Flipped Cars and Yarn

Eleganza Yarns has an annual "step-down sale" on New Year's Eve, where if you arrive between 6 and 7 a.m. you receive 40% off; between 7 and 8 a.m., 30% off; and so on. I woke my ass up at 5 in the morning, and got in the car by 5:30. There was a bit of patchy fog, and the wet pavement and low temps told me to be cautious on bridges. Basically, "just don't drive like an asshole and you'll be fine" sort of conditions. But apparently everyone here drives like an asshole, as was evidenced by the insane amount of accidents. I must have passed 4 or 5- and we're not talking fender-benders. Cars smashed to bits, flipped upside down... it was crazy. About a mile from my exit, there was a three car accident that blocked traffic for miles. I sat for 45 minutes at a dead stop. As I sat in my car, watching the minutes tick by, I grew more and more frustrated. I was going to miss my 40% window because some douchebag can't figure out that wet roads + below freezing = icy roads. Gaaaahhh!

Once the traffic started moving, I got to Eleganza in just 10 minutes. Hooray for green lights. Miraculously, I managed to arrive before 7! Yay! And here's what I got:

Tofutsies! Because who doesn't need more sock yarn?

And more sock yarn...

Then I got enough Jo Sharp Silk Road for a sweater

Can't forget the Manos del Uruguay

And as I was waiting in line, I spied some Skacel Laceweight Merino

It's navy (not black) and one day I will tackle one of those awesome super-challenging shawls. One day...

And lastly, I have a finished object! I made a pair of Knucks for a friend, and they were handed over this weekend. They turned out well, but I can't embroider so they lack the awesome lettering. Plus I'm lazy.

I'm halfway through the first sock of a pair that I owe my step-mother-in-law, then I have another pair for my brother lined up. After that I plan on knitting something for myself!

Yay, Christmas!

Firstly, all the knitted gifts were well received (and fit!) which was a HUGE relief. After reading some horror stories on Ravelry, I was preparing for the worst. But everyone seemed pretty happy! Yay!

And I gots me some goodies! From my loving husband: a ball winder and swift!

And tried them out right away with some Noro. The ball on the left is the one I wound with my nostepinne, and the one on the right was done on the ball winder.

There isn't a huge difference in size, but the time it took was drastically different: the ball winder took just a few minutes, while the nostepinne took two hours. That's a lot of knitting time that will be saved!

My in-laws were kind enough to send a monetary gift, which was split evenly between the hubby and I. Scott got a helmet camera and some gloves. Boring! I got a swanky Golding spindle (the Kingwood) and some really awesome roving from Loop on Etsy. I got the Earth Mother colorway, but Chocolate Liqueur was a close second (someday...). I spun up a little bit as soon as I had the chance. Please refrain from making fun of my inability to spin, I know I still suck.

My pictures really don't do the roving justice-it is beyond beautiful. As for the spindle, I'm not good enough at spinning to really know how great it is. But I can say it is better than the old one- there is a marked difference in the way it feels as it spins. Hopefully one day I'll know more about spinning to tell you more.

I also bought two pounds of alpaca from Spunky Eclectic, but it won't ship until Monday. :( More updates then!

Non-Knitty: Diva Cup Review

Disclaimer: The following review contains much TMI. You are warned.

A while back, my brother's girlfriend wrote a review of the Diva Cup in her blog, spurring me to try it out. I loved it so much, I wanted to do the same; hopefully introducing another woman to the magic that is the Diva Cup.

If you've never heard of it, the Diva Cup is a menstrual cup. Inserted in the vagina, it collects the menstrual flow, and gets emptied (typically) twice a day. If you're completely grossed out, bear with me. It's not as icky as you think. The big advantages it has over tampons are:

1. It doesn't suck all the moisture out of your vagina (which would throw your pH out of whack and leave you susceptible to things like Toxic Shock Syndrome).

2. You only have to take it out every 12 hours. No more hauling around pads and/or tampons and scrambling to find decent public restrooms.

First, let's dispel a quick myth. You have likely been brainwashed by countless Summer's Eve commercials into believing your vagina/period is dirty. In reality, your mouth is filled with way more bacteria, yet you don't think twice about sticking your fingers in there, do you? If you use the Diva Cup, you are going to come into contact with your period. Wash your hands. Problem solved.

