I’m in hell.  I just want everyone to know that.  I am in pure hell here.

See, I have all this amazing fiber from all these amazing farms.  Farms where they actually pamper and name and love their animals.  I have all this amazing fiber and I discovered today that I am in sheep/alpaca central.  I went to a farmer’s market today and came home with two skeins of plum alpaca yarn and over a lb of dark brown roving form a Corrie/Lincoln cross.  We also went to a small farm and visited with the owner.   She showed us around, we got to meet the goats and the sheep and she demo’d some dyeing for us, which was neat.  Every dyer does it differently and I like seeing the different techniques in action.  She was a gracious hostess, so thanks, Gretchen, although Universe willing you won’t ever see my filthy blog because you were awfully nice and I’d hate to corrupt you.

So I bought more fiber today, like I needed it.  I want to spin this fiber.  Plus the fiber from SAFF.  As a matter of fact I have some hand painted merino that has been taunting me.  Taunting. If I don’t get to spin it soon I don’t know what will happen, but it won’t fucking be pretty, I can tell you that.  So all this fiber and no fucking free time to spin it.  I barely have time to knit.  I think I’ve managed another two rows on Jat’s socks since I got home.  Go me.  I blame this advanced 3D class I’m in.  Never do I feel as incompetent as when I’m working with 3D textures.  Did I mention the entire class is on 3D textures?  I love painting them, I love painting color maps, specular maps and bump maps, among others.  I hate mapping the fucking models.  Hate with a capital hate.  Tears, people, tears.  It incites the most hopeless of hopelessness in me.  I feel retarded and everything takes hours longer than I think it should.

So yeah, how much is some free time?

SAFF was incredible.  Of course I totally forgot my camera so I didn’t actually get any pics of the event itself, but by god I took pics of all my loot (and the GORGEOUS scenery on the drive there and back), and holy fuck did I ever make out like a damn bandit.

I had a good time and lots of people commented on my hair.  It also helped fellow Ravelers from LSG (Lazy, Stupid and Godless for you non-fiber people) find me easily.  I met a lot of new people and we had a really great time.  There were Ravelers there from the Atlanta area (since it was an Atlanta yarn shop that rented out the whole inn for the weekend) so I got to meet them and, holy shit, talk about nice, funny, just all around great people.  I had an awesome time and one wonderful woman not only called her mom who lives in this area and is an active fiber person to get yarn store recommendations, she also gave me her mom’s phone number so I can call her to ask her about a few other fiber-related happenings in the area.  Astoundingly nice people and I was thrilled to meet them.

I also passed out business cards right and left, which not only have a typo on them, but also have the wrong email address on them.  I fail at entrepreneurship.  That’s ok, my Etsy shop address is on there.

I managed to stay 200.00 under budget though and the entire trip can be written off as a business expense, so fuck yeah.

Why is this post tagged ‘husband’?  Because that fabulous asshole of mine not only gave me a generous budget, but also honestly admired my purchases and petted and appreciated and for all of that and a million other things, I love that man to pieces, and that’s why.

It’s happy crazy funtime around here lately, kids.

First, I’ve been spinning and knitting like a bat out of hell lately. I dyed this with Paas egg dye tablets and it’s spinning up really pretty. Pastels, which are so not my thing, but I’ll probably ply and knit socks out of it anyhow.

I’m also working on socks for Mom. It’s her Mother’s Day present. I let her pick the yarn and the pattern and they’re coming along nicely. I have about twice as much done as the photo shows. I need to get a new photo.

The yarn is Plymouth Happy Feet and the pattern is from Charlene Schurch’s More Sensational Socks. The stitch pattern is the Stansfield 14 from that book. I’m knitting them on 2’s.

I’ve also got a surprisingly hopping little business going on Etsy. I started making and selling snag-free stitch markers for knitters, but most specifically for sock knitters. We need us some tiny st markers, so I made a bunch and they’re selling well as is my sock yarn, surprisingly. I’m selling there to earn money for SAFF. I have a room booked through Knitch for the whole weekend. I’m sending in my registration to take Schurch’s Sock Options class. How awesome to meet the woman herself. I will be all fangrrl and ask her to sign my book, yes I will. Kelly is going with me, so that’ll be fun. We’ve asked to room together. Knitch rented out the entire Inn for the weekend, so it’ll be nothing but fiber folks running around high on wool fumes all weekend.

Since SAFF is still months away I’ve taken this month’s profit and sunk it back in for more supplies so I can have more stock and make more money. I plan on having a hellafun time at SAFF and spending recklessly without guilt.

We also had some nature visits lately. First I caught a huge garter snake in the backyard. I took him in so he could stink all over Jat. Then we let him go. We also had a pair of cardinals build a nest right next to the front porch. I got pictures of the baby right after he hatched.

I cut a small hole in my porch screen so I could stick my camera lens through it and get some decent photos. Lot of fucking good it did. Turns out it doesn’t matter. I went out there to check on him yesterday and he was gone

I ended up picking up my nephews at the bus stop on their last day of school Friday. Poor Ben, he was sobbing like his little heart was breaking. I asked him what was wrong and he said, through sobs, “I’m going to miss my teacher and my friends and I don’t want school to end!” We made it a little better with lemonade on the way home, though. I’m still shocked at how small he is. When I see him from a distance I always wonder, “Who is that 5 year old with no supervision??” It takes me a few seconds to realize it’s my 7 year old nephew. How sad.

In my studio class we’re doing digital ink and paint.  It’s a lot of fun, I’m using the hell out of my graphics tablet (about time) and having fun.  It’s probably fun because I have good equipment on a good computer and I’ve been fucking around with digital art for over a decade now so I already know a ton of tricks.  We’re developing a character.  I kind of like my little guy.  We’ve only just started adding color, so that part looks like shit.

In other news, we may be moving to Virginia. Jat is interviewing for a cushy fucking job up there in a couple of weeks. We’d have to buy a house, who the fuck would rent to us with all these animals other than my own mom? No one! We’d have to MOVE ALL OUR SHIT! That is an overwhelming proposition to consider. I’d be moving all 12 animals up there myself. That is also a daunting thought. I’m a ‘go with the flow see where life leads you’ kind of person, so I’m open to the possibility, but I don’t want to go. Everything I know is here. I’ve lived here practically my entire life, all my friends are here. Friends I’ve had since high school for fuck’s sake! My knitting/spinning groups are here, I have a happy knitting home not 5 minutes from my house. I’d have to start over with everything. I’d have to find a new internist who understands PCOS. A new stylist! Ack! Oh fuck, I’m going to have to ask my colorist to come with me though. It took me a while to find her and I don’t want to lose her. Shit, the same could be said for my stylist. Goddamnit.

But, stepping out of one’s comfort zone is how one grows as a person, or some shit. I know it’s good for me to expand my horizons, but that doesn’t mean I have to sing and dance through the process.