Summer Break and Other Myths

I am a college professor and every summer friends outside of academia ask me the same question: "What are you going to do with your summer off?" I know the people asking often mean well, but this question irritates me because my summer is not really "time off." Don't get me wrong, I'm not actually being paid to work or anything, but I still often put in 40-50 hour weeks on my research scrambling to catch up with all the things I put off while teaching. My summer work is usually more flexible (I can work from home in yoga pants and a t-shirt instead of dressing up to go on campus) and I really do enjoy it, but it's not like I'm sitting around knitting and watching tv all summer. I have been trying to spend more time on my knitting now that it's summer, and that means I've actually finished some projects! For example, I finally got my colorblock sweater done. I've done the pattern before, the Moss Block Cardigan by Jennifer Lori. It's an easy and fun pattern, and I had planned on making it for my youngest daughter. However, this is a 1 year size and she is now 2 1/2 years old, so not gonna work. I was able to give it my 9-month-old niece instead, so at least that worked out ok. The yarn is Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino that I bought cheaply from people on Ravelry, and it feels nice and soft for a baby. I felt bad that poor Iva never got to wear this, so I am currently working on another sweater for her, a Playful Stripes Cardigan. It is coming out quite nicely so far! I am knitting with odds and ends that people gave me, so this one will be "freebie." Kind of funny, when you consider how much I've spent on yarn lately, but I will get to those pretties soon enough. ;)