Books and more

I've been bad with the blogging lately. I blame it on sleep deprivation, baby's cold, my cold, and extra hours at work. If anyone's figured out the whole working mother thing, drop me a line, because the gig is kicking my butt.

To catch up on some old news, I had pre-ordered a copy of Teva Durham's Loop-d-Loop, and it arrived a couple weeks ago. I've already started a chain scarf for my niece. I figure a toddler version would be very popular with the preschool set.

My mother-in-law gave me a copy of "At Knit's End" when she was here for Mother's Day. Although I'm usually not big on books of affirmations and pearls of wisdom, this one is pretty cute. And it makes my yarn obsessions seem normal. Scary.

Today at the Sunset Celebration Weekend in Menlo Park (love that Breezehouse), I picked up a cute bag that I'm planning to use for a project bag. It's from Mixi Blue. Check them out, they're adorable -- and vinyl-coated, very important in these days of baby vomit. They're working on getting an online store together.

I'm now avoiding projects that cause me any stress -- the corset sweater stresses my hands and the flowerbasket shawl stresses my brain. The chain scarf is simply loops inside of loops. The only stress is when I forget to join the first round through an existing loop, which I've done more times than I care to admit.

I'm also having a little love affair with some red Radiance Wave (silk and alpaca) from Knitpicks. I want to make it into a shrug or some sort of bolero-type thing, but I haven't found the right pattern. I tried a simple 3x3 rib shrug, but it's not right for the waviness of the yarn. I'm considering something along the lines of the drop-stitch shrug from the latest IW, but I'm not sure I have enough yarn. I've actually been too lazy to go and count how many balls I have, but I think it's only five. It's a thicker yarn than the one in the pattern, so I'd have to adjust it.

I'm calling a moratorium on all new projects until I have some FO's. You heard it hear first.

not my fault!

So as I was saying, none of this is my fault -- my path home, the yarn store's location, the luxurious fibers. And the fact that the Yarn Harlot did this, and even had the gall to post about it so that any innocent person who googled "Artfibers" -- just out of curiousity, mind you, not with any intention of buying more yarn -- would find it.

But somehow, all of these factor have led me here:



On the bottom, you may recognize Artfibers Kyoto, that seductive blend of silk and mohair with the legendary glow. The apple of many a knitter's eye, it's almost never in stock when I'm there. With no ulterior purchasing motives, I recently asked Kira at the store how one finds the elusive red Kyoto. There is a list. And several weeks later, I got an e-mail message that it had arrived. Again, through no fault of my own, I found myself at the store. Before I knew it, Kira was measuring me, and I had a custom-made pattern for a ballet-neck cap-sleeve top that I can't even think of fitting into until I stop nursing (ahem).

And that would be Golden Chai, 100 percent Tussah silk, completing my luscious yarn pyramid. I have three skeins of the green on top, and only those two of the bluish gray below it. The green has already found its way here:



Yes, that is a Flower Basket shawl. Ba, ba, ba. Me sheep. Want to make something of it?

But let's ponder the red Kyoto for a moment: Is any project worth such marvelous stuff? I have had some brilliant blue Kyoto for years that I haven't dared to knit. I keep it in the knitting basket, gaze at it, stroke it, sniff it, and cuddle up with it. Maybe what I really want is to surround myself with the most gorgeous fibers in the world; build rooms out of the stuff; live in it, on it, under it. Nest in it. Could a sweater, a shawl, or a sock be only mundane? A disappointment next to a skein that is only a skein, beautiful for its own sake? Or is a sweater only an excuse to be close to my yarn all day long?

In old project news, I'm still working on the corset sweater. And somebody please kick me if I even think about knitting mercerized cotton tape again. But it will be great. Terrific. So I keep telling my complaining hands.



Mother's Day

This mommy gig isn't all sleepless nights and vomit-filled days. I was thrilled to receive this from my 6-month-old:



That would be a gift certificate to my favorite Oakland yarn shop. Oh, how well my baby knows me. And my child will likely catch on, too.

What Followed Me Home

Is it my fault my route home takes me right past Artfibers in San Francisco? Is it my fault the yarn is so gorgeous? Is it my fault some choice fibers followed me home? Stay tuned...