G. Knerd

Although we asked for nothing (or, to be completely accurate, asked to not be given any presents), I can’t say I’m upset that my new Mother in Law decided to get us a few wedding gifts anyway.  After all, she’s a lovely knitter and she understands that, sometimes, you just have to give a girl some yarn.

I’ve never actually used Lorna’s Laces before, as I’ve always considered it just a shade too luxurious to buy for myself, but as a wedding present?  Perfect.  I can’t wait to try it.

The neat thing?  She knows exactly what color to get me, too.  In fact, I already have similar colors from two other yarn brands – I can’t wait to figure out what kind of lovely patterns to put on all of these beautiful yarns.

I’m sure my new husband is thrilled about this proof of the constancy of my affections.  Because there’s no other way for him to interpret it, right?  It’s not like it means I have a yarn problem, or anything like that…

It’s T-2 days until the wedding, the one for which I’ve been breaking my fingers trying to get the blanket done.

I’m not going to make it.

Really, it’s been a valient effort.  The last few weeks have really been a lesson in what’s possible (and what’s not), what point my fingers will start to ache, how long I’ll knit through the pain before giving up for the day.  It’s also been a reminder of why I tend to avoid knitting with cotton yarn – there’s no stretch, there’s no give, and the pain starts to set in rather a lot more quickly than it would if I were knitting with a nice, squishy merino.

But here we are, less than 100 hours from the big event, and I am throwing in the towel.  I’m still going to finish…eventually.  However, I have it on good authority (okay, from a complete stranger) that I have up to a year after the wedding to deliver the present.  I’ve never heard that before, and I have no idea if it’s “true”, but it’s certainly convenient, and I’m not going to question it too hard.

These next few days are for parties, for festivities, for celebrating love and commitment.  The knitting will get finished…eventually.

Even Monkey Kitty agrees.

This morning, Monkey Kitty crawled up on my lap, wormed through my circular needle, and got comfortable.  Can’t you just hear him saying, “Mommy, give it a rest!  This will still be there after wedding (unless, you know, you leave it out and we become mouth friends…).”

So, I might have mentioned earlier that I’ve been on a yarn diet for the past 4-5 years or so.  Not, mind you, that it’s had much of a slimming effect on my stash (although had I not been on a yarn diet for that period, I likely would need to buy a new house right now to hold it all).  But I’ve declared loudly and to anyone that would listen that I was not buying new yarn.  Not at all.  Not any.  Not even if I had a project in mind for what I was about to buy.

How, then, did I end up buying this a few weeks ago?

Well, actually, I’m not sure either.  I could try justifying it by saying that it’s only 9.2 oz, and really soft Faulkland Merino Top, and, anyway, fiber spins down into a much denser yarn, so 9.2 oz really isn’t that much to add to the stash, really.  And, even if I were to accept that horrible excuse – which I don’t – it doesn’t explain the next thing.

That’s 22 oz of Merino Top stretched to 19 microns (or something – all I know is it’s lusciously soft and squishable).  Even accounting for shrinkage, 22 oz of fiber is a significant addition to the stash.  I could argue that fiber doesn’t count – although it totally does – except for the one other thing I bought that day.

Seriously, lead me not into temptation, for I will buy.  At least, somehow, I’m resisting the temptation to dye the fiber and cast on for the socks.  I’m still clinging to the hope that I’ll manage to get the wedding blanket finished in time for the big day.  (Yes, I know it’s crazy too, but you don’t have to laugh at me…)