Woeful Wednesday

It hasn't been a good week so far.

I've tried three times to start the next knitting project, and every time I've ripped it out and started over.  It's especially annoying because I bought the yarn and the pattern together; according to the pattern, this is exactly the yarn I'm supposed to be using.  But I think there must be an error somewhere, because it is absolutely, physically impossible to get the specified gauge when I swatch with the specified needle size.  I had to go up from 5mm to 6.5mm needles to get gauge, and the knitted swatch was horrible  -  all loose and holey and it just will not do.  At all.  Maybe I'll write to the company and ask them about that.  Every other pattern I've used from this particular book worked beautifully even when I substituted different yarns.  It's a mystery.

Yesterday at work, we found out that a friend and former co-worker (at the company we all used to work for) had died that morning, after a long and painful battle with cancer.  It's just not fair!  He was quite a bit younger than I, had young children, and was about to be married again.  Yes, I know that bad things happen to good people ... and it hurts every time.

I can't seem to find the time, or the energy, to finish my sweater.  All the pieces have been blocked out, ready to put together ... and there they sit.  I don't know what it is  -  maybe that it's been cold and rainy and gloomy for what seems like forever  -  but lately, once I get home from work I don't want to do anything but just sit and vegetate.  I need some sunshine, dammit!