What I did on my blog vacation.

Hi, my name is Stalker Angie and I'm a Happy Hooker. *giggle* Thanks for that, Erin/Pinkerbell. Cracked me right the hell up, that did. I really do have the bestest Stalkees in the world. Supportive, unassuming, non-judgmental and funny as all get out. No, I don't know what that phrase means any more than any other Southerner, but we've always used it and are too stubborn to stop.

So, me and knitting. I guess I'm just stubborn because I really love how knit stitches turn out better than I like most crochet stitches. It's the process that isn't me. I guess I am an instant gratification person. Well, no that's not true either. Not when I took an entire year to make a bedspread for my mom. I don't know what the deal is. I'll start off fine, then I start to get tense, my stitches get tighter and then I get frustrated at how tight the knitting is and so I get more tense.....This is not a relaxing past time for me.

Now, when I made the Sophie purse, I was relaxed through the whole thing. First time color changes, working in the round for the first time, picking up stitches for the first time, and felting for the first time. Not. One. Tense. Moment. Anything else I cast on turns to shit in no time flat. So I hide it away and avoid it. I might even stick it in our front bedroom and avoid the room all together. Somewhere in my house is 4 or 5 cast on knitting projects that I need to find, rip back and save the poor yarn that's crying out to be used for a finished product.

So, when I finally come to my senses and drag my rotting corpse to where I store my crochet hooks, what's the first thing I cast on for? An afghan. I love making the damn things. I love the variety of stitches you can incorporate, the play on colors and the fact that there are no rules. You can take a finished size, chop it up into piecemeal squares and make a bunch of squares in varying size, shape, color and texture. It's just fascinating to me. You end up with something that looks very like a stain glass window, or a painting. Or you can go simpler and end up with something that belongs on the back of the sofa meant to keep you warm on chilly nights. It's something you would have found at your grandmother's house or something she might have given you as a wedding/first house gift. It's home. It's simple. *Ahem* Which is how I'm beginning to sound so we shall move on.

I'm making this afghan for my oldest brother's wife. She is an absolute sweetie but doesn't take crap from anybody. She loves pink and is one of the perkiest people I know. But she's not....froo froo. She's just good people. I honestly wish I knew her better, but they live near Sacramento, California. It's a bit of a drive for a weekend visit. So anyway, I think these colors suit her perfectly.

I need 40 squares and they will be set on a diagonal so that I have a nice funky edge that will have (dear God, no! Not the fringe!) tassels on the points. Lovely thick multi colored tassels. I am not fringing an afghan and it's tacky and when you try to snuggle, fringe tickles. Blah. Here's a close up of one of the squares. Tangy, no?


Now, during my mind's hiatus, there was some serious stash enhancing going on. More that what I already showed you. Not my fault! A yarn store opened here and I have to avoid it like the plague lest I get sucked into it's yarny goodness and come home with a super duper brown bag (already happened once) that you could tote a small child around in. If, ya know, you were into toting small children around in brown bags. Weirdos.

So what came home with me? Well some of what I already had, but I also snagged this.


Mmmmmm....Wool. This lovely stuff was going to become another Sophie bag with black and silver handles. The mind has been changed. It shall now become this. Sooo pretty. I see a black ribbon with white or silver polka dots. Or a solid silver ribbon. Or so many other fun things. Hell, maybe a pink ribbon with black polka dots. I could go wild!!

I also made the mistake of discovering Elann.com. No seriously, bad mistake. Do you see these?

Those are cotton yarns. I have 8 skeins of the sage green and 10 of the cobalt blue. The sage (Pakucho organic cotton) for my mom and her olive skin tone, the cobalt blue (you can read the label) for me and my pasty pale complexion. So divine. And speaking of divine, I also got the following from Elann.


I have 8 skeins of that crack yarn and it is pure alpaca, baby. Worship the softness. Write songs in it's honor and then weep when you sing them for you are unworthy to praise the softness. I really like this yarn.

And now, my dear Stalkees, it is confession time. I am afraid I have deceived you. I have done something I swore never to do. I had lost my fiber way. I...I was desperate. I needed something to fill this void I had. I know it doesn't mean much, but I was miserable the whole time. It's a fiasco.

*sigh* I cast on a sock.


This is as far as I got. Those DPNs really are torture. And here, in all it's glory, the yarn I am was using and it's evil counterpart.


And that's not even the full depth of my shame. There's more. I went on a sock yarn binge. I thought, maybe if I could make a sock I would like knitting. Here, I lay bare my soul and my stash to you.


I know you are asking what the hell I plan to do with 4 skeins of sock yarn. Never fear, Christina comes to the rescue yet again. She has found me sock patterns in crochet! A book was ordered. This book. And then she found me this pattern that just cries out to be made. I will have these socks.

Yes Virginia, there is a Yarn Diety. (Update: a Diety is a Deity for crocheters who cannot spell and/or type. Shut it. hehe)

Hope everyone has a great day!.