Knitters are weird. I kinda like it.

I took my new yarn to Yarn Coven Monday night. Now, I'm not a new knitter, by any means, but I am still sort of intrigued by something I noticed. 

We all bring our new yarns to group. Just about every time we buy something new we bring it along to knit night, unless it's a ton of yarn, in which case we bring a representative sample. Some of us even go to knit night for the express purpose of sharing our yarns, even if we have a temporary knitting injury and cannot actually knit*. The wee baby yarn gets passed around to everyone there to be petted, squeezed and rubbed against either the neck (if you wear makeup) or face (if you don't.) 

Granted:

Who wouldn't want to squish and fondle such yarny goodness? You'd have to have a heart of stone...but I digress.

I know knitters are tactile people and I know we're into yarn, otherwise why knit? But why do we trot our yarn out for the whole group to see every time we buy new? Even if it's a yarn we've brought before (for instance, one of our group has a "thing" for Misti Alpaca--a thing I totally get--and we see it every time she buys a new color), or something the person being offered first grope owns. And yet we still all grab and smoosh and squeeze and ooh and aah.

I do it, myself, because hey, I like a good squeeze on the yarn myself. This Monday, though, I just...sort of got outside myself and saw the group from a non-knitter's perspective as we all cooed with delight over pure alpaca as if we'd never seen it before in our lives and realized, how odd. How delightfully odd! Knitters are a society and have a culture, along with the attendant norms, deviance and rituals! Some of those rituals must seem absolutely insane from the outside; I mean, seriously--yarn fondling?!! Sometimes even *hushed whisper* sniffing the yarn? What is in those dyes?

Suddenly, even though I was still standing from the observer's side of the fence in my head, I got a warm, cuddly feeling inside that I eventually recognized as Belonging. I've felt it infrequently with non-consanguinious people over the course of my life thus far, so it was bit unfamiliar, a bit scary and a lot nice. I am a Knitter, my mind thought. I'm one of Them. There might have been a momentary welling of tearage, I'm not ashamed to admit.

Then in the next instant, the very proper hoch Deutsch in me took over, started to slap me around for thinking about showing emotion in public. I snapped out of my dissociative episode (probably because someone else's alpaca laceweight had been shoved into my hands) and I just let myself enjoy it. Both the yarn and the warm, squishy Belonging feeling inside. It was really very nice yarn, you know.

My inner Goth adolescent would rather have eaten raw Brussel sprouts (have you done it? It can have painful consequences, trust me) than admit to wanting something so tawdry and plebeian as Belonging, but I find, as an adult, I can openly admit to it. I don't mind self-identifying as a pack animal. I like people. Do you hear me? I like people! I'm tired of hanging on the edges of the campfire's light, foraging scraps from the cooler cave people, silently wishing I could wear a bear skin like Urghina, but determined never to show weakness because then they would start throwing rocks at me.

I begin to think the people around the fire are not going to throw rocks. Maybe they're even wondering why I don't join them. Maybe, one day, without any hesitation at all, I will.

*Yeah, yeah, there's the whole "fellowship" aspect to knit night--we go to chat and stuff, and sometimes we do go and don't knit, just sit and chat. Doesn't change the fact that sometimes, we come, hand over the yarn for a baptism by fondling, then leave. It's almost as if we can't knit a yarn without having it blessed by our knit buddies first. Sort of a nice ritual, actually.

Just trying to keep out of trouble for the rest of the year.

Oh, come on! I couldn't let the opportunity to make one of those lame, "next year" New Year's jokes, could I? The chance only rolls around every 365/6 days, after all.

I've done all the stuff that needs done this morning--finished my work, went out and got yarn, actually managed to work in my walk and breakfast, too--so now I'm just sitting back, eating a rather tardy lunch and trying to decide what I want to do with my afternoon and evening.

I'll most likely cast on for the second hat for my aunt with my Great American Yarns Superfine Merino. I need to get that hat done (I'm going with The Flower Bud Beanie, because it's made of all kinds of awesome and topped with awesomesauce), and no time like the present, I say. It's a nice symbolism, too--a hat straddling the new year/decade line--and good symbolism never hurts.

I can also start on the Thorin's Hooded Cowl project I mentioned yesterday because I got my yarn:

Royal Alpaca, from Aslan Trends. Look at that glow. I'm glad I got the gift card from my sister for Christmas, because this is way nicer yarn than I could have afforded on my own for that pattern, I really, really want to knit the pattern and I needed something high end to use.

I've got such sensitive skin on the nape of my neck, I cannot tolerate anything less soft than silk or alpaca against it. I'm not trying to brag or anything; it really gives me the collywobbles to have anything scratchier than that on my neck. The only scarf I can wear for any length of time is my silk corkscrew scarf. Before the silk scarf, I would have said I just don't wear scarves. Now I know it's just wool/acrylic/other fibers I don't wear on my neck.

