Twists of Fate

So I “multitasked” for work this morning. There were no concalls scheduled (SHOCK!) and most of the boss-types were out doing a “day of caring” (um, how ’bout a little for your slave labor vendors, eh?), and all’s quiet on the Western front. So I took my Bluetooth & phone, and my ginormous bag of quarters, and headed to the laundrymat to do some sorely overdue laundry.

I can’t believe I’m actually writing this down, but I haven’t done laundry in nearly two months. Three things enable me to do this, really.
1. I bought a ridiculous amount of underwear at a clearance sale a while back.
2. I work at home.
3. I bought a ridiculous number of yoga pants from a clearance sale not too long ago.

But when you run out of undies, it’s time to head to the ‘mat.

Who knew it was so busy on a Friday morning at work? I did my wash (yay for triple loaders!), stuffed things into the dryer, fed an ungodly amount of quarters in and headed to the farmers market. Oh, I also finished most of the other Fetching mitt, and hope to finish off the set tomorrow sometime. /obligatory knitting content

Have any of you had ground cherries? They’re awesome! I gather they’re a cross between a strawberry and a tomatillo or something, but whatever their heritage? So good! They taste a little like kiwi strawberry to me. Or maybe the pink diamonds in a bowl of lucky charms. I got a pound, but maybe I should’ve gotten more. The’re just really a unique and nummy fruit-thing.

After a quick run through the farmers market (mmm pecan white chocolate scone for breakfast yum), I hit the regular store for a few other things, including peanuts for the pair of thieves robber barons Stellars Jays that are visiting my yard. They looooove the peanuts. I hope I’m not giving them something that will make them sick - they’re just unsalted roasted peanuts in the shell. They’re just so full of character…I like it when they visit my yard.

After getting everything but the pack of smokes I went in for, I went back to the ‘mat. Where most of my things were dry. I did my usual haphazard folding, which is mostly just to ensure that everything fits in the giant Ikea Laundry Bag of Potential Shoulder Dislocation, when one of the older ladies standing at the folding table began taking me to task. “Oh, dear. What will your young man say when you bring him home all these clothes that are so wrinkled?”

…uh, what?

“Honestly. You should take more pride in your wifely duties.”

…bzuh?

“It’s a shame that young women these days are so lacking in essential skills.”

And here is where I began to get pissed. While I don’t have a degree, because I put myself through school and petered out after my third year of forty hours a week at a job and 18 credit hours too, I’ve done pretty damn well for myself. I pay for my own housing, car, food, etc. I am teaching myself to cook, albeit super slowly. I taught myself to knit, spin, make candles, tried a batch of cold process soap once (let’s not talk about that again though m’kay?) and keep house (poorly). I make more money on my own than my parents ever have together or alone, and I’m including my mom’s second husband in this equation, and I’m an independant person who tries to contribute to society in what small ways I can.

Whether or not I can fold clothes well or iron shouldn’t fucking matter at this point.

I haven’t had coffee yet, so perhaps I can be forgiven for snarking back. “Actually, my girlfriend doesn’t care what the clothes look like.”

Shock! Horror! Picking up and moving of things away from someone who might transmit Teh Ghey!

Now, disclaimer - I don’t actually have a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend, a spouse, a lover, a partner, or an interested party. I should be so blessed to share my bed and/or my life with someone, but I’m a cranky wench before (well, and after, if I’m honest) coffee, and honestly. What bidness is it of yours, bitch?

*breathes deeply and exhales* I finished my stuffing of the bag, and sailed out of there with my head held high, and eyebrow set on maximum distain. I’m sure it was quite the discussion point for all the older folks in the ‘mat, but one lady caught my eye and winked at me when I left, which made me smile.

And then I came home and hung everything up and let the wrinkles take care of themselves.

I think I just died a little inside. Or maybe threw up in my mouth a little.

