G'day all!
At the moment I seem to be very wanty. I have a couple of theories about it - one is that DH has been sooooo busy working recently that I've not really seen a lot of him (yes he's often been home but that doesn't mean we can chat and given that he's been on the computer from 10 'til 10, or 11, every day recently and now is at a work love-in for three days...). The other is that well I don't have a car. I've chosen not to get a car cos a) they are expensive = I'd prefer to put the money on the mortgage and buy yarn on occasion and b) I am practising for when we simply cannot afford fuel and alternative transport sources are our options. When I say I don't have a car, people give me this funny look cos only poor people don't have cars, and even many of them still have a car. What sort of weirdo doesn't have a car in California?
So I guess I want company and I want validation. And I'd like it if someone followed my lead. It is sad and lonely living on the edges of society ;-) 2 or 3 weeks ago, I put up a bike challenge - use your bike or walk for those short errands rather than jumping in the car. Put the petrol/gas money aside for something nice. Y'know what?
The only person who took up the challenge was my DH, and you already know that we don't have a car. I know a lot of people have good excuses for not being able to ride (I feel that having some weird form of leukaemia is one!) but there are a whole heap of people out there who have absolutely no excuse. Heck, if
Claudia can do it without being able to see well, people who are able bodied in every way should be able to too! And that makes me cranky. (Admittedly many of those people who aren't riding or walking for their fitness and the environment probably don't read this blog either cos really? Why would they?) Now I am not asking you, dear reader, to immediately have a guilt attack cos guilt is no reason to do anything and certainly won't make you feel good about doing the thing (until it is done and the guilt fades with any luck). I just would like to be more inspirational to others.
And just when did I turn into some sort of whacko? OK, even more whacko than ever? Why would anyone follow my lead? I've got about as much charisma as a dead dog. Why do I think that my little effort will be rewarded? I am much more likely just to get dakked all over. But it isn't going to stop me. I can be pigheaded when I choose and the crankier I get the more wrongheaded I can be. Time will tell if I am wrongheaded at the moment or not.
I also want to FINISH SOMETHING! Just something small even! Heavens to betsy, I have nearly finished a sock, a baby poncho, the Drops top (I looked at the colours in my recent post - the laptop has awful colour balance and the pics suck!), a mother bear for an AIDS kid in Africa.... there is a shawl that I have been working on (and off) for over a year now and all it needs is another metre or so of edging. In the same boat of lonely UFOs are a sock that I have to find the pattern for and a jacket that I won't wear for months and months and months (especially if today's weather is any guide - 37C at the moment!). We won't mention the mystery stole 3 or the umm, Mim's shawl in IK. Icarus. Ahem. The good part about nearly finishing a LOT of stuff is that I will have blog fodder that isn't just me raving like a lunatic.
I've been doing some spinning too - currently a beige CVM fleece for a long term project (ie too warm to knit in summer let alone wear) and before that, this yummy yummy bamboo in Sunset from
Fiber Fiend. It is spun to a fingering/sport weight (some I've navajo plied to keep the colour runs, some is two ply to blend the colours but it knits up just fine either way).

I am going to use the bamboo to edge a new cardi, not that I have a pattern of the cardi yet. I want something light and swingy so that I can wear it over the top of a singlet when I am riding or just outside. It has to be high necked for maximum coverage and 3/4 or bracelet sleeved. And it has to be light cos 37C? No fun to ride in at all! I have very fair skin and am not interested in become a lobster and later on dying of melanoma. The less flesh I expose to the sun the better! (But you can't stop me being outside either cos being inside all day sucks big bikkies!)
Maybe I should focus on getting one thing done, eh? And chill - if only I liked beer and could get a GF one around here...
anon!