Knitting, Reading, Babying

Today is another Unraveled Wednesday, so it's time to show you what is going on with me as far as reading and knitting.  The "babying" part of this is my effort to not do too much knitting at all until my arthritis flareup has disappeared.  It's much better than it was, and if I can just knit a bit and then put it down for a while, it should be fine.   I just have to keep reminding myself so I don't get carried away!

Over the weekend, I started this book:

So far, I'm enjoying it.  There have been a couple of times when it's made me laugh out loud, and these days especially, that feels good.  I hope it will continue to be a good read - it aggravates me how so many books are good at the start and then suddenly it seems like the editor feel asleep.

During the past year or so, I've been usually only working on two knitting projects at a time, and that has been a good practice.  But currently I have three things going: my Scattered Wishes Shawl, my Social Security Number Socks, and these:

The Scattered Wishes Shawl does not look much different than the last time I showed it.  I got to the lace border, and was going along *very* slowly when I realized I'd made a huge mistake.  So I ripped back the 6 rows and will be starting over.  Not a big deal, but since it requires concentration, I just haven't picked it up in the past week after ripping out.  The lace also requires some needle maneuvers that I think are probably better done when my hand is in better physical condition, so it may be another week or so until I try again.

I finished the first one of my Social Security Number Socks, and have just finished knitting the gusset of the second one.  I switched around a couple of the colors, so they will match but not match once finished.  Which pleases me.

You saw the yarn above in last week's post, wound into a skein ready to knit.  This is the very beginning of the first sock of a pair.  I'm using the Solar pattern, which is easily memorized, and so far seems to be a happy match for this yarn.  Incidentally, the project bag is one of Mrs. Brown's Bags, but I got it as part of a combo from Yarn Ink - it was the July Bag + Yarn Club choice (and we nowhere near as expensive as the June choice on the website!).  I've always like the bags, and had hoped to get one, but the shipping was just too much for me.  This offer of the yarn and bag together was a better deal, and I'm glad I went for it.  The bag pattern is made from a print of this yarn knit up into a large stockinette swatch - how cool is that?

I'm making slow progress on each project, and haven't yet started the swatch I mentioned doing in the other yarn shown in last week's post.  Mainly because I hate making swatches for knitting in the round, but I'll get to it soon because I really do want to knit the item.  

On an unrelated note, we had a Customer Service workshop at work yesterday, and here is an actual exchange that happened at the beginning:

Instructor:  The most important thing to remember is that you should smile.

Attendee:  Are you saying this to men who are in these workshops as well?

Instructor:  Well, we are telling them to look approachable.

Attendee:  By smiling?

Instructor (big sigh): It's a well-known fact that people like to see women smiling, whereas it's fine for men to look approachable and serious.

SHE ACTUALLY SAID THAT.  

And .... OK, I'll admit the "Attendee" was yours truly.   But ... but ... GRRRR.