Revelation, and Pangs of Startitis

I had a startling and wonderful revelation today: Columbus Day is early this year. It's the first weekend in October.

I know, what? and who cares? Well, I do, very much.

For the last two years, in addition to my annual pilgrimage to Apple Festival over Columbus Day weekend, I've gone to Rhinebeck the following weekend, and I really really want to go to both, but the schedule is unforgiving, and by the weekend after the two trips, I'm toast. (And last year I had to work very late that Friday night, remember? It was miserable.)

This year, they're not right in a row! There's a weekend between! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

That's a happy yell. Seriously, made my day.* Though I can take time off around the trips this year (at least the Fridays and Mondays, maybe more), it's still a lot in a short amount of time, and I'm delighted to space it out a little.

*Even more than realizing it's no longer full dark at 5PM, and that made me pretty happy too.

Whew. Happy thoughts.

Other thoughts, yarny thoughts, have been crossing my mind lately. It feels like the preliminary stage of a bout of startitis, the season when a knitter (or other crafter, perhaps) wants to start something new, and then another, and then another. This is although I'm making good progress on my second sock (this is Skyp pair #10), and have Mum's wristwarmer to finish, plus the next pair of socks planned (Claire, by the same designer as the Skyp, using the clover Socks That Rock I got last Rhinebeck) ... well.

I think it was contemplating what I might make with the mystery yarn that got my juices flowing. I've done a little pattern-browsing on Ravelry, and last night I got out the swift and ball-winder and wound not only that STR, ready for the next socks, but also a skein of wool I got in PEI, the blue BFL that's on the left in the picture of all the yarns in this post (hey, the Fleece Artist Sea Wool is pictured there too! that's the yarn of the socks-in-progress). I don't know for sure, but I'm thinking of trying a moebius. I watched Cat Bordhi's video and was intrigued.

One other yarn thought: when I do start the Claire socks, I'll be using the last skein of STR I have. I don't think that I can wait until October to get more. I may be taking Grandma's Christmas money for a ride to Webs soon. That last trip was a total blast, after all. Shall I stop and pick you up on the way, Hunny Bunny? Save me a box of Thin Mints!

Fortunately, unfortunately

I still have a picture book from when I was a kid, called Fortunately, Unfortunately. Our young hero goes along through a series of alternating good and bad things happening to him, along the lines of: unfortunately, he steps on a land mine; fortunately, it isn't active; unfortunately, he disturbs a nest of fire ants nearby; fortunately....

So, unfortunately it's been so cold lately* that walking outside is a punishment, something to be minimized and endured. Fortunately, we can walk inside during breaks, in a large room upstairs. Unfortunately, it's not as much fun to walk in circles inside. But fortunately, on a level surface, I can walk and knit at the same time!

It's a little bit Pollyanna, but oh well. Between that and a stich'n'bitch Tuesday night, I finished the scarf! (And started another, thank you.) I feel very knitty. Especially wearing my handcrafties when I'm chilly. Now I have my wristwarmer and scarf set for work. See me smiling?

*This morning the alarm clock radio went off during the weather report, so what I heard was "...with the wind chill, it feels like 14 below." Try getting out of bed after that.

of blogs and bloggers

Isn't it great when you discover a great new blog? (And no, I'm not fishing; I know most of my legions of readers are friends or family, and godluvya for coming, but that's a whole different thing from today's topic, so I'll get back to it.) By luck or happenstance, you find a blog that makes you smile, or nod, or laugh out loud, or tear up, or whatever floats your emotional boat. I thought I'd share some favorites.

My first read when I'm blog-surfing is Laurie, aka Crazy Aunt Purl. I found her blog when I was looking for a hat pattern to knit, and stayed for everything else: knitting, cats, horrorscopes, pictures, videos, links, and a great take on life. Love ya, Laurie! Check your mailbox, though I swear I'm not stalking you! (The hat pattern is great, by the way, and so simple, but there's much more to it than that.)

