Knitting and Crocheting

I like to tell myself that knitting and crocheting will be useful in a post-carbon era, and that we will need lots of warm garments - scarves, mittens, sweaters, hats, blankets. In fact, I think I'm just a little bit obsessed. I really love to knit, and I like crocheting even better, because it is so much easier, and thus I can even watch movies with subtitles while doing it. If I do that when I'm knitting hideous things happen.

I also like to tell myself that my little yarn addiction is good for us, that it means we'll all be warm after the peak ;-), but its really just a bad habit. But I really, really like running my fingers through yarn, winding it, knitting and crocheting with it. My current favorite yarn is a beautiful bulky merino from www.handpaintedyarn.com. They are an uruguayan collective, and they spin the softest, most beautiful stuff I've ever come in contact with, in the most astounding colors. I'm currently knitting an afghan with their yarn in shades of dark green, chocolate, cream and peach.

My other project include a couple of ribbed scarves for my Dad and his partner Anna (made with another favorite yarn, Brown Sheep's bulky wool - have you noticed I like bulky yarn?), a striped blanket for Isaiah (who sadly was born before my fiber resurgance, and got no homemade blankie from mommy), a sweater for Eli made from a beautiful blue and purple ribbon merino (did you notice I like soft yarns?), a handspun afghan of wine, blue, purple and brown for my dissertation advisor (I swear I'm going to finish, so I have to make him a thank you gift - then I can claim that I didn't write the diss because the blanket wasn't ready), an afghan for us in blues and creams, light blue cotton slippers for Grandma (Brown sheep cotton fleece yarn - another favorite), an afghan for new niece Abby (she also missed out), chenille scarf for Mom, scarves for my sister and her boyfriend (Soon to be fiance, I hope, they are at present on their way to Italy where she expects to be proposed to - although she's been expecting for a while, without results), socks for Susie (my step-mom), a blanket for Grandma and Grandpa, and a baby blanket for pregnant friend Bess, who I think is having a girl (they don't want to know the sex, but I'm good at guessing them - one of my few talents).

Do I have a few too many works in progress? Knitting is kind of like my life - I think my theory if that if I keep up the WIPs, I can't ever die.

Talk about weird and obsessive - I'm so into knitting that I have purchased the yarn for the *next* baby's blanket - a baby I don't intend to conceive for a good 5 or 6 months. I'm sure this is bad luck. But I really, really liked the yarn, and this one will probably be the last, and it takes me so long to finish anything that I wanted to plan ahead....sigh.