Rail Against Random

  I typed here for a good long time trying not to get random with it, and failed rather miserably.  I’m busting a move to get ready to go to Detroit this weekend, and I’ve just realized that my expectation that I’m going to manage everything on my to-do list is about as crazy as that impulse I get every now and then to start a sweater because I’m cold. Ever get that one? I get cold and then instead of going up to the sweater box and pulling a finished one out, I go stand in the stash like I’m going to be able to knit a sweater fast enough to solve the problem of being chilly right that minute. Magical thinking.  In the end, I decided that I am going to be a little random, and there’s nothing I can do to prevent it. I have too many things to tell you that have nothing to do with each other.

1. After perusing around for appropriate prizes, I used a random number generator to choose three names from among all those who emailed me, the first takes Gold: 

A beautiful skein of handpainted cashmere from Handmaiden, here in Canada, which I’ll bundle together with a signed copy of Free-Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again (which is really my old book, now out in paperback, which is sort of cool since I never had a book come out in both hardcover and paperback before. It’s not in the store yet, I have some advance copies.) and be mailing off to Lexyjane, who didn’t finish her Olympic project due to an injury, but typified the Olympic spirit by dong her level best.

Silver:

A signed copy of the book along with this skein of yarn, which is the new STR colourway for the Knitting Olympics called "going for gold", goes out to Lynn W. (Chalicewitch).

Bronze:

No picture, but Karen M will be telling me her favourite colour and getting a surprise along with the book, I hope she likes it. 

A thousand thanks to the almost 2000 knitters who sent an email. You guys are what makes it fun. 

2. The sweater I started may be terminally ill.  I’m considering taking it in to knit night tonight and seeing if anyone else feels the love.  Could be they’ll get a boatload of yarn to go home with.  I must have been drunk when I bought this.  It’s beautiful yarn, but it’s not me, and this is my second attempt to love it without any success at all.  Sometimes it’s a good idea to let it go before the resentment builds and you end up in a dishonest relationship with yarn.

3. Sadly, due to an absolutely unavoidable crappy thing, Anna Zilboorg won’t be able to join us to teach at session one of Sock Camp this year.  This is pretty much heartbreaking to me because she’s – well.  She’s Anna Zilboorg.  Let’s just leave it there.  Happily, the planet has provided a silver lining, which is that the inestimably fabulous Janel Laidman is going to come teach stranded colourwork for socks instead, and that’s pretty darned far beyond awesome.  There’s a few spots left if you think so too.  (I think session two might be full.)  I’m looking forward to it in a way that’s both unreasonable and unhealthy, but hey.  That’s sock camp.

4. I totally did finish my February self-imposed-sock-club kit, and even managed to do so before it was too far out of February. (March 3rd.) This month a drew a baggie containing STR lightweight in Jubilation, and a pattern that I’ve loved for a long time, the Feather and Fan socks from Socks Socks Socks

Over the years I’ve knit this pattern at least five times, and it never disappoints. (Except that I change the heel a bit.  I’ve got a thing.  I like ’em a certain way.)

That’s two months, two pairs of socks, and the goal to have an even dozen at the end of the year doesn’t seem all that crazypants.   

5. I bet you thought I didn’t do the February socks because of the Olympics.

6. Ha.

7. That would have had more emphasis if I had finished them in February, I know.