OK, this is more like it!

I carefully tinked back two and a half rows, putting the 8° beads away as I went, and started over from that point with these plum matte 6° beads, which I bought at The Artful Bead. Because the hole is significantly larger than on the smaller beads, I was able to gear up to a size 10 crochet hook. No more splitting. [No childbirth words.] Just fluid, stress-free knitting progress. Behold the end of Clue 1, sock #1, for the January Sockdown on Ravelry, posed artfully against the bag which TxKnitter gave me for Christmas two years ago. I have transferred sock #1 onto my 000’s and am keeping it in the bag while I work on the second one; as you can see, sock #2 is coming along nicely.



I thought this article was both interesting and comforting. I do a better job of pacing myself than I did five, ten, or fifteen years ago. “No, thank you” falls a little more easily from my lips. But I’m still learning, and [for me, at least] it’s always good to get a gentle reminder.

I had an opportunity to practice last night. Took a bag of books to Half Price Books, and the clerk admired the sock I was knitting and said, “I think I need you to make me some socks.”

“I’d be happy to teach you how to knit.”

Grimace. “That’s OK. I’ll just ask my roommate. She knits all the time.”

“I have five kids and four grandkids. I’m not knitting for you.” With a big smile to take away any sting.

I’m just a girl who *can* say no.

I did quite a bit of uncluttering yesterday. Four empty boxes to take out to the recycling bin. A bag of VHS tapes and a few CD’s to HPB when I drove back to Arlington to see the Nail Dude. Another bag, this time full of books, to the local HPB after dinner and my victory lap with the new beads. I can get rid of the second VHS rack on the door to my studio. I have about half a dozen more CD’s to cull before I can do the same on the closet door in my room. And the closet in the studio is almost to the point where I can take all the bins off the top of my desk in there, or all the boxes on top of the work table, and move them into the closet.

Another benefit of this uncluttering is the cash bonus for selling my stuff. I paid for my manicure, a few items from Town Talk to fill gaps in my food storage and pantry, the new beads, and something else which escapes me at the moment, with no impact on Friday’s paycheck. And I still have enough left to do laundry.

We move to the new schedule at church today. Which means that I need to be there at 9:00. Which gives me about an hour to get ready. Which means I am in trouble...