All of a sudden, the season has changed on me. There are birds in my yard, the light is brighter, my backyard bunny is once again entertaining the cats, and shoots of green are starting to peek at me from under the winter bedding of leaves that I put in the gardens last fall. The cats are much more active as they rocket from window to window through the house tracking squirrels traveling from my front tree, over the roof, and then along the back fences (this is known as Squirrel Route One in my house). The fatigue-inducing storms of winter are transitioning to spring rains, and the first flowers are right around the corner. Bye, winter. Glad to see you gone.
Knitting
I really have gotten a lot of knitting done this month. Since I’m tracking my knitting for the year (well, actually, the number of skeins that I can get out of the stash), I thought that I would also give a quarterly update on my progress.
So far I’ve knitted 20 hats and 19 PICC line covers this year. Early in the month I delivered all the hats and covers to one of the infusion centers on my way to an appointment with the rheumatologist. The infusion center had a huge impact on me; it was located in a spacious room with large overhead windows; sunbeams streamed down from the windows lighting up the room. There were almost 20 stations in there, along each wall under the windows, each one with a patient receiving treatment. I was stunned. So many people! I must knit faster.
The sweater is Cushman by Isabel Kraemer. This is the second one that I have made so I was really confident with the fit and raced right through it.
Altogether I have knitted my way through 894 grams of yarn this month making the grand total of destashed yarn 3,154 grams (or the equivalent of 31 skeins) for the year. Okay, I did go through bins and pulled out several hundred grams of yarn that needed be thrown out… like many knitters I have saved the leftovers from almost everything I’ve knitted; at this point I need to let all of those scraps go! I had hoped to get 50 skeins out of the stash: now I’m thinking that I might manage 100 skeins. Knitting all those hats is paying off!
Garden
The outdoor garden is still dead, and the indoor garden is kind of pathetic. I’ve been buying some ferns and a spider plant to get more greenery into the house. The cats are fans of the new plants!
Books
I’ve been reading like a champ so far this year. Mostly science fiction since I am not in the mood for thrillers, mysteries, or anything that is going to require the serious use of brain cells. I’ve been spending long blocks of time in bed with short outings to accomplish tasks in the house in the house all year. I’ve been relying on audiobooks heavily as I can listen to them when I’m too tired to hold a book (the fatigue is real, people!), and listened to more books while I was working on the quilt top that I got done this quarter too.
I usually don’t listen to the forward of a book, but this time I did, and I was glad that I took the time to let the author explain his book to me. John Scalzi struggled with writing a book in 2020 that he had contracted with a publisher for. Basically, he was kind of crushed by the whole Covid situation and the book wasn’t happening. He finally had to let his publisher know that the book was a no-go, only to think of another book idea a day later. A fun book. An upbeat and slightly ridiculous book with wisecracking characters and lots of fun. A book that celebrates scientific knowledge, jobs that you love, and sticks it to people who are kind of unethical in the pursuit of money/power. A book with Kaijus: those enormous monsters of Japanese fame… think Godzilla. The exact book that I needed!!
So, how many books have I read this year so far? 19 books! The goal for the year is 50 books, so I am well on my way to meeting that goal.
That’s it for the month.
Yarn, Books & Roses 
Buggered if I know how you manage it all, taking into consideration your health and its limitations upon your activity levels !! But you always have stuff to report; so I can only say GOODONYERMATE ! again, and marvel ..
Oh, P.S.: I can’t make out that last feline photo: what’s going down ?
Luckily it doesn’t take that much energy to knit! Maybe I should change out that picture: That is Mateo giving Hannah a little washup in the cat tree. 🙂
…. . .. ………… . … ..
Ah, NOW I see ! 😀
Hannah: New feline picture has been posted. Thanks for the feedback! >^..^<
Even if knitting doesn’t cost you that much energy, I am still amazed at your achievement… What a brilliant idea to fade those golden colours ! I bet it is will turn out just beautiful.
Thank you. I’m not that brilliant, but it is nice that you thought so… the designer used three solid colors faded together to do the golden colorwork, but I’m going to use a speckled light gold, a variegated tiger stripe type yarn, and then the darkest at the bottom. I have high hopes for the final look. 🙂
Wow that’s a lot of yarn out of your stash already. Those cats, so glad they get on well and are keeping you company and so kindly helping you with your knitting photos
I cut the little cat’s claws yesterday morning and was so glad that I did when he piled onto the sweater during the photo shoot! I’m kind of torn between knitting light weight hats from the stash (Barley light) with fingering yarn so that I can get more hats from the yarn, or to double the yarn and make DK weight hats (Barley) to use up as much yarn as possible. After seeing that infusion center I’m going with the lighter weight hats so the destash may be slowing down. It did help that the grey sweater was worsted weight yarn so it used up a lot of yarn!
Reading this one would not know how very tough it has been. Well done
Thank you!
Wow – you are getting so much knitting and reading done! Not to mention a quilt top and keeping up with your two fur babies 🙂 Spring starting to spring is always a mood lifter 🙂 Love your new sweater and the start you have done on the second 🙂
Thank you! I paused the sweater to get a bunch of PICC line covers done for the next pickup, but then it will be full time sweater knitting time!
It is so sweet of you to make all those hats and PICC line covers made! They are all pretty, too 🙂
I love the way the gray sweater turned out! It looks like a perfect wardrobe staple. And yes, cats are always great help when it comes to getting knitting pictures taken.
I have already worn the grey sweater several times and it is absolutely going to be a comfy workhorse for me!
Your sweater turned out great! It sounds so cozy and perfect. You are knitting enough for the both of us…and maybe a couple more knitters. 🤣 I am certain the infusion center appreciates all of your hats and picc line covers. I have barely knit all year. My workload has been nuts. I am looking forward to slowing down this summer and knitting away.
I do hope that you have a good summer. I struggled to knit when I was still working so I completely understand. Yay for summers!!