Darn that yarn

I'm the proud owner of 11,000 yards of yarn.

Sometime last week I realized there was something missing in my life, and it occurred to me that it was yarn, lots of it. And as if by magic -- poof -- a big ol' box appeared on my doorstep. If only I had wished for a crate of hundred dollar bills, eh?

The yarn. It comes from a mail order place in Maine. It's 100% cotton, mercerized "pearl" yarn, combed and refined down to a fine, satiny sheen. I don't expect my male readers to give a boll weevil's behind about this, but it's one of my many inexplicable obsessions.

My husband expresses amazement at how I can make one small crochet hook fly so fast. I like to think of it as aerobics for my fingers. He's also stunned by the price tag -- about $180 for the lot, plus shipping. 

But I don't do half-fast baby afghans. My blankies kick ass. I crochet all kinds of complicated flowers or Irish cable patterns, which require many football field lengths of fiber. And I've got three on order: for a nephew who's still smarting that his big brother has one and he doesn't, for my future niece due in May, and for Mugwort, who'll be too small for the monstrous throw I'm making him/her.

They should all be finished in time for them to retire, I expect.

In the meantime, our coffee table has a nice centerpiece -- 11 enormous spools in lovely shades of forest green, rose and beige.

At least the cat's happy about it. I can see her gazing longingly in the box, ready to suck up several pounds worth like an endless spaghetti strand. Yum!

Comments

[brettdl]

I have to say, the blanket the Empress made for Seth is unbelievable. The irony: Seth prefers our two synthetic "John Lennon" blankets. But when he gets older, he's going to love that blanket into his 90s.

[lapd wife]

Wow, what an amazing talent. I tried to learn, once. Made a few potholders that I still have. I'm impressed, Anne.

[Ontario Emperor]

My daughter was going through the Joann at Ontario Mills yesterday, planning a blanket that she's going to make. Maybe. Cool feature; a zippered pocket in the blanket.