Yarnal Concupiscence

In the last two days, in between beetlemania and trying to figure out what to take to Rhinebeck (two changes of clothes: yes, I know that, smartypants, I mean of course what knitting project(s) and what spinning equipment), I've managed to get several pictures taken for the benefit of bingo players who don't know what I look like. This one is the least crummy of the lot, which gives you some idea of how bad the others were. (I don't photograph well, as you can see above and from these examples.) Since naturally I have still not managed to complete a sweater, I will be wearing the shirt shown in the picture, at least on Saturday. Just a hint btw: if you'll be there on Saturday and you have Ruth and/or me on your card, that would be the time to hunt us down. We will be there on Sunday, but not for long.

A couple of weeks ago my parents spent the night in our guest room on their way further south. This meant, of course, that I had to make the guest room beds visible available for sleeping, which meant that I had to put all the yarn away in the stash closet. It turned out to be a rather tight fit, so I immediately vowed not to buy anything else until I'd used up a few things to make more room.

Stage 1, promising to mend my ways, was unsurprisingly followed almost immediately by stage 2, temptation, in the form of the gorgeous socks Cookie knit for Norma, Jane's new socks, Margene's Monkey business, and... you get the idea.

Self, I said to myself, right before Rhinebeck this state of mind is a Very Bad Thing. In an attempt to focus on something else I pulled out the skein I'm holding in the picture above. I dyed it last summer, and I didn't really like the results: color transitions too abrupt, greens too bright, blues too brassy. Maybe, I ruminated, it'll look better knit up. Yesterday, finally facing the fact that there was only one way to find out, I cast on and knit a few rows, switching from stockinette to lace to see how that would look, since there's enough for a shawl.

"It'll look better knit up" turns out to be an understatement. I don't have a picture because I frogged the swatch and started winding immediately, but the colors had me thoroughly seduced after the first row. I found that I liked them much better in itty-bitty st st than in lace. So, while I realize it'll win me no style points, I've found my Rhinebeck sock yarn. It'll keep me busy and save me from kid-in-a-candy-store syndrome.

Shut up. It totally will.