A Little Yarn On The Side

Gaidig raised an interesting point yesterday--bigger needles don't always mean faster knitting.  Actually, I don't often knit with anything bigger than size 8s because the big needles feel uncomfortable.  Of course, there are still faster options than this: which is the project that got all the attention yesterday.  Does anyone think size 1 needles are the fastest knitting option?  I was actually planning on tackling some sweater WIPs because I have THREE sweaters really close to being finished--two of which I can even locate.  But, Monday I lifted some weights, walked in the pool for an hour, assembled the monster tree: had a turkey-rematch, vacuumed the stairs, and did lots of physical therapy exercises.  As you might have guessed, Tuesday was a bit painful, but my back did pretty well--or well enough for me to think another hour of walking in the pool yesterday would be a good idea.  So, whether or not the socks are fast or slow knitting, they...

So, no new "things" from my personal account this year, but I am allowing activities.  Last spring a friend invited me to meet her Great Discussions group.  I had never heard of the Great Discussions program, but it's this wonderful program put on by the Foreign Policy Association.  They send out books and a DVD, and the group meets once a week for 8 weeks (I think) and you read a chapter in the book, watch the DVD, then discuss that topic.  I got to join them last year for the last one, which was on global energy policy.  For a topic I had honestly never thought about, it was fascinating.  I just got the email about this year's group, and while I will need to buy my own booklet, I'm counting that more as an "activity fee" than a "thing."  Extra points for it being a totally nerdy activity, too.  :)

I am now just over 1000 yards away from tying my best yardage year ever , and 2000 yards away from that 20,000 mark that I've been chasing for years.  I see a lot of BIG needles in my future next month.........

Knowing that I am on a year-long buying ban and knowing that it could be very, very dangerous, I still couldn't help myself:  I had to look at the Cyber-Monday sales at Knit Picks to see if the yarn I had recently ordered to do ornaments next year was on sale.  Why, I don't know.  Torture?  Curiosity?  Tempting fate?  But for once the Knitting Gods were on my side.  NONE of the colors I had bought were on sale.  Ha! Ha! What I would have done if they were on sale is anyone's guess, but thankfully it didn't come to that.  I am feeling supremely smug anyway.

The Stashdown group on Ravelry is having a virtual "Black Sheep" retreat this week in honor of the holidays and going NOWHERE near a mall for the holiday weekend, and without officially signing up, I have pretty much been participating, thanks to a cold.  Yep, missed Thanksgiving for the second year in a row, but at least this year Andy got to join our friends for the festivities, so we're making progress.  And sleeping most of Thanksgiving Day really did help, as I now have only a slight cough and intermittent sore throat, and I think the nausea level has moved back to the general "I'm-taking-pain-pills" level, versus the "Get-out-of-my-way-if-you-know-what's-good-for-you" level, and never did get to the "please-just-let-me-die" levels of the new muscle relaxers a few weeks ago, so REALLY there is progress.  And, a sock for next year's Christmas gift bag is in progress, the cowl neck sweater is gaining the cowl neck, which ...

Sweater number EIGHT is done: which also counts as WIP number 6 for the year, AND it counts for "Blue Christmas" as well as "What Child is This?" in the Holiday Music Stash dash.  Dang, that feels productive--which is sort of amazing since 11 months to finish a toddler sweater is anything BUT productive.  I know I've been busy, but when it takes longer to produce the baby sweater than the actual baby, something is wrong. 

*  Wake up at 7:00 after a long Nyquil-induced night which you hoped would relieve the back pain from having thrown your back out the day before. *  Make your way to the bathroom, only to realize you are about to pass out. *  With as much grace and speed as one can muster with a sore back, get down to the floor before actually passing out. *  Realize now that you're on the floor, you can't get back up *  Have husband hand you 3 Advil tablets to see if you can numb the pain enough to get off the floor, which you now wish you had swept over the weekend. *  After a while and repeated examinations by both cats, realize it's rather hopeless.  Consider spending the entire day on the floor.  Wish part of the bathroom was carpeted. *  Admit defeat and allow husband to call for paramedics. *  Give the neighbors plenty to talk about as both an ambulance AND a fire truck pull up outside your house. *  Surrender any ...