Flashin' the Stash

While cleaning up the guest room yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to "air out" the stash. Since Joe had given me a few extra containers, I knew I needed to reorganize to make the best use of the new space. I had most of my sock yarn in one drawer-thingy, a good bit of handspun/special yarn in another, and then a bunch of other containers with random combinations of recent purchases.

I thought it would be a good opportunity to really look at what I had. And so now, I give you...my sock stash (enough for 40 pairs):


And here's my entire stash...

While some of you might think, "Jeez girl - you need to get some professional help - you're bordering on becoming a hoarder," I guarantee you that at least 75% of my knitting friends will look at this and think, "That's not a stash - that's just dipping a toe into your hobby - come over to my house some time and see what a stash can become."

Regardless, I'm on a strict yarn diet with limited Rhinebeck purchases this year. Too bad I have this job thing. I'd really love to just knit for a while. A long while.

A Few Boundaries

Up until recently, I've thought of my blog as a curious self-indulgence that was mostly filled with home projects and yarn. I've also used it to vent.

I now have to be extremely careful how searchable my vents can be. It's sad. I'm a person with thoughts and ideas. And now I'm a person who feels that some things are very unsafe.

I might continue to blog on strictly harmless things, but for the time being I'm lying low.

Thanks for reading - your comments are fun, cathartic, and make me feel loved.

Wide Awake at 4AM

It's hot. The cats are restless. I wake up to get some water, then suddenly I have random thoughts shooting through my haze of sleepiness...

Don't forget cat food. Need to make a dessert for Tiombe. Find Joe's court notice and put it on the desk so he can find it. That shawl pattern I just bought - double check the yardage needed vs what I have. Check Mom's flight - I think it might be the same day as Jenn's trip to Stitches East. Holy shit, how have I added 39 skeins to the stash this year - and how am I ever going to knit it all? Work is about to get crazy busy. Don't forget cat food.

I figure I'll just jot down a few things so I can let my brain go back to sleep. But of course I can find no writing instruments in the bedroom. Go downstairs, feed the cats, figure I might as well get some of these things done, and here I am.

I think I finally may be able to get back to sleep, now that I have less than an hour before I have to wake up...

Random Thoughts and Memories

Wow - didn't realize this would be my 400th post. I'm not good with the blogging these days (nor are many of my blogging friends, I realize) - mostly due to Facebook, Ravelry, Twitter...time sucks that have bumped blogging out of the way.

So rather than the "hey - look what we did" kinds of posts I've done in the past - which usually involve pictures and long stories - I'm going to change this over to more of an online thought journal. It probably won't be interesting to most, but every blogger has a bit of "I need to tell the world this right now" in them, and so it is with me.

The death of John Hughes yesterday left me feeling a bit empty. I don't recall exactly when I first saw some of his movies - even though they were made when I was in middle and high school, I'm not sure I watched them when they came out. I was into more of the horror genre at that time, and for the most part I don't remember any movies I watched unless there was something important going on at the time. I recall watching Hellraiser (with Pam?) while Katie watched The Princess Bride - unwise choice on my part, even though I'm still a Pinhead fan. I remember watching some really god-awful movies on awkward dates. I remember the first time I saw Brad Pitt on the screen - at the Dollar Theater on Buford Highway, watching Thelma and Louise.

John Hughes's films, however, just became part of my life. I don't know when or how it began, but they were just "always there." They are the go-to films in our home - or when we're on the road. They really are about who we were as teens / young adults. To quote The Breakfast Club, we knew that "each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal."

Rest in peace, sweet man.

And now, I give you one of the funniest scenes from the genius that was John Hughes (apologies for the poor recording):

For Pammy...

...and all our "suffering..."



I will never forget the neverending version: DAHdahdahdah DAHdahdahdah DAHdahdahdah DAHdahdahdah...I still hear that in my nightmares... :) Love you, sweetie!!!

Hot Damn!

Check this out...

I would say I never win anything, but the lovely Cambria would totally call me out on that.

Nothing else exciting going on. Work, knitting, drinking, sleeping...oooh look at the pretty yarn I got in a recent swap!

That's about it, folks. When you're one stereotype away from being The Crazy Cat Lady, there's not much else going on...

Bad Blogger, Tired Blogger

Just got back from a wonderful vacation, but I can't post pictures until I have clean clothes and opened mail. Here's a little something lovely I found online during lunch today...

It Broke My Heart

If you haven't seen The Visitor, you really should.

Really.

