Twists of Fate

Fruit flies like a banana.

I ca’nt believe it’s been two weeks since my last confession post. Time is doing strange things. I continue to pack (slowly), look for apartments (badly), and generally freak out (really really well).

Little things like one of my fannish crushes doing something so utterly dorktastic, yet so completely adorable and very much true to his real like geekiness? Just…. <3!

My class was really great. I learned some good tricks about plying, feel better about Navajo or chain plying, and um. I tripped and fell on a gorgeous dark dark brown Romeldale fleece and oops swiped my credit card on the way down. And six or so ounces of lovely wool roving in colors that made me think of spring and fall. Perhaps a little odd to be thinking about here on the eve of Beltane and the start of summer, but they pleased me at the time.

I think I’m going to spin a goodly portion of the Romeldale in the grease, but before I do that, I wanted to practice a bit. I actually hand carded some RomneyX and spun my own little…what do you call it when you roll it off the cards from side to side rather than from the handle out to the edge? Sausages? Perogis? What? That’s been good, if slow going. I’m enjoying the carding quite a bit. I just rinsed this fleece, rather than washing it completely, so it’s kind of “light grease”. I’m enjoying myself thus far.

I shouldn’t be spinning at all, given how much there is to do before I move. But it’s keeping me sane.

Blessed Beltane to all of you! Oh! And for the BPAL inclined, they’ve got Blue Moon up again! Woo!!!

I hear that in my head when I am totally exhausted and want to knit, and pick up something that isn’t utterly and completely mindless. I hear it because I inevitably make some sort of mistake that results in abandoning the WIP for a while (OK, in some cases, a couple of years) and when I am feeling better? I cast on something else.

I’m sorting the living room in pre-packing preparation (ha! alliteration past midnight!), and my WIP box? Has become TWO! *blushes* So sad. And I know there are more lurking around the house, tucked into corners or bags. Most have the pattern and the notes of where I was at the time, but some? Have just the needles and the yarn, and once I have time to look at them more closely I may try to reconstruct where I dropped the project. Some are destined to visit l’étang de grenouille (babelfish tells me this is the English-to-French translation of “the frog pond”, but if I’ve accidentally said something unkind about someone’s mother, I apologize in advance), but I may salvage a few. The socks, for example.

I know it’s a total luxury to be able to do so, but everytime I go into on of my LYS, I pick up another set of sock DPNs. They’re fairly inexpensive, considering, and I find that I …well, it just makes me happy to do so. You never know when Inox may just…I dunno. Apparate into another plane of existence or something. Or maybe I just want to have enough on hand in case the apocalypse comes and I need to teach people how to knit socks in a hurry. I’m not sure.

You know, it’s after midnight here, I just filed my taxes and scheduled the recurring payments (YUCK! I haven’t owed in years but this time WHAMMO!), and I’m rambling. Instead of picking up some knitting, I am doing the wise thing and taking a shower and going to bed.

I hope anyone who reads this is well and hearty and whole. I am saddened by the events of the day here in the US, and it makes me want to reach out, even electronically, and reassure myself that there is a community at large that I am a part of and who understands. I wonder if there will be a prayer shawl effort for the families of the victims in Virginia today. If anyone knows of one, please leave a comment? If there isn’t, does anyone want to help start one?

Namaste, y’all.

I think I may have to knit socks on US 3s from here on out. Either my high stress level is making me some kind of speed demon, or this is a good needle size for me and socks. Of course, the socks will likely end up NOT being for me, because I have Feet of the Really Wide (aka Been Wearing Birkenstocks For Going On 15 Years Now), and I doubt they’ll fit me. But they’ll fit someone I know, I’m sure.

However, the fabric I’m getting seems much looser than the other socks I’ve made. Granted, the Mountain Colors Bearfoot socks were unusually dense, and well. I think the only other thing I’ve ever used was Regia.

This is all a roundabout way of asking - does Koigu bloom when you wash it? This the KPPPM I’m talking about here. Even a little bit would help me feel better about plowing ahead with the sock. I’m doing a generic top down pattern, and finished the ribbing and am halfway down the leg. Already! Can you believe it?

Tomorrow is The First Day of Mass Packing, and my friend is coming over to help me triage and at the very least sort the living room. I moved most of the wool to storage last week, but there’s bits and pieces all over the living room, and it would be good to consolidate it. More on that later though, I think. I’m trying to get the hang of posting shorter entries, more regularly.

For BPAL junkies, dude! 13 is back! I wish this worked on me, I really do, but it was…well. It didn’t work with my skin chemistry. But I know many, many people adore it, and rightly so. Mmmmm!

Crappy day at work? Uh, crap.
Trip to LYS to pick up bobbins for Ashford Traveller? Good!
Giving in to the lure of a fresh shipment of Koigu? Great!
Relaxing with a bottle of a really lovely and new to white wine, some lox and cream cheese, and gazing upon the new Koigu purchase? Priceless.

Well, actually. Koigu. So small. So expensive. So delicious. ;)

I never thought I’d say this, but suddenly I wish I lived in New York. This is an amazing deal on a plus sized dress form! Seriously - I went out to the website and that price right there is a STEAL. I’ve often envied slim knitters who can do up their work on a dress form, and get the fit just right. I haven’t yet ventured into anything remotely resembling a sweater for myself, because I’d have to work it fairly blind, and there is A LOT of me. Ripping a few rows back on a sweater for me would be like ripping out the entire back of something for my sister (a size 2).

I am bookmarking that dress form site though. Someday, someday.

It looks lovely outside right now. I may take my latest mindless knitting project out to the gathering area behind the building and soak up some sun before meeting friends for dinner.

Beautiful day!

Er, fiber porn? I need to get myself motiviated to do some spinning in the next 10 days or so, because I signed up for a class on Navajo plying at the Shepherd’s Extravaganza in Puyallup in two weeks. And I need to have a few bobbins of stuff to practice on, and I did mention that I haven’t touched my wheels since I took this job, yes?

Baby steps, perhaps. To that end, here’s a little bit of pr0n for you. A Bog Oak spindle, crafted by none other than Edward Tabachek. Bog. Oak. With an Ash shaft. *breathes carefully* I love it liek whoa.

| |

I can’t wait to use this!

Though work may be trying to kill me.

It’s been a long time since I wrote anything. The job really does seem like it’s sucking the life out of me, one day at a time. Sapping my will to live, draining me of anything remotely resembling spark or individuality or wonder. It’s working with super cranky people doing way too many things, and I am tired.

*clutches Stephanie’s new book* Came along right when I needed it. Because, in the end, she is the voice for those who can’t put it into words, and helps us celebrate and revel in this awesome craft/gift, that’s so much bigger than yarn on some needles.

::wanders off to find the right needles to cast on…something right the hell now::