Of Knitting, Spinning, and Shots of Jack Daniels

I really don't have any new projects finished to show you. Well, you can take a look at the baby hats all done and ready to ship off to Hats for Alex if you like...

I did wind up going back to Joanns and buying more of this stuff. No, I didn't deplete the whole inventory, but I got 6 balls each of pink and blue and two each of green and yellow for accents. And I'm also really good with the quilted lattice stitch now. That fourth hat there, the one on the upper right in the pic, is just a striped beanie that used up all the ends of the yarn. Four hats from three 87-yard balls. Not bad.

I've been spinning as well. I'm getting used to the fact that I have chronic pain now in my right ankle and I've learned to live with it.

On the bobbin right now is some merino that I got at NH Sheep and Wool from "The Fiber Fetish." The roving is soft and lovely, but I'm finding it a challenge to spin. It wants to overspin in the worst way and I'm having a devil of a time keeping it a uniform thickness while making sure that it doesn't get wormy and kinky. I've read that a lot of energy in the singles makes for a nice bouncy yarn--if you ply it right. I sure hope I can ply it right, 'cause these babies are FULL of energy. Look at the colors, though. Man, how pretty is that? The color is called "cranberry" which is what it looks like in roving state, but there's a fair deal of blue and purple in it and the spun version is coming out more of a dark purple color. Not nearly as "cranberry" as I'd have thought, but pretty nonetheless. The top pic is a more accurate, albeit dark, representation of the actual color.

To wrap up the fiber news, I'm currently knitting my SP Malabrigo into a lovely scarf. I only have one skein of it, so I picked a nice open faggoting stitch from my BW treasury and cast on. It's going to be pretty and warm. But I'll show it to you when it's done.

Same with the bag I'm working on. I was gifted a whole box full of roving from AKknitter that she said she wasn't going to use. I needed something inexpensive to practice on, and she said that it would fit the bill. Well, this free roving became two skeins of wool the color of ruby red grapefruit. It's too scratchy for a garment, and I didn't want to felt it because I wanted to keep that lovely rustic homespun look. I'm actually really pleased at how it spun up.

Anyway, it's going to be a simple tote bag. I was originally thinking of doing a backpack, but changed my mind once it was on the needles. I went through BW again and picked a nice closed stitch this time, something sturdy. I decided what size I wanted it, made a swatch so that I'd know how many stitches to use, and just started in knitting. As it's progressed, I've decided that it's going to be stiffened and lined like my Noro purse, and I think I'm going to use long, leather straps on it.

I also realized that a stiffened and lined totebag in a tight, fabric-like stitch might be just the ticket for the brown homespun I have. I cast on for three different scarves and didn't like any of them, so it's still sitting in a ball waiting for the right project. I think a bag to carry my choir music might be just the thing for it. I'll let you know.

In non-knitting related content, I went out this weekend with my newly rediscovered high school friends. One of our classmates is a drummer and was playing at open mike night at a local watering hole/dive bar. And we rallied a bunch of us to go out and show our support.

People, I need someone to save me from myself.

Here's the thing: in real life, I'm someone's mom. And wife. I'm a fucking Church Lady, for Christsakes.

But my friends bring out the party girl in me.

I'm okay until they start bringing out the shots. As Sister points out, "No good has ever come from doing a shot." She is so right. It really started for me with a Jack Daniels shot (which tastes like a curious blend of paint thinner, bug spray, gasoline, and rat poison.) Why you ask? Well, here's what happened...

We arrived and took our place at the big table. Mr. Poops went to the bar and fetched me a drink. A vodka collins. Mmmm, fruity. But no match for minty toothpaste, so I was drinking it slowly due to the intense pucker factor. Not a peanut, pretzel, or popcorn in sight to get the toothpaste taste out of my mouth.

My friend Matthew arrived. And he and some of the guys down at the other end of the table ordered a round of shots. Matthew had one, Chuck had one, Jason, had one, and they sent one down our end to Steve. Steve didn't want to do it (Jack Daniels is yucky!), but of course I called him a pussy and goaded him into it. And he did the shot.

Suddenly, I see a full to the brim shot glass of liquid accellerant coming my way down the table. Chuck doesn't like JD and didn't drink his. Now, having called Steve a pussy, I had to do a shot too. And JD is yucky. But I did it and burned my nosehairs out. It also got rid of the toothpaste taste, so the rest of my vodka went down smoothly.

I sent Mr. Poops off to the bar for water.

Next thing I know, I'm finishing my water, still tingly from the Jack and the Stolis, and Matthew is sending down a B-52 shot. At least that's what I think it was. I didn't detect any Grand Marnier, so it might have been just Kahula and Baileys, whatever just those two together is called.

Whatever. I drank it. It was yummy, like a warm, liquid donut.

I would have had another water at this point, but they weren't just giving out glasses of water at the bar. Oh no, you want water, you have to pay TWO bucks for a bottle of it. Fuck that, I'll have booze instead.

In retrospect, I should have taken my glass into the bathroom and got myself some water right there from the tap, but after two shots and a vodka collins, I was not thinking straight. Or walking straight, for that matter.

So I ordered a tequila sunrise instead. Also yummy. And fruity! Full of vitamins!

I finished that, naturally. The bands were playing by this point and between singing along and shouting over the music, I was parched. Well, Steve had bought Matthew a beer, and he'd just started a fresh one, so he had two open beers. He gave me one.

I'm not saying I was fairly gooned at this point, but I couldn't tell you what kind of beer it actually was.

I had a great time, but I was rough around the edges on Saturday. I still got up and made three batches of zucchini bread. I got four full loaves and five mini-loaves out of one zucchini. And here's the thing...it'll cure what ails you.

I got an email from Steve yesterday asking if I was recovered and was I ready to do it again.

People, save me from myself.