Caught!

Yesterday, I noticed that my yarn had mysteriously snapped. I tied a knot and kept going, puzzled at how the yarn could have broken. Was it on one of the rides at the county fair? The Ferris Wheel is pretty tame, but the Scrambler has quite the centripetal force. My knitting my was in my purse during the rides, but it was possible. I simply could think of any other possibility.

Tonight, the culprit was identified. The vacuum cleaner, guided by my sweetie. Just when I thought I had trained him to be the perfect knit husband, he gets too close to yarn while vacuuming and let's a ball of yarn get sucked into the Dyson. Has he learned nothing in ten years of marriage? Back to the drawing board.

Today, it is all about the suction.

The Remedy for the Soul-Sucking Court

The Child in Need of Services court can be a rough gig. The victories are few and far between, and the cases are heartbreaking. To be court appointed in these cases, you have to complete special training, and have already done the most serious type of trial (Termination of Parental Rights) at least as second chair. That is what I was supposed to be doing today. Someone was following me as second chair
 for the trial, and we were ready. She has reviewed the exhibits, and we selected a couple witnesses for her to cross examine. There was a procedural issue, so we had to continue it a few months out.

Since my morning was unexpectedly free, we hid away in an unused jury room, and I gave her a quick summary of common procedure for this court.  Among my general words of wisdom (I hope), I also pointed out my recipe for preserving mental health with repeated exposure in that court. 1.  Don't work harder in the case than your client. If your client doesn't do the work towards reunification, nothing I say or do will make a difference, and 2. I knit.

Knitting makes me patient, and calms me. It allows my mind to rest, and produces pretty things I can wear or gift to those I deem knitworthy.

When I pulled out my knitting tonight, I couldn't help feeling betrayed by knitting.

Can someone explain how I managed to break the yarn?

Knitting, thou art a faithless bitch.

Today, it is all about the betrayal.

Simplicity

I love lace knitting, but it has a major disadvantage: ssssssllllooooowwww progress.  Lace shawls are breathtaking, but take FOR-EV-ER to knit.  I have been knitting Celtic Sage for over a year.  I am excited that I only have a foot to go, but a foot is still a lot of knitting. 

My husband needed his tires rotated and aligned.  Instead of going back and forth between home and the tire place a bunch of times, we decided to spend 45 minutes browsing in the strip mall.  He went to Gander Mountain and I went to Hobby Lobby.  While there, I was seduced by some gradient yarn.  It called to me, then jumped in my hand.  I walked back to the tire place (this all started with tires, remember?) hoping that my sweetie didn't notice the bag of yarn in my hand, or that my children didn't rat me out. 

So this week, I have been strangely obsessed about knitting this simple, asymmetrical, garter stitch piece of instant gratification. 

Today, it is all about the connection between tires and yarn. 

In the Most Unexpected of Places

I have been making some placemats for the kitchen.  My kitchen was white with sage green accents(with black appliances), so I found a long color changing yarn that had a pale lime green that I was considering close enough.  Three placemats later, I was still not in love with the yarn, but it was sufficient. 

Then I noticed something gradually shifting in my kitchen.  My husband changed the color scheme.  It started with a new red toaster, then a couple bowls, then a few new hand towels. By the time he brought a red replacement statula, the jig was up.  My kitchen was now white, red and black.  I don't know how that happened, but obviously it was time to start making different placemats. 

I still liked the idea of a twisted yarn, but I couldn't decide between red and white twist (would it look like a candy cane?) or red and black (would it look too dark?).  I figured I would make my decision depending on what I came across first.  I tried the usual places, but nothing seemed to work. 

Then I tried Jo Ann Fabrics, of all places.  There, in a pile of neon orange, dull mousy brown and other mill ends, was the perfect yard.  A red, black and white twist!  Not Christmas-y at all!  Nine skeins at dirt cheap prices.  I felt like I had won the yarn lottery.  How often do you find the perfect yarn on clearance?                                                                                  I have started the first new placemat, though it will take a while before I have enough to use, much less a full set. 

Maybe the next house. 

Today, it is all about the hidden treasure.