The One Arm Struggle
You know how my days start. It is no surprise (I am sure), that I downed my two mugs of coffee. I parked my butt, on the red leather couch. (The same couch, that apparently, has become a trampoline to muddy-pawed pooches. This morning, there were dirty pawprints, all over the cushions.) I flipped on the TV, and decided that I would watch reruns, of old Supernatural episodes (from when the show was still good.)
Then, it was time to blog.
Yesterday, before picking up my hook, yarn, and shuffling my slow, recovering self, out of the house, I surfed the net, for just a bit. I went to NUMEROUS online yarn shops. And, I wondered what it would like, to work with some of the yarns. There has only been one time, since I first began The Yarn Project, that I have worked with a yarn, semi-pricey, in nature. The beanie I made for my Aunt. And, I loved working with that yarn. It made me feel like a Hoity-Toity Yarnie.
What would it be like, to work with nice, luscious yarns, for every single project? Wouldn't it be absolutely WONDERFUl, to feel expensive, exotic yarns, run through your fingers, as you work it into something highly beautiful.
And then, reality set in. I was pulled away, from my yummy-yarn daydream, as I heard my mother, complaining about bills.
A broke yarnie. Oh well...acrylic is always a great option!
I shut down the bulky office computer (my little netbook still has not been fixed.)I went to my yarn stash. I pulled out two skeins of barely used yarn, and with my size 'I', clay-handled hook, I went outside, and sat down, in a bistro chair. (There is nothing like getting a little vitamin D, while working with yarn.)
I decided, after writing yesterday's post, that I would work a beanie first, THEN work on the arm, for the lion (since the arm was so small, and should take no time at all.)
Yesterday's beanie...
Well, the first beanie I made, to sell on Etsy, is totally girlie. So, yesterday's needed to be unisex. Something that ANYONE can where. Time to stick to some nice, neutral colors.
The main color, of this beanie, is navy blue. (Like black yarn, navy blue is NOT a color that I enjoy working with. I have a very hard time, seeing it.) The last two rounds, of this beanie...the band, are done, in a nice tan color. I am completely pleased with it.
Two beanies done. One step closer to Etsy!
The time was 3pm.
I had every intention of starting the lion's arm, AS SOON AS I WAS DONE, with the beanie. Well...that didn't happen.
I am an individual, who is VERY easily destracted. (I swear...I have the attention span, of a fish.) It was TV time. I quickly decided that, at this time of day, there is absolutely NOTHING on. But, did that make me turn off the TV? Nope. I went into 'remote race' mode. I flipped through channels, at a pace that I am sure, is subhuman. And, this mere act, of repeatedly tapping a button, on a remote, FASCINATED me. (How sad is that?)
After playing around with the remote, I popped back online, and again, went cyber-window shopping, for pricey yarns.
Then, my neigbor came over. We socialized for a bit. (She has been a little less cynical, of The Yarn Project, ever since I gave her the Bright Nights Wrap/Throw, to give to her son.) It was a nice visit.
When she left, it was dinner time. Potatoes, spaghetti, garlic bread. AWESOME! (I dared to have a glass of red wine, with dinner. My first taste of alcohol, since the hangover from hell. And, one glass was ENOUGH.)
When we were all done with dinner, it was 9pm. And, in this house, 9pm, on a Wednesday night, means one thing. MODERN FAMILY. (Seriously, it is the funniest show.)
By this time, I had COMPLETELY forgotten that I was supposed to work an arm, for the lion. Thank GOD for my sweetie pie.
"What part of the lion, did you manage to work, today?"
"SHIT!" I smacked my hand to my head. "The LION!" I raced to the chaise, in my 'den of yarn,' and pulled out the cafe yarn. I grabbed my 'G' hook, and pulled out the pattern, for the lion.
The pattern for the arms, and legs (all made the same), goes as follows: 'With (cafe) ch 2. Rnd1: Work 6 sc in first ch. place marker to indicate beginning of rnd. Rnd2: 2 sc in each sc around. Rds 3-7: sc in each sc around. Fasten off.'
Sounds easy enough, right?
It was in that moment...sitting under the dim light, offered by a lamp, placed at the foot of the chaise, that I came to realize (at least a possiblity) why so many people consider yarn work, to be a hobby for the ladies.
"Damn this horrible little arm!" I was just starting round 4, when I shouted this out. I really felt like just abandoning the pattern, for the arms and legs. You know...just do a little thin panel, of single stitches, for them. Not work in a round. But, I knew I could not do that. I HAVE TO WORK THE LION, THE EXACT WAY THE PATTERN INDICATES!
"What's wrong?" My sweetie-pie asked, not even bothering a glance.
"My stupid, STUPID fingers. They are too damned big, to work something, in a round, that is this FRIGGIN small." I sighed, a rather loud, painfully drug out sigh. "This is why men should NOT crochet. Their fingers are too big, to do small work, like this!"
(My sweetie, as I said, never actually looked at me, as I worked this arm. But, after saying this, I can imagine that there was an eye roll. My sweetie-pie is a big one, for rolling the eyes, when I go into a 'meltdown-mode', as they have come to be called.)
I whined, as I worked rounds 4-7, non stop. Then, I finished. THANK GOD, I FINISHED.
"Three more to go," I said. Then, I realized...I still had THREE more to go! Oh my God. Three more TINY little arm/legs, to work. Three more maddening little pieces, that my fingers are too big, to work.
You know, for being such a small project, this little lion packs quite a punch!
Well, I am now going to go take a bath. I am going to pull out all the stops. Candles, bubbles, bath salt. Even the loofah, that I got, a year ago, but have not yet opened. This bath needs to take me, into a Zen state, unlike any Zen state, I have ever been in before. Then, immediately after, I will work arm two. Hopefully, the calming effects of the bath, will stay with me, throughout the whole arm-making process.
