Bumps in the Road

A Knitter's Story, with Pictures (And Beer)
by Cher



This is my progress on the back of the new baby sweater. The psychic super observant among you might note that the ribbing is tighter on this piece than on the sleeves. (I lost one of my straight #3s, so I went down to a #2.) Still, it's a respectable start.



This is the amount of yarn I had left after getting to this point. Tragedy is imminent.

"But this is most unlike me!" I say, with agitation. " I always buy enough yarn!" (As the Boy-O will tell you, my immense stash is a testament to the care I take on occasions such as this.)
Though I search and search, I can't find the other skein of yarn.

There's nothing for it but a trip to the yarn store. Damn. Precious knitting time lost.
Deciding to suck it up make lemonade with this tart situation, I conclude that I'll take the Bel with me. It's a good long walk, and we'll enjoy some 'girl time.'

Two hours (yes, you read right) of slogging through the sleet and rain and snow and mud later, we reach the yarn shop.
(For anyone who has been to Minneapolis, I know it doesn't seem that it should take that long. The city just isn't that big. However, if you are on foot, and there's a lake between you and where you're going, things get a little tricksy.)



This is the reward for the slog over to 44th & Drew. A notice that all of the sale merchandise has moved to a new location @ 57th & Nicollet.
You are perhaps unsurprised that, at this point, words were used which might not be appropriate in the vicinity of other human beings. Or baby sweaters.

So: grumble, grumble, cuss, cuss, great double damn, let's head home with the dog.
Another hour (and more mud, sleet/snow/whatever the hell that weather was yesterday) later, dog has been deposited safely at the home, and I'm off to the sale shop.
Most annoyingly, the sale shop is a far easier trip (less than 15 mins by bus - under 10 in good weather).


This is the single skein of the yarn that was left at the outlet store.

I am sure you will remain unsurprised that more grumbling and cussing occured.
It was so bad, in fact, that I dragged my Boy-O into the kitchen and forced him to serve me jalapeno bacon burgers and Blackthorn.
(Did I mention that I adore that man?)

As we sat around, after the burgers and beers and our favorite TV show, I said, sadly, dreading the ripping out of both sleeves and most of the back, "It's really a shame I couldn't find the rest of the yarn for this sweater. "
And the Boy-O, darling that he is, loyally agrees that it is indeed a shame, and -- hey, it's not that yarn over there, is it?


These are the two -- two! -- skeins of yarn I had left, and the missing #3 needle. All of which were right here in our home all the time.
This means, of course, that I will very likely end up with exactly one skein left over.

Sigh. At least the dog enjoyed herself.
****

If you should encounter your own bumps in the road, check out Rebecca Turbow's line of Safe Clothes. They're apparently made from the same material as medical scrubs, and have multiple layers that protect your vulnerable spots. interesting stuff...