The Week of Our Discontent

I added, subtracted, multiplied and divided. I cursed, I spat, I cried and scared the children. I tirelessly calculated and adjusted, inferred and assumed. I prayed and pleaded. I swatched, I frogged, I spent an entire week with paper, calculators, breaking pencil leads, biting nails off, (mine and others), I muttered things to Mr. that he didn't find very respectful, I survived on coffee and buttered toast. I lived and breathed Cotton Fleece, Blue Paradise on size 3.25 (?)straight needles. There was fitful sleep, fitful wake, I was a shell of myself. Finally, after a week of this insanity, I found the supposed formula. I went to the knitting shop, desperate to get the only needles that fit my calculations. In a desperate moment, I spilt all my woes to the clerk of Needleworks By Holly Berry House. She gave me a sad look and said "I never worry about gauge for a baby sweater, you should just do it on size four needles, so it will be bigger. You'll probably want her to wear it for a while, and don't forget, you'll probably be layering it over other clothes. Always go bigger." The clouds parted, the sun shined, I fairly hugged her. I didn't even flinch when she pulled out the Turbo Knits, so happy was I that she had saved me from myself. I slapped down the card. I bought the Cadillac of all needles, went home and cast on all 117 stitches, confident that I would make the best baby sweater in the world. One inch down, eleventy-million to go. I don't know that it was wise to start a birthday sweater two weeks before the said birthday occurs, but I'm going to give it my best. If I knit about 100 rows a day I should get it done...
I am also shamefully dreaming up another birthday project. Perhaps I can get Mr or the children to take up knitting...

In other happy news, I learned that I can play audio tapes on the portable DVD player, so when I am knitting till my fingers bleed, I won't have to turn pages of my current novel. Right now, I have devised a genius plan of using two super strong magnets to hold several pages together so that they don't flip while I am reading and knitting. I am thrilled to check out other books on tape (or CD as it were) and listen so that I don't loose my place when I split a stitch.

The sun is out, it is beautiful, I am going walking!! In my new tennis shoes. That are so comfy they rivaled my crocs...and won.