Knitting Therapy

Whoever thought I would swell with pride when watching a kid grab a rattle? But my son has been working on his hand-eye coordination now, at 4 whole months, and the way his face lights up when he manages to actually touch what he wants is beyond amazing. I love that kid.

In other news, it's Tour de Fleece time again. I've been spinning my butt off, trying new things, like spinning with sparkles.

See?




Off to buy buttons for my new sweater...

I used to have my main bank account with Citibank out of convenience, as well as a credit card. Why? Citibank was the only bank on the edge of the UofC campus, so I could get there easily. When I moved away from the midwest and citibanks were harder to find, I switched most things to another bank. However, I kept a credit card there, which I rarely use, and eventually stashed away as an emergency card.

I have need of the card (though not for an emergency). I went to look for it and can't find it. I'm sure I have a photocopy of it somewhere, but that too has hidden itself.

I called the lost card line. Guess what? You need your credit card number to access any part of that phone line. They routed me to new card services.

New card services gave me a new number. A new number which either tried to route me to the original number... or to new card services.

Next, they gave me a number that sent me to bank acct info. Which didn't help, since it was a credit card.

Finally, I went back to the original lost card line, got routed back to new card services, and was told I could only get help at a local Citibank.

Guess what? There are no Citibanks in Durham.

Why is it that I wake up in the middle of the night thinking of knitting? Seriously, when did I turn into someone this obsessed with yarn, to be designing knitwear in my SLEEP?

and another opens. Or at least that's what they say, right?

No Knit Picks for me, sigh. Maybe next time.

Just submitted one of my knitting patterns to the Knit Picks Independent Designer Partnership program. Keep your fingers crossed. I'm suuuuper nervous. I hope it's good enough.

I almost had a tragedy today. I was sitting on the couch and nursing the little one after a morning of sewing (and finishing a new purse/diaper bag small enough for quick trips out instead of a giant bag, go me) only to smell something. Something terrible. Something that smelled like burning electronics. Something that gave me a waking nightmare of the day my dear Husqvarna started smoking.

I dashed into the dining room/sewing room - there was no smoke, thank the Lord, but the smell was overwhelming. I'd forgotten to unplug the machine for the first time since the fateful capacitor overload... and there was a dog sitting on the pedal.

Yes, my stupid dog was sewing. As there was no fabric to sew, the machine was going at full speed and sewing air. The thread had gotten all tangled around the bobbin and brought the machine to the verge of overheating. I managed to get there in time to save my poor, overworked, antique machine. It still works, it's still fine, and I'm officially done being an idiot. Yay!

Two projects down, 8 to go on my self-imposed yarn diet. 1.8 more oz of fiber left to spin of my angora/merino mix. I can do it.

It's amazing how busy life gets with a small child. For example, this is the first day in oh... 10 weeks that I've had the time to make my hair look nice. I hadn't realized how LONG it had gotten until I left it out of a ponytail today.

All the busy time with the baby means less time for the things that make me sane. I've yet to finish a single skein of yarn from the fibers I bought at Maryland Sheep and Wool (though I've gotten halfway finished with one). I've finished small projects, but I haven't finished writing up patterns for things that should have patterns, like the incredibly simple and cute neckwarmer that's just waiting to have a picture taken. No, everything revolves around my baby boy.

That's not a bad thing. It's just a HUGE change. As a consequence, I have oodles of lovely yarn hanging around that hasn't been knit, far more than I normally allow in my stash. As such... an official yarn buying hiatus. Until I finish 8 more projects, no yarn. And until I finish spinning at least 5 hanks of fiber, no more fiber buying. I have plenty on my plate!

Possibly breaking my foot while stepping out of the shower. Note to self: there is a metal lip on the shower. IT HURTS TO KICK IT.

What a fantastic weekend, despite almost melting from the heat. The 5.5 hour drive up took more than 7 thanks to stopping to nurse every 2 hours and then ending up in festival traffic, but it was all totally worth it. MDSW is a county fairground packed with vendors, exhibits, sheepdog trials, and all sorts of fiber-bearing animals. I drooled over alpaca, convinced myself not to buy an angora rabbit, and shopped like a madwoman. We also went to an afterparty and met a whole slew of knitting podcasters.

I've finally got myself a tensioned lazy kate which really DOES make plying sooo much easier, and I managed to find a copy of Barbara Walker's 2nd treasury of stitch patterns, which I've been trying to track down in person for ages. Plus, I've got fiber. Lots of fiber. I decided to try to find fibers I haven't spun before, and did a fairly good job of it - I have falkland sheep, angora, and cormo to try out. I also got seduced by the softness of alpaca dyed in fall colors (drool) and splurged for 8 whole oz. of shiny, soft, smooth, pumpkin-colored Blue Faced Leicester mixed with silk. I also got YAK. I get to spin YAK! It's so exciting, to me at least.

The little man did an amazing job, although he spent most of the time fussing while in his stroller and wanting to be held. I couldn't keep him in the front carrier for too long thanks to how hot he gets in it, so my arms were killing me.

All in all a very successful trip. Now to spin until my fingers fall off.

I get to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival! Woot! Plus I'm taking mini Me. An infant and thousands of fiber fiends, what could be better?