Okay. On to the review! Obviously, I loved it. I found mine at an organic grocery store, and also bought the Diva Wash for it. The cup is about $30, which seems spendy at first, until you realize that if you go through a $5 box of tampons each period, it pays for itself in 6 months. When my period came about a week later, I was eager to try it out.

I inserted it the morning before I went to work. One of the great things about the Diva Cup is that you can put it in before your period even starts, unlike tampons. It hangs out kinda low in your vagina, but you can't feel it. I was really paranoid that it was going to leak, so I used a pad too. At work, I must have ran to the bathroom five or six times, convinced it was going to leak. It didn't.

That evening, I took it out at home, emptied it, washed it with the Diva Wash, and stuck it back in. No problems.

Now, on the second day I did have some issues, but they were my own fault. When I reinserted the cup in the morning, I could feel it. That should have been a big clue that I had put it in wrong. It leaked until I got to work, where I reinserted it. After that, I had a teeny bit of spotting, which I believe was due to a small amount of menstrual fluid that was below the "seal" when it was reinserted. That happened a few times after emptying it, but nothing a pantyliner couldn't handle. The third, fourth and fifth days of my period went off without a hitch.

There are a lot of questions that I felt the website didn't answer in a super specific way (probably to avoid sounding icky), so here's what I found:

-I got some blood on my fingers. Not much, but I did. Have you ever accidentally soaked through a tampon, then got a bit of blood on your fingers from the string? It was like that. Amazingly, it washed off!

-It doesn't smell. The "period" smell you're probably familiar with comes from menstrual blood oxidizing on a pad. A healthy vagina and menstrual fluid do not smell- if they do, there is something askew and you need to talk to your doctor.

-During a typical period, I went through a regular tampon every four hours or so during the heaviest part of my cycle. With the Diva Cup, I filled it halfway or less (1/4 - 1/2 ounce) every 12 hours in the same part of the cycle. So even if your cycle is pretty heavy, you should still be okay.

-I couldn't poo with it in. The website says you can, but I was seriously afraid of "pooping it out" since that's how you get the Diva Cup out- you bear down on your abdominal muscles. But I prefer to go #2 at home anyway, so for me it wasn't a big issue.

-It never once spilled while taking it out. And I am a completely uncoordinated clod. Although, it was always only half full or less, which probably helped.

-My favorite part? Having something to use at night that won't leak! Before I would have to use a tampon and an extra huge pad at night, in order to avoid changing the sheets. Ugh, I hated sleeping in a huge, bunchy pad! But no more, thanks to the Diva Cup!

The Diva Cup is pretty great. Try it, and you won't be disappointed! After using it for just one cycle, I can't imagine going back to anything else. If you are interested, you can order one from the website, or look for one around town. You'll probably have better luck locating one in a college town, or places that cater to the organic and vegetarian crowds- since another advantage of switching to the Diva Cup is reducing the amount of trash you produce. So help save the planet, save some $$, and go get a Diva Cup!

Yeah, It's Been a While...

I know. I suck. It's been almost a month since the last post. But I bet this past month has been craptastically busy for everyone, and that none of my four readers even noticed. Hopefully the good people at the Knitting Blogring didn't notice either...

Anyhoo. The Year of the Knitted Gift has nearly come to an end! All the knitties have been sent off, except for two- a pair of socks for my step-mother-in-law, and a pair of socks for my brother. Foot measurements are needed for both of these folks, and they have received IOUs. Also waiting to be finished: a pair of Knucks for my husband's friend. He was warned in advance that he would have to get in line behind all the Christmas knitting, and so far I've finished seven fingers, both thumbs, and joined the fingers on one hand. Here is the list of completed knitted gifts (now that they have been received and/or the recipients won't likely read this before seeing them):

Matching hat and scarf for FIL
Shawl for my sister
Hat and wristwarmers for BIL
Sweater for other BIL
Washclothes for SIL (sent with pretty soaps)

I had pictures of the BIL sweater, but they have disappeared. I learned that I don't completely suck at seaming, but I hate it like poison. I tried to find Wool Ease Worsted in the same color (the sweater was knit with Wool Ease Chunky) for the seams, in order to keep the bulkiness to a minimum, but couldn't locate any. Although it turned out okay, I think- the only bulky parts were the armpits where there were about a thousand ends to weave in.

