On getting one's life back. Sort of.

You know how I mentioned yesterday that I go to bed at 9pm?  I have a confession to make.  That's not entirely true.  As a nod to our formerly relatively social lives, one night a week Mr. ODJ gets the night off to play poker, and I go to bed about 8:15pm (that's just about as soon as I can reasonably get to bed after getting WB to bed at 8pm) and one night a week, I am released from Mom duty to stay up late-ish (10:30pm.  Wild times.)  and do this instead:

It turns out that having that one night out a week, most weeks, regardless of what it means to the sleeping or chore schedule, is worth it's weight in.....well....liquor, apparently.   

And here is what happens when one is (against one's will) trying to backwards-engineer a commercially knit item in an entirely different yarn without taking the time to check gauge or try to write out the pattern in any way first.

See, the ribbing wasn't really tight enough (compare to comercial product up by the Mojito bottles), but there was no way I wanted to reknit the top part of the mitt again (actually let's start with how I never wanted to knit this at all.  pink. bobbles. unpleasant yarn.  what's to like?  but it's a 'gift' project for someone I adore who had no idea what they were asking so...you know...you do stuff for your friends, right?) so I decided to just borrow someone's scissors and make my life easier.  Cut off the ribbing, pick up the stitches, and knit in the other direction on smaller needles.  Isn't that what anyone would do?  Apparently not, but it all worked out in the end, and the wretched mitt is done now. 

Oh, and can we PLEASE talk about how this yarn is SO FAR from 'cashmere' that it shouldn't even be able to have cashmere in it's name?  60% Acrylic, 35% Nylon, 5% Cashmere.  Really?  I mean...if I was eating something that was 5% cheese, would I be able to call it cheese?  No.  I would have to call it "Processed Cheese Food".   Not that there's anything wrong with this yarn (or Velveeta, for that matter. Cheese dip w/Rotel - yum.), it's perfectly fine for what it is, and you certainly can't argue with the price, but it seems wrong somehow to lead people to believe that this is what cashmere feels like. Because that is a big, fat lie.  Just like calling Velveeta cheese would be a big,fat lie.

Oh, hey, would you look at that?  Back two days and I'm already ranting.  Look at me go.

SO.  ANYWAY.  About that knitnight thing we were discussing?  Recently, I've been getting there like this:

Squeeeeeeeee!  See the knitting bag hanging from the 'purse hook'?  This is also how I get to work these days, after many, many, many frustrating lost battles with the MBTA and their concept of 'on time' - which is to say that the 'T', while very valuable, is just not reliable enough when being late to daycare costs $1 a minute.  Know what I mean?

Comments

[Norma]

Sweeet scooter! But do you carry the baby on that??? Anyhoo, yeah, the Bernat Cashmere thing, I don't know nothing about Bernat, but I noticed you mentioned the price is right, which makes me comment that Lion Brand Cashmere Blend I HAVE used, and not only is it VERY PRICEY, it's squeaky and horrid and low-yardage. Nothing at all like real yarn. Worse than Velveeta.

[Chris]

Cute scooter! Hmm, are you sure that all those empty bottles didn't have anything to do with the required knitting surgery? ;)

[Judy]

Nice wheels... where is the baby seat??

[PumpkinMama]

Nice to see you posting again! A night to oneself is critical to good-mommyhood, I do believe. My bedtime as been 9:30 for years now (except on spin nights).

[Danielle]

Does this mean you fixed the internets at home?

[Carole]

But where do you put the baby?

[Bookish Wendy]

Dude, don't even tell me that you guys are at Chipotle....

I might cry.

[Juno]

So that's processed cashmere product? In Pink?
I have no words...other than welcome back.

[julia fc]

Now that's how to be a mom. Stolen moments: Time on the scooter, time with the gal pals, time with the yarn (even regrettable stuff). It only gets better. Really. I promise.

[Pi.Grrrl]

So that's why I haven't seen you on the bus! Looks like lots more fun to travel that way. Yea to you for the night off.

[claudia]

Great to see you back!

That is the world's cutest scooter! Love that alternative transportation stuff.

[Wanda]

A Girl's night out is the best way to maintain your sanity. Glad you and Mr. ODJ haved a system that works for you.

That is such a cute scooter!

[Martha]

Nice scooter, but hold the phone... they make mojitos in bottles?! MUST FIND MAGIC MOJITO BOTTLES. I would ask if they were any good, but you already answered that question.