The Three-Day Weekend of Nothing

Hear that? That's the sound of nothing. Absolutely nothing planned for the weekend, except a casual cookout at a friend's house. I'm not hosting anything, I'm not traveling anywhere...all that's on my To-Do List is knitting, knitting, laundry, maybe pay bills, and more knitting.

Joe's up in Vermont fly-fishing with an old buddy, so he's in heaven. As much as I love to travel (and as much as I loooove VT), I needed a downtime weekend. Not that it's been busy around here - it's just nice not to have an agenda. Besides, there's a group of us on Ravelry making squares for blankets - several Rav members have loved ones undergoing chemotherapy right now - and I've got to motor through a bunch of those.

In the meantime, I got yarny goodness! Joe gave me a gift certificate from Hanks for Christmas, and since I'm a bonehead I misplaced it for about 5 months. While searching for our video camera cable, I found the certificate! Whoooot!

I got Mmmmmmmalabrigo lace weight in blue

Mmmmmmmmmmalabrigo lace in green:

And some lovely Prism Saki in "Brass"

That's about all the excitement that's happened this week. Finally saw Slumdog Millionaire, and I thought it was a good movie. Not the best ever, but good.

Now I'd better get out of this office chair and get on the treadmill. Then I've got some knitting to do!

So, How's the Knitting Going...?

Remember THE LIST? Well, here's a 4-month update:

- 6 pair of socks (at least). Completed 3. For Me, Joe, and Mom. Started #4
- This shawl, in some groovy Egyptian mercerized cotton I have. Not started
- A scarf pattern that came with my Buckwheat Bridge purchase at Rhinebeck 2007 Not started
- Another hedgie for one of Joe's coworkers (who just had a baby) Done
- Possibly this scarf using this yarn Not started
- A hat and scarf for Joe to replace the really crappy ones I knit him when I was first learning Started the scarf
- Another Clapotis, this time for me, out of some awesome yarn I got at Rhinebeck 2008 (the purple stuff at the top of this photo) Not started
- This fish hat. Because how can you not make a fish hat? Not started

This original list morphed into a larger, more organized "to-do" list that has amused the ladies of my knitting group (yes, I am a list junkie and a nerd). Included on the new list:

- Amelia hat from a kit SoHo gave me in 2007 Done
- Russ's cigar gloves Done
- Rip out Tubey (failed sweater due to poor pattern/yarn combo) Done
- Mom's knucks and hat-or-scarf Started knucks, hope to finish soon
- Angel Lace Shawl with Bijou Basin Ranch yarn Not started
- Gryffindor socks with Sunshine Yarn Not started (sock #5)
- Noro striped scarf Started but no pics yet - looky here for examples
- Hedera socks for Mom Started, but not happy with gauge. In time-out for now (sock #6)

So that's about it for now. Today is all about laundry and minor cleaning of the house. And seeing how long I can stay in my PJs. It's 2pm, and I'm still going strong.

Edited to add - sorry about all the color changes. Was doing the color change to indicate notes, realized purple was a crap color on this background, changed to peach. Most of it did, anyway. Then realized black was a bad choice when I went back to "normal", and now I'm just tired of fooling around with it. So deal with it, please.

It's Spring!!!

Warning: May Destroy Pleasant Childhood Memories

This is for you, Amy! :)

Lovin' This...

see more Lol Celebs

Did You Know...

...that if I knit a pair of socks every other month (which is my 2009 goal), it will take me 5 years and 8 months to get through my current stash of sock yarn?

...that I have enough yarn in my stash for 13 different wraps/scarves?

...that I am a rediculously slow knitter that actually bought 11 skeins of some unknown (yet expensive) yarn at a horrible store in NYC because I was inspired to knit a blanket?

Clearly, I have issues. But I did finish my socks for Joe this weekend.

Kristin Knows Me Very Well...

So I got a note from Kristin on Facebook: "I have something for you and Joe that will make you laugh out loud and giggle to yourselves! Hee-hee!" And when I got home today (Lousy Day One of Five Craptastic Days filling in on a set of duties that I loathe), I noticed a box by the kitchen door.

It was a package from a favorite supplier of the heroin-for-me that is pottery (they are also friends of the Newbys). Inside that carefully-insulated box was a lovely, hefty coffee mug. On the front it says, "How 'Bout A Cup"

And the other side says - you guessed it:

Kristin, this is so very perfect. I've decided I get to keep it at work because Joe already has this hanging above his desk. You are the best, sweetie - and you have made me smile tonight, without a doubt!

Mwwaah! Much love to you!

There Are Perks...

...granted, I'd love to have Joe home more often, but here's one little treat to ourselves that was FREE thanks to his many Marriott points...

