I Need Some Focus!

Thanks so much for those nice birthday greetings for Isabella. She would thank you herself but has gone "down under" for the afternoon. That is, down under our bed where she can't be bothered, but will at least answer my inquiry as to whether she is ok with a feeble "mew."

Just like the weather, me, Mavis has been in a bit of flux here. I can't seem to find focus with anything I try to do. I'm hot and cold over my return to real estate. I thought I'd had enough of a "sabbatical" last year to put me back straight. Not so. Let me tell you there are some really really really bad agents out there. Rude, sloppy, out-of-line, uncommunicative ... and those are the ones that can speak at least pidgin English!

At nearly six years licensed, I am already a long-timer. My colleagues who are really old-timers and have been through fast and slow markets tell me that crappy agents will fall off as the market continues to slow and we will be back to a core group of solid agents that a) gives a rat's ass about a long-term reputation; and b) likewise gives a rat's ass about building relationships with other agents. I can only hope.

We had rain last night. Oh Momma, we needed it. We need more. Please! DH and I worked in the garden over the weekend and the soil was like powder. Nevertheless, stuff is popping up all over and every day there's a new delight as I welcome back a perennial I had forgotten. I almost always forget them which is cool to have a surprise, but annoying when I want to do some work before everything has emerged.

DH's outside kitty, Moms, is sooooo pregnant. He worried over her during the storms last night and then she didn't show for breakfast this morning. I'm just hoping she has retired to her nesting spot and is safe. We really have to consider trapping, spay and release after she weans her kittens. This is no life for her.

Remember my post about that cool catalog from Ram Wools? Well it turns out there was a specific reason why I suddenly received this catalog. You see, when my Secret Pal sent a note to reveal her identity, she also sent along a generous Gift Certificate to ... yes, you get it, RAM WOOLS! How cool is that?

My Secret Pal is a neat gal named Jan and I am looking forward to learing more about her. I must admit that I immediately starting going back through the catalog and dreaming of spending my loot, yet I still haven't made a final decision. I'm learning toward a pattern and yarn from Nashua Handknits. The "June Cardigan" has a v-neck and cabled edgings and cuffs. It is knit, appropriately, in "June" a 100% microfiber. Anyone know about it?

At first I was excited about the Tussah Silk, which is supposed to be harvested after the moths exit, but after the comments from The Bitter Knitter and VK, I'm not feeling so comfortable about it and won't go in that direction. I'm also liking the looks of their "Cilantro Stretch Cotton" (70% cotton, 30% acrylic). Though I love the feel of cotton, I'm not keen on knitting with it -- except that is, for the Manos del Uruguay "Cotton Stria". I'm also seeing lots of comments about Mission Falls 1824 Cotton, which was apparently discontinued and just brought back. Folks seem to LOVE it, and it looks to have that same crinkly texture of the Stria. Perhaps I should check it out too.

Back to the need to FOCUS ... remember that "Audrey" top in Calmer that I was so wacky about? Yes, it has been there on the sidebar with "Poised for Rip-Out" forever. Though the words are still there, that baby has been ripped. And, it was rewound and re-knit into the beginnings of Wendy's Generic Toe-up Sock Pattern ... and that is ready for ripping too. First, I don't think I got the short-row toe and heel quite right, and second, even though I went down a few needles sizes below the recommended, I'm still not happy with the gauge. So, I went looking for something else.

I finally settled on this "Aran Rose" from Interweave Knits, Spring 2006:

I dutifully swatched, going down one needle size since I tend to knit too loosely, but low and behold, gauge was off and I truly did need the recommended Size 7. Of course, my long size 7's are patiently waiting in the first sleeve of the Yankee Knitter Aran. I'm more than half way -- actually about 3/4 finished, so I'm going to force myself back to the sleeve before I start the new Aran. Isn't it cute?

I'm off to a monthly community meeting, followed by a check on a house, and then a visit to the office to pick up two offers that arrived this afternoon. Maybe the sleeve will wait a little longer.