Summer of socks has a cast on. Sadly, that’s as far as I’ve gotten, but I remain hopeful that I can do more this weekend.

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!

I had this running post going since the first of the year, and I’d come back and update it when I had a moment or two. Now all the info in there is sadly outdated, and some of it just sad, so I think we’ll scrap that and just start anew.

I rarely make resolutions right at the new year, as I tend to do some New Moon Wishing every month instead. I find taking twenty minutes or so out of my day on the new moon to really think about what I want out of that next moon cycle is a much better way for me to define and refine what I want.

I did list “more knitting time” in my last cycle, as I find it really helps me shed the stress of the day and get into a good space before bedtime. Unfortunately, my projects are not cooperating.

I can’t believe it, but I managed to screw up the second sleeve of the Chicknits Cami I am doing for my sister. It’s about four inches longer than the first. Buh? I know I’ve been far too tired to really do it justice, but c’mon. It’s a stockinette sleeve with super easy increases. So that’s a bit of a disheartening way to start off the year.

We have another “snow” storm coming in tonight, so I think I’ll let the sleeve marinate in a time out and turn my attention to a project for myself. I also managed to screw up the fingerless mitts for sister mine (she got plenty for the holidays though, and I’m not feeling guilty), so I’m going to put those in time out too, and work on a pair for me. I’d like to be able to do this without a cable needle. We’ll see how it goes. I’m also using Cash Iroha in a wine-like color for this pair. For me. Because it’s time I made something for me.

I got my first sock club shipment from Posh Yarn yesterday as well! I’m not sure the colors are for me, but the yarn itself is amazing. It’s their Lucia yarn, which is 30% cashmere/70% merino. This was one of my big gifts to myself this year, and if I don’t use it for socks, I may use it to make something from Victorian Lace Today. I’ve been pimping searching out lace books for a friend who is newly interested in knitting, and lace in particular. I got that book recently and really like the look of a lot of the items in there. I’m not sure 360 yards is enough to make anything in that book, but I look forward to finding out.

I may get a promotion at work soon, which could mean even less knitting time, as I’d be doing both jobs for a while. Until they backfill my position, anyway. I need to pack up an Emergency Knitting kit and stash it in the laptop bag. I think a basic everyday sock would be good.

When I get my camera back (sister borrowed it for “a day” about three weeks ago), I’m going to re-start the stash documentation project. I think it would be good to really examine what I have, and at least leave myself notes with the yarn about the project I had planned to use it for. Visual documentation would be good too. Some day, some day.

Geez, for someone who doesn’t make big ass resolutions at the first of the year, I have a few things on the burner. *snorts*

I hope y’all have had a wonderful start to 2007!

Is it odd, do you think, to feel a major sense of accomplishment at clearing out the google reader queue? There were probably 200+ entries in there that I hadn’t had a chance to catch up on, but I’m “working” from home today (I actually am working and take a break now and again to scroll through stuff).

I had a fairly good holiday, when I look back on it. I spent three of the four days off with other people, and made some new friends. Monday was spent with my sister. “Children of Men” is an interesting film, but very violent. I keep reliving parts in my dreams since the day, and that’s really no good at all.

I feel slightly ashamed of myself, on the material plane. I forgave a fairly huge debt, am knitting a sweater for a family member, and I got…a pound of coffee and leftover pastry for the holiday. Don’t get me wrong - me and the Beans are like a OTP, but it was a fairly pointed reminder of just how far the family doesn’t go to try to get to know me or what I enjoy. Another perfect example - brother mine who is working on one of the Big Nature Magazine Adventure Tour Boats actually visited the Falklands, but I could hear the snort when I asked via email if he would pick me up some wool from there. I never did hear back about my request. In fact, I just realized I didn’t get a personalized holiday message from him at all; I think our relationship is likely eroding beyond repair after The Big To-Do this fall.

