Fetching Just Will Not Die.

I started a new project. Yea! After the blanket and the catnip balls were finally finished (but still not mailed - knit gift failure!), I was absolutely itching to start something else, and so I did what anybody does when they're about to start a new project: I stood in the middle of my apartment quivering in indecision two minutes before I needed to leave the house.

Tuesday was a very long and crappy day for me, so Tuesday night I was delighted to go for coffee with the girls. Coffee is our almost weekly trip to Starbucks to sit and gossip/bitch and moan, and since both Katie and Brenda have had me show them how to knit (have I told you about that? I think so...), I feel like this is my public knitting time. Therefore, Tuesday night right before I was to leave for coffee, I needed a project. Projects I need/want to start right now: Brenda's gloves, baby blanket for Sheila's kid, Prepster vest, wristbands, Brenda's headband, Emily's gloves. Do you see why my brain started to melt a bit under the pressure? Of course, I didn't actually have the yarn for any of that, but I tossed some of the leftover Vittoria in a bag, thinking I might do Brenda's gloves in that. By the time we got to Jusco I had nixed that idea, though - acrylic Fetching? I think not.

Luckily, Jusco is also the location of Pandora House, the new craft store that is inexpensive and carries the yarn I used to make Aashima's gloves, which turned out lovely. And who really needs even that much of an excuse to go yarn shopping? Brenda picked out this nice rusty red color, and I've got something fun and brainless to work on. Started it during coffee and continued last night during the first disc of Heroes (new addiction - thank you for your 4 for ¥1000 deal, Tsutaya!). I tried the cables without a cable needle for the first time, thanks to the article that subliminalrabbit cited in her blog. And hey, thanks for the comment! I feel special.

In other news, I bought the pattern for the Prepster Vest. I'm pretty excited about it, but a bit nervous as well. For one thing, I don't really like the way the pattern is written - I've read it through twice and there are bits that don't make a lot of sense to me. I think a chart would be better, honestly. And it's knit in two pieces, which I really don't like. I really hate seaming. I'm going to try to figure out how to do it in the round, because that would make me much happier - seaming = hibernation. Then there's the bit at the bottom of the pattern where it says: This Pattern Is Designed for SWTC Yarn Only.

Well, dang. Does that mean if I do it with something else they'll sue me or something? I mean, I was totally willing to buy the pattern for $3 online, but buying a yarn I've never felt (at $10.50/skein) and paying for it to be shipped internationally is just a bit of a stretch for me, when there are plenty of great yarns here. That little issue does not take much convincing for me, but what does trouble me is the issue of what yarn to use instead. See, I have this feeling that the first time around doing this pattern is going to turn out a bit off, because let's face it, all of my projects kinda turn out that way the first time around. But I haven't found anything at my cheap yarn sources that's really grabbed me, and I don't think I want to do it in ¥100 store acrylic, because ... well, because I don't. All that work for acrylic? Scratchy, inflexible? But then, if I use the yarn I really want to use, which is the love of my life in Japan, Exceed Wool, this is going to be a mighty pricey vest, especially if the first try doesn't turn out so hot.

So I'm stumped. But I need to go into the city soon anyway for some glasses, so I guess I'll just check out what they've got at that store in Shimatori, and see whether buying that yarn will allow me to eat for the rest of the month.

Also, check out what I found when I cut open an apple the other night. What the hell, man?