Day whatever of deer widowhood...who keeps count?

Marginal improvement is still improvement.  I got a load of clothes on the line and took one off.  It's still in the basket though because I haven't gotten around to folding and putting them away.  I'll take them down tomorrow as I really prefer to let them soften with the morning dew.  Last load got a bit or rain to help soften them last night.  Not too much though so they were dry this morning.  I wonder how long I can hang them out this winter.  I need to pick up one more indoor rack and then I'll be good for the winter.  I'm just not buying a new dryer or paying to get this one fixed.  It may be that it's just a lint buildup but I can't take it apart to find the lint.

I still haven't cleaned house this week.  I mean, we're not in danger of the health department kicking us out by any stretch of the imagination but it's not tidy and that bothers me.  I hope these past couple of days taking it easy will allow me to get it done before Tom comes home.  In time for me to enjoy it, too, though.

I managed to get some new projects started last night.  I found a crochet moccasin pattern in one of my old books so I started on that and got two soles done.  I also started a shawl from another old book that I had wanted to do many years ago.  It's a very plain pattern, single and double crochet with an almost filet look to it, but I love the opening which is like a V.  Most triangular shawls don't stay on my shoulders so this one looks like it will.  I'm using the brown Caron Eco that I got on sale a year or so ago.  So far it looks pretty good.  Then I managed to get some more knitted on the plain sweater.  I'll get some done on the poncho today.

I also did some work with my pencils.  It's not great but does make me feel a bit better about drawing again.  It's completely from my imagination so it's not that good and it's too symmetrical and uninteresting but the point is, I'm drawing again.  And that's what is important.  It's based on a tree in the backyard but the tree is a lot younger than the one in my picture.

I hope to keep to it.  One of my biggest problems is finding a subject matter to draw but I've decided to work on the themes for the month on John Howe's site.  Not to submit just yet but to use the ideas.  Next month is Night Wings, things that fly in the night.  I'm planning on taking it seriously as if I were going to submit something by researching and drawing different kinds of flying night creatures.  The artists there are incredible and I don't have the confidence to face their loving, gentle, but strict criticism just yet.

And someday I will get my paints or colored pencils or pastels out and work with them.  I do think pencils are my first love out of the various media though.

Off to cook up some supper and then many things to watch tonight.  I got season 2 of New Tricks from the library and the first season of A Touch of Frost again.  And much to knit and crochet.  It's good to be excited about knitting and crocheting again.

TTFN