Bellisima!

My Belle Cardi is going fairly smoothly, even with all the weird substitutions and surgeries I have done on it. In fact, that is why it has been taking so long. I totally had to frog a completed sleeve and then re-knit, because as usual, I decided to wing it and that sucker turned out HUGE. Rats!

Now it's redone, and it looks much nicer. I am less than an inch from starting the ribbing on sleeve number two, so it looks like I should finish this weekend. I am going to a Fresno Ravelry Knitters Meetup at Starbucks tomorrow, and I am thinking I may have to tote along a backup project! I still haven't decided on a closure, though. That's me, wishy-washy to the bitter end. Pin? Button? I-cord tie? Duct tape?

Hell, I still don't know.

In other news, I have been seduced by material goods, specifically the Knitpicks Options set in Harmony Wood. The set should be showing up on my doorstep this week. I'm so ashamed.

I did better at Barnes & Noble. I trekked back to the chaotic craft book section, which has been known to make me break out in hives, specifically so I could look at some titles that I have been thinking about ordering from Amazon. I am not freaking getting knitting books from an outlet that throws knitting, crochet, quilting and needlepoint together all higgledy-piggledy. Soon all the books will breed and intermix and start their own bastard craft, and we can't have that.

Ahem. I apologize for possibly taking that metaphor a bit too far. Moving on-

I particularly wanted to get a load of the new SN'B offering, "Son of Stitch N' Bitch", and also "Knitting With Balls." Because.....I am actually going to bite the bullet and knit something for my husband, who is 6'5" and incredibly picky. The phrase "labor of love" seems to be recycling crazily though my head, followed by, "What the feep were you thinking?!!"

Of the two, of course I have a soft spot for SN'B, and I was going to get it. BUT!! Fortunately, he was unimpressed by both books, and spent much time abusing the sweaters featured therein. There were one or two objects he liked in SN'B, but the commentary of, "but without the stripe" and "can you get rid of the design thing," and "I hate zippers" and "no hoods" and "I don't like all those cables" made me realize that I was doomed to an eternity of one-color stockinette, if I am ever to knit any item of clothing for this man. And then he will try it on, make a face, and say, "It's itchy." And then I will have to bury his cold, lifeless body in it after I stab him with one of my size 19 Lantern Moon ebony straights.

While this charming scenario was playing out in my head, fate intervened. The Man considered what he wanted, and has specifically requested some nice, safe, felted slippers for Christmas. Which is still going to take some doing, as he has size 14 feet. But still, not a (boring, one color, stockinette for miles) sweater. Hallelujah!

I actually ended up leaving the knitting book section empty-handed, escaping with one mere magazine (Knit 'N Style, Dec 2007) and one bargain book. I may have found non-man-centric knitting books that I wanted, chiefly "No Sheep For You" and the newish one by Veronik Avery. I have been a good girl and added them to my Christmas and Birthday lists.

I feel so fiscally responsible. I must go to Meg's soon and blow it all on French 75 sock yarn or something.