Progress and Pics

I finally got around to taking some photos of how the projects are going. Some are progressing better than others.



I'm very happy with The Squidge Cloth. It brings me peace now when I work on it.



Sadly, there were some problems with the hat. On the bright side, I got some better circular needles with a gentler slope from the cord onto the needle, so I think I'll struggle less with working the knitting around. I'm trying to find the silver lining.



The scarf is actually the first project I started, but I don't know if it will be the first one I finish. It's a hybrid of the first two projects from the Stitch-n-Bitch book. I really love the colors I selected for it, but man does it take forever. It will probably be a while before I'm ready to dive back into this one.

Spider Sense

Something told me to make some phone calls before I set off on errands today. I realized that I never got a confirmation phone call for my hair appointment. I also had a funny feeling that my allergy injection serum was past its expiration date. Sure enough, two phone calls later, I found out that the computer at the salon had lost my appointment and that the serum was past date. Maybe I developed a spider sense from the 11 spider bites trailing down my right leg. While I appreciate the trouble it saved me today, I would prefer to be able to shave again.

Meanwhile, my newfound superpowers didn't do me much good in the knitting supply search department. I went to FOUR stores in search of one yarn and one set of needles today. I know finding just the right yarn can be a quest, especially when you're going to do something crazy like tackling Lace Ribbon, but is it so much to ask to find 16" #11 circular needles that don't suck or cost a fortune? I ended up with some interchangeable Boyes. Wish me luck!

What is this made of? Vampire Skin??

I stopped at Hill Country Weavers yesterday to pick up a special order and make a return, vowing to not even browse. Alas, there was a huge influx in the sale area, so how could I resist? I spotted some discounted Rowan yarn called Holiday that I'd never seen before and thought it might rescue me from swatch hell on my simple shrug (more on this saga later). It was a lovely, drapey tape with a bit more bulk than a pure cotton because it was a blend. There were several balls in a selection of hues, including a lovely periwinkle. I almost bought them, until it occurred to me to check the care instructions:

Hand wash. Do not soak. Do not wring.

Lay flat to dry, out of direct sunlight.

Whaaat? The yarn was made of cotton, polyester, and viscose. I'm not sure what that last one is, but if it entails this much insanity, no thank you. I have both a life and a dog, which makes it impossible for me to be that careful with my garments.

Throws like a Knitter

Late Monday night, in my exhaustion from staying up too late knitting, I accidentally started throwing my yarn differently...in a manner that turned out to be far more efficient. (Maybe I should knit when I'm half-asleep more often?) Tuesday I had the chance to really put it to the test, with fantastic results. I really cruised along. Today, I woke up with sore and swollen knuckles. Now I just need my finger muscles to catch up with my improved technique.

Novocaine and Coffee

I had a filling replaced this afternoon, so part of my mouth is still numb. I'm supposed to avoid coffee... yeah, right, like that's going to happen. I am being careful that it's not too hot -- that's the real danger -- that I'd burn myself and not even know it. However, the coffee just tastes WEIRD. Not only is my tongue numb, but the taste receptors on half of it are shut off. Not fair!