Wool Piggie

wool pig (n.) 1.a person who hogs handknits; 2. a person who buys too much yarn. 3. a pig in a sweater

That would be me. (The second definition, anyway.)

I first heard the term, "wool pig'" from The Yarn Harlot's blog, where one of her daughters called the other this term because they were arguing over who got a fabulous scarf their mother had just made.

This morning my husband (on his day off, mind you) got up at 5:30 a.m. He was checking the bank account online, and he saw a few of my yarn purchases. On a whim (read: let's just see how much she is spending) he added up what I have spent this month so far. He then (gleefully) sprang the total on me at breakfast: $138.

I was a little taken aback at the total. After all, it is only the 19th today. But then when he told me that he could buy a Viking frying pan for that price, I thought, "Aha! So this is what he wants. He wants justification to be able to spend a ridiculous amount of money on cookware." So when I told him to go ahead and do it, he said he wouldn't because we are trying to save for a trip to Greece.

Aha. He's trying to make me feel guilty. Well, it worked. I am properly shamed.

But it is hard! I keep finding things I want to make. For instance, I bought 2 skeins of Misti Alpaca laceweight in Cilantro Melange. I am going to make myself a nice little shawl out of it. I don't know why I am so desperate for a shawl. I found one in my Grandmother's things, and I have been wearing it around the house. I love the warmth it gives, even though it is full of holes. My grandmother must have made it in the 70's. It is white, and a crappy acrylic yarn (which is what most of the available yarn was in those days) and is crocheted. But I love it, and I want more.

I also bought 4 skeins of Crystal Palace Merino 5 in Violets. This is another shawl I am going to make. It will probably be the first one since it is a simpler pattern. And shut up. I do too need lots of shawls. It's been chilly around the house. It was 62 degrees inside when we woke up this morning. Getting out of the shower was a little brutal.

Anyway, the pattern I am going to use with the Crystal Palace Merino 5 is the cinema shawl. I was browsing through free patterns online when I ran into this one. It is pretty, and pretty simple. I am really excited to get started on it.

And I didn't just spend all that money on wool either. I bought 2 books as well.

The first is this one: The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting, by Nancy Queen and Mary Ellen O'Connell. It is a beginning knitter's book that has patterns for working on building different skills. (And yes, there are shawls in it.) I had checked the book out of the library and loved so many of the patterns I figured I might as well own it.

I don't know what I shall make first out of it. There is a really easy little felted clutch in it, and there is also a cute little stripey ribbed hat in it too. I suppose I will have to wait to make anything out of it since I would need to buy more yarn to do it. I don't think I should go down that path just now. Maybe next month.

The second book is another I had checked out of the library and I am completely smitten with it. It is called, Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti by Mandy Moore (no, not the singer) and Leanne Prain. I am totally enchanted by the idea of yarn bombing. That is where you "tag" public places in your hometown (or on vacation, or where ever) with little bits of handknit color. And you do it surreptitiously so people will be surprised when they come upon it. It really isn't vandalism, since you aren't defacing anything, just adding a bright, happy spot of color to the world. I just might try it, so look out!

Finally, I am working hard on my project for the Ravelympics. I finished knitting the body of my felted needle case last night. I am just working on weaving in the ends, and I'll probably felt it Sunday. In the meantime I can start working on the cables strips that hold the needles in place inside. Oooh, and I have to find buttons! Crap. How can I? Well, I can always scrabble through my button box. That was another thing I inherited from my Grandmother. I don't know if there are any appropriate for this project, but we'll see. I have been enjoying watching the Olympics on TV as I knit. I used to just catch the figure skating, but this year I've been watching all sorts of fun stuff: downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, curling (!), and speed skating. I loved the snowboarding, I can't believe the height those men and women get on the half pipe.

I have to work tomorrow. (Craptastic!) So I won't be knitting all day. But next week I will have a three-day weekend. (Must. Not. Spend. Money.)