You know, the older I get the more I learn from my mistakes. It’s all part of that growing up process my 85 yr old grandmother promises me NEVER ends. We’re ALWAYS growing and hopefully learning and even more hopefully APPLYING that knowledge. One of the things I’ve really been trying to learn and apply in my life is knowing when enough is enough. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our bodies and our minds were like our gas tanks? I get a nice little reminder on my car – it’s called DTE. Distance Till Empty. Along with the little orange light that blinks, DTE gives me plenty of warning on when (not if) I will run out of gas. If that should happen, well, then, I’m the only one to blame. I mean, really, the car TOLD me it was going to happen.
I guess, in reality, our bodies do have a warning light – it’s just so much easier to ignore. But last night was one of those LOUD AND CLEAR warnings. Sirens wailing. Smoke detectors going off even though you took out the battery an hour ago. A camel dehydrating in the desert. DUDES! I was DONE!
I ended up going to be very late Wednesday night – even though I hadn’t planned on it – and then I didn’t get anything done I needed to get done on Thursday. Thursday night was great though! I went to see Ann and Kay read at Knitty City – a new shop in NYC on 79th (btwn Amsterdam and Broadway). What a wonderful shop! Great yarn selections – TONS of Cascade 220. Lorna’s Laces. They’ll be carrying the full line of Koigu next fall. Cottons, wools, alpaca, sock yarn, fun yarn – everything. A nice book selection. Classes. A full service yarn store and the staff was very nice too – the complete antithesis to that OTHER yarn store on the UWS. Give it a try. Anyway, it was great to see Ann and Kay and meet some new to me knitter and bloggers! Hi Mary! Hi Marcela! (Marcela and I have the SAME BIRTHDAY!!! How cool is that?) Hi Margaret! Hi Sahara! And there were so many others that I’m sorry I’ve forgotten! It was a great crowd and lots of fun knitters. I’ll definitely be back. ETA! I forgot to say Hi Ina! And look! Ina has a picture of my funkycoolfabulous new shoes on her blog! Thanks Ina!
So I came home, kind of early, with the hopes of knocking out what I couldn’t (wouldn’t) do during the day, so that I could leave today to go to Philly and see Ann and Kay at Loop. I have to be in Philadelphia anyway – today is the baby’s FIRST BIRTHDAY! Can you believe it?! Tomorrow is his birthday party and next week is Passover. But last night my printer decided to fuck with me. Really really fuck with me. It’s been happening a lot lately – when it spits out a piece of paper it either wrinkles or tears the top of the page. So I’m trying to print client stuff to pack into the box I need to send out today and all it will do is rip the top of the page!!!! There were things thrown. There were curses yelled. There were tears. Lots and lots of tears.
I ended up in bed, crying, watching the HBO documentary on Rosie O’Donnell’s Gay Family Cruise. Now, I’m NOT a Rosie O’Donnell fan. Annoying doesn’t even begin to cut it. But I cried and cried watching all those beautiful happy families. I don’t know. I was jealous I was happy I was sad that our fucked up country can’t see family for what it really is and should be. Whatever. I was really, really tired. G was giving me space because I yelled at him because I was pissed and all I wanted was someone to rub my back and take care of me. But I didn’t ask for it and I did say leave me alone so he did.
This morning when I woke up I realized that I don’t have to kill myself to get to Philly tonight. Ann and Kay will be fine without me. My sister will be fine without me. My nephew (the older one) will forgive me for not being there when he comes home from school. I can show up to the birthday party tomorrow afternoon and be there until Thursday and get what I need to get done and relax a little bit and help myself.
So far today I’ve sat on the couch and knit on my sockapaloooza socks! And I LOVE THEM!
This is Lover’s Leap (lightweight) from Socks That Rock and it’s absolutely PERFECT for this pattern. I’m using the Simpley Lovely Lace Socks from the new IK and it’s beautiful! It’s hard for me, though, to knit for someone else – let alone someone I don’t know and can’t try on the socks. They seem pretty big – I’m knitting them on size 2s and using the 60 stitch pattern – but I only be really relaxed when my pal gets the socks and tells me they’re perfect! And SO FAST! I’m only about a repeat away (four rows) from splitting for the heel. I’ll have at least one done by the time I get back from my sister’s. And hopefully the other one will be just as fast because I really need to start working on my BDFS if I want it done by the 29th.
Okay. G was home all morning working so the computer was busy and I’ve been knitting and I feel SO MUCH BETTER! As soon as I post this I’m going to eat some lunch and go out and buy a new printer then come home and do the work I need to do and then have dinner with my husband and sleep another night in my own bed and then go to Philly tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. After all. Tomorrow is another day!
Lesson learned. Lesson applied.
Have a great weekend!
PS – Blogging will be sporadic at best next week. I’ll be home sometime on Thursday. Knit well!
Glad to hear you saw the light and got a re-charge 🙂 Have fun in Philly!
You coming to Loop on Monday night?
