Has Anyone Seen My Wool?

Greetings from the oven currently posing as the Midwestern United States, where we're volleying between instant perspiration upon stepping out of doors and the damp clammy feeling over too much humidity and air conditioners attempting to keep up.

During this wonderfully pleasant heat wave, I'm happy to report that the Philosopher and I are 95% moved! We're not quite at 100% because we just haven't had time to get that last car load out of my old apartment and clean it up. The move, which was supposed to be three very long days of packing up two adult apartments and then moving them on Monday, has turned into a week long epic story--the kind where you have to have reminders and circle back around and verbal cues to remember what came next.  The highlights include:

• Movers who didn't bother to show up for work
• New movers who arrived six hours after originally scheduled time
• High 90s/Low 100s temps
• A broken elevator for a 7th floor move out (did not happen, waited til fixed on Thursday)
• An unreasonably angry person (not me)
• 27 new bruises (just me--my legs look patchworked; have not counted Philosopher's bruises)
• One slightly traumatized Pyewacket (Gypsy took it all in with a yawn)

Keep in mind, those are only the highlights.  My movers did comment on the amount of yarn I have, though in an interested "we don't really understand you but at least it's not heavy" kind of way. They reserved the heavy comments for the many boxes of books. 

It's all cardboard all the time now at Chez Hedgehog and, just to top it all off, I'm on my way to a wedding in PA this evening. The idea of coming home on Sunday and doing something crazy like laundry is a little too appealing. I'm really tired of living out of the suitcase I packed for Anaheim.  

There has been some knitting. I took a couple socks with me to California and the Color Affection Shawl. Everything got a little bit of love but most of the time was so busy (and the shawl rows are getting long) that it feels like nothing much was accomplished.

I'm about halfway through the second sock of the black socks that I'm knitting. This is the third or fourth pair of black socks I've made? Something like that.  Apologies for the bad photo skills, cell phone camera plus tired Hedgehog.... 

 

This other pair, I don't think you've seen before, though I've mentioned them. It's the Berroco Sox in a teal colorway. It's a little more green than this picture would suggest. I'm knitting these 2x2 ribbed socks up on size 0 needles, which takes a particularly long time when you don't remember where it is you stashed your size 0 dpns.  Hmmmm, that could be a problem. Or an excuse to go to the yarn store.  One of the two.

 

And finally is a quick preview shot of the Phoenix Fall Tree, which is what I'm calling my Color Affection Shawl.  Yes, it's wadded up in a bag but hopefully that gives you an idea of the colors I'm working through. The Colinette yarn that I'm using is gorgeous. Every time I get it out people remark on the colors and how lovely the yarn is. I like the really tight twist.

 

I don't really like the needles I'm using, they're too blunt. Again, need to go to the wool shop and see about getting something pointier for those picked up stitches. I'm on the final section where one is juggling 3 skeins of yarn and that does make it creative. We're driving back from PA on Sunday* and I'm hoping to log some knitting time then to make a dent on it. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all turns out. In theory, when the earth cools slightly, I'll be able to wear it too!

I did not go yarn shopping in California. We did drive past a yarn store but it was at 10 p.m. and they were not a 24 hour store (shocking, I know). Considering that I've just spent a week muttering "I'm going to get RID of things" it is probably in my best interest that I did not acquire more things. I am trying to figure out how one could get a yarn vendor to the American Library Association conference next summer though. If people will buy bedazzled t-shirts and topaz jewelry, why not have a table or two of wool vendors? Must touch base with some of the local stores and see about a wool crawl too.


*I don't fully understand why we're driving. Philosopher prefers to drive, I think there are perfectly good planes but it seemed silly for him to have to take me to the airport in PA.