delusions of superpowers

Well, I don't have superpowers. I want to, but I really don't. I can't find enough time in the day these days to work on half of the things that I'd like to be working on.

The sexy lace sock is still not done. Somehow I thought I needed a break. So in order to give myself a break, I started knitting this

This, my friends, is the hair shirt of knitting. It's a linen (gulp) handtowel from Ann and Kay's book. Why, how, I could possibly think this was a break from anything is absolutely beyond me. But the color is purty and I entertain delusions of good hostesshood when its done and washed and (damn well better be) soft. I have some linen that I'd like to make a garment from, and my reasoning - if reason can be brought into this anywhere - was that by making a little square thing I'd get a feel [ick] for the yarn and be able to figure out shrinkage and such. I rest my case.

Everyone knows I love lace. It makes me happy. Nothing really makes me happy quite the way lace does. There was the lace accident from last week that was alluded to, but never quite .... documented.

Firstly, let me discuss a little something, superpower related. There are enablers, and then there are she-devils from hell. Okay, maybe that's a little strong, but some people have the (super)power to make me buy anything. (Kay and Ann are a good example, although admittedly I bought the linen before the book came out. They just got me to knit it.) The devil person who tops my list for bringing out my sheeplike tendencies to buy yarn jump on the bandwagon has got to be Stephanie.

I don't know how she does it. I consider her a friend, but friends don't let friends have yarn accidents. Or maybe they do. I mean, I'm not just reading her blog and saying "cool, she's doing it I wannadoittoo". We shop together, drink coffee together, knit together. And this leading-into-temptation thing has been going on for a long time. Just by showing me her Birch shawl last year, she forced me to buy 3 skeins of Kidsilk Haze and knit what has got to be the most boring shawl I've ever worked on. There were almost threats of suicide and/or shawlicide on that one.

When S. and I went to Habu together sometime last year, I saw the place with new eyes. (There was a lace accident that time too. But it was inexpensive, I swear.) I've never been overly excited about School Products. I shop there, but cashmere in general doesn't really turn my crank on a daily basis. Unlike some people. And School Products is known for their cashmere.

So I thought I was safe last week when I went there with Stephanie and Juno. I mean, its a place where I've bought some Koigu walked in and walked out of, many times. But then there was all this laceweight yarn. On cones. I mean, seriously people. Having just finished a huge square shawl, cones are the holy grail of laceweight to me. No fears of running out.

However, I didn't buy a cone. I bought this

Trust me, if there had been cones to be had, I would have had them. On the left is 50/50 mohair cashmere - laceweight. Juno and I almost strangled each other over it. But I got more (we bought all that was there). On the left [that would be the other left, that is to say, the right] is 100% silk dental floss laceweight. Hand dyed. I asked the she-devil to talk me out of it, and she refused. It deserves a closeup:

What does all of this have to do with the new sock pattern? Nothing. But there's no progress to show. So there. And to answer the questions from the comments:

a. graphed index cards are available inexpensively at Staples. In two sizes. I put all of my portable lace patterns on them and stick them in my knitting bag.

b. The sock pattern will be available. On the blog. For free. When I get my act together and get it written out. The charts are done but I'm trying to do it in two sizes. And there's some tricky wording that needs to be written about the lace and what it does after the gusset. Although I promise, the pattern isn't hard.

Comments

[Miriam]

OMG! You're making me think it might be worth a trip to New York just to go to Habu! DAMN YOU! I've been wanting laceweight silk for God only knows how long.

[Barbara from Nova Scotia]

Did you notice how unapologetic Stephanie was about the whole thing? beautiful new stash!

[Lee Ann]

Well, you weren't swayed by cashmere much, were you?

(snicker, snicker, snicker...)

[Kim]

I never thought about graphed index cards! You are a brilliant woman!! I am so glad that Elizabeth introduced me to you at the Doylestown bookshop when the Harlot was there; if she hadn't I would never have found your blog and I would never have discovered graphed index cards. Brilliant, brillian, brilliant! (Can you tell it doesn't take much to excite me? )

[trek]

Graphed index cards?! And here I am photoenlarging a shawl chart just so I can carry along something I can actually see. Graphed index cards. Huzzah for Decartes!

[Kari]

I like the handtowl...it looks like a fun pattern. The yarn is all gorgeous.

[Ava]

Now I want to knit lace. Won't you tell us the name of the maroon hank?

[Cerridwen]

Been there, done that. I can't talk to my dealer a friend of mine anymore if my dad is in the house. At least not unless I assure him that we are discussing yarn and not drugs.

[Arielle]

I saw that silk at School Products about a week ago. I almost bought it--but I'm trying to contain the stash and curtail spending. It's really beautiful stuff. Can't wait to see what you make of it.

[Kim]

Oh my................that laceweight yarn is to die for....so pretty!!! Any ideas what you are going to do with it?