After the arm, I will work another beanie. A variegated one, today, I think.
Well, that's it, for today.
Happy crocheting.
Then, it was time to blog.
Yesterday, before picking up my hook, yarn, and shuffling my slow, recovering self, out of the house, I surfed the net, for just a bit. I went to NUMEROUS online yarn shops. And, I wondered what it would like, to work with some of the yarns. There has only been one time, since I first began The Yarn Project, that I have worked with a yarn, semi-pricey, in nature. The beanie I made for my Aunt. And, I loved working with that yarn. It made me feel like a Hoity-Toity Yarnie.
What would it be like, to work with nice, luscious yarns, for every single project? Wouldn't it be absolutely WONDERFUl, to feel expensive, exotic yarns, run through your fingers, as you work it into something highly beautiful.
And then, reality set in. I was pulled away, from my yummy-yarn daydream, as I heard my mother, complaining about bills.
A broke yarnie. Oh well...acrylic is always a great option!
I shut down the bulky office computer (my little netbook still has not been fixed.)I went to my yarn stash. I pulled out two skeins of barely used yarn, and with my size 'I', clay-handled hook, I went outside, and sat down, in a bistro chair. (There is nothing like getting a little vitamin D, while working with yarn.)
I decided, after writing yesterday's post, that I would work a beanie first, THEN work on the arm, for the lion (since the arm was so small, and should take no time at all.)
Yesterday's beanie...
Well, the first beanie I made, to sell on Etsy, is totally girlie. So, yesterday's needed to be unisex. Something that ANYONE can where. Time to stick to some nice, neutral colors.
The main color, of this beanie, is navy blue. (Like black yarn, navy blue is NOT a color that I enjoy working with. I have a very hard time, seeing it.) The last two rounds, of this beanie...the band, are done, in a nice tan color. I am completely pleased with it.
Two beanies done. One step closer to Etsy!
The time was 3pm.
I had every intention of starting the lion's arm, AS SOON AS I WAS DONE, with the beanie. Well...that didn't happen.
I am an individual, who is VERY easily destracted. (I swear...I have the attention span, of a fish.) It was TV time. I quickly decided that, at this time of day, there is absolutely NOTHING on. But, did that make me turn off the TV? Nope. I went into 'remote race' mode. I flipped through channels, at a pace that I am sure, is subhuman. And, this mere act, of repeatedly tapping a button, on a remote, FASCINATED me. (How sad is that?)
After playing around with the remote, I popped back online, and again, went cyber-window shopping, for pricey yarns.
Then, my neigbor came over. We socialized for a bit. (She has been a little less cynical, of The Yarn Project, ever since I gave her the Bright Nights Wrap/Throw, to give to her son.) It was a nice visit.
When she left, it was dinner time. Potatoes, spaghetti, garlic bread. AWESOME! (I dared to have a glass of red wine, with dinner. My first taste of alcohol, since the hangover from hell. And, one glass was ENOUGH.)
When we were all done with dinner, it was 9pm. And, in this house, 9pm, on a Wednesday night, means one thing. MODERN FAMILY. (Seriously, it is the funniest show.)
By this time, I had COMPLETELY forgotten that I was supposed to work an arm, for the lion. Thank GOD for my sweetie pie.
"What part of the lion, did you manage to work, today?"
"SHIT!" I smacked my hand to my head. "The LION!" I raced to the chaise, in my 'den of yarn,' and pulled out the cafe yarn. I grabbed my 'G' hook, and pulled out the pattern, for the lion.
The pattern for the arms, and legs (all made the same), goes as follows: 'With (cafe) ch 2. Rnd1: Work 6 sc in first ch. place marker to indicate beginning of rnd. Rnd2: 2 sc in each sc around. Rds 3-7: sc in each sc around. Fasten off.'
Sounds easy enough, right?
It was in that moment...sitting under the dim light, offered by a lamp, placed at the foot of the chaise, that I came to realize (at least a possiblity) why so many people consider yarn work, to be a hobby for the ladies.
"Damn this horrible little arm!" I was just starting round 4, when I shouted this out. I really felt like just abandoning the pattern, for the arms and legs. You know...just do a little thin panel, of single stitches, for them. Not work in a round. But, I knew I could not do that. I HAVE TO WORK THE LION, THE EXACT WAY THE PATTERN INDICATES!
"What's wrong?" My sweetie-pie asked, not even bothering a glance.
"My stupid, STUPID fingers. They are too damned big, to work something, in a round, that is this FRIGGIN small." I sighed, a rather loud, painfully drug out sigh. "This is why men should NOT crochet. Their fingers are too big, to do small work, like this!"
(My sweetie, as I said, never actually looked at me, as I worked this arm. But, after saying this, I can imagine that there was an eye roll. My sweetie-pie is a big one, for rolling the eyes, when I go into a 'meltdown-mode', as they have come to be called.)
I whined, as I worked rounds 4-7, non stop. Then, I finished. THANK GOD, I FINISHED.
"Three more to go," I said. Then, I realized...I still had THREE more to go! Oh my God. Three more TINY little arm/legs, to work. Three more maddening little pieces, that my fingers are too big, to work.
You know, for being such a small project, this little lion packs quite a punch!
Well, I am now going to go take a bath. I am going to pull out all the stops. Candles, bubbles, bath salt. Even the loofah, that I got, a year ago, but have not yet opened. This bath needs to take me, into a Zen state, unlike any Zen state, I have ever been in before. Then, immediately after, I will work arm two. Hopefully, the calming effects of the bath, will stay with me, throughout the whole arm-making process.
After the arm, I will work another beanie. A variegated one, today, I think.
Well, that's it, for today.
Happy crocheting.