Anyway, that’s all over and done with. I need to finish this first (and probably last) sweater for my sister, and move on. It’s a lovely sky blue yarn, and I’m using the lovely Chicknits Cardi pattern. It might be a bit big on her, but I’m OK with that.

My intent when I started this post was actually to say how much the sky blue was helping combat the holiday blues, but stopping to think about family seems to have dragged me down into tears and …not regret, but resignation. I think I’ll take my lunch break now and actually knit on the second sleeve. Knitting = good for what ails ya.

A more upbeat post soon, I hope. This time of the year is, frankly, the absolute worst for me. I’m pleasantly surprised I made it nearly through to the end of the year w/out a small breakdown. Every year away from the memories means more healing and fewer crying jags. And I can definitely raise my (eyewateringly alcoholic…oops!) glass of eggnog to that.

In the fabric of my life somewhere a month ago, and it hasn’t stopped running.

New job is kicking my ass. I’m barely keeping my head above water, and haven’t had a single day yet where I left the building feeling like a success. I hate Outlook more than ever, scheduling a conference room has reduced me to tears twice, and everyone is looking to me for answers a month into the position, and with about 2% of the knowledge my manager has at his disposal. I can’t remember the last time I was this stressed out. The amount of hair in the shower drain is beginning to get a little alarming.

That said, I would usually try to knit to help relieve the stress when I get home. But I’m so damn tired still that I’ve barely picked up the needles since I finished the Dino Hat. I did knit a few more rows on the shawl, but the stitch count went awry in there somewhere, and I’m too tired to rip it back and try to fix it. The thought of doing so, even though it’s mostly garter stitch, is nearly enough to break me at 275 sts per row. Mistakes will have to stay where they are, and I hope it’ll be loved regardless of it’s random mutant and wayward YOs, and strange K2togs.

I had plans, people, for this holiday season. I was going to do mittens, and perhaps matching or at the very least complimentary hats. I had scarves in mind. I wanted to make a shawl for myself (*still*!). I did buy the Solace pattern, but only the gods know when I’ll be able to sit down and work on it.

In the five minutes it’s taken me to write this post I’ve gotten 10 emails, all of which want something from me. Oy.

Hope anyone who reads this is doing better than I. :)

I can’t believe how long it took for my first scoured skein to dry. Days and days! I should get a skein blocker to help that along next time, I think. Regardless, it IS finally dry and I wound up a smidge last night and set to work swatching.

Man this yarn is fabulous. Soft, flowing…a total pleasure to work with. I haven’t really worked with silk all that much, but I love it so far! I did two small swatches last night while watching MacGyver (so much love for The Adorkable One). The one on US 3s felt a bit dense, so I went up a needle size. The US 4s swatch is much more drapey, but still fairly cohesive. That may be the winner. I might do one on 5s, just to see how it looks, but I’m pretty happy with the swatch on 4s.

I was so tired last night that I didn’t measure the sts/in and the row gauge, but I’ll do that today. I’m also trying to figure out how big I want the final object to be. The bigger it is, the more room I have to work with the design elements. Decisions, decisions.

Oh! I also figured out last night how I may end up dyeing the thing to get the effect I’m looking for. It’ll involve a fairly MacGyvered setup, now that I think about it, so who says you can’t learn anything from television? I’m a bit nervous though, because if I do it the way I imagined, there’s like zero room for f-ing it up. I see a lot of test dyeing in my future, which means I finally found a perfect justification for having bought all that KnitPicks Bare yarn. Huzzah!

I really have no idea what I’m doing here. I’m just making it up as I go along. :D

In other news, Nadine has finished her bath. I need to remember to pick up a few more pillowcases from the thrift store, or some other container-like thing for storage. If I had the money, I’d buy these zippered 100% cotton cases I found online somewhere once, but IIRC, their ordering process was non-secured and faintly suspicious.

I’m rambling. Didn’t really get any good sleep last night, and should now head out to run errands and other fun things. Hope y’all are enjoying the day!