Visit to Yarnings

Decided to try and visit Yarnings today, since I'm feeling more into knitting and I love touching yarn. I went with a specific purpose in mind (sock yarn and, perhaps, Berroco Suede for Coachella.), and left with two skeins of sock yarn, several magazines, and some size 0 DPNs.

I was a bit disappointed because they did not have several skeins of Suede in the color I wanted, nor did they have Lorna's Laces yarn. I also totally forgot that I wanted to buy some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, which they did have!

So, here's some of the purchases I did make. I bought some knitting magazines. They had older Vogues for two bucks a piece. Since I want to expand my pattern library and at least one of the ones I picked up had a pattern in my Ravelry queue, I was happy to pick them up. I also picked up a Rowan magazine on the mistaken belief that I'll ever knit anything from one of them. I swear that I become beguiled by Rowan yarn and their pictures and then the next thing I know, I'm purchasing magazines I don't need and will NEVER knit anything from. I did ALMOST buy some Rowan tweed since I love all tweedy yarns, but I hate to buy yarn without a specific project at least in mind.



I fondled some Kollage yarn made of milk fibers that was called Creamy. I wasn't going to buy any (again, no project), then I remembered those adorable little baby booties that Sophy has been whipping up. Next thing you know, a small skein of the yarn is going to the front of the store, along with some bamboo size 0 DPNs. Why I'm buying the DPNs is beyond me since I've repeatedly said to myself that I'd prefer to either metal or Lantern Moon needles, but I buy them just in case I want to start knitting tonight!



Lastly, because I can't resist sock yarn, I picked up a beautiful greenish-blue skein of Koigu's KPPPM which I know knits up beautifully. I didn't need it, but it will look cute with some of my wintry shoes. I was so happy that I came home and put everything into Ravelry almost immediately, and then I went and bought more sock yarn at Simply Socks Yarn online store for Helen's socks.

things to do on a day 'off'

Started my official leave today, and it was odd. I woke up 'normal' time and puttered around the house for half an hour, staring at the cats, and psyching myself up to stop hurting and start going places. After a short delusional period, in which I considered just staying home and reading all day, I got up and went to the banks. Yes, plural. I had to deposit rent into the rental properties account, and baby shower money (thank you, family Oh) into the joint checking.

After doing this, I meandered over to Starbucks for an early early lunch. Well, it was early to me. To the rest of humanity it was nearing lunch time. After a few moments, I called my mother who had a short, terse conversation with me. It appears she's in a better mood about our last fight, but we're both still slightly upset, I would take it. I tried faking happiness during the call, but it didn't work well.

After that, it was time to get my eyebrows waxed! (I hope to look somewhat okay in photos with the baby.) I also made an appointment for a cut since the ends of my hair now look hideous. A short bit later, I was at the grocery store, buying Pledge and some ingredients for lasagna.

I came home, tired and achy. I spent about five minutes at home before I realized the gigantic package outside our house was Paul's birthday present and I had better get it inside and wrapped, which I did. I had BARELY enough paper, and it was pink paper, so now I have a gigantic present that's wrapped for the birthday of a ten year old girl. It does have cupcakes on it, though, which is a positive.

After doing this, I started to polish all the furniture in the house, as well as Windex several windows and glass panels in our house. I also swept up the nursery and despaired of it ever being fully completed. There is still a swing and bouncer to set up as well as several things to move to the attic. I can't do it alone, though, tomorrow I might try to tackle the bouncer. If I continue to wait for Paul, nothing will ever be completed. I might also move the carseat inset to the car. Why can't it be there? I might not, however, since Paul doesn't want it there.

After all this, I finally finished packing my labor bag. I finally said screw it to the birth plan. I know what my plan is -- give me drugs and lots of them. If I need a c-section urgently to prevent harm to my baby or I, please do it. That's my plan. Also, please bring me ice. I'm anemic and I need to chew on it or I'll die. (That last part might be a bit exaggerated, but all I can think of is ice-chewing nowadays. I watched Iron Chef tonight and watching someone poor ice all over some fish made me very hungry for ICE.)

I hung around a bit on IM in case my replacement needed help, but got no IMs, so I just bothered Paul and E a bit. Doing some review of my labor bag also brought me to mind that I had realized I needed a 'baby memory book'. I remembered seeing some at Michaels, or so I thought, so I decided on a trip there. I also decided to pick up some possible iron-ons (for onesies), a book on how to make cards, some edible glitter, and possibly some cotton for knitting dishclothes.

I got to Michaels, realized they didn't have baby memory books. Depressed, I went through the iron-on aisles and thought that iron-ons were much cooler when one knew the gender of one's baby. (A pink and black skull onesie is cute for a girl, but I'd prefer the gigantic cupcake for a boy.) Also, it's hard to put 'Daddy's girl' on a onesie if I don't know if I'm having a girl. The card making section had tons of materials for making cards, but not a single book or kit on how to make them. Considering my attempts on flying blindly into scrapbooking, I wisely backed off. By that time, I was too depressed to get any yarn or edible glitter, and I simply left.

