A Little Yarn On The Side

So I had planned to start on Christmas gifts this weekend, but first I got distracted by some over-exuberant tomato plants and today so far has been taken up by the normal weekend stuff--laundry, cleaning, and getting ready for fall as it's 3:00 in the afternoon and still only 64 degrees. Even the cats were cold this morning. I think I need to do a little knitting this afternoon--it's definitely starting to feel like wool weather!

The bags are finished, washed, and in the dryer now. I always like to start a 3-day weekend by accomplishing something--it sort of takes the pressure off the rest of the weekend. Not that holiday weekends should always be about GETTING THINGS DONE, but I always convince/delude myself into thinking "if I just had more free time, I'd get all this done..." which is not true, of course, but I'm a gullible human being. Tomorrow I start on the Christmas gifts! Ho ho ho!

Crafting was a little slow tonight thanks to Theo. First he "helped" me with the trick-or-treat bags, then he "helped" me embroider some towels, then he helped me with the knitting bag for Jennifer , our first contestant to finish 10 WIPs in a row. Of course, it could have been worse--I could have been trying to knit tonight.

I have now finished 8 WIPs in a row. I have 19 left, and am at least trying to make it to 10 in a row. I am currently mostly working on Andy's sweater and the Fir Cone shawl (now that I remembered to wind the ball of yarn & everything). Tonight, before deciding which project to work on, I actually sat down and did the math: Andy's sweater calls for 1530 yards of yarn (I actually only have 1526 so I hope they're just kidding about that last 4 yards). I have knit up 327 yards so far, leaving me with up to 1199 yards left to knit. Plus seams. The fir cone shawl called for 2200 yards of yarn, of which I have knit 1320, leaving up to 880 yards of yarn left to knit. A little grafting, but no seams. GUESS WHO GOT THE ATTENTION TONIGHT????? I have been driven to perform non-required math!!!! When I start doing voluntary Geometry or long division, stage an intervention !!!!!

Last night, in the sheer ecstasy of having new yarn, I pulled out the shawl, sat down with the new yarn and I honestly forgot it would need to be wound. Obviously the shock of A.) being able to buy anything at all after the 90-day spending ban and B.) getting to buy yarn at ALL addled my brain entirely. Good thing it wasn't a 6-month spending ban. I'd be a talking monkey by now. So tonight I came home and wound the new yarn (the thrill does have to last me another 4 months, remember) and ended up back with Andy's sweater because that little ball of yarn on the side is almost used up and might even be able to be added to the tally tonight. Entering the 9th month of The Year of the Stash, that little tally is the only thing keeping me going at this point--especially since there really is no visible dent in the stash. Maybe a dimple, but definitely no dent. Back to that ball!!!!!

I. GOT. YARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with destiny wool.

With Andy camping and a solo weekend yawning before me, I grabbed the yarn I bought specifically to finish the poncho only to discover, it was the right color but the wrong yarn. It wasn't even a yarn that would "get by" as the recipient is bound to be machine washing the poncho and a feltable yarn would be a disaster. Discouraged, I went to bed and read of knitters who checked the labels before leaving the store. Saturday morning I made a half-hearted stab at cleaning the sewing room--a feat only to be attempted by the truly brave at heart--and found Remnants!!!!!! I have kicked myself over and over for being silly enough to keep little tiny balls of leftover yarn and for once I have been truly, TRULY thankful for this obsession. The poncho is done done done done done done done done done done done done done done.... and I, flakiest of knitters, have finished 8 WIPs in a row!!!!!! And people say miracles never happen!!! I also spent some quality time with the sewing m...