On the fly

Well, knitting has been happening - it's the writing about it that's been failing to occur.  And, to be honest, even the writing hasn't seemed so impossible - it's taking pictures that's been hanging me up. 

Like this:

I finished the striped sweater (cheers, clapping!).  I'm delighted with it.  I have worn it several times, to many kind compliments.  I wanted to do a nice photo shoot to really show it off.  But did not.

Then Oa was making progress, so I figured I'd do a photo shoot with both of them.  Except that finishing Oa turned out to be a real pain in my butt (because I had Plans regarding the neckline, as you may recall - and you know what they say about Plans).  It is now done (wild applause from the audience!), and I am happy with it.  It took me a while to work up to the finishing and blocking (and it took forEVER to dry), but that, too, is done, and I've even worn it (and was told I should have submitted it to the county fair, but was too late).  So photo shoot time, right?

Well, no.  Because the couple who manages the barn where Disco boards are having a baby this month, and I decided, as you do, that the new baby really needed something handknitted.  So that had to get done, because you really can't ask a breathtakingly pregnant woman to hang on while you knit.  So I did that. 

And while I didn't manage a photo shoot, per se (because I was - literally - seaming and weaving in ends and sewing on buttons while sitting ringside watching Tess ride), I did get a few shots before I wrapped it up and handed it over.

And I was going to show you those shots (because honestly, it's the cutest little baby surprise jacket ever, due to an unexpectedly felicitous yarn shortage and subsequent switch halfway through).  But Blogger and iPhoto are refusing to talk, so that's not going to happen.  See?  Me and knitting photos are existing in a relationship that can be summed up by the word "thwart".

Because even after all that was done, and I thought I'd do a photo shoot of my new sweaters, I had a paper due to a journal last week.  And then when that was done, I needed to put together the presentation for my conference next week.  Because tomorrow I'm leaving for Ireland.

Ireland!

To present a paper (written with my dear friend and colleague Marie, she of the pussyhat survey) on the relationships among knitting, identity, and well-being.  How cool is that?

So do you know what I have to go figure out now?

That's right:  what sweaters am I packing, and what knitting projects do I need to bring?

When I get back:  photos of sweaters in the Irish countryside.  I promise.