Second, I generally read Stephanie, the Yarn Harlot. Although there is a lot more regular knitting content here, she also writes about family, neighbors, travel, and so on, and is amusing and inspiring and well, next time she comes to Greater Boston, I'm there (I was a little late to the Harlot bandwagon, so I didn't go when she was in Cambridge recently [this summer? last summer?]).

Then, Franklin at The Panopticon (which his website does explain, so I won't). In recent weeks, two different people have sent me links to him, which shows they do know me, and yes, I enjoy reading his blogging. He knits, too (I found his site from Stephanie's), but again there's more there than that. And if you go to his blog, you should know that Dolores is a sheep, okay? And don't call her imaginary unless you're ready to face the consequences.

Those are generally the first ones; then if I have time, I check out others:

Jennifer Saylor, with whom I used to work in North Carolina, back in the day. I enjoy her writing even when she writes about mathy stuff, and if you know me (which as previously discussed, you probably do), you know that's saying something (hello, English major!).

MonicaPDX, whose blog I found mostly because she also reads Stephanie and Laurie, and comments well. I enjoy her perspective on life as well as her helpful also-learning-to-knit-socks position.

And a new one (to me), Tammy at Polka Dot Mittens, also found through a pithy comment on Laurie's blog. I went back and read through her archives, and had a fine giggle. There were a couple of months when the postings were, well, a little slim, but after all anyone who is renovating the basement and preparing for a wedding is excused.

I just hope she's prolific going forward, because damn it, the bad thing about blogs is that you find someone whose writing you want to read, and then they don't write, and that's no fun! If I click into a blog for the first time, and see the most recent posting is from 2 months ago, and starts out talking about how long it's been since they last posted, they've lost me. They could be a great blogger, but it only leads to frustration. And who wants to volunteer for that?

If anyone wants to suggest others, please do so! For now, since I have boxes yet to unpack and a trip to plan for, I'm off to make cookies. Of course! And I'll post photos (sometime) of the wristwarmer: such a quick knit, I started it Thursday night and finished Saturday, and started number two! Fun...

Friday and all

Look! I'm knitting! I even still remember how. You know, "knit read cats hockey"? I managed three-at-once last night, as I was knitting, with the cats, while watching hockey. The cats were in the On Lap and Next To Lap positions (in our house, Next To is also called 'better than no lap at all'), and although Pan made it clear that sleeping on my elbow would have been more pleasant if the muscles in my arm would stop moving, he persevered. And the Bruins even won. It was a good night, and off to a good start on the wristwarmer with the yarn I bought at Apple Festival.

I give you two images, since I think both the flash and no-flash versions show the yarn and pattern differently but validly:




I really like this yarn, both the colors and the soft of it. Jackie at the Knitting Room in Arlington gave me guidance for the "pattern" (repeating two rows, what could be easier), and she's going to help me with the thumbhole, too. After all, without that hole, they would be less useful!

I did have an "isn't today over yet" day today. Not a bad day, but I was just, you know, ready for the weekend before I left the house this morning. I leave on my trip a week from tomorrow, on Christmas Adam*, and then I will be 'ccr in FL' for a week. I have no idea if I will blog from there. I could, of course; but I may just be too busy walking on the beach, drinking fresh-squoze orange juice, and eating. Actually, it's even better than that sounds. I'll be spending time with my parents and my brother, and since we all live ridiculously far from each other, that doesn't happen every year (okay, it happened last year, but still, it's nice). I love that we're all excited about that.

* You know, the day before Christmas Eve

I had one of those world-upside-down moments today. I talked to my doctor earlier this week about my headaches, and he decided to refer me to a neurologist, so I called his office today to make an appointment. My PCP's office had told me that this guy was easy to make an appointment with, so I figured January, you know: that it wouldn't be months and months, the way it can be with doctors sometimes. I gave all my info to the woman who answered, and here's what she offered me: next Thursday.

Less than a week? Whew. What is the world coming to? Sure, I'll take it!

And, in further good news, it's less than a week to that magical day when I stop getting more darkness (because I really have enough, honestly), and start getting a little more light every day. Loving the solstice!

And finally, a word from our orange. Isn't it pretty? There's a sort of star in the middle. A Christmas orange, perhaps...