Happy Mother’s Day!

And just in case you think I don’t knit anymore:

I love cables. They are my favorites.

Those are armholes! I added two inches to the length since she is a ridiculously long baby.

All around the country, May Day Sock Swap Pal’s are reveling their True Identities! My Pal was Marisol who packs a swap box filled with awesome:

Yellow and Green! And Mamie!

The overall theme of the package was “Organic” which is wonderfully appropriate for spring! The yarn is SockPixie’s Cashmino in Buttercup! Marisol knows that I covet the fairy colorways so she sent me one of my own (Did I mention that it is the kind with cashmere?). There is also chocolate, tea (green and camomile citrus), a little teacup (tea party size), a sweet votive candle with a pretty beaded hanger, citrus Soak, a couple sock patterns and a copy of Kiwi magazine (a great little eco-friendly magazine). Not pictured above: More chocolate (there was a bite out of it), morning glory seeds,(already in the yard) and some beautiful floral stationary (I couldn’t get a photograph where you could tell what it was). Marisol even included a strawberry bear for Ellie!

The butterfly buttons are precious!

What sock swap package is complete with out the socks?

Elphine’s Socks. They are toe up - she is so much braver than I am!

As you can see, they fit my feet like a glove. But they look good as knee socks for her Lil’ Cowboy too. The yarn is Merino from Yarn Botanika in the color “Organic Greens.” Two New To Me sock yarns in one swap has to be some kind of record. I love them, Marisol!

Speaking of sock yarn, I am on an unofficial sock yarn fast. I will never get it all photographed and possibly cataloged (which will never, ever happen but a girl has to dream big) if I continue to add to the pile. Fasting should also provide me with a greater appreciation of the sock yarn I already have. Laura caused me to break my fast with her limited edition Pink Ribbon Sock Kits. The Susan G. Komen Foundation gets $20 of the purchase price. I think I can recover and continue to resist the temptation of future purchases.

Would a Funky Monkey Kit count as sock yarn? I love me some monkeys.

Just for you, Kathy!

I think the hiccups bracket the smile nicely.

The past two weeks I’ve been working on one project and one project only: The May Day Socks. I’ve taken them on the road (Michael makes me sit in the back seat if I want to knit in the car). I’ve taken them to restaurants to pick up food.

Dreamland has outstanding barbecue. It’s worth the drive.

I’ve worked on them any time Ellie let me have both hands free.

I’m glad Life is Good shirts come in baby-size.

I even worked on them this morning until everyone else woke up.

I also managed to weed, take a shower and get dressed before Michael woke up and took this picture.

But I don’t have to work on them tomorrow because they are finished!

WooHOO!

Now they are blocking. I am ecstatic!

Christy has hosted the Hurricane Sock Party for two years. This year she wants to try something a little different. Go read about The House That Yarn Built.

Thanks to a Napping Day* I am halfway there. Halfway where?

Halfway through a pair!

I am also halfway through April so I’ll be spending a lot of time with the second May Day Swap Sock over the next few days. Housework and sleep are overrated. All that matters is the Swap.

Thanks for the napping, baby, I’ll return the favor someday.

For gratuitous Ellie pictures, visit my Flickr.

*Not every day has naps in it. The days with no naps are rough days.

I should be working on these:

The May Day Socks.

Or this:

Ellie’s romper.

But instead I’m making a surprise for the individual who sent me all this:

I think I’ll keep Ellie’s stroller as a yarn tote when she outgrows it.

My friend, Judi, was brim-full of generosity in high school and one of the best gift-givers I’ve ever known. It’s nice to know that some things never change even when when friends move to the other side of the country and build whole new lives. You’ve heard my theory that inertia is really the most powerful force in the universe*? Well, inertia carried us straight through the past 15 years or so. This was a high school reunion year so the class officers have spent quite a bit time trying to locate everyone. (If you know who I married, I am the first google hit. If you don’t know, it is slightly more complicated.) Judi, who I haven’t seen in ages and ages although we were tight back in the day, packed an enormous box of fun stuff for Ellie (adding some chocolate and a book of Safe Baby Handling Tips) but decided that wasn’t enough and went in search of yarn. I can only hope she signed up for lessons while she was at her Local Yarn Shop - the selection must be amazing and Judi clearly has an eye for fiber. I have no idea what I am going to make yet (I may just keep it all here on my desk and pet it and reminisce for a while).

Knitters say “thank you” with wool. She is probably peeking, so I won’t give away the surprise. I do offer this hint:

That is all for now, I hear waking up sounds from this baby:

I should wipe her face before I take pictures.

*I just searched “inertia” in my archives and it turns out you haven’t heard my theory. In a nutshell: Inertia (that is, resistance to change) gives everyday life predictability and structure. Inertia is what causes ruts (I love predictability so I really don’t mind ruts). Inertia is why I haven’t written a long note to Judi, hate to travel, have yet to call Frank to fix the leak in the upstairs chimney and can’t seem to get outside to prune the crepe myrtles. Well, some of that might be due to my recent reduction in free time, but you get the idea.