I think your DTE light was blinking very brightly and you just chose to ignore it. We all do. Then we hit the wall and learn, relearn…whatever. You were smart to do what you did and even smarter to just sit and knit. Take care of you and don’t let that happen again. You’re on a fast paced course for a couple of months! Hugs!
Cara – I know how you feel. Only the IT guys here have to fix everything I break, and now they don’t come to my office if I’m here because I snarl at them. They’re rude little beesters 🙂
Will you come over to my blog and pick my new hair colour? I would be honoured if you would 🙂
I’m going to see *my* baby tomorrow, too!! What a fast year for us aunties… the moms probably feel somewhat differently. ; )
I’m glad you’re staying another night at home — maybe you can get that back rub. ; )
What fun! A new printer! (Sometimes the rollers get a build up from paper dust that needs to be cleaned off… it’ll slip or not grab right… that might be the case with your other one.)
My grandma said the same thing. Such a smart grandma you have. That sock is gorgeous. I’moff to go grab some knitting recovery time of my own…
I’m glad to hear that you took the time to recharge. It will make it so much easier to enjoy the upcoming celebrations.
BTW – I am sooo with you on Rosie AND on the show.
Cara! I can’t believe you not only remembered my name but even spelled it right – no one does that! (they always spell it with two l’s)
I love your hot pink socks – you knit quite a lot from the point I saw with the picot edge! Thanks so much for showing my some sock tips. I’ve already googled the instructions for knitting socks with two circs and hope to be on my way soon.
I hope you enjoy pesach – my husband and I are hosting 4 friends at our tiny 4-people-is-already-plenty-table in Forest Hills, but it should be fun. I love pesach.
Enjoy philly!
Good for you for listening to yourself 🙂 That sense of obligation can be overwhelming at times; but, it’s most important that you are rested and happy. Then the obligations feel joyous instead of “must dos.” Have a great weekend and a wonderful Passover!
As a sock sister, I have to say that I think the Lovely Lace Socks may take the prize as “Most Popular Sock” for Sockapaloooza – yours are fine indeed (so much so I’m hoping I’m your pal) 🙂
Relaxxxx! Glad you have another night at home 🙂
I’m glad you feel better C.
I love the pink socks!!! And it is a popular pattern since it seems quite a few of us are doing it. I am doing the same pattern in a different yarn though. And I have converted to to toe-up. Just remember all that kids care about is that you are there not when you get there. So enjoy your stay in Phily!
Whooooeeee! Your blog is totally outta control! And your photography and knitting is off the hook! I’m so glad we met yesterday. Thanks for the shout out!
Stop by and knisit me at Knitty City, as I work there on the weekends.
Slow down and take care of yourself. Have a restful weekend, dear Cara.
those socks have got to be calming for the mind. they are gorgeous. look at them!
have fun in philly – and remember to take care of yourself at the same time!
Sockapaloooza socks~~gorgeous!
Isn’t knitting a wonderful way to soothe ruffled feathers, and restore an equilibrium in one’s life? Glad you are feeling better. Enjoy your down time.
Cara, how’d you tack down your picot hem? I am making the same socks and I’d like to knit down the hem as I go on the second sock.
Great to meet you yesterday!
I still can’t believe how fast you’re working on Lovely Lace for Sockapaloooza. Amazing.
Among the Mar-Pix tribe, I think Embossed Leaves is the most popular pattern… I dunno about that cloven hoof effect, though.
Love the socks! Wow.
Have fun in Philly. Are you going to Loop Monday night to see the Yarn Harlot? I so want to be there – but my car’s not running well & I don’t trust it to drive to Philly. 🙁 Anyway. Enjoy the weekend!
Good for you!
Enjoy your time with your family. You deserve it. And don’t worry about us (your blog readers). Like your family, we will miss you, but we’ll still be here when you get back, and glad to see you again. Have a great week.
Hi Cara! Thanks so much for the link! So kind of you. Great to meet you, and I love all your socks. I have to go start my own Jaywalkers right now. Right Now! Hope to see you at Maryland or your spin out.
DTE. That’s a good one to remember. It looks like you made good use of your “down” time.
Very pretty sock pattern; it goes with the yarn color nicely!
It was nice meeting you the other evening, Cara. You’ve inspired me to cast on for Jaywalkers.
Hey darlin’, it was great to meet you at Seaport Yarn. Skye says hi too. I hope you’re feeling better today, and may I just say that I think I know how you feel a little bit. It can only go uphill for now, I hope.
Just a minnit: are you telling me STR comes in SOLIDS??????????????? Woweeeeee.xox kay
The STR colorway is beautiful. Is that an old colorway or is there a source that carries more colorways than the Blue Moon site? I love your
blog.
I’m sorry you were feeling like crap, but I’m really glad you’re on the mend. Why is it we continually try to do too much? The sock is gorgeous, but I’m with you on the stress about fit. Knitting for someone else is hard!
Hi, i am NOT a computer person but I just had the same problem with my printer and a friend “fixed” it…I was using paper that was too heavy!!!