Yarn Crawling

1 Yarn Crawl, 2 Women, 4 Days, 12 Shops...Epic, Absolutely, Epic.  Each day we picked an area and focused on those yarn shops,  With 80s rock in the CD player we brought along the Garmin for help locating some of the shops (you really do need to update those things occasionally).  We put almost 200 miles on the car and did our best to help kick start the fiber economy,

We meet so many wonderful fiber enthusiast and shop owners.  I was surprised by all the cool things I saw.  I promised myself this year to focus on notions and not be seduced by green sock yarn.  At Loopy Ewe I was sorely tested, but held on to my goal and bought sock blockers, pattern tamers, and a cute notion bag.  At Meyer House I got an adorable pair of tiny scissors shaped like a puppy.  Today at the Bead Store in Fairview Heights, IL I even got a hairpin lace loom.  Okay, as much as I tried to resist, yarn was purchased.  Just for the record I did not buy any green sock yarn.

After 4 days and much debit card abuse, I am reflecting on my what was the best part of the yarn crawl.  I like all my new fiber stuff, but the time I got to spend with Natalie was my favorite part.  I always love doing things with her and this weekend was perfect.  We talked, we laughed, we ate pie, and just enjoyed having a good time.  The word lucky comes to mind, damn lucky.

The 1970s Are Calling

 

My lovely spouse lucked into some vintage 1970s yarn in some very vintage 70s colors.  She brought home six large containers of these man made fibers.  The skeins ranged from white and crunchy through the rainbow of technical color scratchy acrylic.  Each box has been an assault on the retinas and in many ways a crime against the dinosaurs who gave their lives for petroleum products that made the yarn.  I nabbed some bright colors for some possible guerrilla yarn actions and well beause, darn it, some things are just too ugly to force anyone else to take.

As we have sorted these assaults on the senses we talked about what we could knit out of the bright array of colors.  The always resourceful Natalie is planning puppy and kitty pads for our critters.  I watched her sort and think and sort some more as she discussed Ria's, one of our dogs, new blanket.  In the beginning of this haul I was less than excited about the edition to our constantly growing stash.  However, tonight as we went through the colors I must admit her excitement and planning drew me into the fold.  You know as crunchy as some of this stuff maybe in the end dogs and dreamers just don't care. 

Oh Grammar you are a Bitch

I was rereading though some of my old posts and groaned at some of the atrocious grammatical errors.  I hate that I have an English degree and still stumble through a sentence making basic mistakes, it is humbling.   I, always, did preferred reading Victorian novels rather then struggling through diagramming sentences.  The worst is that I do edit my blog posts.  I do, just as my high school English teacher suggested, reading everything aloud to better hear my mistakes.  I rewrite anything I stumble over.  However, despite my best efforts there they are those glaring mistakes.  The truth is I just can't seem to edit myself (Unfortunately, that is a problem in all aspects of my life).  I fix the mistakes in my head never seeing the botched tense or the mismatched pronouns or wiley run on sentences or well I think you are getting my point.  I freely admit commas are my enemies.   I subjectively pepper my prose with the rascally little slices whenever I think I haven't put one in for awhile.  I hope you patient reader and friend will just politely smile and shake your head at my grammar, saying in your kindest voice, "Well, at least she has style!"

I needed yoga socks because...

So I went to one of the local yarn stores and fell in love with this pattern for Twisted Rib Yoga Socks that was free with purchase of Plymouth Earth Oceanside Organic cotton yarn.  Free pattern, awesomely soft cotton yarn, and the desire for socks without toes and I was suddenly driven to make them even though I have never, ever done yoga.  I get that way sometimes, driven to do something that has no purpose.  At least in this case the mistake of knitting something totally frivolous and pointless made me smile.  So though these socks will never see any yoga classes, I will see them warming my feet and making me amused for months maybe years to come.  I am so lucky, I may not do yoga, but I know how to knit myself into happiness.

Oh Technology You Are a Bittersweet Princess....

I know I have not posted much lately.  I do have some really good excuse, if you want to hear them?  I am struggling through a technological crisis.  I have a old laptop (2003), and a newer netbook (2009) and neither of them is functioning well.  Actually in the case of the netbook, it is only good for playing solitaire right now.  My laptop can go the distant, but like a Model-T Ford, it is very bumpy and takes a long time to get there.  Many nights I just don't have the patience to wait.  I did just buy a smartphone to help as a patch until I improve my situation.  I tell you that was a colossal mistake.  I am more vexed then I have ever been with the electronic and this includes the time my car refused to start in -5 degree weather.  Yesterday I was explosively pissed I am surprised the Discovery Channel didn't report a volcano eruption in St Louis. I know woe is me. 

The plan is to get a new computer, but time, money, and indecision has left me still at square -5 (Notice I am transitioning with the previous paragraph by using the same negative number, clever me).  I have yet to decide what I want.  After much thought and discussion I know I don't want an Ipad.  However, I may still want a tablet.  I want a new computer that I can stream on and at least attach a regular sized keyboard to it.  I am not made of money so I want something that is reasonably priced.  After lugging around a laptop and then having a netbook, I do indeed want a skinny model (my fat girl heart just hurt a little at that statement, because size, in this case, does matter).  I refused to be tricked by any description that has MS Office on it to only later to find out I have half-ass demo versions of MSWord.  Finally, and I think most importantly, I want a computer that can read my mind and do exactly what I want it to do on the first try. 

So I think you see my problem.  As is always the case with me, my expectations are far exceeding the possible.  However, NASA maybe having an online garage sale soon and I just might find the computer of my dreams.  I do like the idea of having a computer named HAL.