I am a pathetic, pathetic knitter.

I have not written in here since March. March, at which time I was dutifully working at my Peacock Stole. March, at which time there was still more than half a year to go until my wedding.

The wedding that ATE MY BRAIN.

OK, so it as mostly the wedding planning that ate my brain. Even when I wasn't actively working on it, it was a loud enough background noise that I had a hard time doing anything as complicated in my spare time (what there was of it) as fixing knitting boo-boos. Consequently, the only knitting I've done in AGES was when I worked on my hexipuffs on my summer vacation, just for something to do with my hands while chatting with fellow festival-goers and while riding in the car for the long trip there and back.

But now it's SERIOUS autumn. It's time for Stitches East (where I'm not actually going this year). It's not long after Rhinebeck. I think all that knitter-juju in the air has finally started getting to me. It might also be the fact that I'm pulling out all my shawls, my hat, and other knitted stuff to keep me warm again. I've been finding myself thinking longingly of yarn and needles again.

Last night, at long last, I picked up the Peacock Stole again. I saw that the problem that had led me to set it aside for months was more of a problem and less of a problem than I remembered. It was more of a problem in that the yarn had broken, and less of a problem in that I had put in a lifeline only a few rows back. Whew! I frogged, did a Russian join, and started working again. This morning, knitting on the bus, I dropped an annoying couple of stitches. Somehow, this started getting worse, until I slammed on the brakes (of the knitting, not the bus). I let most of the pattern repeat I was working drop off back to the lifeline, except for one stitch at the beginning and end, just to keep the markers in place. That left me 22 stitches that I put onto a stitch holder, and then started re-knitting them from there. I've almost got them back up to the current row now, and have no doubt I'll be whizzing along again this afternoon.

An old and dear friend who moved away to Ohio (who's also a knitter) is in town right now, and my husband (HUSBAND!) and I are having dinner with him tonight at 7. Husband probably won't get into town until well after 6, because he is now working out in Western Mass. This leaves me with lots of time after work. I will probably spend it in looking for a coat at the Garment District, and knitting--either here in the Kendall area or in Davis Square, where we're going for dinner. Yay! I missed you, knitting!

Just a quick update

I'm still plugging away at the Peacock Stole! I've finished the first two charts (on the first side of the stole), and am working on the third. I was proud of myself this past weekend: I'd dropped half a dozen stitches while knitting on the bus on Thursday, when we jerked to a stop. On Saturday, while at the train station and waiting to take the train to visit my parents, I managed to fix them quite neatly. I had to take some time to figure out exactly where in the pattern those stitches fell, and how they lined up with the row above, so I could figure out what I needed to do with them. It was a little fiddly, but it ended up looking just great. It also made me glad that I use lifelines: the stitches were only able to drop about three rows!

I need to meet my fiancé at his office after work today, so we can head out to our friends' house for dinner. I'll probably get there a bit early, and get some knitting done with a cup of tea at a café while I wait. Yay, a few moments stolen for the stole!

The state of the knitter

Oh dear, I see I promised pictures in my last post! Sorry to have dropped the ball. Here's a slightly blurry but not horrible picture of the finished Camping Shawl.

  So, what's happened since then?

1. I started the Peacock Stole. Multiple times. Most recently, I re-started it again last night, after a hiatus of well over a month. Damn it, I thought I'd gotten past that being a problem for me! I messed it up but good, though, dropping a number of stitches through a bit that had all manner of YOs and decreases and double decreases. I then tried to fix it on the bus just after it happened, which turned out to be a bad idea. When I took it out again last night to see if it was salvageable, I realized that I just did not have the mental fortitude to face it. I ripped it all out, and cast on again. Annoyingly, it took me a while to get the hang of my provisional cast-on again, but I've now completed eight rows and am doing well. Knock wood.

2. My dearly beloved LYS, Windsor Button, announced that it's closing! I was devastated by the news. There are other yarn stores in the Boston area, but really, they have been the most convenient, with the largest selection of good yarn. There's still Mind's Eye in Porter Square, but it's a bit more of a pain to get to than it should be for something that geographically close, and the selection is small, though I'm fond of the owner, who's very sweet. There's also that place on Newbury Street, but I remember it being rather overpriced and not much fun. I'll miss WB a lot. I imagine I'm likely to do most of my yarn shopping at Stitches East from now on. And that's only once a year. I did get a couple of balls of Mini Mochi during their going out of business sale, at least. One is a sort of jungle-ish colorway of greens and browns and turquoises. The other is, believe it or not, pastels--the bright Easter egg sort of pastels, though, not the pallid wimpy kind that look so awful on me. I also got a skein of Mountain Colors Winter Lace yarn in a nice combination of purples.

3. Today, I seem to have acquired All The Yarn, Ever. At least, that's how it feels. A knitter I know, a fellow belly dancer and MIT employee, had purged most of her stash last year. I don't remember why I didn't take anything from her. Was it because she said she was mostly using worsted weight? That might have been it. Still, she did have three very large bags full (yes sir, yes sir) of Knitpicks Palette in a multitude of colors. I may end up using some of that in alternation with the Mini Mochi to stretch it out a bit and make a couple of small shawls. I also got a couple balls of Knitpicks Dancing from her. It's not really something I'd use to wear, but I figure it can always go towards the Beekeeper's Quilt. I also got a book on geeky knits (a Princess Leia hair hat! Hobbit feet socks!), a technique DVD from Elizabeth Zimmerman, a color-coordination wheel and chart, a lace stole pattern, and a yardage guide. Oh, and a yarn holder (the plastic jug with a hole in the lid kind), a ball winder (which I'll probably give to a friend), a bunch of assorted stitch markers, some seam clips, and a drop spindle with some roving (which will probably also go to a friend). And I have to carry all of that home. Oy. Good thing it's not heavy, though it is awkward!

I still haven't made a decision about a wedding shawl. I suppose I ought to do so. Part of me is very reluctant to put that kind of pressure on myself. My dress, by the way, is FABULOUS. :)