HOLY COW HOLIDAY SECRET PAL!!

Yesterday's knock on the door brought a terrific package from my Knitty pal! Still no pics taken, but I promised her I'd be bragging about her today, so here goes.... She sent DPNs, a scrapbook, tons of knitting notions, coffee (mmmm), and a great knitting bag. And to my surprise, when I opened up the bag - more stuff! A needle case, 2 skeins of gorgeous Zephyr (how did you know Sable is one of the colors I've been eyeing?), and best of all, a boatload of yarn remnants so I can start my first free form knitting project! Oh, and little handwritten notes, clues from her hometown, a postcard, everywhere I looked there was something fun. HSP - you really took the time to read my blog and questionnaires, because everything you chose for me was absolutely perfect. Thanks so much!!!!

P.S. And even though you didn't leave your name, I know who you are....tee hee.

Secret Pal Strikes Again!

It was on its way to being a normal Monday. Well, almost normal. When I stepped out to get the mail there was a dead bird on the doorstep. Ewwww. But, also on the doorstep was a package from my SP6!!! In it were four gorgeous skeins of Knitpicks Shadow yarn in Redwood Forest. It's a beautiful chocolate brown color flecked with reds and greens. I've been wanting to try this yarn - what a perfect color choice! And, as if that wasn't enough, also included was the Fibertrends Leaf Lace shawl pattern to go with it! Rounding out the autumn theme were little scented soaps in fall colors. A huge thanks for my pal for making a regular ole Monday extraordinary. This has been a wonderful SP6 experience!!

Party of One

There are some things in life that I think people just can't understand unless they've lived them. You can't know what it's like to be different race, a member of the opposite sex, or an infertile woman, unless you are. You may be able to relate to being, or think you're sure of what it must entail, but you simply can't know what it's like.

Case in point: Chuck E. Cheese Pizza - an overwhelming venue on the best of days. Nonetheless, it was the bistro de jour for a lunch recently with several of my girlfriends. All of them have children, so it was a logical choice. They all know I'm infertile, and to mitigate the choice of a kid-centric spot for lunch they decided not to let me pay for my meal. Instead, my $20 was turned down with the following statement:

You aren't worth anything. It's just you.

Now, normally the thought of a free lunch is quite appealing. Free pizza? Even better. As an infertile woman, however, this innocuous statement glanced off my cheek just as squarely as if my friend had stuck out her fist. I know what she meant. But what she said got me to thinking - is our value as adults reduced to a measure of the little people we've produced? And if so, if I never become a parent, biological or otherwise, do I cease to exist? What if I only fulfill alternate roles in life outside of parenthood? Does being a wife, a writer, a daughter, an artist hold equal weight to changing diapers, attending soccer games and kissing away scabbed knees?

Before you answer what you think is right - consider this. You won't ever know. You can't, unless you've lived the other scenario. As that scale tips precariously ask yourself - If it were possible to carefully measure each side, would you be defined by the people you love or by those who love you? Either way it's just you in the center. Surrounded by all the worth in the world.

A Little Bit of Sunshine

Well, after much swatching of laceweight yarn from handpaintedyarn.com, I finally settled on a lace scarf based on Barbara Walker's Sunray pattern. Here's a pic of the first few repeats, roughly pinned into shape. There's still lots of repeats to go, but it's a pretty quick and easy lace pattern, which thankfully translates into very little tinking. I'm also breaking in my new Bryspun straight needles. I never though I would enjoy knitting with plastic needles, but these are the most comfortable needles I've ever used. They are flexible to reduce hand strain, warm to the touch, and have wonderfully tapered ends for digging into those stubborn stitches. My LYS doesn't carry Bryspun circs, so those are on my list to order. And since I feel weird placing an order for just needles, I'll have to decide on some new yarn, too. Darn.

Is It Freezing in Here?

H-e-double hockey sticks is growing cold. On Saturday, the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Detroit Red Wings with a score of 4-1. For Coyotes fans, beating the Red Wings is a big deal. There are so many transplanted Red Wings fans in the Phoenix area, when Detroit comes to town their crimson jersey-wearing fan base tips the scales. Osgood is either the object of sainthood, or mockery, depending on which side you're on. So, swaggering with confidence, Detroit rolled into Phoenix with an impressive 12-1 record, with 9 of those wins earned consecutively. And 60 minutes later, the Yotes handed the Wings their second loss of the season, bringing them to 12-2. What a sweet victory it is!

Imposter

Why is it that the yarn you pick on a whim always works, while the yarn you lust over for weeks and finally purchase specifically for a long awaited project doesn't sing when you cast on? I started the Baltic Sea Stole using laceweight yarn from handpaintedyarn.com that I ordered with this pattern in mind. The more stitches I knit, the more the yarn convinced me that I had chosen the wrong one. The yarn dropped subtle hints by mildly felting in my hands as I knit and pilling each time I tinked back to a missed stitch. Both of which are forgivable for something dainty, but not for a stole I hoped to throw over my shoulders to keep me warm at the hockey rink. Desperate to save itself, the yarn painted visions in my head of cold moist air and rough metal chairs attacking its longevity long before the 82 game season is over. After much arguing about how the color was still perfect, it convinced me. I just can't commit to putting in all that work for a stole that might fall apart in a few months. So, I've got to choose another yarn for my Baltic Sea stole, and the imposter yarn will become a lace scarf of my own design. Guess those 48,951 stole stitches have a little bit longer to wait while I pick the perfect superwash fingering weight companion.

48,951

This is the approximate number of stitches I've calculated must be knit to complete the Baltic Sea Stole per the pattern. I can't decide if I'm glad I computed this number (is it now a goal within reach or a mockingbird calling from a high tree limb?) The good news is that I'm knitting this stole for myself, so I can take as long as I want to finish it. So ask me in 2007 if I'm done yet.

Also on the needles is a Marsan Watchcap for my nephew. Thankfully, I'm 2/3 of the way done already and knitting ribbing is just the type of mindless project that can get done while I'm watching TV. Now that baseball is over, House is back on Tuesday nights. And knitting while watching Hugh Laurie makes for a fine evening, indeed.