Nice RAK

Sorry, couldn’t help it.

One of the threads on Knittyboard is for Random Acts of Kindness (RAK). You post a list of likes (and, if you wish, dislikes) and send your mailing address to a Knittyboard moderator who keeps track of such things. I’ve never been RAK-ed before. Last week, I got a heads up from the kind and generous Minh that she was sending some fiber my way. I arrived home to find this waiting for me today (on TOP of my doormat, for those of you that have read past posts)

That’s a braid of ‘Zinnia’ corriedale roving (a little more fuschia than the pic shows), some merino/tussah roving in ‘Sweet Pea,’ – both from NoNoKitty and with excellent spinning potential – and finally, some absolutely beautious red sock yarn from Yarn Botanika with a matching bag!

I must have done something really good recently. Thank you, Minh.

As you can see, Jasper has inserted himself into the picture. Soon, you will be able to date all pics taken in my apartment as pre- or during-Jasper, based on the presence of grey kitty body. Here’s a better picture of himself.

Seriously?

I arribed home tonight to find this on my doorstep.

Now, really, is the doormat going to fool anyone?

Meet my new roommate

Warning: Picture-heavy post
Meet my new roommate.

We’re still working out how I should address him. His foster called him Jasper, but he doesn’t pay any heed to that name, so I might try something else. He’s almost 2 years old, and I found him through the Siamese Rescue. He arrived Saturday afternoon, so he’s still settling in, but things are going well so far. He’s a good roommate.

He helps me knit…

…and cook.

He picks up his belongings…

…keeps an eye on the door…

…and can entertain himself without my help.

Also, he likes my furniture.

He has the most beautiful blue eyes, but I haven’t been able to photograph them very well. He hasn’t been very talkative so far. We need to have a discussion about when the appropriate time to get up in the morning is, but generally, I think this new roommate is going to work out.

Happy and sad

Happy

This is clue one of Mystery Stole 3. I actually completed it Monday, but I’ve been a lazy blogger (shocking, I know). I’ve just started Clue 2. I’m using undyed Knitpicks Bare laceweight Merino, size 4 Knitpicks Options needles (love them. Love the pointiness. Love the little hole for running lifelines), and creamy pearl beads, which don’t really pop, but that’s OK. Subtle is good, too. It is great fun to knit.

Sad

The message of this picture is be very, very, VERY careful when opening packages, especially if they’re not “professionally” packed. (ie. from a business). These three balls are all from the same skein of Skacel Merino laceweight, which I accidently sliced into when opening the package. Sigh.

Lookit what I made today!

It will go above the TV in the living room. Foamboard, a frame, a clock kit, acrylic paint, and some designs adapted from a Dover Art Nouveau book. I’m pretty pleased with the results.

My financial ruin will soon be complete.

A DSW is opening mere blocks from my house.

Two precious

This post is about two subjects, both new and both precious.

First, I would like to introduce my friend’s new daughter, Miss Sonya Rose.
You may have seen me refer to her as Reshababy. Miss Sonya has a green hoodie knitted by me, but, like many of her clothes, it is currently too big. That will change soon, and then there will be more pictures.

Second, I would like to debut my new shawl. Meet my Icarus.
My Icarus took more yarn than I expected, so it has a border, but that’s OK. I like it that way. It was amazing what a difference blocking made. I knew logically that binding off would open up the lace, but I guess I didn’t fully process what that would mean. It made it so much more airy. My main thoughts when I bound off the last stitch were ‘Finally. It’s done. I can move on to something better.’ Once I unpinned in from the bad, though, I fell in love. I am also unreasonably delighted that I can fold Icarus into a little square, and that square fits perfectly into a gallon-sized Ziploc. It’s just so tidy!

Sonya is not sure what she thinks about Icarus.

We shall not speak of this again

The first lace project I ever started was the Kimono Shawl from Folk Shawls. You can see it underway here.It is not the first lace project I ever finished. I may never finish it. After many fits and starts and many time-outs, Kimono Shawl made it back into my hands last week. I decided to finish the current repeat, and then end it, block it, and forget it ever happened. Tonight, as I was knitting, more than halfway through that last repeat, I accidently pulled the needle out of the middle. Dropped several stitches. Through decreases. I give up.

I can’t bring myself to frog it, and I can’t bring myself to finish it. I don’t particularly need the needles for anything, so I think I will just pack the whole thing away with odds and ends that I’m not currently using.

Signs

[As an aside, I never posted about Maryland Sheep and Wool - it was awesome. I stuck to my budget (mostly) but still got good goodies. Mostly laceweight yarn and fiber for spinning. Two lightweight spindles (I was only planning on one, but well...) I finally succumbed to the lure of the fabric store going out of business. The minimum yardage requirement kept me from buying any fabric, but I went slightly crazy on patterns. Only slightly.]

Anyway.

I believe in signs, to a certain extent. I don’t go looking for them, but if I notice really clear signs, I try to follow them. Today, I went looking for summer sandals at DSW. I was unimpressed at the selection. Most of them were variations on flip-flops, heeled (I like heels, but I think they’ll look funny with shorts), or really clunky. On the last aisle, I saw a pair that I thought were OK. Not great, but OK. I decided to look for my size, but was not hopeful when I saw there were only two boxes. My size is not one that any shoe store keeps in great stock. Not only did they have my size, it was the top box. My fate was sealed when I saw the name of the shoe. It was my last name, plus the letter ‘a’ at the end. I thought ‘OK, I get it!”, tried on the shoe just to be safe, and bought them. Some things are just meant to be.

Temptation

As I have unpacked, I have become increasingly horrified at the amount of fabric I own. I’m less horrified by my yarn and fiber stash – those stashes aren’t as big, and I know where to go to swap or sell parts of that stash if I decide I don’t want them. My fabric stash is huge, and I keep finding more. Every third or fourth box I open – oh, look, more fabric – and I don’t know how to get rid of it as easily. Some of the fabric I still love and have projects in mind for. Some I like but don’t know what to do with. And some, I look at and think ‘What was I thinking.’ I just have too much fabric.

Last night, I pulled into a grocery store parking lot. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the windows of nearby Hancock Fabrics were plastered with large “Store Closing Sale” signs. It took every bit of willpower I had not to go look. (Well, it helped that it was after 9pm). Even knowing the amount of sewing crap I have (and knowing how much of what Hancock has is, for the sewing I do, crap), I wanted to go see what kind of deals I could score. I still want to go see. Someone, stop me!