Remember that lovely cabled wrap? It still looks exactly the same, and it will not likely advance for some time. The mojo has just been sucked right out of me. Never again will I knit more than one gift per year. It's just too much piled onto a time of year already rife with stress.

I didn't even take new pictures because frankly, I was tired. All I wanted to do was get it all into a box and ship it hundreds of miles from here. Once that was done, it felt sooo good.

Adding to the stress was the fact that work finally picked up in a major way. We got a shipment of supplies a couple weeks ago (our customers ship us the supplies we need so we're at their mercy), and suddenly it's all about overtime and trying to make up for lost time by the end of the year. Ugh. But my company let everyone go home early on Friday, we have Monday and Tuesday off, and the rest of the week will be a bit lazy-daisy since most of the company has taken those three days off. From here on out it should be more relaxed, and there will be time once again for a break now and then.

The Knucks won't take too long, and I can bang out a pair of socks in two weekends. That means by this time next month I might have all my projects done, and can knit something for myself!

Husband Hat Quasi-Pattern

I had a request for the Husband Hat pattern, so here is what I did, to the best of my recollection. My memory is crappy, and I don't take very good notes, but hopefully you can improvise from what I do remember.

Yarn: one skein each Paton's Classic Wool in black and olive, or any felt-able worsted weight yarn

Needles: size 8 16 in. circular and DPN's, and a size H crochet hook

I didn't pay any attention to gauge whatsoever. Sorry.

Using the black yarn and circ. needle, cast on 114 stitches- my husband has a big ol' Fred Flintstone head (23 7/8") so you might need to cast on less.

Place marker, join, being careful not to twist, and work in stockinette for about nine inches or so- again, this should be adjusted by the size of the wearer's head. Felting makes knitting shrink by about 30%, so make it that much longer than you would normally have it.

Decrease for the crown, switching to DPN's when necessary:
Round 1. (K17, K2tog) around
Round 2. K
Round 3.(K16, K2tog) around
Round 4. K
Round 5. (K15, K2tog) around
Round 6. K

Continue in this fashion, knitting one less stitch before the k2tog in every other round, until you get to the (k2, k2tog) round. Skip the knit round and go straight to (k1, k2tog) around. Then k2tog around, and cut yarn leaving a long tail (about a foot). Thread the tail onto a needle, and draw through all stitches twice. Pull tight, and fasten yarn to the inside of the hat.

Ear flaps:
Mark where you want the ear flaps to be. I did this by putting it on my hubby's head, and noting where his ears were. Again, I added a little to account for the felting.

With right side facing, pick up and knit the number of stitches you get from that (I think I got 13), and knit in stockinette until your flap is square.

To form the point, stay in stockinette and decrease one stitch each row until you have three stitches remaining. Bind off. Repeat for the other flap.

Edging:
Stick a slip knot on your crochet hook and single crochet around the edge of the hat.

At this point, weave in any ends and you're ready to felt!

I threw it in the washer on the hot cycle with a pair of jeans, and pulled it out before the spin cycle. I rolled it in a towel to remove most of the excess water (the spin cycle makes it too fuzzy). Then I threw it in the dryer to shrink it further. Check it's progress often, and stop when it's the right size. I let it dry completely on a bowl on the kitchen counter.

Once the hat was completely dry, I added the braids to the flaps. To attach them, I threaded yarn right through the fabric so it was sort of folded in half, and braided them together. You can do it before and felt them, or make crocheted chains or whatever you want.

Good luck!

Update 2- The Sequel

I am so sad that Thanksgiving is over. We had an awesome feast with all the trimmings, which also provided meals on Friday and Saturday. There was football, and pie, and a Christmas movie (Mixed Nuts) to start the holiday season off. I'm already looking forward to next year.

On to knitty things! I already mentioned the garter scarf is finished:

And I'm also done with the hat for my (other) brother in law...

