WHAT was I thinking?!

Last night I stayed up to finish reading Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt. This is a historical fiction novel set in the 1860s during the American Civil War.

I am not usually attracted to books of this type. I bought it for the fourth grade history class I'll be teaching this fall. The resource that recommended the book as part of the civil war curriculum indicates that the book is written on a level that is likely to be difficult for fourth graders. It further directs that the parent should read the book with the student. So I thought I'd prepare myself for the task.

Wow. Excellent, compelling story. I have a headache this morning from staying up till 3 a.m. reading and from balling my eyes out every other chapter.

How in the world will I get through this with a 9 1/2 year old? And think, there are six more books on the fourth grade civil war reading list.

With all that, I did get a little knitting done. The second sleeve to the Quipper sweater is about half done length wise now. The rows are increasing in stitches so the work is less than half done, but I'll round that corner today.

And, along with the "WHAT was I thinking?!" theme today, I have been fighting an urge for the last couple of months. The baseball sock I have been knitting on occasion was a little tight when I tried it on. The heel flap is almost done on the first sock. I decided to quit this project and find another use for the yarn. I came to this decision while reading Maggie Righetti's Sweater Design in Plain English.

In one section she talks about asking the yarn what it wants to be. (Never fear, my dear non-knitters, it is not New Age, it is a metaphor!) My mind immediately jumped to this uninspiring project that has been dragging on for months. I should have 'consulted the yarn' (knitted some sample swatches to see how the yarn behaved with various stitch patterns) to see what it wanted to be. Now I know it would not like to be a ribbed sock. There is not much loft or resilience to this particular sock yarn. This is something it has in common with the cotton I'm using for the Quipper's sweater. My fingers are longing for the worsted wool I bought for the sweater I'll make for my son. Before I start again with this navy blue sock yarn I'll find a patters that uses some ribs and some lace for the socks. Maybe this fall? I have too many exciting sweater projects in line first.