The Knit is Right?

My sister chose this yarn

The last few weeks have been overtaken by the kids. My escape: knitting and sleep. I've started so many projects that I am truly beginning to wonder if I have severe ADD, or if I am just extremely creative (but perhaps overly-ambitious)? In front of me I have I have yellow cotton yarn, blue and green variegated hand-dyed yarn (from the Finger Lakes) and several nearly-done projects. All this among papers with "red flag - must do" written all over them! I also have a red, silky ribbon-yarn for my sister. She visited "my store" (The Brass Lantern) and I told her to "pick any yarn" since she asked me to make her a scarf that will brighten dull, black dresses for work. I've started the scarf... and I'm not sure if I love it or want to rip it out (called "frogging" since you "rip it, rip it") or just keep at it and finish it so I can work on the next item on "the knit is right".

In addition, I've been knitting small gifts for other family members.  And I've been wondering if I should make a THIRD hat for my Dad. I've made two other beautiful 100% cashmere hats - and they are both MIA. The yarn is expensive... but it's the best and so is he!

And then just when I thought I was done taking on surprise projects, my mother in law sent me the "rage" in Norway. So popular that you can't even get the yarn anymore... so I should try it asap. I wasn't going to, but then I realized that it really is a beautiful - and very easy sweater - and I have some of the yarn that it calls for... so we'll see.... You can see various images of the sweater here: http://www.strikkeblogger.no/kategori/dorthe-skappel-genser/

The women are taller and thinner than I am, so I'm not 100% sure that I have the bod' to pull it off...

Anyway - my job came about because the previous yarn guru has left to start her own shop. The owner of the store needed someone to take over. The first thing I discovered was that I disagreed with the previous yarnie's yarn purchases. Some of the stuff is really beautiful (and I already owned some) but lots of it I would never have thought to purchase either for a store or for my personal use. I am selling yarns that I've never heard of before, with names like "flounce", "circulo" and "triana" and since people ask me how to knit with them, I've taken some home to try them out. Circulo is more like a big ribbon with holes in it. Flounce is a yarn that I thought was directly ugly until I saw it in Vogue Knitting on a model (the power of marketing), and now I've given it a second chance and will have to try it out, too.

I'm also preparing for next weekend... it will be yarn and more yarn. See my 10 minutes of fame here. I hope I can improve things for the store... and in that my own situation as well.

The list of what I want to do is long. Combine it with the list of "should dos" and it is unending.

And I don't mean knitting.

Knitting is just a convenient symbol for my life. The list of what I want to do is as long as the "should dos" and "must dos". And it all gets mixed up with an un-ending list of "doing even though I shouldn't".

And so it goes. It's Sunday. It's time to unplug from the shoulds and musts. I'm going to draw myself a bath and enjoy some oils from my favorite place: Rain Living. I treated myself: to Eucalyptus oil, peppermint foot bath and a beautiful hand-made box with sheep on it. I don't really need any of it, but isn't it nice to treat yourself when you've spent the better part of the week waiting on your kids hand and foot?

I'd call that money well spent (and it wasn't even on yarn). Friends - school is starting - we have to head to the city and treat ourselves, and Rain is a perfect place!

Happy Sunday all. Happy Labor Day tomorrow. Enjoy!