The colorway made a goofy pattern, but I'm going to go with it. I started some fingerless mitts but I may start over, as I'm not entirely thrilled with the pattern I chose.

And here is the cabled wrap I started... so far I like it.

It's knit up with the angora I was going to use for the Buttony Sweater. Silly me figured that the gauge would be the same if I used the same needles, but I didn't realise how much cables pull in. So the wrap is a smidge narrower than planned, but still okay.

I also started the Brother in Law Sweater v. 2.o last week, and already finished the back without too much effort. If I put my nose to the grindstone, I think I can bang out the front by tonight. It's going so fast, I may start using chunky weight yarn for all my future sweaters! Again, the sweater is a smidge big, but this time it's sort of on purpose- the pattern gives finished chest measurements for 41" and 45" and the BIL has a 40" chest. I didn't want to make the 41" and have it be too snug, so I went with the 45". Time will tell if this was a mistake, but I figure I may be able to do some creative seaming to cinch it in a bit to make up for the difference.

On Friday, the husband went camping with a friend, leaving me to my own devices. I had received an email informing me of a sale at my favorite yarn shops, Eleganza yarns, so that's exactly where I headed.

I picked up some Regia sock yarn...

Some Garnstudio linen yarn...

and six skeins of Noro Silk Garden...

I planned on using the linen for some washcloths, and giving them for Christmas with some nice soaps. I have no idea what to do with the Noro, but I loved the colorway and had to have it.

One last thing (because I love to brag)- we still haven't turned on our heat. I think we might be able to make it to December. Granted, it was like 70 degrees outside last Wednesday, but now it's back down to the typical highs in the forties. The poor dog is constantly squirming his way onto our laps to stay warmer. I may have to knit him a sweater.

Now, if I am going to polish off the front of that sweater, I had better get going!

Monday Night Quickie

Just a quick update... I finished the body of the sweater for my brother-in-law a few days ago. And it's huge. What is it with me and sweaters coming out huge (whether I swatch or not)? Husband tried it on, and it was big (but not silly big) on him. He kept trying to convince me it would be fine, but I just don't believe him. There's not enough time to frog and start again, so I went to Plan B: get some Wool-Ease Chunky and make a different (faster) sweater. The old sweater will eventually be finished and given to the husband.

I finally finished the scarf for my father-in-law, pictures will be posted later. It turned out pretty well, but I won't buy that yarn again- it was from a local spinner/dyer. The blue dye rubbed off on my bamboo needles, so I had to switch to aluminum, which I friggin' hate. And the dye still turned my fingers blue every time I knit. When it was done, I let it sit in a sink of cool water with a little vinegar, so hopefully that either set the dye or rinsed off the excess. I just hope it won't turn my FIL's neck blue. Or worse, his clothing. That would suck.

I started another hat for my other brother-in-law, and am nearly done with that. I want to knit something to go with it, but what? Maybe some fingerless gloves?

I also started a wrap, which I'm super excited about. I designed it myself, and wrote up the pattern and everything. If it doesn't suck, I'll post the pattern here when I'm done. It's also my first attempt at cables, and so far it's going pretty well. I found out I hate cable needles, and have been using a DPN (soooo much easier), but otherwise cables are easy breezy.

Time for bed now. Tomorrow is Cleaning Day and Wednesday I'll be making pumpkin bread and giving the dog a bath (he is seriously stinky), then Thursday is Thanksgiving! Yay! It's my absolute favorite holiday by far. I'm so excited! So expect a decent post (with pictures) sometime this weekend.

Hats (I Finally Finished Something!)

I finally finished the hat for Scott! Finishing it gave me a much needed boost in confidence, but it was a close call. I had tried to knit it big enough to felt- about 30% bigger. I crocheted the green trim, and threw it in the washer. But when it came out it had barely shrunk. Crap. I nearly gave up at that point, but Scott suggested putting it in the dryer to see if that would shrink it more. So we tossed it in, and when he pulled it out it was perfect. The knitting gods had smiled upon us.

And I don't think I ever posted a picture of the finished hat for my father-in-law for Christmas.

