Brigid

Earlier this week, New Haven SnBer Katy was asked to help clean out a relative's house, and she invited a few of us along, since said relative was a fiber artist. The fee for taking whatever we wanted was simply sorting out all the fiber and yarn so the stuff we didn't want could go to auction.

The fiber studio was like a candy store, with yarn, fiber, and tools everywhere. The first thing we saw was the huge loom, and next to it... two walking wheels. One lacked a spindle, but the other one was intact. At the end of the day, my guy showed up with his pickup truck, and we brought home my new baby.



Folks, meet Brigid. As far as I can tell, she has no marks indicating maker or age, so I don't know her story, but all she needs is a cotter pin and a drive band (plus a good cleaning), so I'm thrilled to have her.







Now I just have to figure out where to keep her. She's tucked in a corner of the living room right now, but we're going to be having some construction done near that area in a week or two, so she'll have to be relocated.

I finally have a walking wheel. I can't get over it!

New Baby

Isn't she beautiful?



I'll tell you all about how I got her and what else came with her as soon as I get the rest of the photos processed. Right now, she needs a name... preferably something Scottish. Any ideas?

Rest In Peace

One of my mother's cats, Chegwidden, lost his battle with squamous cell carcinoma last night. He had been fighting it for months, remaining sweet and loving through several surgeries, and passed quietly in his sleep. He was an affectionate, talkative, beautiful animal, and we will miss him very much.



Goodbye, Cheg.

Late-Night Adventures

My goodness, what a busy week it's been. Let me tell you a story.

Saturday night, the boy and I are snuggling in bed, just about to drift off to sleep, and the phone rings. He cocks an eye at the red "1:00" displayed on the clock, mumbles that nobody should be calling at this hour, and lets the phone ring. At 1:01, it rings again. Again, he ignores it, but with a hint of drowsy curiosity. At 1:03, it rings yet again, and finally he picks up and croaks out a greeting.

"Aww, man, did I wake you up?" It's his housemate. "I screwed up bad, dude. I got arrested for DUI. Can you come to the police station and pick me up?"

The housemate, hearing fatigue and reluctance as my guy tries to wake up and process this, promises to call everyone else he can think of before he calls back, so maybe someone else will be available to go get him. I know how this is going to turn out, though, so I sit up and start to focus.

Housemate calls back, unable to get in touch with anyone else, and gives us directions to the police station, which is 20 minutes down the road. We get dressed, and just as my guy is reaching for his car keys, I pull out mine. My brain is better at running on fumes than his, so it's safer if I drive.

We go down to the police station and pick up the housemate, who shows remorse, but can't seem to explain why he was drinking. He takes, "if you're behind on the rent, why are you spending money on beer?" as a comment instead of a question. Then he shares something neither of us knew about him: there's an active warrant out for him down south.

Well, crap. Why did we keep you from spending the night in a cell? He explains that it was just a fender-bending hit-and-run that he couldn't afford to deal with before he moved up here, which doesn't make us feel much better, but at least he's not a murderer or something.

As we finally get home and fall back into bed, the "2:20" on the clock reminds me how tired I am, and my guy is still trying to wrap his head around what just happened.

"I didn't even know he drank," he tells me. "Maybe I should start running background checks on potential tennants."

Yup, sounds like a wise idea.

Should I?

So I'm going to my first rock concert tonight. Should I bring my knitting needles? The venue's FAQ doesn't mention them on the prohibited items list, but I think my companion might be embarrassed by me working on a pink and white hat at a NIN concert. ;)

Update: I did not bring knitting to the concert. A girl near me had to give up her spiked jewelry because it was a potential weapon, so I doubt I could have gotten my needles through anyway. The show was good, even though Trent's throat was really raspy by the end, making one of the "ballads" he did near the end sound a little off. As usual with theatrical-type events, I was more interested in the tech side, so I spent most of the concert trying to figure out how to build the massive LED curtains that they use to make some really awesome effects. I did learn one lesson... next time I go to a concert, I'm wearing earplugs. I feel a little fuzzy this morning.

Muggles and Mom

I'd love to show you the current WIP that I carry in my purse these days, but... it's kind of boring. Stockinette beanies are like that. I will tell you that one of the boys I met last week looked very interested when I took it out in the movie theater, and when I told him I brought my knitting everywhere with me, his response was, "that is awesome!" The other boys I've met in the last week have been similarly impressed. I seem to be attracting the right sort of muggles.

Speaking of muggles, my mother has asked me to help her re-learn how to knit. Apparently I'm not finishing (or heck, starting) the projects she wants made for her quickly enough, so she's taking matters into her own hands. She has plenty of yarn (unraveled thrift store sweaters), and we got her some needles, so all that remains is for me to use KnitWare to make a pattern for her. She's ambitious: she wants to make a sweater right off the bat. Based on her swatch, I think she'll do just fine.

Life is busy but good. I'd forgotten how great it feels to be single.