For Better or for Worsted

My husband and I had a conversation recently about breaking points.  Not classic "nervous breakdowns" but moments when the straw breaks the camel's back.  Seemingly small events that bring down emotional walls and allow the floodgates to be flung open.  (Metaphors galore!)

My wisteria!

We all have those moments, days or weeks.  There's no way to convey how glad I am to have a fun hobby like knitting to keep me sane when things start to get wobbly.  Sometimes, that's all you need; a little something to steady you for a few minutes till you get through the heat of the moment!

SPINNING
I had a break-through yesterday when I picked the last of the mountain of fleeces in my stash.  I can card the last little batch this morning and then I'll have completed one of my New Year's Resolutions a whole month early!
I can't wait to get started spinning all this stuff!  I've been spinning up a little pile of odds and ends and will ply it with some gray "dryer lint" roving to make a couple of skeins of sock weight yarn. 

Odds and Ends - crazy yarn

It struck me the other day, that non-knitters have no idea what the terms mean that we use to describe yarn weights.  It can always be thought of as thickness, rather than weight, if that helps.  Sock yarn is an easy term to understand, but DK weight and worsted may be harder to understand. 

Worsted weight and sock weight yarn

Remember doing crafts as a kid and the teacher pulling out a box of colorful yarn?  That was probably sport weight or worsted weight.  Sport would be just a bit thinner than worsted weight.  Worsted weight is the yarn all those Granny Square afghans are made of, that you see on the back of a couch in a TV show.  Worsted weight is the yarn your friend used to make you a scarf that resembled a homeless man's football sock.  Worsted is the weight your grandmother used to make you Christmas presents each year.  And worsted weight is the yarn you see in K-Mart along side of the popsicle sticks and pipecleaners in the craft section.

KNITTING
I did some volunteer work at my church earlier this week, answering phones and sitting at the front desk in the lobby.  I brought my knitting along, and by the time I left to go home, I'd pretty much finished the heel of a sock.

Two socks at a time!

This yarn is a total surprise hit for me!  It's been a soft, easy to knit yarn that turned out to be the perfect sock yarn.  Everybody stopped by the desk at church to ask me what I was knitting, and it felt good to be in the heel section of the sock. It was obvious what I was knitting.  Knitting in public is actually one great conversation starter.  So thankful for my knitting!!

PERSONAL
My daughter took me to lunch yesterday at the Frothy Monkey,  and we had such a fun time.  She makes me so proud, and always picks great restaurants.  And the cappuccino was terrific!

Wet Cappuccino - from my daughter!