It looks better on a head than in the picture. The scarf is still coming along, slowly. I don't know what I was thinking with a garter stitch scarf (could anything take longer?) but I feel like I'm too far into it to rip it and start over. Oh well.

The body of the brother-in-law sweater is nearly done, I'm about an inch from starting the ribbing at the hem. So far, so good... I just hope it will fit! I'm trying to dig my heels in and get going with all this Christmas knitting. I hate how time goes so fast this time of year.

I had a crazy-awesome dreamy moment last weekend, as the husband and I were driving around West Virginia looking at cheap real estate. Scott mentioned a house he saw for sale in Sharpsburg MD (near Antietam- very old, very far, very red). He said part of the house was separate, and had been used as a business. He said something about how it would make a good knitting studio, and maybe one day a yarn shop... how awesome would that be? I could sit and knit all the time, and be surrounded by yarn. Mmmm. Maybe one day.

A Case of the Sickies

I've been sick the past couple days. It started out as a cold, but yesterday I woke up with the full-blown sickies. And today I am in recovery. Somehow, lazing around on the couch for two days makes me feel even crappier. I sort of want to jump up and run outside screaming.

I went to the doctor a couple weeks ago for a physical, and had the bright idea of also getting a tetanus booster (thanks for planting that seed, MSN). Did you know that tetanus shots are notoriously painful? It felt like a gremlin was chewing through my arm for the better part of a week. I also got the HPV vaccine, at the behest of my doctor. I told her repeatedly that I didn't need it, as I'm married and neither of us bangs other people. But I think when you're young and married (and got married young), everyone assumes you'll be divorced in a manner of months. Eventually, I figured it's free (to me- insurance covers it) so why not.

So I've felt continuously shitty for about a week and a half. I hate going to the doctor. And I'm not getting another tetanus shot unless I have an unfortunate run-in with a shiv.

I started knitting a hat for the husband yesterday... just a basic hat in black Lion Brand wool. I think I'm going to add earflaps later. I'm still slowly chipping away at the sweater, and I've got about 6 inches left on the body. I expect to get a second wind at that point. That's all I got for now.

Look What I Can Do!

I have lots to tell you... I tried to post earlier, but Blogger was having issues loading my images. So first I'll just start with this past Sunday (best day ever!).

Scott and I started out Sunday morning with the intention of driving out West Virginia and Virginia for the scenery. We were maybe an hour into the drive, when Scott spotted a sign that said "Fiber Festival." No kidding. So we followed the signs, and found the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival. I swear I did not plan this. There was some great yarn, and I picked up some super soft alpaca.

There was a ton of spinning-related stuff there, and I was really mesmerized by the spinning wheels. Part of me fears spinning, because I think I'll like it more than knitting. And if I start spinning I may never knit again. Another part of me says, "What's wrong with that? Do what makes you happy!" I wound up getting a little drop spindle kit. What's the worst that can happen, right?

Ellen Anderson from Aboundingful Farm was super nice and gave me a quick lesson on the spot. Later, I divided the roving in two, and wound up each half.

LOL Pretty sad, huh? I didn't really get much better with the second half, but I did get faster. It was so fun though... I have no idea how it works, and I'm pretty sure I did it wrong somehow, but it was fun.

With both halves spun, I plied them together...

And made a pretty little hank!

Since the yarn was undyed, I thought it would be a good time to experiment with that too. I decided to dye with Kool Aid, since it's easy and doesn't require any special equipment. First I soaked the yarn in water with a splash of vinegar for about half an hour. While it was soaking, I dissolved one packet each of Black Cherry and Lemonade in a bowl full of water (enough to cover the yarn). When the yarn had soaked long enough, I squeezed out the water (gently) and put it in the other bowl with the Kool Aid. I nuked it for 2 minutes. I let it sit for a few minutes, then nuked it again. I knew it was done when the color had completely absorbed into the yarn, and the water was clear.

Then I let it cool completely (and slowly so it wouldn't felt). Later, I rinsed it well, gently squeezed the water out, and let it dry. Here's my final result!

I'm already looking into getting more roving and another spindle. I hear Golding makes pretty snazzy drop spindles. And maybe one day (if it's more than a passing phase) I'll get a spinning wheel. But I'm probably way ahead of myself.