Here's another shot, just for pure, alpaca-y juice:

Me, hugging my yarn. How fitting for the last picture on this blog for 2010!

Happy New Calender Year to all, and may you find many opportunities to hug you up some stash!

I learned something today.

I tend to procrastinate longer than whatever I'm procrastinating about would take to just do and get over with.

That's counterproductive, right there. I should, maybe, you know, learn something from it.

And, in the good news department, I realized this past week that of the purported 52 Monday nights of 2010 on which I could attend knit night, I made my goal of 50!!!! *throws confetti* *the real kind with almonds in, not the cheap paper sort*

The only two I missed, I was on a cruise. Cry for me, people, cry for me.

Why, yes I do feel good about that accomplishment. I don't get out enough, and at least I can say I socialized this year.

I have too many toys.

I have too many toys. Too, too much stash. I've been toying (heh) with the idea of doing a yarn diet, but I'm not sure that will totally help, if you know what I mean. I'll still need the occasional yarn fix for mental health, and I am about as monogamous to my knitting projects as Tiger Woods. I'd go insane.

Soooo, I think what I'll do is, starting on the 1st, open the stashtainer, send someone in with a snorkel and have them choose a yarn. Whatever they choose, I must knit up. When that yarn is knitted, send in another diver and repeat as needed.

Really, they can't pick a loser. Here's a selection:

No matter what they pull out of the box, it's going to be fun, no?

It's progress!

I'm very proud of myself. Well, not really, but then I always did have unreasonable expectations of myself. So you could say there's a part of me that's very proud and a part of me that's not so much proud as...waiting, impatiently with toes tapping, for me to catch up to the expectations.

I've been working this week. Oh, it's only Tuesday and I've only gotten my research done and gotten myself ready to write, but it's more than I've done for ages. The best part is I don't really need to be working this week--I've budgeted so that I can start next week and make my obligations. However, I really, really, really want to take advantage of a sale going on with the local symphony orchestra next week without damaging my savings, so I'm writing enough articles that I won't have to dip (and will actually be able to bank some of it.) I should give myself a cookie for being so good, you know? I've also started work on another fiction project--this time to see if the software I got for the cheap this past year actually works as a writing tool. I tried using it before, but I used it on an old story idea. I had a bright, shiny, new idea come to me last week (in a nightmare--I find them the most inspirational ideas) that I thought would make an idea guinea pig for my project.I wonder if the program will work better because I've not fully fleshed out my story in my head yet--there are logistical details and characters still showing up at this point--or if I'm just not novel-length writer material. I'm going to put this under the heading of "oh, now we're going to see what she can really do", and just roll with it.

Anyway, I got started on that, too. I've made progress--not a lot, but it's progress. I'd guess I spent about three hours actually working yesterday (between the articles and the new project.) Of course, my critical side is saying if I were a real writer, I'd have all four articles done and half the novel, too, and it'd be much better than what's in the computer right now. I'm considering telling my critical side to get stuffed. It's such a pain in the left butt cheek sometimes, you know?

So, aside from the writing hysteria going down, I've also caught a cold. I'm not really whining (this one isn't anywhere near as bad as the one I had the first two months of the summer), I'm just explaining. Drippy nose, taking a nap every three hours because my eyes start to cross if I don't...yeah. It's been like that. The fact that I'm upright and functioning (when there really isn't a major call for me to be) is amazing. Cookies, hell, I should give myself some credit. I've never been good at doing things that needed doing without there being a sharp, pointy stick pointed at my backside; two projects voluntarily started in one day, when I'm dripping and aching and sleepy? Yeah. That's progress.

And the finish of my one and only Christmas knitting project has me thinking about what I'd like to tackle next, knitting wise. I mean, my stash is huge. I've got miles and miles and miles of luxury yarns available to suit my every knitting whim. I've even got a mile or two of absolute crap yarn available to me. The possibilities...do I go for the sweater I keep promising myself I'm going to knit, or a shawl--which is what I've wanted to knit since I first picked up needles and was the real reason I got into the craft to begin? Cast on a new project, finish up some UFOs that are languishing in the Cedar Chest of Yarny Goodness so I can have the needles back, or frog the bastards, take the needles and start something new anyway?

See what I mean? Decisions.

I think, I think, I think... I think I'll do a Multnomah, extra large, in either this:

Or this:

both of which I have in sufficient quantity to make two of the pattern as written. Or I could use neither, find another project that will use all the yarn as written, or make one up on my own.

Gah. See what I mean? Decisions.

I'm going to go make myself some soup now. Chicken sausage, leeks, potatoes and some baby carrots. I'll let you know if it pays off.

Pressies!

