We have a winner!

So it's been a hellacious couple of weeks at work, meaning I have been in neither shape nor mood to take time to post thoughtfully. The hellaciousness is going to continue - and, in fact, ramp up - through the end of October, so fair warning: if I sound a bit cranky for the next six weeks or so, you'll know why.

On the other hand - there's been a lot of books and yarn and knitting lately, so I think it balances out. I'm reading some fiction, but mostly I can't stop looking at the Mason-Dixon Knitting book...really beautiful, really funny, really inspiring. I tried to start a Warshcloth and was going gangbusters for a bit - then I put it down for too long and, I kid you not, lost my place. I'll be trying again soon, because CUTE!

In the meantime, I've been working on a belated birthday gift for my step-grandma. She's not the least bit online, so I can tell you: it's a triangle shawl in Homespun. Yes, I know my continued affinity for certain craft-store yarns may vex some of you...but I will never give up my Homespun! This is a loose, open triangle shawl in Tudor - one of many cases in which the yarn really does all the work: a cream base with rich, muted blue, green, pink, and purple. Alas, I am again too lazy to shoot photos now; I'll post one when it's finished, for sure.

I'm not impressing myself tonight, and I forgive you if you're ready to head over and read any of the Harlot's posts, like, ever. It's so like me to save the interesting part for last.

Which is: Amy and Mo picked me up Saturday morning for a trek out to Yarntopia! I was quite jazzed. It's a lovely store with lovely owners and an impressive, if not massive, stock of Really Great Yarn. We were there for quite some time - mostly because I'm ridiculously indecisive, even though they were having a sale on everything my allergic self can use - i.e., if any part of it was once animal hair/fur, it *wasn't* on sale.

On my fourth circuit around the shelves, hemming and hawing about whether to pick up more, I got this:

Amy: "Your husband spends money on video games and comic books."

Mo: "You're making gifts from some of that? Just think of it as money you'd be spending on shopping anyway."

Hard to argue with beautiful knitter logic like that. So in the end...after checking out not once, but twice (because we sat there for too long and I just couldn't resist), I ended up with:

- 8 balls of Mission Falls 1824 Cotton in burgundy, muted teal and cream, destined to become a chevron stripe blanket, recipient as yet unknown
- 4 balls of GGH Scarlett, gift planned for a (possible) reader
- 5 hanks of Berroco Touche, ditto
- 2 hanks of Debbie Bliss Pure Silk in cream, probably to be small gifts for non-readers
- 5 balls (4 Pink Print ombre, one Melon [hot pink] solid) Classic Elite BamBoo for an edged scarf, purpose undetermined (since I don't wear them)
- 5 hanks Classic Elite Fame in Dried Lavender, oh my God it's gorgeous, for a shawl for yours truly

Mo and Amy had to repeat their anti-guilt comments no fewer than four times before we left the store. But you know...I got it all home and took it out and put it into my yarn closet (no, seriously)...and I just...don't feel so bad about it anymore.

(Confidential to Amy: Damn your enabling ways!)

This also caused me to evaluate my entire stash when I got home - an exercise about which, again, I am too weary to write tonight. Though I will confess that "Homespun" does appear on the list far too many times. On the other hand: LOG CABINS.

Finally, to the title. Yarntopia's sale was due to celebration of the first anniversary of...signing their lease? getting the loan? to start up, and two door prizes were also on offer. One had Fuzzy Yarn I Could Not Have Used, with a tote signed by Nicky Epstein, who I Have Not Read. The other - for submitting an idea for a holiday gift/class - was a pattern for One Skein Wonder, two balls of Nashua Cilantro, and a Della Q tote.

Apparently, my phone rang at 4:13 yesterday, or perhaps it did that thing it often does where it goes straight to voice mail for no apparent reason. In any case, the message - which I did not pick up until 11:15 am today - was from Cheryl at Yarntopia. Telling me that I'd won the holiday idea door prize!

Much squeeing ensued. Especially when I figured out that a) Nashua Cilantro is a cotton/synthetic blend, and b) OH MY GOD a Della Q bag! (As to One Skein Wonder, it probably wouldn't fit around my neck, much less my shoulders...so if anyone wants it, we can work out a deal. :) )

Not sure that it matters - I don't know if it was a random drawing or if they picked for the idea - but mine was "spiral sachet/drawstring bag." I was just thinking that some deceptively intricate-looking spiral pattern would make fantastic little presents, either sewn together or run 'round the edge with a ribbon. We'll see how it goes.

So ends this further exercise in Really Bad Blogging. I'm not really looking forward to work this week, but that's what evenings and weekends - not to mention knitting podcasts - are for.