Yarn Factoids and Other Randoms

I've been stressing most of the past week. Let me just get that out in the open and leave it at that. I'm trying really hard not to dwell on the bad, here. Let me dwell (and share) some of the good things I've picked up, figured out, been gifted with, etc.

Yarn is kind of like knowledge. Knowledge is kind of like an STD. Therefore, yarn (and playing with yarn) is kind of like an STD. Once you get it, you want to spread it around. I'm thieving part of this from someone (PTerry, I think) and don't want anyone to sue me for slander/libel/plagiarizing. If I could remember exactly who, I would dutifully recognize who the quote is from. So, back to the original topic. Which was spreading the yarny love. Since I've been 'infected', I know for a fact that I've spread it to at least one other person. But it's hilariously awesome as to what/how much my friends (old and new) and I have shared amongst ourselves and others. Let me explain further. I was introduced to knitting around 3 years ago. Sure, I knew that there were things that were knitted, I just never really thought about it. Now that I'm 'in', I am almost always seeing things that are knitted-either by hand or machine. And I have to pause a moment to inspect said article. Then, I started to branch out a bit from just scarves. I made hats. Or, rather, I made the same hat at least a dozen times, with different types/colors of yarn. I overcame my aversion/fear of circular needles and DPN's and making things in the round. I'm now figuring out how to do lace with itty bitty yarn. I've been introduced to yarns that aren't acrylic and cost more than a few dollars for just one ball or skein or hank. I've probably babbled ad nauseum about yarn and knitting to anyone who would listen or couldn't run away fast enough. I've helped provoke enough interest that at least one person was/is willing to try it for him/herself. Even if it's just to shut me up or figure out what the hell I'm talking about and what kind of code language I'm speaking.

Back to the spreading around analogy. Here's a photo of some of what my friends (both knitters and non) have shared with me. Clockwise from top left: 3 balls of Sugar & Cream, some Merino lace wool, several patterns peeking out of a hand-knit bag. The bag also has a little Yarn Harlot pin on the top left. A clown head measuring tape, some Red Heart Lustersheen (which isn't at all scratchy, it's actually quite nice to work with), some Lacey Lamb lace wool, a special copy of Yarn Harlot's newest book: Things I Learned from Knitting...whether I wanted to or not, a collection of 14-inch straight needles (some are not shown because they're in use), 2 more balls of Sugar & Cream. In the center is some Jitterbug fingering/sport weight wool. Also present (but hard to see) is a stitch marker (one of several) that was made for me.

Now, why is the book special, you ask? Because it's autographed. To me. Need proof? Fine.
The photos are a little bit blurry, but it was the best shot I could get. And just in case I haven't thanked them enough, THANK YOU BOTH FOR THINKING OF ME AND BRINGING ME A LIL SOMETHING!!!

Oh, by the way. Ames, I found my other needle, it was on the (modified) rocking chair upstairs...