There seems to be a lot less going on around here lately. Has everyone run off to Ravelry? :-)

I haven't -I guess everyone is just busy with all that stuff you can't do in the winter.

This time of the year there always seems to be a drop off as everyone is outside, traveling, or just busy with other things.

Since I am on Raverly as well it is rather dull there too.

I am knitting a lot though as it is my summer vacation. Or I should say when we are not working on putting a foundation under the old part of our house----UGH remodeling is not my favorite thing to do!

Hi Ladies
I have been busy wrapping thing up at work. In July I am stepping down from my full time position to very part time and trying to get the office staff all situated so they won't have to rely on me so much.
I have many things planned for this summer and knitting is at the top! As KnitSki said, this is the time of the year that forum's seem to slow down, and I have seen the same on Ravelry. Also other non knitting groups I belong to also go through this lull every year as well.
As for my BASICS work, I have been stuck on 2, not stuck in not knowing what to do, but stuck in not having time. I had a couple of gifts to get finished before I could get the rest of 2 done.
Hope everyone is well and enjoying spring. We have had some of the nicest weather here in west Michigan, I can't remember when the spring time has been so nice.

Ed

You've been fortunate, Ed. Where I am, we have had perhaps three days this year where the temperature has been above 62. It's June and I still have the windows closed (and I'm shivering cold when I get up in the morning).

This noon a dump truck deposited six yards of garden dirt in a bed across the front of our lot. I have spent most of the afternoon spreading it out and moving the edge beams into place to have a five foot by thirty foot raised veggie bed instead of the usual crop for the area, bind weed, crab grass and thistles. I wished I had some five year olds and some tonka trucks to share the fun. Tomorrow I am installing soaker hose and planting carrots and winter squash. Talk about a full body workout, moving that much dirt involves every part of your body.
Anyway, between that and moving my office to a better location in the building I ache too much to knit more than the usual ubiquitous socks.
Oh, Knitski, I spent three summers in my mid teens under a cabin with a house jack replacing a foundation (The cabin had been picked up by the wind and moved ten feet down hill) on a good weekend we got it up another four inches. You really have my sympathy.

Remodelling is only tolerable if you can afford to live somewhere else, preferably far away, while it is being done. Now that would involve having someone else trustworthy to supervise so the whole idea is way out of my range. Anyway the last time we remodeled I told the DH that I wanted to go home and he pointed out that I was at home. I'll stick to knitting and wish you the best of luck, Knitski I'll stick to knitting.

Spring is my busy season at work--not much knitting happening.

Planning to get up to Maine for a few days at the end of the month.

The foundation project is not to bad for me as I was watching a bike race yesterday in the park! it is just a small section and it is now jacked up. DH is doing it all and will start digging out the foundation area for the footers.

I am working on two sweaters and one I really need to get done and off the needles! I am a great procrastinator!

Dances your project sounds like fun since it involves a garden!!!

The dirt in our yard is laced with rocks from orange to watermellon sized. It is heavy clay and will eat any amount of organic material you try to put in without changing its basic nature at all. Removing it and replacing it with properly amended garden dirt is the least expensive way to get a garden moving in the right direction in less than fifteen years.
DH has been planning this for months, Watching him maneuver railroad ties into place from an electric wheelchair is an education in ergonomics. One thing he learned the hard way: Take the prosthetics off first. They just get in the way.
I have ripped the current socks three times trying to get a pattern I like.

Between Nancy's foudation and Dances new garden, I'm exhausted just envisioning it!
My garden is doing alright despite getting nipped by some frost about 3 weeks ago. I covered my plants during the night, but took them off as I was leaving for work in the morning, and I guess the air was still too cold and the tops of my tomato plants got nipped. But they have recovered nicely.
Hope that everyone has a safe summer!

Hi, everyone! Guess most of us are "otherwise occupied". I just got back from vacation - visited Australia, New Zealand and Fiji and yes, I did bring back some yarn! Now I have to catch up with my garden and my family (not necessarily in that order!) and field messages left for us - e-mail, calls, snail mail. Knitting and related activities will take a back seat for a few days, but just wait! To quote the gov: I'll be back!
Strikker

You're going to give us a full report, aren't you? I want to hear about wool, sheep, yarn, Ashford--you know, all the standard tourist things.:-)

Yes do tell about the yarn. DH just did a mammoth wash and I got all my socks paired up and in the drawer (he washes, I fold) I now have more socks than I can wear in a week. I can weed out the ones on the edge of sanctity (Holy), the baggies,
and the too shorts so that I can still knit myself new ones.
We had a huge hailstorm yesterday and I hope that my tomatoes survived.

Dances,
Sounds like the Sunday socks my hubby wears.

I suspect if I ever got the chance to go to Australia, I might never return. But then again, I would probably miss home. I'm sure the cost of whatever I would buy there would be the biggest part of my vacation budget. Hmmm, a thousand or so for airfare, a couple hundred for food (hubby likes to eat), and a few thousand for yarn and wool. Yep, that should do it!