Oh, and we did eventually see some fall scenery.

My Husband Is Better Than Your Husband

Here she is... my spankin' new rocking chair!

Complete with loving inscription from the husband (it's an early anniversary gift).

It will be six years this November... and they said it wouldn't last! Scott also moved my stash into the living room, where it is now much more accessible. Hopefully, seeing it all the time will also provide some motivation. That blank spot on the wall above the yarn is where he made room for some sort of crafty picture. Perhaps a knitting related painting? I'm sure I can find something.

That's little Spencer at the bottom, saying hello. And look- the baskets on top are filled with yarn too! The one on the right is all sock yarn.

I'm thinking of naming the chair, but what? I'll have to think of something clever.

Yesterday, we also got rid of the desk we were using as an entertainment system- it was big and ugly and we hated it. Then Scott spotted a bookshelf at World Market that was the perfect size, so now our TV is on something that actually resembles a piece of furniture.

Our goal is to slowly turn our home into what we actually want it to be. Up until recently, we were decorating the way we thought normal people should. Turns out neither of us is very normal, and we hated most of our stuff. Who knew? Now we are replacing things one by one, which will take some time, but that's okay... we are patient.

omg omg omg

My rocking chair came yesterday! As soon as we got it home, I sat and knit in it, and it is soooo comfy. We are in the process of rearranging some things to accommodate it, so I'll post pictures when it's all set up.

I'm still being a lazy knitter. I restarted the scarf a few times. I just didn't like how the color was working out. I eventually decided to use two balls at a time (one solid blue, and one multi) and switch every two rows. And it's just garter, to keep it simple and fast.

My pizza just arrived. Will post again tomorrow (or the next day at latest).

Sock Yarn and Puppy Socks

I freaking love my yarn. I love it so much. My Jimmy Beans order arrived yesterday- the Lorna's Laces sock yarn...

...in Candy Corn and Baltic Sea, both lovely. And along with them, came my copy of Suss Cousin's newest book, Design Essentials...

I knew that the book was going to be signed, but I didn't know it would be signed specifically to me. I feel so special! I pictured Suss sitting with a pile of books, scribbling her name in each one. But it's personalized:

And I can't tell you how much I love this book. Her designs really are incredible, and she even includes a yarn substitution guide in the back. What a helpful lady! I give it one million stars.

Sadly, we did have an unfortunate incident yesterday. My little puggy bear broke a nail yesterday. Apparently, this is much worse for dogs than it is for people. The vet cut off the hangy bit, then gave him a big goofy sock to wear for a few days, and some drugs to take the edge off. Poor little man!

And I learned my lesson about what happens when I let his nails get too long. Sorry, buddy... I'll do better next time.

Stitches East, and More!

Ok, so I'll just start from the beginning:

At the entrance, I got a couple freebies- a sample of Eucalan (a no-rinse wash for delicates) and a bag from Southwest Trading Co. Then I got a look at the place... and promptly had a mild stroke. I'd never seen so much yarn. It was completely overwhelming, and all I could do was stare in amazement.

Once my frontal lobe began functioning again, I focused on the display about 10 feet in front of me. It was laceweight. I got closer... that sheen has "silk" written all over it... Oh, no. It's was cashmere/silk blend. I had to have it, but only bought 800 yds. Can't run out of money on the first stop, right?

And here it is, from the Yarn Barn of Kansas:

The color didn't come out very well, but it's a silvery green. Very lovely. Then, while poking around the same booth, I found this:

I wish there was some way you could virtually feel this yarn. It's 100% alpaca, and I think it's what clouds must feel like. And the color is so warm and soft- as though someone figured out how to make hot chocolate into yarn. I just want to take a nap in it. I grabbed up 1800 yards, and hope to make myself a cozy sweater.

My next purchase was at The Needle Lady's booth, where I picked up this fun, nubby little bunch of string:

Again, the photo doesn't do it justice. It's Twig from Prism in the colorway Tumbleweed. I think it will make a fun, simple scarf.

Eventually I made my way over to Blue Moon Fiber Arts for some sock yarn. I picked up some Seduction in Sugarplum...

