Hopefully, Not a Wool Allergy

Sockhead Hat
Originally uploaded by craftytails

In the days following the convention, I have managed to contract another sinus infection. Never have illnesses appeared back-to-back before and the need for an allergist has become more urgent. After the Thanksgiving holiday, a number of calls will be made. I am desperate to get an appointment before the end of the year when my insurance provider hikes up the co-pay for specialists. It's quite ludicrous what we are expected to fork over when certain specialists are absolutely necessary. Is skipping my yearly female examination suddenly an option? What a lovely present to receive right before the holidays. The only worse surprise would be finding out I have a severe allergy to wool and bunnies (thanks Ally!).

The convention itself was fairly quiet but nice. Attendees were very sweet and had interesting and thoughtful questions. All in all, I had a good time catching up with old friends and knitting on every panel and autograph session. Some progress was made on the hat (pictured) and more has been completed since the photo was taken. It should be ready for the decreases very soon, if not for one snag. This is really embarrassing to admit... but I never knew there were two different size 2 needles. I truly deserve this slap in the face for not learning my metric sizes. As it turns out, I own the 3.00mm 16" circular, but not the double pointed needles. All of my DPNs are 2.75mm, necessitating an order from Knit Picks. No LYS in my area ever has the sizes I need. This is part of the reason why I miss Yarns Ewenique so much. Their "wall of needles" was unrivaled (at least for my purposes).

Like everyone else I know, my mailbox fills itself with bills every month. To my delight, some publications arrived in time to amuse me during the quarantine. After a few months of mild disappointment, Interweave Knits once again has me excited about patterns. For example, Nora’s Sweater has three of my favorite elements, combining a cardigan with a tailored fit and lovely use of negative space. It probably helps that the model is wearing my favorite color for a sweater (eggplant) and fiber (alpaca). The Alpaca Pleats Jacket is equally tempting in its sheer cuteness and lovely drape. And yes, also because it’s purple.

The entire exercise of pattern-stalking on my part is quite ridiculous. After grousing endlessly about the number of UFOs laying about the house, I need to actually finish something. But in the interim, I will use my sickness as an excuse. *cough*