Stress Reaction

As an official member of SYAC, it is the time and place to come out of the stash closet and admit to my transgressions. I am a sock yarn addict. In an attempt to tame my sock yarn addiction, I have joined many other fine women in the noble pursuit of reducing my stash, freeing up space and consuming fewer plastic bins.

I made a earlier declaration here. Unfortunately, I lapsed, fell off the wagon, binged, and once again fell under the spell of the fingering weight siren's call. It is my fervent prayer that this is a temporary lapse, and I will remain strong*!
I ask you to appeal to your higher power for strength and fortitude both for myself, as well as the other brave women who have pledged to abstain from the high that is sock yarn.

*For the next 90 days, then we can forget all about this self-control nonsense!

It may be fly by blogging, but I wanted to share this with you.

It's been dry and windy here in the Southwest, and that wind has stirred up a lot of dust. I was taking my son to Tae Kwon Do and the sun shining through the haze caught my eye.

Think we need some rain.

I watched Brokeback Mountain this weekend. By myself of course. Hubby just couldn't bring himself to watch it. I pointed out to him that he wouldn't have any problems watching two women fondle and kiss each other, and his triumphant response was "And would that make me a lesbian?".

Hum.... no. It wouldn't. Which was supposed to be my argument. But whatever.

I liked it. I'm a sucker for love stories. Especially those about unrequited love. And though there were aspects of the movie that were hard to watch, I think the director did a fabulous job of getting you past those scenes and presenting the characters as people you really can care about. I found myself caring deeply. Even today, the story is still on my mind.

It wasn't a good knitting movie. Especially for lace socks. These should be much further along.

Project Spectrum yellow and orange socks. These are my first ever toe up socks, and I have to say, so far I am loving it. The pattern also calls for short row heels, so we'll see if I'm still feeling the love when I get there. I'm hoping to get some time to dye and spin some yellow and orange fiber this month as well.

...Harmony Kingdom Black Box's. These are called Treasure Jests, and each little box opens up to reveal a secret with a twist inside. They have little hints and odd references carved all around the outsides as well. Dry British Humor. Gotta love it! (Pick and click and learn the secrets)!

Keep those needles flying!

It has always been somewhat of a puzzle to me, how to go about this business of blogging. Whether to maintain a maniacal good humor, or let the chinks in the armor of our self-protection show through. Ultimately I think it depends on the reason we choose to blog in the first place. In my case, it was initially to be a part of a community which was not readily available to me. Little did I expect to find true friends.

It is for those friends that I find myself willing, in fact almost compelled, to be as truly myself on these pages as it is possible for me to be.

A brunch and pedi with a dear friend Saturday turned into an impromptu therapy session because I apparently have unresolved issues of abandonment from my childhood. This has made me do the one thing I try to avoid at all costs. Examine the decisions I have made and continue to make because of these unresolved issues. Self-reflection can, and frequently does, truly suck!

I also find myself despondent over the events that have recently occurred in a small town just a few miles south of where I live. As the mother of four and the grandmother of two, I cannot help but imagine an Easter Basket not raided, Easter Eggs not hunted, and probably most crushing of all, the carefully selected and cherished Easter dress hanging unworn in the closet as this family grieves.

You guys so rock! Each and every one of you who left supportive comments, and even those that didn't, cause really, what do you say? We all have bad times, and now that I've put my little stamp of negativity on the world, I've dug in, and dug down, and rediscovered that well of optimism and I-can-do-it attitude, and launched myself into the world again. My daughter called, in major (to her) crisis, and reminded me that despite my own insecurities, I am a rock to my family. An anchor and a haven. There is healing in that!

Knitting has proceeded uninterrupted, of course. This is, in fact, the very basis of my home therapy system.

I have cast on the Child's First Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. I'm using STR in Cobalt Bloom, a sock yarn and colorway that have been luring me with its siren song for some weeks now. And I have to tell you, Cara knows her sock yarn. This fiber crack is totally addictive. It's squooshy, and soft and just as yummy as sock yarn can get.

And heels have been turned on the ever-in-progress Diagonal Rib Socks. I didn't expect, when I started these way back when, that they would end up being a long-term project; but they have. It's ok, though, cause they are patient, undemanding, and don't have a tendency to STRESS ME OUT! Unlike Elfine's Socks, which are now at the short row heel stage. We are at a stand off at the moment. Update to follow.

I've bailed on the SYAC. Let me rephrase that. I haven't just bailed; I went out in a blaze of glory. With sparks flying out of my rear! Bells and whistles and sparklers and the whole works. Maybe even some of those whirly things that spin around super fast on the ground.

You get the idea.

See, yarn is my therapy. Shopping for yarn is my reaction to stress. (Oh, now we get it)! And shopping for sock yarn is my preferred method of fiber therapy. So stressed (which is pretty much my standard MO) =yarn shopping=new sock yarn. And when you get a chance at a score like this, you don't waste it!

And Julia? You so rock on the delivery, girlfriend!

I love Spring. The flowers mostly.

The cool breezes. And though everyone complains loud and long about it, I even love the fact that daylight savings time gives us those longer evenings. I love having enough light when I get home from work to take decent pictures of my projects to share with my faithful readers. I love that by the time spring and early summer have rolled around, most of the networks have turned to reruns, so I'm less drawn to the television, and more drawn to the outdoors, and the sun and the light and the breezes. (Fox network doesn't seem to be following the tradition, however, and I am somewhat miffed at their messing with my finely honed schedule. They just introduce new shows willy-nilly and pay no attention at all to the recognized rerun season. Anyone know who I talk to about that)?

What I don't like to do is sew. I can sew; quite well in fact. And my dislike of sewing has nothing to do with the complexity of the craft. It has to do with the fact that I am a meticulous person. The acronym OCD has been bandied about on occasion. And I find that most patterns that I have come across have less than meticulous finishing details. This frustrates me.

However, inspired by Becky, who has mastered my beloved knitting and has moved on to pattern design, and the wonderful fabric arts I have seen Amanda collecting here of late, I have hauled out my trusty Singer, picked out some colorful fabric, and vowed once more to sew.

I want handmade needle cases, you see. And cute little bags in which to store my socks in progress. And I want them to be colorful and attractive and very obviously unique. So, sew I must. Just a bit at first and we'll see how it goes.

If it gets too frustrating, I can take a break.

I have also hauled out my hammock, stored since the fall from inclement weather. And I have the book, the needles and the lovely colorful cotton. I have the iPod and the sun and the breezes. I have the makings of a perfect weekend. And at 5pm this afternoon, it becomes all mine.

Ya'll go out and have yourselves a wonderful weekend as well! You deserve it!