...and some Silkie Socks That Rock in Chanticleer.

At this point I took a break from buying yarn, and got this t-shirt. I regret that I don't remember where I got it from.

My final purchase at Stitches was from Brooks Farm. The yarn is called Riata, and it's a wool/mohair/silk blend. I never want to stop touching it.

I bought 1125 yards, and I have no idea what I'll do with it, but does it matter? It's so pretty!

After that, I figured I had better get out of there before I got into trouble. So I boogied, and took the long, scenic way home. When I got home, I spent some time admiring my new stash, and decided I still wasn't done spending...

I jumped online and bought this coat in botanical green. Then went out to DSW and got these shoes:

Mmm... I loves me some comfy loafers!

Later, Scott and I had dinner with friends, and on the way home we stopped at Borders. Scott got the new Ken Burns documentary, and I got the new Vogue Knitting and Best of Interweave Knits.

And now it's time for a nice, relaxing afternoon at home. Football is on, and the hat is calling me.

Too tired...

Falling asleep... can't blog about Stitches today... zzzzzzzzz

It's A Long One

Well, it turns out that for the time being, I will be staying put in Maryland. This is somewhat frustrating, but in the long run it will be for the best. In the meantime, there are a few perks:

1. I will be going to Stitches East this Saturday (tomorrow), where I will be purchasing copious amounts of yarn.
2. I get to continue my quest to learn how to dress (somewhat) like an adult. Over the next few weeks, I need some winter clothes that didn't come from PacSun, some sensible yet stylish shoes, and a new winter coat. I already bought two new purses, and they are awesome.

3. Scott and I won't have to face the daunting task of packing up everything we own and moving 800 miles. That's never fun.

And I have some things to look forward to (besides Stitches)... The rocking chair should be here in the next couple of weeks- the woman at the store said 3-6 weeks, and I'm hoping it will get here by the end of the month. I am so going to get one of those old-lady yarn/project holder things. You know, it's like a canvas bag on a wooden frame? Oh yeah.

Also, my shipment from Jimmy Beans should be here soon! It feels like I've been waiting forever. I ordered the Lorna's Laces October Limited Edition sock yarn (Candy Corn), another L.L. sock yarn (Baltic Sea), and the new Suss Cousins book, Design Essentials. Jimmy Beans is having a special thing through October where if you order the book, they'll have Suss sign it for free- you just have to wait three weeks to allow them time to do it. Anyhoo, I finally got the email confirming shipment, so it won't be much longer now.

Last night, Scott offered to go with me to Stitches, and I may take him up on the offer. If left to my own devices, I might get a bit nutty. It could be a good idea to have someone there to stop me, but on the other hand, he has always been rather supportive of my yarn habit... he could be an enabler. We'll see.

Work the past couple of days has been deadsville. Literally. We haven't had any work to do for over a week, and before that we were really slow. Our customers are supposed to be sending us the materials we need to start working, but apparently they are slackers. All week my day has gone something like this:

-Come in late (usually I get in by 7:30, late = between then and 8)
-Check work email
-Check personal email, track any shipments I'm waiting for (yarn!), etc.
-Eat breakfast while playing solitaire
-Knit until about ten- the UPS truck comes around ten, so at this point we all wait anxiously to see if the shipping lady will bring us anything. She doesn't.
-Screw around on the internet, play solitaire, knit, whatever, until I get hungry
-Eat lunch
-Knit a little more, poke around Etsy (I love that site), generally goof off, and try to stay awake until it's time to go home
-Get sent home early by the boss

Occasionally, the monotony was briefly broken. We went out to lunch on Wednesday to celebrate the fact that I'm not moving, we discovered we have ants, and I learned how to play poker (I suck). But mostly we sat around being restless. This might seem awesome (getting paid to do nothing), and for the first day or so it is. But it gets old fast when the days drag on endlessly. And with all that spare time, buying things online can become a problem. Luckily, I only bought two things: a wallet on Etsy, and an electric fryer. It could have been much worse, I held back because of Stitches.

Back to the knitty realm... I have been working on the sweater at work, and the hat at home. I have made mediocre progress on both. The sweater is about where it was right before I ripped it out. I no longer hate it, and will work on it willingly once more.

