Paper Tiger Knits

It's cheaper than therapy...

...but not if I keep going like this.

I should be sleeping, but I just have to share my tremendous excitement over my recent purchases.

From Artfibers (bonus shot of the gigantic bed that was all mine in Oakland), 7 skeins Alfabeto, just barely enough for a square-necked raglan with 3/4 sleeves, and 3 skeins Golden Chai, which Stephanie ironed to such wonderful effect. (She made her Flower Basket out of 2 skeins... I feel like a glutton!) Sorry the pictures are so dark.

   

And last week, in a fit of petulance and an awesome sale at Woolen Treasures, I went a little crazy.

Two skeins of Mountain Colors Mountain Goat and Takhi Stacy Charles Ristratto; no definite plans for either. I joined the Trekking craze with a springy, feminine colorway and couldn't resist a ball of Opal Tiger. (Grr!) Two skeins Cherry Tree Hill Supersock (cat sold separately), colorways Peacock and African Grey. And last but not least, 2 skeins Cascade Fixation in a springy colorway. A fine pile of yarn...   

It's my version of the Refund Anticipation Loan. (Some kind woman named Karen will be helping me sort out my taxes at lunch tomorrow... and I can deduct her fee next year.)

Kitties approve.

Still waiting in the queue (love that word--4 vowels in a row!): my first spinning class and its smelly aftermath.

The longer I wait, the harder it gets...

That could refer to so many things (housecleaning, taxes... no, I haven't started them, thanks for asking), but I'm so far behind on blogging I may never catch up! I want to do Rachael's wedding justice... Oh, what the hell. I was going to flash all the yarn I bought in the last week between a bad day at work and a visit to Artfibers, but at this rate Rachael and Lala will be celebrating their first anniversary before I get around to it!

First of all, it was amazing that I got there at all. In typical Anne fashion, I forgot the invitation, didn't write down the address or print out the map , and just trusted that the cab driver would get there. I remembered 2266; the address was 2666; the cab driver was very very fond of making stomach-turning lurches. I had visions of flying to CA and not making it to the actual wedding. Found it, though, in a beautiful lodge. And because I'd lingered too long at the yarn store and was running so late, I had to bring the nail polish and paint my toenails in the bathroom!

I didn't know a soul there. I'd met one guest, Kira, at Artfibers--I told her I had to hurry up and get to a knitting wedding, and we discovered she was going to the same one--and I recognized Joni and Dylan, but it's like the people you see in the movies: you may feel you know them, but they certainly don't feel the same way! And then I read the program on my seat, which called for an airing of grievances, an interpretive dance by Miss Idaho, drumming till sunup, and prayers written in blood, and felt very out of place indeed until someone pointed out that it was April Fool's Day. Whew.

Short & sweet but very moving ceremony. Rachael looked stunning in her dress (far lovelier than she looks in my awful, awful photos...), and the brides were clearly having a terrific time with each other and the guests. They were so smitten and happy, and it was a perfect blend of tradition and individuality... It was hard to imagine that some people would bar such a heartfelt commitment and loving relationship, and yet we all had to acknowledge it. Jodi (the celebrant) reminded us that R&L would be getting "officially" married in Vancouver because in the city they call home they couldn't (and even so, CA is more enlightened than so many other places...).

And then on to the party. Unsurprisingly, they had a fantastic band and Cadbury Creme Eggs. More surprising was the roaring fireplace and baskets of Peeps, Hersheys, and graham crackers along with skewers. It fell under the heading of "so wrong it must be right," but several Peeps met their end over blazing coals at my hands.

And the knitters! Unsurprisingly, I found myself at a table of wonderful knitters: Celia (who very kindly gave me a ride back to my hotel at the end of the night, sparing me from another nausea-inducing cab ride...)

Nathania, whose Olympic shawl left me speechless and who is clearly a woman after my own heart, and several other really cool women. And terrific dancers, too!

It was just a wonderful night.

