What I did on my bloggy vacation - pt 1

I didn't set out to have a blogging vacation, but sometimes life just conspires to make us get out there and live it -- or work it, as the case may be, but we'll pretend that I was out having fun and not working 10-12 hour days.  You should also know that we're having technical difficulties here at Chez Obsession that stem from a dying router, an F'ed up cable modem, and a dramatic lack of the time needed to address those issues just now.  What that means to you is that I only have reliable, hassle-free net service at work (a workplace which, I might add, doesn't seem to understand the importance of a blogger's life) so if you've sent me email in the last few weeks and it seems to take forever to get an answer, I'm sorry.  All I can do is ask for patience as my net time is curtailed.  Blah, blah, blah...but what's been going on, you say? 

Well, in addition to a couple of crazy knitter gatherings (and I will second whoever it was that said that the $10 margarita at Cayote Cafe was SO worth every dime), there's been some more of this:

Yep, it's all fun, all the time here in the DMZ.  In this case, we are toning down the brazeness of the radiators on the 1st floor by painting them 'Ballroom Gold' intead of 'Two-Bit-Whorehouse Brass'.  I'm always a little surprised by how much something SO FREAKING MINOR in this process pays off in a really big way, even if one can't quite figure out what exactly has been changed from one visit to the next.  Here's where I'd normally launch into a poetic 'Ode to the Little Anal Retentive Details', but I'm talking to a band of knitters, so...y'all know, don't you?  So I'll spare you the iambic pentameter and move on to something I know you'll care more about.

Cheap yarn.  Some disassembly required.

During one of our (far too regular) trips to Goodwill recently, I discovered 'Dollar Days' in the sweater section.  I KNOW! A dollar per sweater!  So even though we were on our way to meet some folks for dinner, I gave the boy a crash course in how to shop for yarn (in sweater form) and essentially shoved him face first into one of the 4 racks of sweaters.  Four.Racks.Of.Sweaters.  Wheeeeeee! These are the six pieces that we found in the 15 minutes we allotted to the task, and that's not counting the two that I found for actual wear.  Clockwise from top left:
1. Black, super-soft, heavy-worsted merino cropped sweater.
2. Powder blue light worsted lambswool. Soft & fabulous.  This is a kid's sweater, so there won't be enough for an actual sweater (plus, baby blue...not my color) but it CAN be used for some sort of accessory(ies).
3. Burgandy, amazingly soft, heavy worsted cotton sweater.  Yep.  Cotton.  Not because I'll knit with it, but because this will make a FANTASTIC crocheted throw.  Yes, crochet.  Breathe.  Relax.  It's fine, really.  Don't run from the crochet.  It's good, clean fun.
4. Kelly-ish green tweed, sport weight, silk/wool blend.  A women's size large TUNIC sweater's worth of wool/silk tweed.....for a BUCK people. ONE DOLLAR.  I was so excited I could've peed my pants.  I should maybe get out more.
5. Oh baby - juicy, limey goodness...*ahem*.  Lime green, sport weight, lambswool/angora blend.  Yup, another LG tunic.  Angora....*sigh*  Is anyone else out there checking to see what time their local Goodwill opens today?
6.  This last one is actually a bit of a dilemma for me.  It's a truly lovely smoky plum, sport weight, 100% silk, 3x3 rib, classic sweater.  I am having the hardest time trying to decide whether to wear it or recycle it.  It's such a great sweater, but it's a color I almost never wear, and the yarn isn't like any silk I've ever felt before.  It's very 'springy' and soft, and it has a phenomenal luster without being 'shiny' and seems like it would be quite sensuous and lovely to knit with. So this one's fate is still undecided.  Knit or wear? Knit or wear?

$6 and 15 minutes.....totally worth it.

Next time.....Rogue, redesigned and the start of festival season.  What festivals?  Oh please...as IF.  But here's a hint:

On a warm spring day? Life just doesn't get any better than this.

P.S. Maryse?  You ROCK!!!  Look what Maryse made us!

Take it....pass it along....knit a bit for Mr Etherknitter and send out the BKM.

Comments

[Kathy]

The plum silk one is pretty -- why not wear it for a bit and if you don't like it, then recycle it. You are teasing us with Rogue :-)

[Carole]

Great score on the sweaters! And I love the new color of the radiators.

[melanie]

What Carole said...

As for the plum sweater, maybe a modeled shot so we can see how it looks on you. I think it's lovely, but cut and flattery-on-body is important to know before making such decisions. :)

[maryse]

i'm with them on the plum sweater. i need to find a local goodwill.

are you going to NHS&W?

[Susie]

Try wearing the sweater. Remember that once its frogged, its gone.

And I take it since its not a color you wear then you would use the yarn for someone else?

[Juno]

Wear it. That'd be a good color on you and shit, you can always rip it later.

It isn't like you don't have plenty to keep you amused in the meantime.....

Oh right, just read comments. What they said.

[Laurie]

That is serious yarn shopping. Wear it.

Mr. E has been smiling all day. *hugs*