Opposable Thumbs

Yeah, I know; I went to those mechanical biology classes and read all about those opposable thumb, but seriously? What's the big deal? So you lose the use of a thumb? So what.

Well, hot damn, I'm here to tell you it's a pain in the tuchas. I had my trigger finger surgery yesterday (everything went fine, thanks very much), and now have my left hand swaddled in a big bandage. I honestly thought (based on some internet research) that I'd be a little sore and maybe couldn't knit for 1 or 2 days. What was I thinking?? I must have been on drugs BEFORE they gave me any! And we're leaving to visit the in-laws on Saturday - and I can't knit yet!!

The drugs (Darvocet this time) help the ache go away by making me go to sleep, which isn't polite to do in front of your in-laws, so we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, here's progress shots of what I was working on while in San Diego last weekend.

Hey, Teach! (This doesn't show any of the upper lace, but I'm just about done with the back now.)

Hibito (I'm guessing that this very lovely - but very slippery - yarn will NOT be the first thing I reach for when I can knit again!)

Blanket Buddies (these are for ChickWithSticks' twin granddaughters, due in November).

Good Friends

I had a very yarny birthday, thanks to my many wonderful friends! Some Mini-Maiden and Casbah, some Jitterbug, some Arucania, and a gift certificate that brought me some lovely Guanaco by Aslan Trends. And my friends? They know me... all the colors were perfect, simply perfect! What fun, what fun! Thank you all!!

Tomorrow (Monday), one of my closest friends will be visiting. After 9/11, she moved back East to be closer to her family, so we've been keeping in touch via email and phone calls... but tomorrow she'll be here in the flesh! It's been too long since we've seen each other, and I really miss her. It will be good to see you again, JB!

Hand surgery scheduled for Wednesday morning (early early early!). Expecting a relatively quick recovery, recouperation, and re-use of my left thumb without pain and snapping.

Oh, and I spent my birthday taking the California mandatory 6-hour notary training class, followed by the California mandatory 45-minute, 30-question notary exam. Got the score yesterday; passed with an 88! I may not do a lot of notarizations, but it's really cool having that stamp and the embosser! (Yes, I know I don't neeeed the embosser... but it's really fun to use!)

Making progress on Hibito, Hey Teach!, and ChickenKnittle's Scroll Lace Socks (mostly thanks to spending the afternoon at Bobbin's Nest yesterday during Shop Hop), not so much progress on the other socks and sweater on the needles. But I have a goal... The Hey Teach! yarn was purchased with birthday gift money from last year. I'm aiming to have it done (or mostly done) by the time we visit DH's parentals at the end of this month.

Lessons Learned

Sitting here on the balcony of a lovely hotel room in Sandy Eggo, overlooking the bay and Coronado Island, I am happily knitting Hibito... and am learning some lessons about knitting monogamy vs knitting whoredom... To wit...

Knitting something from start to finish in one (relative) swoop means that your gauge does not get overly wonky from putting it down, picking it up, putting it down, picking it up, rinse, lather, repeat.

Knitting something from start to finish, I can remember where I purled from the knit side and where I purled from the purl side.

Knitting something from start to finish, I can see where I did cables without a cable needle, and I can see where I used one.

Knitting something from start to finish, I can (probably) (mostly) remember where I changed the pattern to make it a bit longer... and to avoid so many purl rows... I will (probably) (hopefully) be able to seam them well enough so my two fronts are the same length as my back.

I'm about to add the 3rd color to do the top pattern, where the armhole shapings are... I should be able to remember how I did the shapings on the front. Right?

Bless Me, Father, For I Have Sinned...

...it has been 13 hours since my last cast-on. I was supposed to be saving myself for someone special (Malabrigo) by slutting about with those other projects on needles - the embellished top, Hibito, Scroll Lace socks, Flat Feet socks - oh, well, you know all those other things; I've been promising to be faithful to them for weeks. Alas, I have fallen, succumbed to the soft squishiness of Malabrigo , and to the ease of Hey Teach.

Even the obstacle thrown in my way - I couldn't find the right needle size - was bulldozed over. I simply cast on and did the ribbing on size 8s, knowing that when I got to the stockinette part, the size 9s would make their appearance - and they did!!!! Er, I mean, sadly, they did.

In penance, I am actually following all the recommendations about knitting with hand-dyed yarn, and am switching from one ball to another every 2 rows to mitigate any pooling or striping that might occur. (Boy, that's a pain.)

::sigh:: I'm hopeless...

Garage Sale!

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 6 - Garage sale in and around Mission Ranch... Come one, come all! Our trash is your treasure! Insert another silly garage sale aphorism here! Or just come by to say hello. I'll have my stuff, ChickenKnittle's stuff, and another neighbor will be bringing her stuff over, too (she lives on a not-easily-seen cul-de-sac and rarely gets any bounty hunters).

Startaholicism

I don't call it "startitis." The suffix "-itis" refers to an inflammation. Okay, so I suppose a broad stretching of 'inflammation' could mean 'inflated numbers of items on needles,' but I actually prefer to think of it as 'startaholicism,' as in addiction. Need the rush of anticipation and hope and potential - like before you knit it to the point where you realize you've made a lot of mistakes and it won't look at all like the picture.

The past couple of days I have been itching to cast on. For the "Hey Teach" sweater. For the "Vanilla Spice" sweater. For "Wisteria." For anything where I can use my Garnstudio's Silke Alpaca (it's soooo soft, I desperately want to knit something that will be against my skin). I have resisted so far, but I'm weakening. And all this desire to start something - multiple somethings - new made me wonder what was wrong with what I've got on needles now.

- Flat Feet socks: Pattern is boring, yarn crimp is weird. They're for Kadootje and I would love to get them to her but the pattern is boring and the yarn is crimpy and sproingy. It is my pocketbook knitting, though, so I tend to get a round or two done a day.
- Coriolis socks: TINY NEEDLES! They are taking forever! (It doesn't help that I keep looking at them instead of knitting them.) Luckily, there's no due-date for them (which also doesn't help get them knit any faster).
- Scroll Lace socks: Face it, they're for ChickenKnittle - I'll be knitting them forever. She likes her socks up up up her leg. And she's a tall one.
- Hibito sweater: Not a hard pattern, but needs some attention. And the yarn is slippery, one false move and the pattern is wonky.
- Picchu-Picchu sweater: This is my practice-Continental piece and I'm just not in the mood right now.
- Gumdrops socks: Actually, I'm kinda liking these and manage to get a row or two done a night.

Oh, and here I am posting this instead of knitting on Coriolis or Hibito or Flat Feet. Yeah, I understand the cruel irony of it. So as I make my way from upstairs to downstairs, I wonder if I'll accidentally manage to pick up the Silke Alpaca and some needles along the way...

Into the Wild Blue Yonder

DH is off on another business trip; this time, he'll be away for 8 days. Yes, that means over a weekend. And dummy me turned down an offer of a free ticket to join him. Seemed like an adult thing to do at the time, but doesn't feel like it makes much sense now. Ah well. I'll have a garage sale to keep me warm over that weekend. Yeah, I'm a dummy...