Lace and Focus

Focused knitting can be challenging right now, but I didn't consider that when I cast on my newest project.

Love Note.  Yes, I've made this before, but this time around it's for me.  
I finished the lace section last night, and I must admit I had to rip back a couple times.  Not the whole lace section . . . just a round here and there.  As so often happens with lace, I got off track but didn't discover it until the following round.  Unfortunately the mistakes weren't ones that I could fix on the go, so each mistake meant I had to rip out a couple hundred stitches.  Add to that the mohair factor, and yes, it was time consuming.  But worth it.

Now that I'm on the other side of the lace, I'm anticipating smooth sailing.  My mind wanders a lot these days.  I should know better than to set myself up for mistake-free knitting, but for the moment I'm holding on to that hope.

Today's pandemic survival tip comes from the kitchen.  I deeply miss my busy work life.  Once upon a time (before a full schedule of yarn production and travel), I did a lot of cooking and baking.  

During this compulsory downtime, I'm making an effort to explore new recipes and make some family favorites.  I'm not whipping up something new every day.  Realistic goals get me through the day, and most of the recipes are fairly simple and don't require hours in the kitchen.  We're keeping our grocery store runs to a minimum, so it's a good opportunity to be creative with whatever is on hand.

Tomorrow (Saturday) I'm hosting another Knitting Hangout, 2:00 - 4:00 Eastern.  It's not just knitting chatter - all crafts are welcome.  To get in on the fun, send an email:  info@dirtywaterdyeworks.com.  I'll send the link.  If you've participated in the past, you'll automatically get the link.

I made bagels this morning.  These are a family favorite.  This week's color inspiration . . . 

Fresh baked goodness.