Yarn Along - The Mystery Knit-a-long

I would say "It's still Wednesday somewhere!", but geography ain't my strong suit and probably it's actually already Friday there...  

I really don't have time to be knitting anything right now, as anyone who's ordered a t-shirt can tell you as it's not showing up in their mailbox.  However, as anyone who's ever raised a bottle lamb or lambs in general can tell you...it's always something.  

Poor Liddy started acting punky the other day.  I knew something was wrong, but couldn't figure out what it was.  No temp, but she wasn't running and playing like she normally does and just looked like a lambie who didn't feel well.  I gave her a little banamine (like aspirin) and put her to bed, but by early morning she had a fever and was coughing, so the vet and I assumed she had a summer cold and started some antibiotics.

This morning, after I sat her back up from her morning shot (when I'm by myself, I sit her on her butt like she's being sheared), my hand came away with blood on it.  Not from the injection site, but from her lower right hip.  Huh???  Upon closer examination, she had a nasty abscess that had just burst. Back to the vet!

Of course, being sweet little Liddy, she hopped herself into the car, jumped up on the back seat and settled in for the ride over.  She hopped out, tootled into the vet's office, sat on my lap as we waited to be seen and charmed everyone in the waiting room.  

They said it looked like a fence nail prick.  I know my kitchen's a bit treacherous, but... We'll probably never know.  Hopefully now though she's finally really on the mend and will be feeling better very soon.  In the meantime, while she was needing extra momma time, I got to knit the entire first clue from the Hole and Sons Isle of Purbeck Mystery Knit-a-long.

I ended up choosing some Jacob yarn I'd spun during the Tour de Fleece last year.  This would have been a top choice from the beginning, but I didn't have enough yardage.  I finally decided that in the grand scheme of things I'd probably take forever to get through even that much yarn (if at all!) and if I did, I'd just spin some more, maybe a darker gray.  If I'd actually had enough yardage, I can tell you that I'd still be on row 8, not 58.  

The medium gray is some early Jester and the almost white is some very early, maybe lamb shearing, of Beanie Baby.  I love the little hint of gray mixed in. We'll see if I keep cooking along, but the pattern is fun and pretty and I'm excited about working on it.  And, stopping for a few minutes to knit some lace is a good exercise in focus...that I'm sorely lacking right now.

Isn't this pretty?  And those petunias?  They are all volunteers from last year!  I've never had so many seedlings come back up.  

Speaking of so many of something, if you live in an area with fireflies, chime in if you are seeing way more than normal this spring!  And if you haven't noticed, go outside tonight and find a grassy field.  I've stood outside for the last three nights and just been amazed at the thousands flying over the front field.  It's the most I can ever remember and I've enjoyed them tremendously.  Don't miss it!  

And just to make this as random and scattered of a post as possible, here is a close up of my brand new knitting needle.  I loved knitting with the Addi Natura needles I used for the Maisie sweater and treated myself.  The yarn started catching on the end...and I noticed a "perfect" little chomp mark.  As long as she's feeling better... ;-).

For my book this week, I'm listening to Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island and he actually mentions the Isle of Purbeck!  As are any of his books, hilarious :-).

Joining Ginny...