Kitty Antics

So, here I sit, trying to decide what the heck to write about today. The sad state of this nation's political affairs? Global warming (it is awfully warm for January), my inability to finish knitting projects?

How about kitty stories?!

Emma is now about six months old and is developing quite the personality. She loves to play fetch and will bring back her toys to me after I throw them. This provides hours of fun and distracts me from getting to the job at hand, like writing the business plan for the yarn shop or knitting the Fair Isle sleeve from hell. She also loves carrying her little mice around and if I'm cooking, she'll drop a mouse right on my foot, indicating that she wants to play. She also loves putting her mice in in things, like the trashcan, and will very carefully place them there. Then she'll walk away, only to return a few minutes later to root around in the trashcan to perform a mouse extraction. And then there's the variation of "drop the mouse on the foot," which involves her sneaking up on me as I'm working at the computer and climbing my back to deposit the mouse on my shoulder. While this game is endearing, it's not going to be so much fun when she's fully grown.

We're thinking she needs another cat. I think a trip to the shelter is in my future.

Of Dearly Departed Irons
On Monday, Sheepish Annie very eloquently wrote about the demise of her beloved ancient iron, which had been with her since her college days. A couple of days later, I plugged in my iron, and after the requisite number of minutes had elapsed for preheating, I commenced ironing. After a few passes with the iron, I realized something was amiss. I felt the fabric; it was hot. But the iron was not gliding like it should have. I checked the soleplate; it wasn't gunked up with melted fabric. I kept ironing but the job became harder and harder. It was then it hit me. My iron was dead! Hallelujah! Drat! Now I'm forced to get a new iron, maybe this one. Visions of effortless ironing and steam beyond compare danced through my head. So what if it's expensive? Quality and effortless ironing (and blocking!) are worth it! Then a little voice in my head whispered "Maybe you should try plugging the iron into another outlet." I did, and lo and behold, the iron worked. It was the outlet (which is 100 years old) that died. Oh well...I hope our house doesn't burn down now.

Knitting Update
Have I distracted you from the lack of knitting? Before I started writing this morning, I pulled out the camera to take pictures, but alas, the batteries were dead. They are charging even as I type. So, pictures tomorrow.

I successfully completed two rows on the Fair Isle sleeve from hell. The next row is an increase row, within the Fair Isle pattern. So that stopped me dead. Now I have to figure out how to maintain the pattern over increases. Someone shoot me now, okay?

Fortunately, I seem to have gotten into the flow on the Jenna sweater and other than it being fiddly, the knitting is progressing more quickly now. If I look at it as groups of 20 to 40 rows, it's not nearly as overwhelming as the total number of rows. But it's still going to take a long time.

And that why I chuckled with glee to read my horoscope for today:

Finishing up all your errands isn't important today -- starting new projects is.

Hee hee! I have official permission to start another project and ignore temporarily set aside my existing projects. What shall I start? A sexy little lace number? Another pair of socks? A new roving for spinning?

Tune in tomorrow to find out!