Socks for Grandma

Tryin' To Get the Feeling Again......

Aargh! I just realized (get this) that I am NOT a knitting diva. Boo (sniffle) hoo! I can tell you this with 95% accuracy because, in the last two weeks,(and because I am still 5% in denial) that I have only knitted one pair of socks. And to add to the shame of my knitting unproductiveness...those socks turned out to be too small for my daughters feet......

and so. my ego. deflates. Ouch.

I should've taken my MIL's own advice to perhaps hold off and not work this expensive stuff (the beautiful, aqua surf, reggia,striping yarn - hmmm yum) until becoming a better sock knitter. She was right again. Double Ouch.

I am. sufficiently. humbled.
BUT wait, here's the part where I try to justify my non-diva-ness.

My excuse:

I have been home in bed sick with the flu and a severe sinus infection...And when I say sick, I mean really ill. Dragging my ass outta bed only to shuffle to the bathroom or to ring the brass bell on my side table to alert my DH (darling husband) to bring nourishment, like pronto. (okay, so I made up that last part .......As if?)

Still, getting sick is not a problem for a TRUE knitting Diva. Which, I have claimed to be on several occasions. (now kinda embarrassed about that) Last year I spent $14.00 of yarn money to have "Clickety Sticks Diva Chicks" professionally decaled on my pajama top for daily affirmation. (yes the same shirt that I haven't changed out of in like um...7 days now. Ew..Ick.) Okay, so I am no longer a Diva. But, I refuse to give up my shirt! I prefer to remain 2% in denial (eek! The denial percentage is lowering) Somewhere in me there has to be true Knitting Diva potential, right?

Anyway, given the fact that I had an amazing amount of down-time at home in bed (every knitting mother of 3 kids's dream -minus the flu part) I was shocked to find that I didn't even have the energy to hold a pair of needles long enough to finish a single round. Or rather, I would've been shocked if I had had enough energy to be. C'mon people, catch up here....I was really really really sick.

But seriously now, a true knitting diva... (despite any problem and/or life threatening situation) would have been able to summon up enough inner strength to in the very least make a pillow out of all that beautiful merino wool that is hidden in the back of my (oops! I mean HER closet) that her DH doesn't even know exists, to prop up her ailing head. Not to mention that a knitting diva wouldn't be caught dead without her needles close by. No. NOT ME! Uh-uh. Actually,instead of me holding my needles, they were there to hold me UP. Yes, in the form of a bun on my head to keep my hair from falling in my face dangerously close to all the oozing snot. Who knew that dpn's could also double for hair pins? Oh, and BTW, thanks for coming to my pity party.

Daybreak! I am now on the right path to feeling much better. My energy level is up again :-) Yay! I can get back to knitting and felting and fondling skeins of yarn, reading about yarn, shopping on-line for yarn, etc, etc. Only one problem. And it's a doozy...I don't wanna. :-( No really,I just don't feel like knitting. No joke. No desire. None. Nada. Huh? Come again?... Sad to say it, but it's true. I've lost my mojo!! I don't even know what mojo is...but it sounds cool, and I am pretty sure that is what I have lost. Something is wrong with me. (sigh) Is this common among knitters? Am I the only one to suffer from it? Is there like an official term for it? ie; "Knitting burn-out syndrome" or something? because I have never heard of an obsessed knitter not wanting or in the very least feeling that driving inner need to constantly knit something. OR, even worse....maybe the spark has just worn off. Could it be that simple?

Not good. I need to get that feeling back again. Can anyone offer help, before I completely lose my internal battle and throw out my p.j.'s.

Llama Mama!

I went to the sheep and wool festival today in Lake Elmo with my DH and 3 kids. My mother's Day gift from them. No, really! All I asked for was for us all to take the 45 minute drive in to Lake Elmo and have a look around. I was curious to see how wool was cut off the animal and spun. I guess I was thinking it was going to be much grander than it was. In reality, it was much smaller scale than I'd imagined. I did have a good time though, that is until we got to the vendors and I started shopping....and then of course, that was when the kids started complaining about how hungry they were, or that they had to go potty, or I'm so bored, or my pinky toe on my right foot hurts. You know how it goes. So,needless to say, I didn't get much shopping done, but I did happen to buy a beautiful and expensive skein of merino and four sets of dpn's. I even found a size 0 that I had been trying to locate for some time now. The color of the merino I bought is called Piggy. Isn't that a cute name? I think I am going to felt my little Olivia a purse out of it.

OH and I almost forgot to mention that we nearly came home with a $50.00 Alpaca.(not a bad price for a llama, I thought.) Especially one that I could sheer yearly and make matching sweaters for the whole family out of for our christmas photo. Finally! a practical pet that the kids and I can agree on. But then I realized that our homeowners association may not be too happy with one of the resident's housing a llama on the property. "No, really, guys, it's a fancy breed of dog." A Happy Mothers day to all you llama mama's out there.

Manilow rocks

Ever since I was a kid and heard the song, Weekend in New England by Barry Manilow, I was hooked. YAY!! I'm finally out of the closet and boy does it feel good. I love Barry Manilow. No, I mean I really love Barry Manilow! It's not that I find him attractive or anything, in fact I actually think he is a total goober. But his voice.....ahhhh his voice. Is there anything more beautiful than a Barry Manilow song? He is a musical genius! Anyway, I listen to him every morning while getting ready for the day. I can't even pick a favorite because really now, don't they all sound the same. Aah,heaven. This isn't something that I will just admit to anyone, mind you. Well, at least not up until now, but I did let it slip out once that I am a Manilow fan to a neighbor friend .....and she, well, she laughed at me and said "Really? Barry Manilow? My husband and I think he is such a geek and call him Barely Man-enough." (giggle giggle tee hee) Now that was just hurtful! Whatever happened to "If you can't say something nice,........yadda yadda yadda???????
Any other knitter/Manilow fans out there?