And in one day, we found a piece of furniture, and Joe set this bad boy up in our bedroom. Then Joe had to go to Buffalo. So I can watch what *I* want to watch. :)

I Stare At It All Day...

I recently had a conversation with a friend about spending time online at home. She mentioned that she stares at a computer all day and doesn't want to deal with it in her down-time. I began to think about this - as I certainly do stare at a PC all day - and I realized that my online time at home has become increasingly important to me.

I'm not a gamer. I'm not in an online romantic relationship with anyone. I do not sit at my PC (and new Mac!) like a veal, exposed only to limited light and communication. But I truly value my online friendships and conversations.

My best friends live 1,000 and 3,000 miles away from me. I've known a couple of them since I was five. We shared kindergarten. We shared CSHS marching band. We shared road trips that will be forever etched in my mind and heart (Sapelo! San Francisco!). We are closer now than we've ever been - because of email and blogs. How else would I marvel at the beauty that is the newborn Louis or pause for prayer and love at the most recent thoughts from Evan's Garden? I will gladly stare at a computer a little longer for that.

And then there are new friends. My freshman crush and ultimate heartbreak provided me with a friend for life. I just didn't realize how short his life would be. Rob Brese passed away in 2004, and while searching for some understanding, I found Snarkland. She and her friends knew and loved Rob as well. I stalked her blog for a while, and then we were friends. Just like that. We've met several times (and I've met many lovely people as a result), and that friendship continues to grow. I can't imagine not hanging around a bit online for that.

I get emails from my wonderful nieces. I get Facebook notifications from friends I'd always loved - just lost touch with. I get blog hits from strangers wanting to renovate their homes.

Yes, I do spend too much time online. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Bad Blogger

Okay - steering clear of the local-politics-venting and getting back to blogging about meaningless fun and knitting... This week was a lovely time to take some vacation days - got to chill out, travel with the husband, and drink a bit with friends a time or two...

This is how our trip upstate started - with 300ish yards of alpaca that needed untangling. Mission: accomplished!

We then went to Ommegang Brewery and sampled some most excellent beers. We can get most of them through our favorite beer store, but it was nice to try some special brews as well.

We stayed at the lovely Inn at Cooperstown - centrally located with wonderful staff. I highly recommend it.

After spending the first day drinking lots and lots of beer, we hit the Baseball Hall of Fame on our anniversary. I really enjoyed it, and Joe spent most of the day awestruck. The rest of the Cooperstown pictures are here, but I warn you they're a bit baseball-heavy.

On the way back, we took the long way home on Route 28. In Oneonta, we found a great little yarn shop that shared space with a spice/food store. Both of us came away with goodies on that little side trip...

And I got through a few repeats of the Lupin scarf for Joe - in (the formerly tangled) alpaca from Montgomery Mills.

And the day after we returned, I got a package from my RnR "In Like A Lamb" swap partner! Beautiful handspun yarn, goodies, and noms! Whoot! cthulhulovesme is filled with awesome.

That's about it for the week, other than hanging out with the Connors and drinking too much wine...but that's pretty standard for us. And now I sit here embracing the last few hours of the last night of vacation - and hopefully the cats will be kind and not wake me at oh-dark-thirty in the morning. I so wish to savor my final sleeping-in morning.

I promise to be a better blogger and at least post more quantity, if not quality.

And - HEY - welcome to the world, Louis!

Working On Stuff...

Without too many boring details...

A scarf kit given to me by the lovely Kelly:

Cigar gloves that look crappy on my small hand but fit Russ (hooray!), so now I can comfortably finish the other one...

A little something for my mom that has been sitting around for a while...

Socks for Joe - again, they've been in the "don't wanna think about it now" pile for a while...

Finished my first pair of socks for 2009 - with a few days to spare (finished 2/22 while watching the Oscars).

Now, back to work. This knitta's got some work to do!

A Farewell to Jack

I think we need to spend some time apart.

I really appreciate the warmth and the fun that you and your Kentucky cousin have given me time and time again. But lately...?

Lately, I've come very close to depending on you. And I don't want that. Over the years - as I've known more and more of you - I've given away a little part of myself. And I'm starting to not recognize the face in the mirror. I'm beginning to feel like a shell of something I would never become.

And even though I haven't seen your Mexican friend Jose' by himself in a while (he's usually mixed in with others), I have to stop seeing him too. And your absolutly crazy friends.

Don't get me wrong - I do enjoy your company. And we'll meet again one day. But it certainly won't be as frequently. We have different goals, you and I - I'm trying to take care of myself, and you make me not want to.

But I feel like I'm losing me. And I really liked being me.