The hat has doubled in size to about 6 inches along, and needs to get to 11 inches before I decrease. I'm looking forward to decreasing so I can get rid of the fifth needle- I much prefer to only use 4 DPN's.

That's about it for now, but tomorrow (hopefully) I will have oodles of yarn porn.

Listmania

I have decided to make a couple lists: one is of the pros of moving to Illinois, and one is of the cons.

First, the pros...

1. Obviously, our family and friends are there
2. It's not the dirty South- there are less rednecks in IL
3. It's not as hot and way less humid
4. There is the possibility of snow at Christmastime
5. 24 hours pharmacies are impossible to find in MD
6. Affordable real estate
7. IL is the home of such culinary delights as Portillo's and Lou Malnati's
8. The grocery stores have a larger selection (and ground Italian sausage!)
9. You can ride a bike for miles when there are no hills
10. No state inspection, and emission tests are free
11. TV shows start an hour earlier
12. Shopping is way better, I heart the Woodfield area
13. There is a decent selection of colleges- many are not too expensive
14. Traffic doesn't suck as much, and drivers aren't so retarded
15. People move more quickly (in all aspects of public dealings)
16. There is a smaller quantity of skeevy people
17. People keep their dogs on leashes
18. My doctor's office doesn't have to send me somewhere else to have blood drawn
19. MD has bigger bugs
20. We can feed the squirrels again!
21. When it snows, IL has salt and plows ready
22. When you ask for sausage on your pizza, they don't give you breakfast sausage

And what I'll miss about Maryland...
1. My job
2. Trading mountains and forests for vast expanses of flatness
3. Hiking by the Potomac River
4. MD has incredible history, and much older history than IL
5. You can drive 20 minutes and feel like you're in the middle of nowhere
6. There are more knitting shops in MD, and local yarn!
7. The roads are very smooth
8. The winters are mild, and snow will get you sent home early from work :)
9. Finding shark's teeth in the Chesapeake Bay
10. Verizon FiOS TV and Internet isn't available in IL (yet)
11. The sales tax is lower
12. Eating out is cheaper
13. Moving away from everything familiar made me feel awesomely independent

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. I may add to this later.

Exciting News and Tragic Photography

Exciting news first: There is a good chance that the husband and I will be moving back to Chicagoland soon! Right this very second, Scott is getting on a flight to Chicago for his second interview. We are very hopeful, as it means getting back to my stepdaughter, our family and friends, Portillo's hot dogs, and affordable real estate. Hopefully, it will work out.

Unfortunately, with the prospect of moving 800 miles with no relocation assistance, we have put a hold on any unnecessary spending. And apparently yarn is considered unnecessary. Even worse- I already bought my ticket to Stitches East. At first I thought I should bring this up, hoping to compromise and set a nice, low, spending limit. But realistically, there is no way I would walk out of there with less than $200 in yarn. Also, the Countryside Artisans tour is the following weekend, where I typically visit Dancing Leaf Farm. If you live in the DC/MD/VA area, go see this place. The yarn is beautiful, and I love that I can look out the window and see her sheep grazing in the field.

On to my current projects (and those tragic photos). First, the brother in law sweater... well, it's still there. Honestly, I had to put it aside for a while. Ripping that sucker out really did a number on my psyche, and I need a break from it. So far, it's about an inch beyond the bottom of the v-neck.

Then there's the sock I started at the Stephanie Pearl-McPhee signing. Also in limbo. I'm a few rows into the heel flap.

And lastly, I started a hat for my father in law yesterday. I figured if I'm going to slack on the sweater, I have to at least work on Christmas presents. So I started a hat and scarf- nice and easy... no stress. The rest of the hat will be solid blue, and the scarf will be striped with those two yarns, in a pattern yet to be determined.

The hat looks a little striped, which was a surprise (the blue spirals around the back). I had started mittens with the same ball, and they didn't look striped at all... so I'm just going with it. If anyone asks, it happened on purpose. :)

My photography skills leave much to be desired. Maybe I can find a book at the library to help in that department. Anyhoo, wish us luck, and hopefully by Tuesday I'll have some good news!