Swatches, Swatches, Swatches!!!

I hate swatching. Which seems a bit odd, as I like designing, and designing requires a multitude of swatching. But I do. I always avoid it when I can, but that is rare, and getting rarer. It took me 4+ years to learn how to do it right! I still wonder if I do it right. I never used to wash and block my swatches. I do mean never. But I have learned (the hard way) that in designing, swatches MUST be washed and blocked. So now I wash and block my design swatches (if I intend to submit them somewhere. If it's just for family----maybe, but not likely). But I still don't wash and block if I'm following someone else's pattern. I know that's bad, but I like to think I'm conserving yarn that way.

All of that said, I have been swatching like crazy this week- to the neglect of all my WIP's. I have done maybe 6-8" on the 1st sleeve of the Celtic Icon. I should be done with it by now. I cast on one sock that I am thinking might be for me (we'll see)--I want to do it with the double knitting on dpns b/c it's one of those self-patterning yarns and I won't be putting in any texture. But I'm also doing it toe-up, so have to start them one at a time. (sorry, side-tracking again)

I have been swatching b/c a couple of different magazines/companies have sent out calls for submissions. I have sent out 3, and have 2 more I am swatching this weekend, as well as finishing a swatch for a design that I am working on for the Unique Sheep. It seems silly that 3 swatches have taken me most of the week, but one of them was a very large and difficult one that took me 3 days. Admittedly, that was not consistent knitting. I've not actually had a lot of knitting time lately.

It's been a busy week. One good thing that has happened this week is that I've lost a few pounds! I have finally reached my pre-pregnancy weight from my 2-yr-old's conception/birth. I am very happy about that! But would still like to lose a few more (not unusual, I know). That of course takes away from my knitting--but I figure it's a good trade. :-D

One cute story from this week:
At the grocery store, the kids and I saw a man stocking eggs. ES said (very excited!) "I saw chocolate eggs!!! He was putting away CHOCOLATE eggs!!" He had never seen brown eggs before. It was very cute. :-)