Weddings make me all squishy--they're so intense and personal, and they make me think about all the things the newlyweds mean to me. (Warning: Schmaltz ahead.) Though this is only the second time I'd met her in person, Rachael has been a touchstone for my life over the last year: Her single-girl-buying a first apartment adventures felt just like home to me, she held my hand (long-distance) when Wilbur got sick and my ceiling fell down and I made my job transition. She was the first blogger who wrote back to me, and she introduced me to the idea that a blog could be a two-way relationship. She introduced me to some of the best music I've found over the last year (Old 97s, Nora O'Connor). And in addition to "welcoming" me to the knitblog world, she inspired me to start at all. Blogging wasn't something that appealed to me until I realized how many cool people I'd met through their blogs, and maybe I should open myself up to the possibility that I might meet cool people I'd never met would become known to me through my blog. And I have met fantastic people (one of whom came and visited this week!), and though this is not one of those blogs that will change the world (which I am really fine with; it would cause all kinds of unpleasant side effects and pressure), it has changed mine for the better.

Happy honeymoon, ladies! Already looking forward to the write-up...

This little piggy learned the Kitchener

My colleague taught me her trick, and I successfully Kitchenered the toes on Dad's socks. Then she convinced me I was nitpicking on the heels, so I decided to call it done.

They're lumpy and inelegant. I'll do better next time. But these are going in the mail. Next socks I make will be for me or for someone who will handwash!

Break from Gloom & Doom

I'm stealing 10 minutes to thank you so so much for the great stories and support. Here's something important I've learned from you guys so far: Don't be afraid. Try something hard. Don't settle.

First, a little knitting: I'm making some progress on the white turtleneck adapted from Leo. I've finished the back and am now working on the front shaping. (It was written to be made in 4 parts, but I've made the front & back as one to the underarms.) This weekend I'm going off to Reach the Beach, a loony 210-mile relay in New Hampshire, and I'll be bringing the wee socks on a circ in honor of Laura, whose expertise keeps me running at all.

Second, Wilbur. Of course I worry when he takes to long of a nap, but he really does seem to be better. I think he's fussing with his surgical site -- I saw a tiny spot of blood, like when I pick at a scab -- but for the most part he's great. He eats, he uses the litter box, he shows interest in ice cubes. He does seem a little more scaredy. But he's not afraid to be in a vulnerable position, clearly.

Orville's been a little needy, but he's adorable.

Knitting already!

Sane Colleague pointed out that for a kntiting blog this has been almost entirely devoid of knitting. So here's my pathetic attempt to remedy the situation. The project I've advanced most on, the white cotton turtleneck, is somewhere in the rubble of my apartment. Observant readers will notice this is a common occurrence. Wise readers will keep that observation to themselves.

Here's the black turtleneck I've been working on forever. It's the project I brought with me to take to The Point this afternoon (though it looks like everyone else has too much going on today to go knit... and I should really go home & do battle with the mess.) I recently noticed that the yarn is of different dyelots... If it's noticeable on the finished item, I'll buy some black dye and overdye the whole damn thing. This is the body up to the yoke, and the beginning of the sleeves.

Here's the Leaf Lace Shawl from Interweave, which I'm stalled on because it requires undivided attention, and because I can't find the magazine. (Yes, that excuse again. Hush.) It took a couple tries to get it started, but after that it's been pretty straight forward. Yarn is mystery yarn bought at Pine Tree Yarns in Damariscotta, Maine; it's yarn they'd bought from another store's closing, and it was $2 for a double skein. I will make this whole shawl for $6.

And finally, the blue baby sweater. It curles like an SOB, so I may knit it long and cut off the bottom. Still ambivalent about the yarn, but I think I'm just gonna plug on with -- it's washable, it's not so bad to work with, and there are so many people having boys! After this, though, I'm gonna knit baby sweaters out of sock yarn. No pattern to speak of; baby sweaters seem to be consistently 12 x 12 with 6 inch sleeves, and I can do that on my own.

Now, for a weekend filled with running and home improvement. Goals: strip remaining woodwork -- and then I'll be done with the heatgun! Paint switchplates & baseboard & touch up kitchen, which will finish that off. Paint remaining wall in living room. (The list goes on, but that's a weekend's worth...)