Gah! A Whine Warning has been issued for this area.

Whine #1: What continues to amaze me is how soon I forget how lonely and interminable the time on sleeve island can be. I have spent at least 6 hours on this sweater since the blocked front and back were ready and this is all the progress I can report. Two and a half hours spent at the knit night Tuesday got me nearly finished with the turtle neck. The other 3 and a half has yielded two side seams and about 4 inches of sleeve.

It wouldn't be so bad if the knitting was pretty but this yarn relaxes significantly when washed and blocked and right now, the sleeve and turtleneck look so -grrr- tight and scrunched. What is more, the simple 2x2 ribbing seems like it should be mindless t.v. watching kind of knitting but the decreases on the sleeves requires just enough concentration to make it tense knitting instead.

On a positive note, I'm really liking this sweater so far and think it is going to fit like a dream when done (fingers crossed), so I'll just keep trudging through this ribby wasteland to the promised land.

Whine #2: I was disgusted with the final results of Project Runway last season. Jeffery did not win my vote as the best designer and I was tempted to swear off the show forever. However, a new year brought renewed hope that maybe my design sensibilities were not quite so far off from the beaten path and that this season's shows would prove to be more in line with my expectations (translation: addiction won out). However, when they kicked Kevin off the show last night . . . . Arrrrgh! I really liked his skills and abilities throughout the season so far. He'd always done well and his dress, though a bit conservative, was well made. Christian had been in the bottom two before and his dress last night was hideous.

Honestly, I think Christian was kept because he is just more . . . shall we say "interesting" than Kevin. While Kevin has clean, tailored and tasteful designs, Christian is all over the place with frou frou and fol de rol. He may be more avant-garde but I'm sure he was kept for the controversy factor, rather than his design ability.

Gah - I'll hate it but I'm sure I'll be watching it again next week.

Whine #3: The vet called yesterday and talked with Hockeyman. When told that Harley is active, playful and climbing all over the place, HM was told to keep Harley from jumping off the bed and other high surface. My response: HOW!?! This kitten is a maniac and there is not a room in the house that does not have a higher surface that he won't jump onto and off of. We have confined him to our bedroom and master bath area for the week long recovery period but just how do you keep an active animal down who insists on jumping? Doh!

Whine #4: Given Koda's absolute and unremitting hatred of all things veterinary, we are back to square one with the relationship between the two cats. Harley's odor when he returned from the vet has relegated him to the realm of "unclean leper" in her eyes and she's violently. vehemently and most vocally opposed to his presence in the house - again. Meh!

Well, now that I've purged my whines, perhaps I can approach the day with a bit more joie de vie.

Or I need to cast on another project . . .