Wild ride

We are in the midst of a wild display of wind and rain, and I will be amazed if we don't lose power sometime this evening. The good thing is that the political signs are falling down. Ever the optimist, I rented movies anyway (V for Vandetta, The Lakehouse and Brothers Grimm - we need some escape from reality). Chloe had a very active day watching the show outside.

She seems blissfully unaware of her impending demise, and although I am glad for her, it is nonetheless a heartbreaking burden for us to carry. Fortunately, she does not seem to be in any pain, and if it weren't for the fact that she has a tumor dangerously close to ulcerating on her belly, there would be nothing different about her(it was discovered too late to remove, it has already spread to her lungs). Such bittersweet days. She asked to be out on the porch (what we call "the observation deck") several times, and I joined her for a while, but dang it was cold out there! Contrary to how it appears, she has that wild look because of something she saw outside. No, I didn't make the scarf - it's J. Crew a $3.99 score from Goodwill.

I did manage to squeeze in some knitting. Here's Cable Crossing after the first section of cables. This yarn is such a dream. My ribbing has never looked so good! The color is not quite as dark as it appears in the photo. I sure am glad that I opted for the smaller size - unstretched, this measures 15.25 inches. It easily stretches to 17.5 inches which should result in a comfortable finished bust measurement of 34" after seaming.

Once Chloe settled in for her afternoon nap, I braved the elements to drive to the yarn store. Not the one where I bought the "mean" yarn, but the high-end snobby store that carries the full line of Rowan and Adrienne Vittadini. I normally don't frequent this shop because of their ridiculous price gouging ($1.50 or more over suggested retail). To their credit, it is one of the most beautiful yarn shops in the state. I didn't go there for that reason though. It was the Rowan Felted Tweed. After the incident in the New LYS last weekend, I have been lusting for this certain color...so I bought 6 skeins in color #143 "Cocoa".

I decided against the initial vest idea when I realized that I already have a book with a pattern that uses this same yarn. "Selena" was one of the reasons I purchased Vintage Knits :

While driving in the storm, white-knuckled with my wipers on hyperspeed, hydroplaning all over the road, I wondered about my sanity until I arrived at the shop to find a full parking lot!

For once, I wasn't the only person who wandered around for over an hour. (I'm one of those people who has sit on the to floor to fondle and figure). One of the shoppers came because she lost power at her house. Two others were ga ga for Jo Sharp. A woman around my age was wearing Klaralund from the Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton Book. When I asked her if it was that sweater, she corrected me and said, "Oh, you mean Karalund" (I let her believe she was right). I told her that I planned to knit the same sweater and she gave me the tip that her gauge was loose in the Silk Garden and that she washed and dried it to shrink it a little. I told her that it looked very nice. I also mentioned that I just finished "Gesta" from the same book in the Kocheran. I guess I mispronounced it ("Cock-er-ann"), because one again she corrected me ("Oh, you mean Kosher-ahn"). Why do some people feel the need to do that? Then again, she could have done a better job seaming that sweater, I think I saw a hole (meow).

There was also a man there shopping with his young son. Not something I see very often. The boy was knitting something as a gift for his grandmother. I overheard that he was taught to knit at school. While leaving, the boy asked his father if he thought he should add his name to the mailing list book. He father said "Sure, if you want to" and then said, while the boy filled in his name and address, "I buy the yarn, and you knit it, that's the deal we made, right?". Being my mother's daughter, I piped up and said "I'd take that deal anyday!!" He seemed surprised and said "Really? You'd like someone to buy you all the yarn you want to knit with?" (Man, this guy obviously doesn't spend much time in yarn stores!!) I replied that I would quit my day job for a deal like that!! He again expressed genuine surprise, especially when I added that "I work for yarn". You would have thought that he just met someone from another planet. I felt that way about him!! I didn't point out that I also work to eat, drink beer, take Pilates and pay for my car and health insurance.

Can you imagine not having to work, but having someone buy you yarn for any project you want?? What a fa-fa-fab-fantasy! Speaking of which, Keanu calls....