Stuff that I am planning.

1. I am planning to finish Icarus. Miriam left a comment yesterday pointing out that perhaps I was being punished through the gansey for not finishing Icarus when I was so close to the end. Whether or not the planet is defending this one shawl is impossible to tell, but her point that I’ll see her Friday next when I’m in Salt Lake City (I’m so excited) is a good one. I can’t face her with fewer than 10 rows to go. It’s embarrassing.

Icarus10Togo831

I admit that I’m also enjoying knitting something that I haven’t screwed up. (Probably shouldn’t have said that.)

Icarusbunc831

2. I am planning a right huge sized flip-out concerning the tremendous outlay of cash that it takes to get the girls back in school. The binders, paper, pens, scientific calculators…not to mention the activity fees, locker fees, student card fees…lab fees…

It’s seriously pinching the snot out of the budget. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that they are going back, and I’m really grateful that all I have to do is cut a whole bunch of corners to squeeze it out of the finances, but it’s a lot of money and it’s public school. Public school isn’t supposed to cost hundreds of dollars. You’re supposed to have paid for it with your taxes. What about the thousands of families using the TDSB who aren’t lucky enough to have a budget that can be squeezed? Their kid doesn’t get a text book? Their kid doesn’t get a binder, paper or calculator? That’s totally going to have them poised to rise above their parents poverty with education. Totally. (Sorry. Rant over. I’m going to buy some extra pens, paper and a binder and give it to the school for someone else. I shouldn’t have to though. Paying my taxes should take care of it. This country has a surplus economy and basic public education should be free, not pretending to be free.)

3. I am planning to order more of the Knit Picks Options needles. (As soon as the budget gives me that option. They are cheap, but they still cost money.)

Knitpicksneedlgan831

I had ordered a couple of the pieces of the set, (a couple of tips, a couple of cables, and one set of dpn’s) and after I yanked the gansey off the needles I decided to put it onto the Knit Picks ones that had just arrived. Normally I wouldn’t switch needles mid-sweater, in case the different needle gave me different tension, but I was knitting the gansey on an Addi Turbo (love those needles) and the Options needles seemed similar enough. Now the gansey is back on the path to rightness, and I’m loving the needles. They improved on the only thing I’ve ever wished the Addi’s had, sharper tips. The Knit Picks ones are sharp enough to hurt yourself with. The only thing that I would have done differently when I ordered these was I would have gotten the storage thingie. The tips are sort of a pain to store. I’m going to loose a one of a set, or loose the little key thing or something. I can feel it.

3. I stumbled on a new Canadian mail order place, The Sweet Sheep. I am planning to give them an extraordinary amount of money for the “‘All things Heather” yarn in their shop just as soon as I can figure out how to do that and still pay for all the kids back to school stuff and….um…food. I would consider it a personal favour if someone would go over there and buy it all out from under me so I could stop trying to think about how much money I might be able to sell the cat for even though I have more yarn than I can knit. Thank you.

4. Further to this budget talk, I am planning to tear the new Knit Picks catalogue into tiny little shreds the moment it arrives and eat them all one by one until every dastardly shred of temptation is removed from my house. (Do NOT tell me about the KIP bags. DO NOT.)

5. I am planning to improve myself enough that I do not manage personal stress with the hunting and procurement of knitting paraphernalia and yarn. (Does trying to quit that give everyone a pain behind their right eye or is that just me?)