A Little Yarn On The Side

Totally flattened by this silly cold, I spent yesterday in bed with Vicks, both cats, the BBC production of Middlemarch , and the Top Secret project, which left me well rested, smelling of menthol, dreaming in English syntax, and with this: Top Secret just needs ribbing done around the edges and some severe blocking, and it will be done & on its way to the recipient. I believe it is safe to post this now as I don't think the new owner follows my knitting blog too closely. I have never been good at keeping gifts as surprises anyway--I'm always too excited about them. Recipients are probably lucky I don't open their gifts for them! And, the new stash depletion totals: 65.5 balls and 9388 yards of yarn used so far this year!

OK, and I'm working on the Top Secret project which I cannot post pictures of until it is done & in the recipient's hot little hands. But Top Secret will require just about HALF the yarn of the Mohair Monster, so it's all good. And it isn't mohair, which is even better. I need to get back to the Hibiscus for Hope test knit, but I think I have about a week left on the Top Secret project which really needs to get done and shipped--then I can go back & do some edits for the test knit. Which probably works out for the best, as I'm taking cold medicine and math and tiny needles are probably not a good combo for me right now. The next attempt could result in something truly outrageous--like a "willy warmer" or other things my knitting is a bit too G-rated for...... The worst part of the cold (besides envisioning a willy warmer), is that I didn't get my celebratory white chocolate martini to celebrate finishing the Lady's Circular Cape! Dang ...

HALLELUJAH! IT'S DONE! IT'S DONE!!! IT'S DONE!!! And a quick shot while wearing it, which won't be seen again until late fall or early winter, as mohair is much warmer than it looks. IT'S DONE! IT'S DONE!!! IT'S DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6 months and 1475 yards of yarn. I am now going to find something to do with the largest needles I own. Anyone tried knitting with broomsticks?

Thanks largely to all the moral support and insane amounts of caffeine, I have finished the very last swoopy and have finished most of the remaining edge. All that remains now is the rest of the front edge, the last corner, and half of the neck edge--all of which requires less knitting than one of those dang swoopies. Finally the thought of being done with the Great Mohair Abyss is enough to motivate me to work on it. It has taken 6 months to get this far! Granted, I can't seem to manage project monogamy, but I have managed sporadic monogamy and it has still taken 6 months . I'm not sure when I'll be able to face lace again without shuddering, but that might be another 6 months. And some therapy--I wonder if there are counselors who specialize in mohair?

OK. I have endured 1362 yards of mohair--500+ of it contained in the mind-numbing, soul-sucking edging that has gone on forever. It is down to the final swoopy and the final ball of yarn. After 4 cups of coffee, and a promise that I could work on the floral dress & skirt when I stopped shaking, I joined the final ball of mohair and..... I'm halfway through the final swoopy. There is still a front and half a neck edge left to do, but there will be no more balls of yarn after this one!!! That thought is keeping me going. And sheer, absolute bribery:

Independence: The freedom to choose to NOT work on swoopies if you don't want to work on swoopies. As today was a national holiday, I decided it was a time for fun projects. A sleeve finished and a second sleeve started on Sitcom Chic (notice the new yarn tally--9031 yards!!!): A new summer ensemble for my loving husband: And a soon to be skirt and dress from this lovely cotton that I've had in the stash for at least a year: When this is done, I will used up about 42 yards of material, which doesn't sound like that much until you think about laying it all out on a football field (not that I follow football, but after 2 years in college marching band I do have pretty intimate knowledge of football fields, as well as how much one can smuggle inside a trumpet case). It may not have made a noticeable dent in the stash, but I have sewn farther than most people can kick. I have no idea why, but that thought makes me feel good. Maybe if I think about that long enough, I'll...

I was able to arrange my work schedule enough to take a 5-day weekend this week, and I was so excited about having a day off that I was up by 6:00 and had this done by 8:00 AM: The first part of sleeve number 1 for Sitcom Chic and yarn ball number 61 for the year. The Top Secret project got some attention today: though the Lady's Circular Cape remained at the bottom of the knitting bag. This is going to be the final ball of yarn used on the LCC, but while it stared at me from the shelf all day long, I just couldn't bring myself to take it up. Ever been completely buffaloed by a ball of mohair?