I Can't Math

I've seen a lot of funny on the the internet, but one thing that really tickled my fancy was a picture of a restaurant receipt with I can't math  written on the line where the tip was supposed to be added. I can commiserate; I calculate tips by figuring ten percent, then splitting ten percent in half and adding that half to the whole, then haphazardly rounding up just in case. I can't estimate volume or height (if snow is up to my mid-shin, it is not two feet). With knitting, if I'm casting on a large number of stitches I have to place markers at carefully calculated intervals. And sometimes, I just don't think. Cases in point:

One of these socks is much tighter than the other, because the first one was 36 stitches, but the second one was 32. I thought 36 = 16 + 16 (I knit on circs, so everything is divided by two). One sock is 18 and 18,the other is 16 and 16. That's about an inch difference.36 stitches is just about too tight, 32 is like an ace bandage.

I've been trying to finish this sock for quite a while
now. I cannot get the toe to finish. This is the fourth attempt -- you can see how terribly awry it has gone. The funny part is, I stopped working in pattern for the toe, so as not to confuse myself.  So much for that.

On to happier things. Silk! 

This stuff sticks to my hands as if I were dipped in glue. Every tiny little flake of dry skin is a silk magnet. It's maddening!

Here is some unspun, wrapped around the mini niddy. It's so pretty and shiny, but it has big slubs in it, from the edges of the hanky, which are thick.

I gave up on knitting it unspun, and started spinning it. I haven't knitted anything with it yet, though I have pulled apart several layers of silk. That is very therapeutic, despite the sticking to hands.

I thought I'd measure up the clover honey shawlette, so I put it on two circs and spread it out best I could. I think once blocked, it would be about 4 feet across. I have a baseball-sized ball of yarn left, still, so I think I'll keep going. The bottom edge is the edge with the needle, and it is meant to be beaded. I have to find beads big enough to go over the wonder why alpaca. What color beads do you all think would be best? Should I go for wooden or acrylic?The grayish appearing yarn is actually a purply-gray.

And, despite having ... hold on, have to do maths here ... despite having five knitting WIPs and three spinning WIPs already started, I have cast on a fifth sixth project. I won't say what this is, except that it is baby apparel. It's on Knit Picks yarn, fingering or something like it. And it looks ribbed, but it's not really -- it's k2 p2 one row, then k (on the wrong side) next row, alternating back and forth. It makes a very pleasing sort of rolling ribbing.

I leave you with a spring harbinger (snowdrops or crocus?) and a post-dental surgery cat:

 

Edgar Allen Poe Cat had 6 teeth pulled, among other horrors. He might have bone cancer, or he might just have a severe infection. I really hope it's the infection. He was still stoned from the surgery in this photo, and couldn't quite control his tongue. He is on a rather expensive diet of canned food only, into which I mix crushed dry cat food, and antibiotics. If he loses weight, I'll have to give him tuna and canned chicken.

The things we do for our pets, eh?

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!