Monday, May 30, 2005

It's been a haaaard daaaay's niiiight!

And I have been working like a dog, y'all. It was one of those "Oh geez, I haven't posted, but now I have so much to say it will take too long, and uh err ugghhhh..." sort of things.

I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool about three eons ago (i.e., three weeks) and had a VUNDERFUL time! I got lots of goodies for myself & friends from Tess' Yarns, Brooks Farm, Green Mountain Spinnery, Mohair in Motion (great little farm in South Dakota with some HUGE hanks of mohair and loopy mohair for cheap-o), Peace Fleece, and plenty more. Mostly yarn and patterns, but also 4-H apple butter and a stuffed bear made of alpaca fur! (Shaved, not killed alpaca.) I only took photos of animals because I'm a dork that way (as in I will cuddle anything furry), but I should've also photographed the folks I met, including Knitter's Review folks like KR webmistress Clara and Amy (Boogie)! She gave me a LOVELY pottery ornament she made. I also got to hand off the devil tail d'Miss M (hot pink). Thanks to everyone else I met -- I'm afraid to list you because I'll forget a few!

My Mom and I had a fun time road trippin' to Maryland, and we're excited to go to Stitches Midwest together in August. Woohoo! We're taking a class together, possibly, if we both get in. It's on finishing. I need a butt kickin' in that direction, so it'll be mega-proactive.

In knitting, I finished my Gramma's loopy pillow and a couple of baby hats. I made the hats out of Cascade Fixation Bulky using the roll-brim pattern in Last Minute Knitted Gifts (which calls for 1824 cotton). I gave one of them, size small, to my very-expecting coworker. I may find out tomorrow that the baby has come! It's not a newborn-sized hat, but I hope the little girl will grow into the hat as the summer wears on. There's a blue one for an older boy; after it's washed, it's going to the mom!

Next it's my much-delayed All Seasons Cotton tank top and some hot pink Ugg booties, hopefully with matching hat.

In my work world, I had an interview for a great position that's doing just about the same things I'm doing now but for an actual paycheck. No offense to AmeriCorps*VISTA (I'm a VISTA now), but that "stipend" is hard to live on, especially in Chicago. The sliding scale of pay went out the window with the rest of AmeriCorps' budget, and it's just not enough for urban areas unless I got about three more roommates for the apartment. Or stop knitting. Uh, NO!

A co-VISTA who started at the same time I did already left the organization for a paralegal-type job because she needed a new living situation and couldn't afford it. Yowza. Her going-away gift was two springy cotton yarns, needles, and directions on doing a drop-stitch scarf. She's learned to knit before and was totally stoked. Her next question is how to make gloves! Ambitious! Plus, I can't teach her really...but maybe it'll make me learn!

Other than the Stitches Midwest orgy in August, the Yarn Diet (or YNBA, yarn non-buying agreement) with Mom ostensibly continues for me.

Photos and more updates soon!