Bits and Bobs

First a bit about knitting. I had a bit of yarn (225 yards of CTH Possum Sock) that I didn't know what to do with so some helpful soul suggested '189 Yards of Happiness' shawl. I'm very drawn to pretty pictures and colors, which the pattern site was laden with, and all of the others who had gone before me raved about what a simple pattern it was. The phrase 'joy to knit' was tossed around extravagantly. Oh sure, there were a couple of folks that said "WTF! Why can't I get this pattern to work out?" but they were soundly thumped by the 'joy to knit' folks and consequently disappeared from the Ravelry boards as quickly as they appeared. So I, in a blazing flash of stupidity, thought that this looked like just the 'easy' lace project for me and my possum buddy! I don't have the focus or attention span to be a lace knitter. Generally holes in my knitting appear there by accident. But those darned 'joy to knit' ladies were just so persuasive! I posted my intention on the boards, so cock-sure was I that I would bang this thing out in under two days.

Poor Chocolate Sheep decided to join me in an impromptu little knit along. Yup. Like a sheep to slaughter. We both started it at home. Many. Many. Times. We both took it to Knit Night and cursed it's very name. ['198 Yards of Happiness' my A**!] Many. Many. Times. In fact when I went to Knit Night I had 15 rows done. I worked on it for 4 hours and by the time I left, I only had twelve and I think The Sheepster may have actually been in tears.

When I got home, I sequestered myself; no TV, no music, no obvious distractions. [I say 'obvious' because with me there is always a distraction..."Oh look at that pretty dust mote in that ray of sun...Shiny!] I knit, and ripped, and swore but I gutted through until I finished it!


I don't know why it was so difficult for me. The line directions were abysmal but the charted pattern was perfectly clear. I just couldn't get it. And I never really did. It never clicked. The only thing that got it done was anger and sheer pigheadedness. I discovered that the name was apropos after all. I don't think I've ever been so happy to complete a project! [I will also take an evil glee in the future when I tell others, "Oh, you only have the one skein? You know what you oughtta to is make that uber easy little pattern '198 Yards of Happiness'! Yes, it's a JOY to knit!" Heh! Heh! Heh! Misery loves company is all I'm sayin'!]

And here's the BOB part. I'm trying to grow my hair out to one length after years of a SHORT layered cut. I told Scott H. down at Penny's Salon West (Go see him! He's a hair maestro!) that I wanted that sleek 'Sandra Bullock in Speed' type of do. To his credit, he didn't so much as smirk as he ran his fingers through my 'Little Orphan Annie Stuck Her Finger In A Socket' mop. He cut. He combed. He lather, rinsed, and repeated as needed. He moussed, gelled, dried and styled. And God love him, this was the result:

(Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of the back of your own head??)
I'm here to tell you that miracles can happen, People! Take a good look because this is the last time it will probably look like this. Scott has magic hands and I can never replicate the way he does it, but for this brief moment in time, I'm certain I shouldn't slow the bus down to less that 55MPH!
How's YOUR week going?

Comments

MadCityMike said…
As always...a great post for "Hump Day". Hair looks terrific and I very proud of you for hanging in there and finishing your shawl.....you're a stronger person than I. I'd have found another something to use my 1 skein on......
MadCityMike said…
Ugh! looks like I will not be hitting "publish" before I use "preview" again....always some typo, I'm afraid. Sorry about that.
Cindy G said…
Well the shawl is very (!)pretty. And for what it's worth, much as I enjoy knitting lace, I have to close myself up alone in a very quiet room to do it.

I may need to get ahold of your hair guy. I've been feeling the once every 5-7 years urge to go short.
DPUTiger said…
I kicked the snot out of my to-do list today (go, me!). Oh. And I bought a loom? Yeep!
Michelle said…
Love the hair; love the shawl. I am working on a challenging-for-me lace project and ripped it a record number of times before I actually started making progress on the horse-camping trip. Photos soon . . . maybe.
The do is perfect on you. It's a nice little shawl. I have a tremendous urge to look the pattern up. I have to reminding myself about all the simple things that thousands have knit that I can't. F'rinstance, the two attempts at the Clapotis that waggle at me and laugh whenever I go looking in the stash.

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