Shut Up & Knit!

/blows off the dust

Hai!

I got the sweetest note from a semi-lurker occasional commenter the other day.  Made me realize that it was more than just my best friend who missed the blog.* 

So it's been a month.  I know most of you didn't miss me because I didn't hear from you bitches.  And that's okay because I did not miss the blog.  I rarely read blogs these days.  There's a huge lack of interest on my part and, if you do that gutless stolen meme thing, chances are good I don't read you at all.  Let's be honest, I'm not missing much.  I talk to friends here and here, and who else matters when you think about it?

There was spinning for the Tour.

A lot of spinning.

I'd joined a couple of new to me teams for the Tour.  Had so much fun and actually won a prize for spinning daily.   I was the lucky winner of this pattern collection.  I need to toss the stash to find something for the first one I want to knit. 

After the Tour, however, I put away the wheel.  It's the first time since it arrived that it is living in the travel bag.  It's nice to not have the wheel sitting in a corner, pouting and trying to me feel guilty.  Yeah, not that kinda girl.

Beautiful summer days and much cooler summer nights.  It was only 106F/41C yesterday.

A lot of blissfully boring and mindless knitting, which makes for really boring blogging.  I'm in a scarf/wrap kinda mood and am loving the database on Ravelry.  Also enjoying my friends feed because I see amazing things and the occasional really bad project that reminds me that they can't all be winners.

In others words, it's been business as usual and you haven't missed much.

Shocking, right?

What have you been up to lately?

*  He counts but can call me if he wants to know what I'm up to.  He doesn't really need the blog when he has me.  Hello!

Clockwise

There was going to be a ponder about social media, neediness and how I'm not anywhere near the most insecure person in the room.  Then I realized that I would be either preaching to the choir or talking to folks who should get it but never will.  Yeah...

Lookies! 

Frabjous Fibers Cashmere/Merino/Silk in Cabbage Rose.  506 yards.  Chain plied.  The fiber was a joy to spin, in part because hello, cashmere!  Also partly to the fake that the fiber was a gift from the fabulous Mo!  It will be some kind of scarf, I think.  Maybe...

Malabrigo Merino in the Lavanda colourway.  482 yards.   So soft and lovely.

 

It took ages but I finally felt like my skill set was up to this fiber.  It is Wool Therapy fiber.  459 yards of chain plied yarn.

Current spinning:

Lambs wool. 

 

Good but not that good!

Remember how I mentioned "designing" a sock pattern? 

I don't really think it counts as a "pattern" because it's a no brainer, but whatever. 

I found some shrimp yarn deep deeeeeep in the stash and thought I would try to make a better footie for little flats than what I've been buying.  I think I did.  The slightly thinner yarn makes for a slightly thinner sock, which I think is helpful for that style of shoe.

Showing sock.  Wore with without showing.

The first pair had more sock over the foot and I love wearing them around the house.  However, there was too much sock for these shoes.

Two pairs down and I still have enough yarn left for at least another pair.  Not that I really want three pairs of the same sock more or less.  Well... maybe later.

I wore the above pair today out into the world and they did their job.  Isn't that the highest praise for socks?  Fast, easy and did their job.  How many of us are described in such a way?

Wait...

I can see this working for leftover sock yarn.  I do want my stripes in my life.  This could be a good way to do it.  Once I've finished the next pair of socks.  Yes, stripey.  However, with the stripey yarn cause I'm busy and distracted and shit...

Oh, and for the record, yes, I can stand in the proper ballet position with fabulous posture.  Just not while bent over, holding a camera as I try to get a semi-decent photo, and the same time trying really hard not to fall over. 

Yeah, all glam.  All the time.  This is why bitches want to be me...

This post brought to you by the blood moon.  All compliants should be sent to the blood moon and the SandMan, who is really not doing his job like he should.  Imma sayin'...

Why we can't have nice things

I found an amazing site the other day.  Insightful, interesting, and all around fabulous.  My second thought upon finding it was how all y'all would love it.  Then I realized that I couldn't link to it here because my little copycat would take the link to their blog and post it like they had found it... and I'm not having that anymore.

Why do I think that?  Because it's happened before.  No, I don't read the blog in question.  A couple of friends do and I just love getting emails telling me how someone posted something they'd seen on my blog without mentioning that they found it on my blog.

Yeah...

Does it really matter?  No.  However, if you are trying to sell yourself, you should be selling yourself and not others.  Hello!

What have I been doing for the last week besides finding things I can't share here?

Working on a sock pattern and tweaking the pattern.  I'm starting to hate socks, which is not a good thing as summer is coming and the Summer of Socks will be riding again this year.  No drama.  No pressure.  No bullshit.

Spent the weekend with a taco salad and Colin Farrell.  Still trying to get over the shock of our Trish not seeming to know how wonderful he is.  How can we be friends when she doesn't seem to get it?!  o.O

Speaking of not getting it, Tour de Fleece is now less than 100 days away.  All the painfully overeager people are in that group.  To me, the new rules speak volumes and almost make me pity the mods.  Almost.  I think it's going to be another epic year from them.

 It should not come as a surprise that Team CrankyPants will once again have absolutely nothing to do with that group.   We will continue our no pressure, do what you want, no one cares as long as you're happy ways.  This year, with the addition of make what you want, no one cares anymore.

This means, if you've wanted to join us in the past but have held back because you're not a spinner, you can join in on the fun without feeling like the only kid who can't swim at the pool party.

Just remember your sunblock.  It's going to a heck of a summer...

Before the storm

Amazing sky before the drizzle rolled in.  Now that the drizzle has rolled out for at least the day, the sky is all bright blue and boring again.  Who wants to see that?

Meanwhile, I finished the pink sleeves of doom.  Trying to figure out if I am keeping them or giving them to a cold friend.  If I give them, there will be good quality photos.  That would be a nice change of pace, no?

Saturday errands with an eye towards getting back home to watch Helix and restart the new knitting project.  I'm having row gauge issues of all things.  I can fix it.  I just have to change the pattern a tiny bit.  There's also a spinning experiment I want to continue working on.

A girlfriend sent me some locks to spin.  Okay, I think they're locks.  I'm still new at all this.  I'll take photos, question her a bit, and we'll talk about it next week.  Who knows?  I may even have a plan for the CrankyPants Games by then.

Don't hold your breath, though.

I'm having trouble deciding what's best for me.  It annoys me when what I want is not the best choice and I know it.  Story of my life...

Happy Saturday, people!