Knitting and house distress

The pleasant things first. I've nearly finished a great book by Adrienne Martini called Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously. I can't remember where I saw it recced, but it's fun. A woman right around my age gives herself a year to knit a beautiful but challenging Alice Starmore Fair Isle sweater and she blends in a lot about herself, other knitters and the knitting community. As someone who's been involved in that community since the late 90s, it's great fun to read. And she mentions some other books that look intriguing I'll need to get through interlibrary loan. Below the cut are two pics, one of the very beautiful but tedious thistle cardigan (and my process with it reminds me a lot of Adrienne's with her fair isle) because I have made some progress, and the second is the beginnings of my Girl Friday cardigan, my newest project. The color's a little off, unfortunately.

( sweater piccies )

( house woes )

edit: I sound pretty whiny. I should be grateful for indoor plumbing at all and that I haven't been in an earthquake or tsunami.