Treat me like a fool....

Treat me mean and cruel. But love me.
-Elvis

Gotta love that song. So I have this weekend kind of free, and therefore shall be posting all the stuff I've promised and not followed through on. Like, pics of yarn that I've purchased (inluding sock yarn galore, a 2 lb cone, some Noro...), my WIP progress (teddy bear all in one, toe up sock, and crocheted baby blanket are the flavors of the month), and some updates on my life. Wait. I can update in about 2 words.

Nothing's happened.

I had class last weekend, then spent some time with Stacey's family on Sunday. Stacey and her mom? Should simply be called "the enablers." Marsha, Stacey, and I purchased yarn from WEBS a few weeks ago. Then, Marsha picked up a couple skeins of Trekking XXL that I can't live without, apparently. (psst. i'm in love with color #108, i have 2 more skeins in my stash now). On Monday, I cooked dinner with my friend (eggplant, of course). We made saffron rice, chicken, mushroom, & zucchini kabobs (marinated in cumin, tumeric, red pepper, and garlic), to accompany the zesty eggplant (garlic, tomato paste, cumin, tumeric, more garlic). Kind of a middle eastern flavor. Mmm.

Oh! I did finally block and weave in ends of the infamous Noro shrug (which I made with Paintbox). Pics of the FO coming soon to a blog near you.

The Power of Love and Guilt

For me, the emotions of Love and Guilt have always been pretty much interchangable. When I was about 6 years old, one of my best friends, Michelle, lived about 6 houses down the street. SIX HOUSES. Even better, she had an older brother that was MY brother's age, so the four of us spent a lot of time over at each other's houses. As is normal for a 6 yr old girl, I wanted to sleep over (seeing as her parents were more permissive...)

6 yr old me: Ma? can I sleep over Michelle's house?
Mom: No, you can't. You should come home now.
6 yr old me: Why not? It's only 6 houses down the street.
Mom: Do you like it over there more than you like being at home?
6 yr old me: uh, no... but I'm not done playing yet.
Mom: well, if you like being over there more, then maybe you should see if they want to adopt you.
6 yr old me: *Sigh* I'll be home in a minute.

Let's not even get into conversation sleepover #2, in which my mother has THE TALK with me. At 6 yrs old. What? You need me to explain?

6 yr old me: Ma? Can I sleep over Michelle's house? (you know, kids think that parents will change their answer if you ask often enough)
Mom: no, you can't. You should come home now.
6 yr old me: Why not? I'm not done playing yet.
Mom: Because you'll get used to sleeping in strange beds, then when you grow up you'll sleep with strange men.
6 yr old me: No I won't! I promise!

Seriously folks. THAT was my sex talk. I kid you not.

Oh! Back to the point. Love and Guilt. Interchangable. Forever intertwined in my mind and heart. Due to my decision to pursue a PhD, many friends have begun to heap on the guilt, especially my very pregnant friend... (who's red headed kid has been featured here a few times, and the chocolate lab... that's her doggy). My friend, Preggo*, is about 6.5 months pregnant, and both of her closest friends are moving to the east coast. We're throwing her a baby shower, and she told me the only reason she wants to have a second shower is so that I'll knit her baby something. CRAP.

Now on the needles:
teddy bear all in one: pattern from Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Robin Hood Jacket: Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoe Mellor (for Preggo's eldest)

To be cast on sometime soon:
Rowan denim drawstring pants : LMKG (aka Oh Shit Knits)
cute ass baby booties (from some book that Stacey owns
and at least one pullover sweater

Preggo started making googlie eyes at the baby afghan in the Zoe Mellor book, at which point I snapped it shut and said I had to jet. Unlike Michaele, I am NOT related to this baby by blood, and (most importantly) I am not selfless enough to give up my selfish knitting for an entire year (at least, it seemd like she didn't knit anything for herself for over a year!)

