TAKING BACK [THE KNIT]

Needless to say [but I am saying it anyway?] that is a swatch and then the ensuing sock. If I wasn't so lazy they would have been posted with the usual swatch-to-garment timeline one has. But I have been crazy busy. I was at Michael's last Friday, after guilt-tripping my mom into taking me, and picked up some Moda Dea Sassy Stripes yarn in the "stormy" colorway. I like how it looks almost like Fair Isle. I'm not sure if it's supposed to look like that or that is how it just managed to line itself up. I'm thinking a little of both. Anyway, I am using the Pippi Kneestockings pattern from SnB. (I think that is the name of it. Something like that at least. And I have been knitting from those books a lot lately. I feel like a knitting n00b or something!) This sock is coming along great, I am about to start the toe in the next round or two. My gauge was a little bit bigger than the pattern called for, which I figured would be good because I have big calves* and fairly wide feet. And boy was I right. I have burned right through this sock, and have taken it everywhere with me; I love the portability.

I just realize I still have not taken pictures of my finished Mariah. Someday, I guess.

I had a dance competition this weekend that went horribly. I placed in one dance out of eight. I only placed because I was one of only six girls that got through the dance, and thus placed by default. A total bummer. Especially considering I was really excited about the dances I was doing on Sunday. (Jig, Hornpipe, Blue Bonnets, and Village Maid in case by some weird chance a Highland dancer ends up reading this. And they were all cut steps.) So, needless to say I was in a shitty mood the rest of the day. It is really a terrible feeling to feel like you did well in something but have the results reflect otherwise. I was definitely really down on myself and dancing for a bit. Anyway, I danced all day Saturday in the heat, and then went to a great show and partied for a while, not getting home until 3am. I had to get up at 11, and I am the kind of girl who likes her sleep, so I knew I was going to be tired but said what the hell, I only live once and I am going to have some fun. The next morning my mom wakes me up at 10:30 and tells me to get ready, etc. I call my boyfriend and tell him to get up because he is coming to my competition to watch me dance. So we all get up. Get ready. Go. I compete. Mess up. Cry.  Don't place. MURDER my feet and am in worst pain ever. Go to Wendy's {yum!}. Go home. Notice sunburn. End up going to hangout with boy at 11:00 at night, and almost tell him I am too tired. Halfway through the car ride to his house, he pulls out the roses you see to the left since we have been together a month! I was too preoccupied with my competition and all that to really even think about it. What a sweetheart. I was so surprised/excited/happy! My day went from super fun, to beyond shitty, to just plain wonderful.  To the right is my roses again, and you can kind of see my sock in the background. Yeah. I am drying them because I adore dried flowers. [/gush]

Gratuitous cute doggy picture:

Take that everyone with "oh isn't my kitty so cute, look at him play with my yarn. oh he's so fluffy and darling! what a furry little shitbag" pictures!

*When I say I have big calves let me put that in perspective for you. I was thinking about this the other day. I have had to measure my calves a number of times to get argyle knee socks made to match my kilt for my Highland costume. They are about 15" around. (which is the maximum circumfrence you can have to get seam-free tartan hose from the sock maker I use. Regardless, I like fully-fashioned more.) I was thinking about that last week, and somehow Gone With The Wind popped into my mind, and I realized that Scarlett O'Hara's waist is 18" around, pre-baby! Now, I know she was crammed into a corset, probably with a fractured rib or two, but shit! I feel like an Amazon. I routinely have a hard time getting tight pants off/over my calves. And they're really not even that big, especially for a dancer