I then decided I wanted Dairy Queen ice cream, only to drive past it and decide it was too expensive. That's my problem with life -- when I want to shop or eat by myself, everything is too expensive. I have a mental block on spending money in some weird way. I actually need Paul there to prod me into buying anything besides books.

After all this, I realized I was right next to Hallmark and I was able to buy Paul's birthday cards, which I promptly did. I considered the single gender-neutral baby memory book they had, and decided against it when I realized it called for a letter from the father to the baby. In ten years of being with him, I couldn't get Paul to write me a single love letter. I doubt he's writing to this baby.

Got home, and started the lasagna. It was a fairly easy recipe, but I decided to clean the kitchen after I was done and had it in the oven.

Sat down at the computer after, and felt like I had been lazy and gotten nothing done, which caused me to cry. I love pregnancy hormones. To summarize: I did a ton of stuff, felt lazy regardless, got a guilt trip about my mother, ached in my lower back for about 60% of the day, got two shots, cried, and planned for my outings tomorrow.

I am terrified of labor, and I still cannot wait for it. I'm going insane. I'm afraid that if left alone for two full weeks, I might decide to actually repaint some portion of the house with cheap-o paint because it will simply make me feel less lazy.

A Spam Machine

Apparently, Blogger had to review this blog to make sure that I was not a spam site. I wonder what happened in my first post to trigger this fear?

Anyway, I'm rushing along on my baby blanket. It is supposed to measure a good forty-six inches long, and I measured it today and found that I was already at 20 inches, which is nuts. I'm tempted to cast on for a nice soft hat now, but I must stay on target. The hat can be done after Kittle. The blanket must be finished prior to Kittle!

Damn you, Ravelry, for having so many people posting non-baby projects that are just gorgeous.

In other knitting news, I plan to hit some knitting stores in my area this upcoming week, and I want to buy some yarn for Helen's socks as well as buy some yarn for socks for the baby and myself. Perhaps I'll buy some knitting magazines as well.

Failed Blogger

I'm a multiple time failed blogger, but the only time that I was even remotely successful was when I was blogging about knitting. So, why did I stop last time? After years of some interesting projects such as three baby blankets, three tops, and about fifteen pairs of socks, I decided I would knit my husband a Harry Potter scarf and do NOTHING ELSE. I eventually stopped knitting. I stopped blogging. I started to draw and cross-stitch and do other artsy things. Mostly I just sat on the internet.

After a bit of light prompting on my husband's part, I finally finished the scarf, and I was pretty proud of it, but reluctant to move to anything else. Then, two of my good friends decided they were going to have a child, so I started knitting them a baby blanket. As anyone who has ever knit a blanket knows, it can take a good long while, so I hunkered down on that.

By this time, I was almost over knitting. Then, I found out I was going to have a baby! I knew I had to knit just a few things for my own baby, including its own blanket and hat, and maybe a small wee sweater or socks. I finished the baby blanket for my friends Paula and Tom and ordered the yarn for a hat for my own baby. I told my boss, Helen, that I'd teach her how to knit, and I gave her one of my knitting books and some beautiful Cascade Pastaza yarn and some nice bamboo needles.

Bad luck struck at this point for me, I got a blood clot, and a nasty one and ended up in the hospital for several days. Bored, angry, tired of playing Tetris on the DS, I told Paul to bring me the yarn for a second sock I had never finished as well as my needles. Over a year earlier, I had made the first sock in a ribbing that I ended up hating beyond all belief, and I had refused to start a second sock pair without finishing this pair. The small, light project was the perfect thing for laying around drugged up in a hospital bed. I finished the second sock in two or three days. By the time I got home, I was in fine knitting form. My yarn had come for my baby's hat and it turns out my knitting magazines were easy light reading for the bathtub (where I spent most of my time), and knitting was a nice activity to do as it allowed for me to fall asleep into a drugged haze easily. I could knit in bed or on the couch. Since I could read my stitches easily, I never got lost on where I was.

By the time I had finished my baby's hat (or nearly finished it depending on my baby's eventual gender), I had ordered the basic yarn for my baby's blanket and started knitting that. By this time, I had gone back to work (while on blood thinners) and found out about something called Ravelry. I applied to join Ravelry and forgot about it. Then Bryan sent me a link to his friend Sophie's Knitting Blog where she had beautiful work, and the next thing you know, I was writing to her about her blog and listening to her discuss Ravelry.

I joined Ravelry a few days later, and then rapidly became OBSESSED with it. If you see this and you want to see my projects, I'm Septy on there.