The Power of Greed

(This is a knitting post. I'm sorry to do this to you non-knitters but, well, here, look at the beautiful Ana.
Try not to notice that she is reading AND knitting. Just look at her face while I natter on about yarn...)

I interrupt my Texas travelogue to do a little essay on the power of greed.

Because, DUDES, I have overcome my Fear of Sweater Commitment. And do you know why? Because I cannot wait to wear a sweater made out of this yarn. (I'm still traveling and without my usual photo software so if you click on the image, it will look like we could LIVE in those skeins of yarn.)

I sat on the couch at my mom's last night, almost comatose from the lethal combination of margaritas and refried beans (yessss) and I stared at that yarn. I might have fondled it a bit. And then, heart beating madly, I cast on.

Truly, I got sort of anxious at the very idea. But it's my all-time favorite color ever, this sort of raspberry red, and it's 100% alpaca. It's gorgeous. It cost THE MOON.

It's going to be a sweater or I will die trying. Must. Knit. This. Yarn. In fact, when Jane came and woke me up at 4:00, having had a nightmare where robbers pulled us over on our way to the airport and stole her Polly Pockets, I sneaked back out into the living room and knitted a few more rounds.

(Here it is. If you click on it, you'll think I'm knitting the Great Wall of China but at least you'll be able to see the color better. The photos don't do it justice.)

Not obsessive one bit, not me.

In other knitting news, I am knitting Ana a knitting bag. I actually thought she was going to HELP knit it but apparently her form of helping is to badger me continuously to finish it. As motivation goes, this seems to be working.
After I knit it, we'll felt it. We're both really excited about the possibility of felting it, otherwise I would just resent bitterly the time away from my sweater. (Felting is the process of washing a knitted product in hot soapy water, which turns the wool into something completely different. It's like MAGIC. Seriously, I feel about felting the way I felt about grant writing when I first started writing grant proposals. I would walk around looking at things that needed doing and think, "Hey, I could fund that." I mean, I said that about EVERYTHING. My own lunch? "Sure, I can fund that." Now that I no longer work for non-profits, I think, "Hey, I could FELT that." It is indeed a slippery slope.)

Today, we'll say goodbye to Dallas and head to Austin, where we'll see our former friends and neighbors, and our as yet unsold house. I think it'll be the best and toughest part of the trip in some ways. Wish us luck.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I don't understand. How can you think about knitting a sweater when it's 102? You must be truly mad, woman!

The margaritas and beans, I get. But the sweater???

LOL!!
DK said…
That's my girl!!!

Actually, I can't decide if that was directed at Ana (for reading AND knitting TOGETHER - my favorite!) or at you, for valiantly starting a sweater. Both of you so totally rock.

I love that yarn. But I'll tell you what I like even better than Plymouth's Baby Alpaca Grande is this little company (that's not as little anymore) in Indiana called Alpaca With A Twist. They are, by far, my very favorite yarn to knit with EVER. I'll have to send you some one of these days. Ohh, it's amazing, amazing stuff....
Jolly Roger said…
Seriously, I am hugely impressed. I CANNOT knit with double pointed needles!! (or commit to anything but a baby sweater). Blame my Grandmother, I have to hold one needle under my arm at all times. I've never seen anyone else knit that way by Gram and myself.

But I LOVE that yarn!!! Hey, and you could actually wear WOOL in NY!
Miri said…
Mmm... margaritas.

Ana looks adorable in her concentration.

Plus, the color of that yarn is YUMMY.
Unknown said…
The yarn is lovely. Thank you for sharing it. I have only one thing knit from alpaca, a scarf, it is warm and soft and lovely. Have fun!

Oh and the Noro is lovely as well, I love my felted bag.
Amanda said…
wow... $12.99 for 110 yards and how many yards for a sweater...

I'm quite envious of your funding abilities. I'm in the initial stages starting up a non-profit craft guild in my town, and could happily use a grant guru.
Katie said…
Oh, I just love to watch my oldest daughter knit! Ana is so cute!

I would love to buy yarn from some where other than the dollar store. Even thought I have gotten some really cool stuff, oddly enough, they don't have Alpaca. Poopy.

Can't wait to see what the sweater looks like...