A Little Yarn On The Side

Look!  A towel without holes!!!!!!!!!!!!  At first I did think that my card might be corrupted (again),because the design was leaving the stupidest number of "jump threads" possible: which are the threads you can see crisscrossing the design.  All those random threads were left by the machine "jumping" to another place to start doing the outline of the design.  It's been so long since I did this design that I didn't remember if it was like this to begin with, so I was worried until I pulled up the design in the software and discovered that, no, it really was just designed that badly.  Whew!  The cards are $200 IF one can find them, and my hip can't currently do a 4-hour round-trip drive to see the non-criminal Husqvarna dealer I finally found. And I am happy to report that there were no nightmares last night!  Thank heavens.  I can't decide what is freaking my subconscious out--a spending ban or buying more stuff.  Seemingly, it's bu...

Today is the 15th day of the buying-ban, which I thought I was handling pretty well--and awake, I seem to be.  Last night, though, I had another nightmare.  This time I was leaving Joann Fabrics having spent over $1,000.  Besides not having that much money in my personal account in the first place, I was seriously stressed about having blown it so badly--not to mention having to find space for everything.  The weird thing is, I would have thought I'd be stressed about the lack of buying things--not stressing over blowing it by buying things.  I guess I'm really determined to do this--even on the subconscious level.  I do wish, however, that I hadn't woken up before seeing what in the blazes I bought at Joann Fabrics for $1000!  I mean, really--how much fabric do you think that would be?  And if I'm going to keep having these sorts of nightmares, could I at least make it about cashmere or silk?

With less than 2 months left to go in the year, I have 5 sweaters and 7 WIPs left before completing those "12s."  So... a toddler sweater I started last December is the new favorite project.  I have one sleeve and the back done up to the raglan shaping.  The pattern doesn't say to do so, but I'm putting everything on holders as soon as I do the initial decrease for arms and will knit the whole thing in the round for the rest of the sweater.  Why would anyone sew raglan sweaters together?  Besides the fact that I am just lazy, the shaping never looks as neat when I sew it as when I just knit the whole thing together. Since they're fast and the least-complex part of the sweater, I'm about to cast on the second sleeve, so then I'll be so close to being finished that I (hopefully) won't even hesitate to cast on for the front.   Childish?  Yes.  Effective?  Sometimes.  Besides, if I get this thing done, I can also count it for "Blue...

Yesterday was my last physical therapy appointment, and tonight I'm sore and laying on the heating pad.  Yeah--anyone who didn't see that one coming?  In my defense, we had discussed a "plan of action" for my ongoing progress, and exercise REALLY is the key right now.  As my hip grows stronger, I'll have fewer and fewer problems.  The therapist, of course, was a big believer in "slow" progress, but try as I might, I just don't seem to grasp the concept.  I thought I WAS going slowly today. This may be a VERY long month...........

Last year I landed in the hospita l the Monday before Thanksgiving, which left me sulky, immobile and feeling sorry for myself just in time to get ambushed by Cyber-Monday sales.  No one on drugs of any sort should be confronted with tremendous deals on fabulous yarn in such a weakened state, and the results weren't pretty......though the yarn is.  NOT THIS YEAR!  Ha!  I'm ready!  Cyber-Monday, do your worst!  I am cheerfully deleting every email offering to sell me anything as I will not be spending money until November 1, 2013.   Ha! Of course, that probably means that I should put my credit card in the Witness Protection Program before next year's Cyber-Monday when I will be coming off a year-long personal spending ban and may be in a weakened state, but I will worry about that next year.  Bring it on, baby!

One of the sweaters I have been working on this year is Elizabeth Zimmermann's Epaulet Sweater   because I knew it had some unusual shaping,which intrigued me.  Well, the shaping part was intriguing.    Now it's been derailed because--and it pains me to say this because EZ is my knitting idol-- this is a really boring sweater.  GASP!  I know--I can't believe I have said this, but I am going to frog an Elizabeth Zimmermann project!!!! I thought it best to do it while I still have access to Valium.......I may need it.

There has been knitting!!!!!! The green sweater is progressing, and I have just finished the THIRD ball of fingering-weight yarn for it.   I have not yet looked up how many balls of yarn I'll use (I did when I ordered it--thank heavens), because I think at this stage it would just depress me.  But I love this sweater!  The pattern is interesting but not difficult (yet), and I'm still just immensely proud of myself for finally starting this sweater.  I just hope the feeling lasts for the next year, so I can get it finally finished.  For knitting-while-reading, I have another sock:  the beaded scarf got several more rows:  and the new sweater has a front AND back, and I'm doing the sleeve shaping already.  It's another cowl neck sweater because 1. I love that sweater and wear it a lot, 2. It's fast and I'd like some instant gratification, and 3. the pattern I intended to make with this ribbon stuff was designed for ribbon stu...