While the Robin Hood jacket is knit out of love and guilt for RHM (Red Headed Monster)... because I know he'll miss me. The other projects are being knit out of guilt and love... for Preggo. Baby #2 (also a boy) will be born in late June, and I'll have precious little time to bond with him before I pack it up and move out of state. My knitted clothing will be my way of wrapping baby #2 in some love, and Robin Hood Jacket will help RHM remember how much I love him.

here's a pic of the teddy bear all in one, so far:



and, in my only selfish knitting lately, my toe up sock, in Trekking XXL






on the left, we have the pattern I chose out of Knitting on the Road (Nancy Bush) - Denmark on the cuff. The middle picture shows my first attempt at a short row heel, and the pic on the right shows the back of the sock and heel. I'm pretty darn proud of myself, and completely in love with toe up socks. No worries about whether I have enough yarn, and! (the best part) is that I can bind off whenever I get tired of knitting on the sock, so long as I've knit the toe and the heel.


*Names changed to protect the guilty

where toe up takes a whole different meaning

The job I used to have... as a youth treatment counselor... updated my slang
so that I'm only about 5 yrs uncool instead of a whole 10. Being toe up is not usually a compliment, but in the knitterly slang version



I'll be TOE UP anytime! Last Saturday, Stacey, her sister Whitney, and I took part I of II of the toe up/magic loop sock class. I see socks in an entirely new way.




I have not been able to hold onto my RULE OF FOUR. In guilt knitting, I started the teddy bear all in one that a friend wanted for her soon to be second son. You see above the start of a leg.

In the time that I have not been spending blogging, I've been busy doing schoolwork, internship, and hosting my good friend's annual visit back to Denver. Lots of blog ideas in my head, but when i actually had time to sit down to write, they all disappeared.

Coming soon to this blog: all my purchases at the String sale, and how I used my gift certificate at A Knitted Peace, (and what I bought this year at the WEBS annual sale).

how the mighty have fallen...

and fallen hard. I am one of the few and the proud that actually made it to the end of the three month 12 step program for yarnaholics. Just like and addict, I knew exactly how long I had left before I could feed my addiction.

To help take my mind off the last few hours of the stashalong, Stacey, her mom Marsha, Jeni, Michelle, myself, and a few other gals headed up to a bed and breakfast in Buena Vista called Liar's Lodge for a weekend get away.

We went well prepared for anything.


Do you think the four of us (Jeni, Stacey, Michelle and I) packed enough stuff? We brought drinks (see the hardcore?), sweets, snacks, yarn, chairs, cushions, pillows, blankets, the kit AND the caboodle!!!


Look at the view we had from the front window...
and the doggy who was only TOO eager to serve


Friday, we drove down and got settled in, had a wonderful dinner. Saturday morning, we got up bright and early, knit a bit, had a HUGE breakfast, and had a small class on intarsia/stranded knitting from Marilyn of Black Water Abbey. We had a small break so that I (um, i meant to say WE) could get into town to visit Serendipity Yarns, the LYS that was conveniently having their anniversary sale!

I bought myself a *few* things.

On the left, we see a few skeins of frog tree alpaca, and a skein of Alpaca With A Twist. The frog tree is for me, the baby twist is to make some baby bootees. On the right, a new needle/DPN case from Offhand Designs.

We knit the rest of the day away, stopping only to gorge ourselves on the luscious foods being served. On Sunday, we headed back to Denver, but stopped by Colorful Yarns for their April Fool's Day sale... and I couldn't resist.


There's a skein of Opal sock yarn missing from the pic, but you get the idea. It confirmed my suspicions that I am indeed, an addict. I can not just buy ONE skein of anything. It's a slippery slope once I start buying yarn.

Today, I also got some packages in the mail!



My scarf exchange scarf and mittens finally arrived... and my pal, Mia, sent some pretty lace weight? yarn, and some pretty Galway yarn along with the scarf and the mittens. Thanks Mia!

There are a few things (skeins) that I have neglected to mention... I started to feel a bit indulgent after showing you all the yarn I bought. But there's more to show tomorrow.