$46 Socks

I discovered a new yarn store in Kent today. This was very bad. And to make matters worse, I received a "paycheck" for $85 for watching a friend's son and driving him to preschool (I do this twice a week and he attends the same preschool as Eric. I have Jacob for a total of 1 hour and it is the easiest hour of my week).

This is the first thing I found when I walked in the door: hand painted sock yarn by A Swell Yarn Shop (www.aswellyarnshop.com) . And in pink, brown, and white. With coordinating brown for the heel and toe. The softest sock yarn I have ever touched. And although I snatched the pink and brown immediately (although there was no one else in the shop, so I'm not sure what my sense of urgency was), I was torn by so many of her other designs as well. If any of my friends want a pair of $26.95 socks, just let me know--I don't have to wear them, I just need to knit them!

I also found Lantern Moon sock needles. I had seen them in a different store and fell in love with them. But at the time I resisted the urge. But here they were again--it was fate! They are gorgeous rosewood in a precious little ribbon bag. And my current sock needles are a menace. They have impaled me on more than one occasion, and one is bent. I just know Lantern Moon and I will get along famously. I was feeling so smug about my purchase until I realized that between the socks and the needles, this pair of socks has now cost me $46.00. I don't think my husband has figured this out yet, but if he reads it in the blog he can't say anything...what happens in the blog stays in the blog.

I also found the most extensive display of Cascade 220 I have ever seen. Which included two skeins of the perfect shade of cornflower blue for Cinderella. Sigh...So of course I bought those as well, but that's ok because I plan to return the two unused very expensive wrong-shade-of-blue skeins. And then I undid all of my work on Cinderella's skirt to start adding the correct most perfect shade of blue. I am going to be 87 years old when I finally finish her. So all in all, a most successful trip.

Then I picked Eric up from school and we returned to my bio-hazard of a home. Seriously, this place needs professional help. I have dirty laundry in baskets, and I have clean laundry in baskets. Some folded, some not. I put one group away, only for the purpose of reusing the basket. I managed to clean one bathroom (the small half bath), but the other 3 are truly frightening. The kitchen, well, there are no words. It looks like I haven't touched it in a month, when in reality it was gleaming just 24 hours ago. See why I'm not jumping at the chance to do it all over again? And then there's the playroom. How can two small boys, both of whom were at school today, manage to make such a disasterous mess and yet have "nothing to do and nothing to play with". And I would like to point out that we spent the afternoon outside today...Seriously, I don't understand how this can happen.

What does not surprise me is the fact that we are losing things in this place we call home. About 2 months ago the remote control for our bedroom tv went missing. This remote never leaves our bedroom. Ever. We have torn the place apart--nothing. And we keep thinking that it will turn up, but so far it hasn't. And the worst part? Realizing that you need to get out of bed at 11:20 pm to turn the tv off, after you've all but fallen asleep. A couple of nights ago I went Easter shopping and came home with egg dying kits for the boys. I bought a glitter kit and one from the movie Cars. Eric went nuts and insisted on taking it to bed with him. Whatever. In the 10 minutes that it was in his posession and we shooed him up the stairs, it disappeared. Seriously, home for 10 minutes and POOF! We have been looking for this 8 1/2 by 11 inch box for 3 days now. Perhaps it's under the towering pile of mail that is about to bury one of the children...

Did I mention that my inlaws are coming in from Michigan tonight? Fortunately they are staying with Mike's sister. If I had to accomodate house guests on top of all of this, I would have a complete breakdown.

But look what I am currently knitting while I ignore my household responsibilities:

It's going to be a "paper bag hat", with a ruffly thing that is tied up on top. It will be very cute and is to be the next addition to my Etsy store, where people browse, yet do not actually shop.

Perhaps someone will take pity on me and help fund the $46 socks.