Blueberries and yarn.

You can tell that universities are starting up again. I'm busy, my friends are busy, blogs are a little slower, and my city's population has just doubled. I'm so busy, in fact, that I haven't been doing much knitting. I've started a hat for a friend's kid; but hats-in-progess make lousy blog fodder, so no pictures yet. I've still not started my grandmother's shawl, and this is partly because I screwed up the crochet cast on for the Sea and Shell (apparently there is a tv show I can't knit through, and that tv show is House) and haven't picked it back up again. I'm also not entirely sold on the lovely Sea and Shell stole. It's beautiful, but it hasn't really grabbed me. I'm an admittedly fickle knitter. I tend to see something I must have, buy the yarn and needles within a few days (budget permitting), and make it. I'm usually inspired by a pattern, and being inspired by the yarn is a frustratingly slow process so far. I want to start yesterday now and I can't bring myself to do it because I'm not 100% sure about the pattern. This may call for a page from Grumperina's book and some library-pattern-book reconnisance. Or, I could just keep working on the Jamesey (remember that?). I've hit a little snag though. Here's what the pattern says about using substitute yarn: This pattern is written assuming that the yarn will be unmercerized cotton, and that the length will shrink about 15%. It will work in any worsted weight yarn, if the lower body, armholes, and sleeves are all made 15% shorter. My question is: why wouldn't I also make the upper front/chest 15% shorter? If I don't decrease the size of this section, will it be out of proportion? Oh, and I was inspired by Jane's post about her camera to take a picture of something nice I saw today. Blueberries are one of the few thing that make the summer -- and all of the sweating, frizzy hair, heat, and clothes I don't like (bring on the sweaters, baby) -- worth it.