is it the weekend yet?

This week seems to be moving at a snail's pace for some reason. I can't explain why. Maybe it's a case of the winter blahs. All the snow outside isn't fun anymore, and most of it has melted down to slush and iced back over so that the daily walk to school means risking a broken bone or worse. I fell twice the other day while chipping ice off the driveway, but other than a bruised hand and a twinge of embarrassment, I'm okay.

I've also been a bit out of sorts the last few weeks, feeling unhappy that my professional life isn't really going anywhere, yet unable to do anything about it because the needs of my family restrict my ability to look for paid work other than freelancing. Freelancing is not always reliable work by any means, and it's not like I'm going to ignore my husband and children for my own selfish desire for professional fulfillment. So for now I'm just kind of stuck.

Thank goodness for knitting, I tell you. I can do that just about any time! And while the blog has been kind of quiet of late, my knitting needles have been quite busy. I'm working on a couple of big projects, so progress feels slow. One of them is another test knit for Thea Coleman, and I hope she doesn't mind if I show a little hint of it here:

It's obviously a sweater, but I left the most exciting part of it out of the photo, so I don't think I've revealed too much. I think the pattern should be released in a few weeks, and it's a nice one!

Next is Macallan, another design by Thea Coleman. This was published in Brooklyn Tweed Wool People 4, and I had to have it. Plus, I had exactly the right amount of appropriate yarn in my stash. I love this design, with cables galore on the back, and fun pockets on the front. I'm not normally drawn to vests, but I couldn't resist this one.

The color in that photo is terrible. It's actually a dark espresso brown color, and the wool is produced locally at Blackberry Ridge. Once I finish that test knit, I can finally get back to this!