General Update (warning: may be boring)

Knitting: I finished the Not-so-orange Wave Cardigan yesterday, and realized that it actually isn't charcoal gray like I'd been thinking this whole time, but actually a dark grayish-green. Huh. Go figure. The pink variegated Buttony needs to be ripped back about 15 rows because I messed up the bust darts. I'm usually not too picky about mistakes in my knitted items, but this is just beyond what I can handle, and it's prominently on the front of the sweater, so fix it I must. I cast on for a Lillian tank (link to be provided later) as a way to use up some stash yarn, but I'm realizing I may not have as much of it as I thought... by which I mean, about half as much as I'd need. I might set it aside and wait for more of the stash yarn to appear (am in the process of organizing/decluttering my house, so that could very well happen). So, both projects I have on the needles right now are sort of uninspiring. I might cast on for Eileen (again, link to be provided later) in a bamboo blend I picked up a couple weeks ago. Hmm. If I was smart, I might also just not knit for a little while so I'll have time to work on other things, but the possibility of that happening is slim.

Gardening: As it turns out, peas are highly resilient. I planted them, we had multiple nights involving frost, and they've still managed to germinate. The tomato, cucumber, and canteloupe seedlings I planted didn't fare so well, and I might end up just buying plants, with a reminder to myself for next year to not be so darn impatient. Obviously, finding tomato plants won't be an issue, but I'm trying to recall if I've ever seen cucumber plants for sale. And canteloupe would be even more of a longshot, I'm sure. Hmm. Will have to scout out the garden store this week. Ooh, and the farmers' market!

Non-veg Yardwork: I need to acquire a lawn mower. That's all there is to it. Borrowing the Crafto-Fam's mower every couple weeks just won't fly for another season. I have an electric mower that doesn't work, so I need to see if it's salvagable (and based on cost, whether it's worth it). If not, it's off to Home Despot for me! I also should probably, at some point, figure out how to address the Big Patch of Death on my front lawn. It's probably a 3' X 4' oval where grass apparently cannot grow. (Methinks it's linked to the fact that it's near the filling spot for my heating oil, and the delivery folks have probably spilled/dripped that which is the opposite of fertilizer, but I'm not sure.) Now, I'm not one of those folks who must-must-must have a perfect lawn, but it's really quite disheartening to walk past a miniature Death Valley every day. Also, I need to decide once and for all whether to keep or eradicate the wild rose bush next to the house. Keeping means trimming it back, otherwise it enthusiastically (diabolically?) sends offshoots out into the grass, where one can't always see the dangerous thorniness until it's too late. Eradicating involves much more trimming back, and probably at least two seasons' worth of trying to dig up roots. Are the flowers (pretty, though not the color scheme I'm shooting for long-range, and fragrant) worth the thorns like daggers? Hmm. Lastly, must plant mustard greens in side bed to extract lead (from house painting/sanding) in the hopes of making the soil safe for vegetable use next year.

Attic Renovation 2008: Painting is done (though the color looks wildly different in various lighting levels, and often too close to white for my liking. ah well.) and furniture is set up. I just need to change the closet handle knob thingies (this invovles a drill, and thus, much procrastination), hang a framed mirror that I lurrrve, and sew some curtains. For that last one, I have to find my sewing machine. Which should not be that difficult, because it's fairly large (it can't, say, have fallen behind the fridge or been kicked under the couch), but I do have an uncanny ability to misplace things...

/ stream-of-consciousness rambling