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.

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

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

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.

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.

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?

For the record, the sweater lost. My little one arrived on the 18th. He's perfect. :-)

Welcome, little Sam!

Since these things can go on for weeks before the baby actually arrives, this doesn't mean he'll be here any time soon.

Today, however, I had a quite painful contraction while waiting in line to check out at Target. The clerk was a young man, probably late teens or early 20's. As I paused in the middle of swiping my credit card to hiss and lean on the counter, his eyes got reaaaaally big. He asked if I was ok - oh, I'm fine, just a contraction, no big deal - and suddenly, he could not ring me up fast enough! He even offered to call an ambulance. It was pretty amusing.

Poor guy.

I always sort of thought that the so-called "nesting urge" that moms-to-be experience was mostly made up by women who were trying to explain away the sudden need to get some stuff done before the baby arrives. I mean, of course people are going to want to get stuff cleaned up so that there's not a ton to do when there's a small squalling person to look after. I'm not the tidiest of people, but I understand and accept that my house will be a nightmare for the first few months of baby living.

The nesting urge, though? So not a crock. Here's what I've done over just the past couple of weeks:

-23 loads of laundry, including every towel I can get my hands on and all of the newborn sized baby outfits
-reorganized my yarn and fiber stash for the 2nd time
-made a bulletin board and mail hanger for organizing all sorts of stuff
-baked and frozen several loaves of bread for thawing in the next month
-started actually cooking. I hate cooking. I love baking, but I hate cooking. All the sudden, I want to make food?
-rearranged the dining room furniture so as to hide the overly large dog crate
-put pictures up on the walls. We lived in this house for 2 years with no artwork. Suddenly, every room needs something on the wall
-barely resisting the urge to sand and repaint the kitchen cabinets. I'd be an idiot to start this now, but I DESPERATELY want to.

All of this is wildly out of my normal routine. I just keep thinking up new projects and have to talk myself out of starting them - after all, I've got 3 more weeks until he's due. I can't possibly finish EVERYTHING by then.

Now that the birthday in question is past, I can finally post a picture of the purse I made for my sister!



The outside is machine quilted by yours truly and, though I didn't take a picture of the inside, it's a deep brown fabric with little swirlies on it. The teal outer is topstitched and quilted with brown thread that matches the interior fabric. Best of all, I did it with no pattern! I'm super proud of my first patternless sewing (even if I DID base the basic shape off of a bag I saw at the store).

And then there's something I'm almost as proud of...



My fair isle gloves! The pattern, which can be found on Ravelry, is the Ruba'iyat mitten by Heather Desserud. It's a fabulous Scandanavian-style mitten construction using an Arab-style geometric pattern on the backs. I knit them in possum yarn and they are absolutely the warmest things ever. I'm in love. I think there will be a matching hat.

In other news... t-5 weeks until the little man's due date. Must finish his sweater, and fast.

Things I love, yet also hate

Thing 1: My cat. I have a stupid cat. Not just your average stupid cat. A truly stupid cat who may end up killing himself through his own stupidity. Over the past 12 hours, he has repeatedly chewed through hubby's iPhone cord, incurring the Wrath of Husband, and just now pulled a lamp down off of a table and onto his head. He's just asking for it. Stupid cat.

Thing 2: Indian food. Oh do I love Indian food. I mourn because the inexpensive Indian buffet with the all-you-can-drink masala chai just closed, and I didn't know about it. But I can't eat it anyway, because I'm 8 months pregnant, and it gives me the worst indigestion I've ever had in my life. I miss Indian food. I miss it so, so much. And sometimes I eat it anyway, and deal with the night of anguished Tums consumption just because I can't help myself. Just a little bit longer and you're evicted, baby, do you hear me? Because I wish to eat mounds of Indian food and NOT regret it.

Thing 3: Fair isle mittens. I love the pattern I've picked. (For those on Ravelry, Ruba'iyat Mittens.) I love the yarn, a gorgeous wool, NZ possum, and silk blend, which my mother in law brought me back from their trip there. I finished the first mitten on Tuesday night, and it fits perfectly. And now... now I have another mitten to knit. An identical mitten to knit. And as much as I want to have these perfect, beautiful, softer and warmer than I'd believed mittens on my hands, I also am having trouble making myself start the second mitten.

Thing 4: Designing patterns. I've got two already-tested patterns ready to go up for sale on Ravelry, and I'm having trouble making myself put them up. You see, these are my first paid patterns. I'm terrified that nobody will want to buy them. I spent hours and hours perfecting each of them, and there are some things about each that I still don't adore (even though one of my friends has made 6+ hats from my pattern, so I'm guessing she likes it...) but I'm too blasted nervous and embarrassed to just bite the bullet and figure out the system and upload the patterns. I could have duds. I could have a couple of winners that at least someone will spend a couple of dollars to purchase. Right? And with me out of work and Little Man due to make his appearance very, very soon, a couple of dollars would be very, very nice.