Fortune From MIsfortune

Realizing (belatedly, as usual) that I need to have a gift for The World's Greatest Stylist And Life Coach in very short order, I made it my mission to finish up the handwarmers I'd planned to knit for her.  I work very well under pressure, you see.

Except, of course, when I don't...

The handwarmers crashed and burned.  You could probably see the column of smoke rising from wherever you happen to be at the moment.  It was really rather spectacular and reminiscent of any number of effects-laden films out there these days.  Once I'd recovered from the trauma, I began the process of regrouping my knitterly self and trying to come up with Plan B.

It occurred to me at that point that TWGSALC is not so much a fan of the wool.  I've actually gone yarn shopping with her in order that I might complete a project for her so I know this firsthand.  In fact, she has even been known to scoff at wool in both its spun and unspun states.  I cannot convert her.  She is committed to the acrylic path.  So why was I struggling with projects made from the sheepie stuff?  Why not knit something simple and in a fiber she would actually appreciate?

I know.  It is not a pretty side to her character.  But it is really her only shortcoming and she is my stylist, after all.  Good stylists don't grow on trees these days.  I overlook the fiber issues...

I did what any good salon patron might do at that point:  I put on shoes, tucked my turkey-enhanced tummy into my jeans and headed out to the Dollar Store.  If I'm going to knit in acrylic, I'm going to do it with dollar yarn.  That's my new motto.  I'm probably going to put it on t-shirts and stuff.

The store of cheap goods did not let me down.  They get all sorts of overstocks and discontinued items.  Even yarn.

Caron Bliss!  Made entirely from things never before seen in nature!!!

It even came with a pattern for one of those weird curly-Q scarves.  In crochet!  I can crochet!  And it's faster than knitting, in my experience.  Let the wild rumpus begin!  Or wild chaining...whatever.  I can knock this thing out of the park before the weekend is done.  In fact, I've almost already done so.  And I may even have enough left over to trim some simple mitts should fortune and finger dexterity finally start smiling upon me.

I feel kind of good about the fortune thing.  I'm not normally one for signs and stuff, but I think I was actually rewarded for my having put on shoes and taking the feelings of the knit-wear recipient into consideration.  Remember back in September?  When I had to return to my work-a-day life as a teacher?  And I was all worried about leaving the poor Absurdly Gi-normous kitty all alone for the day?

In an attempt to distract him from all the abandonment, I gave him a cat cave toy that I found at the Dollar Store.  I wasn't certain that he'd like it, but I figured that for a buck it was worth a try.

He loved it.

He loved to sit in it.  He loved to pull it over his head.  He loved to use it as a launching pad for his sneak attacks on his sister.  In fact, he loved it so much that he pretty much shredded it.  Sadly, the Dollar Store had no more of this particular item and I was reduced to buying a ridiculously huge thing from the pet store as a substitute.  He loves that, too.  But it's not the same.  He can't flip it over his head and the run around blindly or wear it around his middle like a tube top.  It's just not built for that sort of thing.  ::sigh::

Guess what I found at the Dollar Store today?  Yep.  Cat caves!  Right there where they used to be back when I didn't know enough to stock up.  You can rest assured that I won't be making that mistake again...

I bought five.  

That should hold us for a little while anyway.  Fortune smiles on she who buys the right yarn...

SA