In The News

Yarn Market News, that is. Every month this little bundle of industry info comes to my door and I eagerly await what's inside. If it's yarny news, it's in here. Wait - oh, wait! LOOK! I am in here!! Flipping through the pages watching ads for TNNA go by, wondering how the he!! I am going to pack properly for an event I've never been to 3,000 miles from my home in a state I have not visited since I was 13, what will the weather be like, should I bring shorts or long underwear, do I even own shoes that will work for this, where are my black trouser socks, how do people dress for this thing, should I leave my engagement ring at home in case I go down in a ball of flames over Nevada so my daughter can have it - or Mr. W. can recycle it for the next wife who - maybe, if he's really, really lucky - will not have ridiculous fantasies about Being a Knitting Designer and Author and Teacher, WHERE is my xanax when suddenly, WHAM. There it is. ME! MY book! 2-at-a-Time Socks, right there, in review! They said I had mad visual spatial skills. They said the technique section was well-presented. They said there are sock patterns in all sizes and complexity levels. I am in YMN! The big time!! AND the books are on their way!! Things are so looking up!
I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but Girl totally scored with my Christmas gift again. She gave me the Josh Simpson bowl in this melange. What's all around it? Planets. More planets than I ever thought I would own. I had three (one of them Girl's which I co-opted saying it needed "to be seen" and if she put it in her room who'd see it but her?). Miss Tray-Tray, Air Force bound, stopped by last week and dropped a bag in my lap containing 11 more. Yes, I said 11. Eleven. She worked there and apparently they get a nice employee discount. So we've had a planetary explosion of sorts. Mr. W. is going to attach down-lights we got at Ikea for like $8 so they can be lit for better viewing. And I am going to have to dust more often. I am a glass freak, and a Simpson fan. Back in the day, these were very affordable, no one knew who Josh Simpson was yet, and I wanted one in the worst way. We could not afford it then, so to be standing in front of 14 planets and a bowl is like nirvana for me. My son did well also - a slick ear-talky thing for my cell, so I don't go off the road. It's even got voice capability so if I get a voice capable cell I won't even have to dial. I can just say "Mister Wonderful Work" and it will dial him. COOL!
When I am not staring at the Simpson glass or calling people on my cell phone, I knit. I cast on a pair of socks for Mr. W. as soon as the others were off the needles. These are Brooks Farm Acero. The pattern is modified Cat Bordhi Ridgeline socks from New Pathways, with a mirror image cable running up the center. I generally steer clear of patterns with variegated yarns, but I get bored with just stockinette stitch or rib (like his last pair - yawn!), so figured why not. The cables keep me interested, which is good. I love Acero. This is my second pair of Acero socks. Kind of me to give a pair to Mr. W. - I bought this specific yarn for me. Easy come, easy go. Now I've got my eye on the Capistrano I won from Spin-Out, so it's ok, and I have more Acero.
I also advanced on the Sheffield Vest With No Name Yet. Love it. Love the yarn. love how it drapes, love the cables in it. After today it will be all stockinette for a while. Then I am thinking maybe attached i-cord around the whole thing. That's where I am leaning today anyhow. Always subject to change in Melissa's World. By the time I get back from buying grain and dog food and mailing some stuff out, I could have gone in a completely different direction with this thing. For now it's a vest. Although I was thinking about sleeves. Hmmm. See what happens?
We had company on January first. Mr. Wonderful despises these little visitors. You may need to click on it to see him - he's snow-covered. Note the proximity of our snow-covered guest to the carefully protected infant apple trees? Mr. W. spent hours building cages for the fruit trees to keep the deer off. This guy seems intent on finding a way around the cages. We were told that soap worked well to deter deer. This guy is standing about 4 feet from a bar of Lava, the most horrific smelling soap on earth and he seems largely unmoved. I will probably find out that Lava is scented with deer musk. Just betcha. This guy came with a group (they always do). Girl says it's like a Bambi cast reunion around here. We've got a rabbit that the cat watches from the window every evening, owls that Mr. W sees when he walks Boo-Boo at night, and a skunk who wanders through occasionally.
How many people think Amy should find a way to take/send me to Disneyland while we're in Long Beach? It's like a half an hour away. I will be so close. So close. Disney's California Adventure...Disneyland...all right there. If you're looking for me on the floor at TNNA and no one knows where I've gone? Betcha now you'll know where to find me. Second star to the right and straight on till morning. Sorry Mr. W. Yes, I'd go without you. In a heartbeat. But I'd take lots and lots of pictures. I promise.