Bulleted update

• School is not what I anticipated. UWLax totally rapes your brain and then sends you home with tons of salt (homework) to pour all over your fresh wounds. That whole syllabus thing that I was dreading? Yeah. Didn't happen. The professors seem to feel the same way about the syllabus. Barely five minutes were spent looking at the things, and then class was begun! Also? I've already had 3 tests. Wtf? So yeah, if you're wondering where I've been, I've been doing mountains of homework and required reading.



• Yarn, yarn and more yarn! The yarn for my Celtic Knot raglan arrived. The colours are deliciously subtle, and I'm glad since that was exactly what I was going for. More yarn came (god, like two weeks ago now) in the form of a half-surprise from the lovely Heather X; orgasmic discontinued Jaeger Chamonix in a soft grey, and some scrumptious Rowan Cotton Chenille (why did they discontinue this stuff?!). You should definitely be envious.
  
  On the "I bought even more yarn that I don't have time for anymore" front, I picked up a skein of Ornaghi Filati Merino Oro to make a lace shawl that may never get finished started for a friend's wedding in June. This stuff is delish, to be sure, but I almost had an aneurism trying to ball it up. The skeins come all wonky and folded so that you put it on the swift with a few strands out of place, and that way while you wind it rips, knots and makes you want to scream. I got so tired of spit splicing the crap at one point that I just started knotting it. I'll deal with it when I get there. I have NO idea how much yarn I lost to very nasty teeny knots that I had to rip out while screaming profanities and throwing the delicate strands across the room carefully cut away, but I'm hoping it wasn't more than a 100 yds. I do know that Mark had to leave for a bit because I was getting so excited, and he was afraid for his life. I'm truly torn on whether to recommend this yarn or not. I guess if you have infinite patience, then go for it. Otherwise just admire it and move onto something that's more nicely packaged.



• My needles finally arrived! (Yes Jackie, this means the addis are finally on their way to you.) I was able to get about an inch more done into my Irish Mock, but I still don't have a full pattern repeat done. For shame, I know. I finished one super-not-so-secret lace sock, and I was able to painfully complete a "quick" swatch for the celtic knots raglan. Yeah. Quick. There's nothing quick about it. No, don't try to knit fair isle on 2 double point needles using the cheater method. It's more tedious than pulling out a tooth with a spoon. Just buy a couple extra skeins and cast on a larger number and knit in the round. The results are prettier too, I promise.

Well, that's it. School, yarn, needles, a touch of knitting and tons of homework. What have you all been up to?