ORGASMIC

Oooooooooooooooooh! Happy! I bought me a bag of happy today. A BIG bag!!! My yarn store is moving across town, and they were having a sale. They usually don't have discount bins; sometimes they have sales, but not whole boxes of lovely yarn at 25%--75% off.

Yeah. I bought a bag full. And some Addi Turbos. My other circs broke; I need to glue them. Seriously dampering the progress on my sweater. So now I shall be back in the knit of the cardi.

I owe pics. Tomorrow/later today will be pics.

I am sure y'all will totally understand the title of this post if you see the bag of fun I bought.

Poor, neglected knitting blog

On Thursday night I had the pleasure of the Mango Moon recycled silk. Yes, I have several unfinished projects laying about. Yes, I should finish what I started before I start new unfinished stuff.

Yet I HAD to treat myself. It had been a long few days of grading and working and student conferences--P.S., am quite the KIPer as of late, not only do I take my knitting to work, but also to school--so I rented a few movies and relaxed on the couch to enjoy. And I just rilly rilly rilly wanted to play with the recycled silk.

It was dreamy. So v v dreamy. So pleasurable that I sat there FOR HOURS, knitting and knitting and knitting. I knit through my Survivor tape. I knit through Closer. I knit through Spanglish. And now I have a bag. Well, it will be a bag when I sew it and knit a strap or handle.

Photos to follow.

Days just seem unbalanced if I can't find enough time to knit. Sometimes I have had to get up from bed whilst trying to fall asleep, just to knit a row and get the restless out. Is v calming.

And BONUS!!! With the slubby texture of the recycled silk, I was finally motivated to start holding the yarn the right way. True, there is no "right way." If I get knitted fabric out of it, it's right, right? Yep. But I had been "wrapping" the yarn around my right hand. Now I can just wrap around my pinky.

Yay, progress!

And oooooooooooh! New yarn from knitpicks! Am trying v hard to restrain.

CINNAMON
Cinnamon is the color of the sweater I am going to knit myself. In Merino wool. And it will be a cardi.

Am so v excited that the sweater process has begun!!! I have decided, as it's my first sweater and I am already adjusting the pattern a bit, that a simple stitch is best. So am going with stockingette. Call me funky, but I like the rolled edge it leaves. Yes, ribbing could omit that, but I like the rolled edge.

I read a tip somewhere that a good way to size a sweater is to simply measure a sweater that fits well. Rather than follow patterns. I am not overly fond of patterns. I like them for inspiration and guidance, but I need to make many of my own choices to be happy with my finished whatever.

So tonight's starting of the sweater included a gauge swatch, which I usually blow off but actually do need this time, a measuring of said swatch (how f-ing lucky am I that the random 20 stitches I threw on size 10s would equal EXACTLY FOUR INCHES!?!?!?!?), and the measuring of one of my fave cardis for back width. Then I figured out how many I will need to cast on. Math is fun when it's for knitting or sewing or whatever.

Am going with basic and boxy dropped shoulder for first sweater. I can get more creative in future sweaters. Want to play with basic construction and just get a classic piece from the experience.

I am more excited than I am conveying here. V much more. Perhaps it won't seem real to me that I am KNITITNG AN ACTUAL SWEATER until I cast it on. And then take pics. Pics are good.

AM A DANGER TO MY CHECK CARD
Have come to the conclusion that, although it is not the same intoxication as going to the yarn store and touching and feeling and drooling, and, most importantly, getting that immediate gratification of new yarn ownership, online yarn shopping for satisfyingly low prices has its own ups.

True, I don't get immediate ownership. But I get bargain priced yarn.

My new fave yarn stop on the 'net is knitpicks.com. OK, so the color selection isn't the best, but it is quality natural fiber yarn at super-affordable prices.

Remember the poker winnings from last weekend? They were earmarked for afghan yarn. I spent half on some today. I expected afghan yarn to cost over $100. It was $50.

Last night I knit a hat out of what I will knit an afghan out of--an alapaca/wool/silk blend. V v yummy. I chose greens and yellows, because I like greens and yellows. I also got some plain Peruvian wool for the low price of $1.79 a skein so I can have a go at felting.

Now I feel I must clean obsessively in order to justify my gifts to me.

And I need to figure out where to store all this yarn.

Because I don't admit--in writing--just how much of the lovely happiness is stashing up.