A Harmony in Two Parts

A. Staving off the Madwoman Within

If the calendar is right, and I have no reason to doubt it, then the Holidays are almost upon us. Time for eggnog, mistletoe, mind numbing and continuous carols, etc. I worked in retail a decade ago, and the anti-Carol effect appears to be permanent. So how does one stay sane this time of year? I guess it helps to start of sane in the first place, but if that fails, the best thing to do is to go out frequently when you should be knitting those last minute gifts. An amazing, if illusory, feeling of peace and the belief that somehow the knitting fairies will descend, or that your cat will take up knitting while at work descends and all will be well.

So far though, Isis shows no signs of being able to knit. Amazingly she hasn't even shown much interest in my yarn, she has occasional spurts of going for my yarn, but she would rather just sit on my lap and support me by purring... or snoring.

This past weekend has been a very busy one for me. It has been a good sort of busy though. On Friday my office had it's party/open house. At which I received 2 gifts from colleagues (not part of our firm), a 2002 Pinot Noir, and a very thoughtful basket which contained chocolate, and other goodies, for me, and a kitty toy and kitty treats for Isis. By the time I got home though, not much knitting was done. Still no start on that stupid second sleeve, and the yarn for dad's scarf still hadn't miraculously appeared.

On Saturday I buy ingredients, then bake 6 dozen cookies. While it was only one type, I had forgotten how long baking takes. My cookie batter gave me 5 1/4 dozen cookies, I needed 6 doz, no time left though on Saturday to bake, I had to run off to A Good Yarn to buy some Rowan Chunky Tweed to make my Dad's scarf. Emily came with me and after we fondled some yarns we headed over to the Boston BeanStock where we met up with some fellow N.End knitters and made our way to the InQ Bistro for the kpixie trunk show. After pursuing the selection at the trunk show we settled in for some martinis, appetizers, and knitting. I managed to start dad's scarf (but not the second sleeve)

On Sunday, it was back to baking as I wiped together a second batch of cookies, despite being short on several ingredients. Then Emily and I went to Vega Planet, in Harvard Square, for a delicious vegetarian brunch. They even had guitar music playing while we ate. Then it was back to my place for continued crunch knitting. Then I had to package the cookies and run (or take the T more accurately) out to Newton for a cookie swap. While on the T dad's scarf was finished. (Yeah! One down 2 to go) During the cookie swap I pulled out some size 6 needles and cast on for grandmom's second sleeve. (Yippee!) I feel less stressed merely by starting the damned thing. On the T ride home I continued knitting. Now I think the sleeve will be my commuting project (because with one bus ride left before I head to PA, I have oh so very much commuting time), and the table runner my at home project.

B. A Christmas Miracle

Last night I made the greatest discovery in knitting history! Okay, perhaps not in history, but this week! (in my building) No, Isis still isn't knitting. In a strange case of knitting dyslexia, it turns out the Table Runner isn't 150 rows wide but only 105 rows wide, okay you got me again, it is 106, I didn't read the full pattern when first looking at it. This means that row-wise I am over half way done since I have finished 66 rows!
My next post will hopefully have a finished grandmom's sweater and will be coming at you live from lovely Allentown, PA (or close to it anyway). Don't worry I won't make you cringe with any attempted knock-off of Billy Joel's Allentown.