Both mine and for others.

I had a very nice Christmas this year. I had to be at home because of a commitment in another quarter, so I didn't get to go down to my sister in law's family homestead like most of the family (who still aren't back yet.) It was just me, my mother and father and my aunt, who also couldn't go down to my sister in law's parent's house for work reasons. Number Two brother (not the married one) and my sister came over before they went down to the in law's, but they didn't stay to eat. After they left it was very quiet; the four of us ate our Christmas Dinner (ham, broccoli casserole, corn casserole, mac 'n cheese--which has somehow become a big part of our family holidays--and chocolate for afters), watched the Mythbusters marathon and the last half of A Christmas Carol (at my dad's request, but it wasn't his favorite version so we didn't have to watch it in reverent silence). Then I went to church (I was the only one of our three cantors who could do it), came home, changed into my bendy clothes (aka, comfy loungewear) and am now hanging out on the internet, waiting patiently (sorta) for the Doctor Who Christmas Special to air at 9pm. Overall, a very nice day. Quiet, peaceful, calm. No running around like a nervous chicken, no trying frantically to get everyone in one place.

Sigh. Lovely.

Anyway, pressies:

I made this lovely Spam cozy for my brother. It's a very long story, but suffice to say we have a familial can of Spam that circulates around the family on gift giving occasions, and it started with Number One Brother (the married one, if you need a score card.) I also put a present in there in the form of a gift card from Best Buy, so don't feel like he's being neglected or anything.

Below is my haul:

I got, from my parents: my stitch markers (better photo below, no worries), my subscription to Piecework Magazine renewed for two years (whoohooo! I have a weird vintage craft fetish), some slippers, a red sweater (not pictured as I didn't knit it) and a mild talking to when I told them I got my sparkly shoes. Hey, they're hard to hide and when I wear them out of the house at some point, they're going to complain. Might as well get it over with now.

 From my sister, I got a Mini Buddha Board (which is so cool, it hurts to look at), a Lantern Moon sheep-shaped measuring tape and a huge gift card for one of the local yarn stores. Not my LYS, because it's a bit far for me to drive just for yarn, but a LYS nonetheless. Considering how much I've got to spend on yarn there now, I think I will find my way to the shop very soon.

Aren't they cute?

Those are my lovely stitch markers, the ones I bought on Etsy that are Doctor Who themed. And the sheep. I think I'll name him Neville.

Here are my slippers:

They are quite warm. And squishy, which is important in a slipper, I feel.

I also got a free pattern on Ravelry as a random present. The designer was feeling generous on Christmas Eve and 'bought' her own patterns for random people on the boards. I got a shawl/scarf pattern called Snow Scallops (don't know if that Ravelry link will work with a picture; if not I'll try again later.) I had looked at it briefly last week, but since it cost and I have no paper representation of work value to trade for it, I let it go by. It was a nice present, actually. I felt all squishy warm inside when it showed up--even if I'd hated the pattern, I'd have knit it, just because. But I do like it, and my aunt (who saw it today when I showed her my cool stitch markers) wants the shawl version.

And this just in: Apparently, my sister in law's sister had a present for me, as well. I see a thank you note to her will be in my immediate future. She gave me a bag of Starbucks Christmas Blend coffee and a gift card, but the best part of the gift was the bag.

Yeah, it's my name. Actually, it's my family's nickname for me, and I don't like it. Very few are given permission to use it and most of them are under the age of 18. If you must shorten my proper name, call me Kate.

Ahem, anyways. The bag was made by my sister in law's sister's son (golly, it gets hard when I don't use names), Nieceling's Cousin. NC is...about 8 or so, maybe a bit younger, and he can bedazzle a gift bag like nobody's business. I'm going to have to find a hook somewhere to hang this bag as a nameplate. It's sparkly, me likey. Even if it does have that version of my name on it.

Never fear, Dog wasn't left out either:

His aunty brought him a present, too. She handed it to me, saying she wasn't sure of his religious affiliation, so she got the Gefilte fish just in case he was Jewish. I reassured her he was Pagan, but would appreciate the toy all the same. I'm a bit worried it's a bit...well, rude--you squeeze it (or bite it firmly midbeam) and it says "Oy, vey!" followed by bubbling noises. Dog doesn't like when it talks, but he finds it handy:

Merry Christmas, y'all. I hope Santa brought you lots of nice things, and I hope you got to spend some time with someone or something you love. 

The kids are coming for their presents, I have an open bottle of blackberry wine in the fridge, and it's less than two hours to WhoTime. God bless us, every one.

I know it's not terribly PC, but....

 Merry Christmas. Or a joyous Whatever You Celebrate. And a prosperous and healthy New Year in which your every (good) desire comes true.

I just wanted to make sure I got you all in there and no one felt left out. :-)