hurrah for paint fumes

Well, kiddos, I can only blame the demise of last night on paint fumes, but it feels like I've been huffing all week. Honestly! Where did all my focus and energy go? Just when I think I've returned to the world of the competent and functional...

At my workplace we have been painting the concrete production floor an inexplicably expensive and atrociously ugly shade of brown, one gallon at a time. Yesterday we moved some more equipment around (we being they, since I was in the corner touching up my lipgloss the whole time) and spread some more shiny goo around. I had some finishing-up to do so I stayed in the room the whole time, and it didn't take long for me to become entirely loopy on fumes. On top of that, we all retired to the cupping room for a palate-expanding wine tasting afterward, where all the wines smelled like paint and tasted like twizzlers. It was at this point that I realized my whole to-do list that I made out earlier was worthless. I even called Delurked Gali's friendboy about the party they were throwing, and proceeded to freak out *while still on the phone* that I couldn't find my phone in my pockets to discern what time it was. (I use my phone instead of a watch, call me crazy, call me technologically advanced.) It took a while for me to understand that my phone was not in my pockets precisely because I was still using it to carry on what could loosely be termed a "conversation." After hanging up, shenanigans ensued and I was forced to retreat to my empty homestead (roommateless, waahhh!!) and take a long bubble bath and go to bed. Mind you, the sun had not yet set when I hit the hay, but I had a sweet long sleep and when I woke up I found my dictionary by the bathtub, so clearly I must have been having an enjoyably lexicographical soak.

I know what you're thinking, "Where's the knitting?" I'm thinking that too. Actually I'm waiting for flickr to upload my photos for you to gawk at. My pro account expired last week and I'm on the fence about renewing it. Shelling out money for something I barely use does not make that much sense to me, since my blogging of late has been "reluctant" at best. At the same time, I know that I will never reach the level of Superstar Knitblogger unless I step things up a bit.

I was reminded of what a non-Superstar I am at the knitblogger flashmob at MDSW. I met a lot of cool folks but no one was rushing up to me jumping up and down with excitement, not that I was expecting that. Of course, I did expect to be graciously and warmly received by Lolly, and I was! Meeting her was probably THE main highlight of MDSW for me; I even got to meet her family! I also finally met charming Saun, who is, in my opinion, the most prominent Triangle-area knitblogger since she also offers up some sweet and very popular designs for sale and on such sites as MagKnits. Her momma was also present, though lurking on the fringes of the blogger-mass since I'm sure she was pretty weirded out by us.

By this point everyone else has posted their pictures and gushing reviews of MDSW, so I'm sure you know all about it. My official, final take on the experience: I did it, now I don't have to do it again. The timing of the trip in my life made it very hard for me to relax and enjoy it, since I was broke before I got there and broker when I got home. It feels like I've spent all week just trying to recover from having all my energy sapped by being around lots of people nonstop for so many days. (But don't take that to mean that you are not welcome to come knit at my house this upcoming Tuesday at seven. Because you are. Especially if you're local, but if you aren't then I'll try to make it worth the longer trip.) (Consider that my internet-wide invitation.)

Now, the haul:



Lots of greens and browns... I think I'm ready for autumn. I pulled a single ball of each yarn to display, so know that the actual mound of Yarn Obtained is quite a bit larger. Due to my brokeyness, looking at my new stash-enhancement gives me as much guilt as it does pleasure. Whatever happened to simplifying my life? So, now I have lots more Koigu to play with, more Mountain Colors Bearfoot, and some wicked sweet (and embarassingly expensive) green laceweight cashmere that is destined to become a gorgeous shawl sometime soon soon soon. A few other bits and pieces, mostly planned purchases. I also picked up the Fiber Trends Acorn socks pattern that I have been looking for.

At least I had a lot of time to concentrate on finishing a pair of socks that had been on the needles for way too long:



Pattern: the oft-cited Falling Leaves socks from knitty. The yarn is the Brambleberry superwash I purchased at Yarn All Over; a recent visit to this etsy shop shows that this hand-dyer is doing brisk business! I am very happy for her, but it means also that when I see something in her shop that I want, I now cannot afford to stop and think about it. Inevitably the yarn sells the next day. Fortunately I have another skein of a different color, which may grow up to be my next Pomatomus. FYI: the yarn was not The Softest while knitting (as compared to Koigu but way nicer than KnitPicks Assentials) but washed up so silky... wearing these socks has been a wonderful pleasure.

Ahh... the joys of home.



A cocktail, a copy of The Week, a handknit sock... it's nice to be back home. After all the chart-chasing sock-knitting I've done recently, it is a much-needed change of pace to whip out the self-striping (normally not the type of sockyarn I like) and the much-loved Jill Rib (4x1). Mindless knitting. Whee!