Sunday, September 10, 2006

Unconscious Collecting Continues.

Today has been a sunny and rather mild day in the great state of Maine. And yet, there seemed to be just the hint of a chill in the air. It was that subtle reminder of colder days to come. Oh, and a certain holiday season that demands handknit gifts for all and sundry came to mind.

It happens every year. I spend the spring promising myself that I will knit the holiday gifts during the upcoming summer vacation. I then proceed to create a plethora of handcrafted masterpieces that will only ever drape my Sheepie form.

September hits and I realize my folly. Happily, though, I have discovered the joys of Mason*Dixon knitting and the possibilities thereof. Shortly after purchasing the book in July, I quickly scampered off to the local WalMart and bought myself a one pound cone of Peaches 'n Creme worsted cotton to have on hand when inspiration struck. Today was the day. I realized that I simply could not live another day without starting the Chevron Stripes Hand Towel. Had I not cast on when I did, there was every possibility that I would have spontaneously combusted or something equally dire. There was the the usual false start and a realization that I am the last person in the free world to see the pattern error that exists in the very beginning. (or I am reading it completely wrong...which is a strong possibility, lets face it.) There was the hand pain which comes from having the wrong needle for my uniquely shaped hooves. There was the brief period where I lost the stitch counter in the depths of the couch cushions and feared that I might have to rely on my faulty, middle aged memory for the duration. But, in the end, all has gone pretty smoothly and without problems that couldn't be solved handily.




Someone's gettin' a fancy-shmancy hand knit towel under the tree, I tellya!
However, as I pulled together the necessary materials for this epic endeavor, I made a startling realization. It appears that I might be something of a "hoarder."
A few weeks ago I posted several entries on the subject of my underpants mania. I discovered that I had been purchasing large amounts of undies with no real memory of having done so. This little lapse resulted in my having amassed 57 pairs of drawers. My mind boggled just a wee little bit there...
Well, it seems that my "just in case" purchasing is not limited to frilly underthings. It seems that I also have been stocking up on worsted weight cotton for, and I kid you not, years. I am finding balls of the stuff in every closet, cupboard, nook and cranny. And as I find them, I am experiencing what can only be described as "recovered memories" of projects that seemed of the utmost importance at the time. So, in addition to the one pound cone, I have any number of full, half and quarter balls of blue, pink and white Peaches 'n Creme cotton with which to swaddle my friends and relations should they be in need of towels and the like.
Seriously, if I could do the same thing with gold or real estate I'd be set for life up here!!! As it stands now, I will be the only retiree in the home with a lifetime supply of underpants and handknit dishcloths.
I am singlehandedly keeping the cotton industry afloat right now.
SA

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have the perfect plan for you. As soon as cotton becomes scarce , (it could happen)you can sell your underthings and yarn on ebay and invest your millions in real estate.
I love the Mason Dixon book. The towel you are knitting is going to be a fabulous gift!
Karen
http://nothingbutknit.blog-city.com/

sheep#100 said...

Listen carefully, now, the towel shall begin to speak to you.

Do what the towel tells you.

Anonymous said...

If you start to let the cotton industry down, I've got you covered. I bought 4 balls of cotton yesterday. At least all of your yarn makes for good insulation in your condo!

Anonymous said...

I love knitting and crocheting with cotton and love the texture and how garments/other items (like towels) just keep getting better, with washing, when made from 100% cotton.

Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you Sheep but its such a rewarding experience to give handmade gifts. Better to give than to receive eh!!!

Huggs, G

This Weary Traveler said...

I have the same problem. I just keep buying cotton and the people who make Sugar 'n Cream coming out with cool new colors every three minutes are not helping. Heres the thing though, I hate knitting with cotton, which makes it even sillier!

Hannah said...

Ha! I'm an underwear horder myself. I still keep my maternity underwear and usually put it in rotation when there are no other clean ones and I'd rather knit than do laundry. I have not been needing maternity underwear in a LONG time....

And I've heard rumors that used underwear goes for the big bucks these days....