Those of you who know me know the last couple of weeks have been the most difficult of my life; I've been hesitating about blogging again because I wasn't quite sure how to begin again but now I figure I'll just begin. Here we go!
First, some new creatures that have appeared in the Mighty Momogus National Nature Preserve (formerly known as "my backyard"). My dear dear cousin Beth found this on the wheel well of her car one day when she came to visit me. Gus christened him "Wheel". Here's Wheel:

He got a new home in our garden, where I hope he is feasting on the helicopter-sized mosquitoes in the backyard.
Then the other day I looked out my back door and saw this:

This gorgeous creature is a Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly. Look how you can see through his wings!! Man, nature's working
overtime!!
I also looked out my back door the other day and saw a hummingbird about 12" away from the door, hovering and facing me. I have never ever seen a hummingbird in my yard....ever! It seems like every time I look out the window I see something new and exotic!
Okay, now on to knitting. It's somewhat ironic that I saw the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly, because that very same day I happily tossed my Swallowtail Shawl (the neon orange one) in the trash. It reminded me of a bad time and I hated that yarn and you know, life's too short to waste on something you don't love. I was glad to see it go. I liked the pattern and will definitely start it over, but in a yarn I love this time.
Then I decided to start the Knitting Pure and Simple Cardigan, which is the
September/October Knit-Along at the
Tangled Web. I found some deliciously bilious greeny/brown Mission Falls 1824 Wool in my stash and plunged in. I knit and knit and knit along happily and contentedly. The sweater is knit top-down, and this afternoon I finished the hem ribbing (in a super-cool baby cable), bound it off and ran upstairs to try it on in front of the mirror. While I was pondering the sweater in the mirror, Matthew, who was watching tv upstairs, remarked on the stylish STRIPE above the ribbing.
STRIPE? STRIPE? Why, yes, lookee here:

Isn't that special?! There was
one freaking ball in a different dye lot and in my dimly-lit house I never noticed it. Even the cat noticed it!

Let me just say....
AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH..........(sound of me pounding head against wall)
Well, I shall unbind it and put it back on the needles and hurl the offending off-lot ball into the trash.
Finally, the New Phillies have inched themselves within 1.5 games of the wild card lead. Poor crazy Aaron Rowand crashed into Chase Utley last week and broke his ankle. My friend Lisa saw it! This is for you, L (don't stare at it too long!!):