It's not a big difference, despite several days of spinning an hour a day. Another almost, not quite moment. Still, it seemed like a good idea at the time!

I've been going through things in my house in a very slow way. It's cleaning--when I get 'round to it.... I finally faced this stashed project, which is:
a) a lesson in why silk/cotton should not be steeked
b) a lesson in how to do stranded knitting and why wool is best for stranded knitting
c) a lesson in how to measure oneself before designing on the needles
and
d) a lesson in how one's measurements (ahem) change in the many years since starting this project. Think...rather matronly changes.

After salvaging what yarn I could, I did something I haven't done in-forever. I just chucked the rest of this knitted sampler in the trash. It couldn't be ripped since I'd steeked portions of the garment. It couldn't be stretched to fit me by any stretch of the imagination. These things happen, I suppose. I gave it up, saw all that I learned from it, long ago (probably 10 years and 15 lbs ago?) freed it from the "unfinished projects" box and sent it onward on its journey.

I also (with the professor's help) ripped half of a sweater knit from chenille, which was trying in its own way, but at least I didn't have to throw anything out. Now I have some chenille yarn (annoying to knit the first time, as I remember) to knit with again. Ahh. Yarn rebirth.

This week, I released two new patterns into the world (hurray!) but the third one didn't quite get there. It took a while to finish tech editing, and it's not online yet. It can wait, I guess.

Cause, you see, the project's called "Due North." We're still waiting to hear from these folks regarding our summer moving plans. That is, we're waiting to receive official notification about whether we're moving North (west.) I'm trying to be patient, really I am. It's just that we had unofficial reassurance that we'd know for sure by Friday, April 24, or at the latest... yesterday. Yup. Yesterday. It's been a long few days.

Some days are like this, I know. I'm trying hard to be upbeat, calm, and patient. I'm looking forward to my trip. I'm almost ready. Just wish things weren't quite so "almost" but not quite. Sort of betwixt and between. It happens to everyone, right?

Please, tell me it happens to everyone?!