Students where I live still have another month of school. But many of the xanga students are in the throes of final exams, end-of-term papers, and general year's end upheaval. To all of you: courage!

I had a productive weekend. Among other things, I completed the first sleeve of the T-shirt. This puts me in the home stretch for sure. I spent all that decreasing time reading a few of the knitting blogs.

DogsStealYarn has suggested a plot. We should all make bright socks in fancy stitches for our menfolks (because, in case it is not obvious to you, it is so dull to knit plain gray socks for them), and then -- here is the clever bit -- compliment them. En masse.  If we only compliment our own fellas, they will not believe it. They will think we are nuts. But if we all make an effort to compliment every man we see wearing jazzy socks, it will become widely believed that women go gaga over guys in snazzy socks, and we will never have to knit an enormous plain gray sock again. I think this idea has merit.

Colors are important, after all. Yesterday, at the church plant sale and brunch, I bought quite a lot of daylilies. The main reason I did this (aside from the fact that it was for a good cause and I like daylilies) was the labeling of the colors: "Orange," "Not Orange," and "Salmony-Yellow." As color names go, these may not be the most evocative, but you can see why I found them irresistible, can't you? I got some of each and planted them along the back wall. I get some points here, by the way, because I dislike plantings along walls, but the guys who mow the lawn feel strongly against nice curved beds. And probably won't wear bright-colored socks.

NotSoSwift has been a bit intense about knitting blogs. She's always interesting to read, even though I'm not inclined to that level of intensity myself (at least not over knitting) -- but she does have some points about knitting books that resonate with me a bit. A lot of recent knitting books seem to be mostly telling folks how to make rectangles with expensive yarn.

There is a natural limit to how much of that anyone needs. So, still wanting to ride the knitting bandwagon without actual effort, publishers are bringing out knitting novels.Novels, that is, that center on knitting. I have ordered one, called Knit One, Kill Two, on the grounds that I can always read another mystery novel. But I am suspicious.

I read a lot of novels from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and there is usually quite a bit of knitting in them. This is true for the same reason that there tends to be a lot of eating, walking, talking, and gardening in these novels -- it was a normal part of people's lives. When Edmund Crispin has Fen's wife knit placidly while they trade allusions to Restoration drama, it is not a gimick. It is just because she's a woman, so what the heck else would she be doing? Smoking a pipe? But the current crop of knitting novels -- and publishers are announcing a whole bunch of them for the summer -- really seem insincere.

The Knitting Curmudgeon has some intriguing things to say about the American character. It's right under the picture of the variegated Red Heart yarn. I don't agree, but I thought it was an interesting take on the drive for mediocrity which does seem to be characteristic of our age. We really see this in education. However, I don't think that a largely government-sponsored movement toward the least common denominator will have much effect on individuals, any more than the Kennedy-era focus on "the best and the brightest" did. I may see this more as a government issue because of my work, but I know that I am still surrounded by ordinary people doing creative and excellent things, probably in the same proportions as always. Still, if you want some spice for your morning coffee, check it out.

This week is filled with errands, appointments, and meetings. My heart sinks a little at the thought. I had better get going.

Feebeeglee hooked me with up with these pictures of Ms. Rice. She is apparently responding to those excessively short skirts.

Yesterday, #2 son and I went to the farmers market and bought plants (also bread and salad greens and farm-fresh eggs). We got to see some friends and have a bit of a walk and revel in the beauty of the day. This picture is from last year's market -- we didn't take any snaps yesterday -- but this is what it looks like. Fewer vegetables and more plants at this time of year, of course. We all stroll around the square filling up our bags, talking with our neighbors about the news of the day and admiring one another's kids and dogs and purchases. What could be nicer?

When we got home, the others helped with the planting, and we installed the strawberry netting. As we were out there, the first rose of the season unfurled -- a Joseph's Coat -- and the heady scents of thyme and lavender and melissa made the work particularly pleasant. My husband whittled pegs from fallen wood to hold down the netting, which we supported with tomato cages -- I always find it so impressive that he can do things like that. I picked some of the herbs for a pot of lentil soup, which we ate with crusty bread from the market.

With the housework and errands and gardening finished, I moved on to my knitting. The boys went to their friends' houses and some of their friends came over here, too, and I got to talk with both of my daughters, thanks to the wonders of modern technology.

Sometimes, on a very ordinary day like that, I feel so grateful for the sheer ordinariness of the day.

The front of the T-shirt is finished. Zebra with hat, monkey with turban, flower? It is not as clear as I had hoped, I must admit, but I still like it. I have taken the picture at a bit of an angle here, so you have to tilt your head slightly to see it properly.

I don't like the bind-offs at the shoulders and neckline of this pattern. If I make another, I will smooth them out. I think I will also forego KnitPro and use a pattern charted by a human, preferably an artist. It was a fun experiment, though, and I think I will continue to practice with it.

And here is the beginning of the sleeve. I did make an effort to set up my knitting area better yesterday, following Nona's example. I brought out some measuring implements and my tin of pins, a glass of iced tea, and my book (Quentins) for Book Club. I had a dog at my feet. Does that count? I even -- since the new roses are beginning to bloom now -- got out the last of last year's dried roses and made a spring potpourri. I can't say that the knitting experience felt any different from my usual pull-it-out-of-the-basket approach. However, it is always good to try new things. Even little new things like that. You never know.