Thursday, February 25, 2010

Questions I Cannot Ask

I am a gatherer by nature; a nester, I suppose. I like to have things where I can reach them, and I line my particular nests accordingly.

That means that my bedside table looks like this:

Bedside

There’s a wide assortment there, everything from fantasy to science fiction to mystery to multi-generational tales of families and the things they go through.

Which leaves my bookshelves looking like this:

Bookshelf

It means that I can’t ask my husband, “Honey, where’s my book?” He’d laugh himself silly, and who could really blame him?

When I started knitting, my storage needs were simple. A teeny little stash consisting of a huge ball of sage-green Red Heart and the book I was using to learn from.

That didn’t last long.

I got an under-the-bed container from my mother… and then she gave me another one.

Soon there was (and still is) yarn squirreled away in nearly every room of the house. Living room, dining room, bedroom, office, library, it’s in every room but the bathrooms.

Take this closet, for instance:

Closet

The top couple of layers are yarn that wouldn’t fit under the bed. I’ve got a reasonable idea of what’s in there, but recently I realized that 'a reasonable idea' isn’t going to save me this time.

I started a pair of Baudelaire socks by Cookie A, out of some lovely red Plymouth Yarn Happy Feet. See how pretty it is?

HappyFeetRed-01

This sock is fabulous, and I’m really enjoying myself with it.

Baudelaire-01

Check out the cable coming up from the gusset… I’m smitten.

Baudelaire-02

I'm cruising right along on it. I've got another couple of pattern repeats to do, and then there's just the ribbing. It's practically done.

Which naturally begs the question: where the heck did I put that second skein?

I can’t very well ask my husband, now can I?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I saw Shelby Foote. That's all I need to know you and I are simpatico.

Donna Lee said...

I really hope you find the other skein because that is a seriously beautiful sock.

I have managed to keep the knitting stash down to mostly a tub of sock yarn and a few skeins of laceweight.

We won't talk about the spinning stash (although I will say that it's all contained. somewhat)

Karen said...

Somehow it comforts me to know that you can't ask your husband where stuff is, either. Schadenfreude or solidarity -- does it really matter which? :)

6 Girls' Mom said...

My bedside table and book cases look very similar to yours, as does my closet. How nice to see proof that I am not alone! And, as supportive as my husband usually is about my hobbies, I do still try to keep him in the dark about exactly how much yarn is in my stash! That sock is beautiful. I'm hoping to screw up the courage to try socks sometime this year!

Anonymous said...

it's an incredible sock! WOW!

But thank you for putting a name to my own habits. I like to have things near me too and just thought it was because I was lazy. You say it's nesting. I like that better.

iKate said...

I spy Yarn Harlot! ;-)

Chandler said...

Oh, boy. My yarn problem isn't quite as extensive as my book problem, but I, too am a queen of piles. I guess my natural state is being completely surrounded by stuff and interests (were you and I cats in past lives, perhaps?). Sigh. So I guess I'll never have any words of comfort or advice for you!

Alwen said...

*sigh* Yes, this. Some of my nests are almost nest-shaped!

The dog recently knocked over one of my piles of stuff, and there I found the printed-out 19th c. netting instructions I had looked for everywhere. Everywhere but there, I guess!

Anonymous said...

The pictures of your place could have been taken at mine! The books are in random stacks, and the yarn is in a heap in the closet (as well as in several storage bins in odd corners, upstairs and down). Don't ask me where anything is. I pretend to have a method to my madness.

As for the Baudelaires... delicious! That's one of my favorite sock patterns, and of course you've done it justice. Lovely! I do hope you find the other hank of yarn...

Teresa said...

I don't ask my hubby either! He can't find his own socks or anything else half the time.

Beautiful sock! You should try 2 at a time!

essjay said...

I love this post Anree!! I do hope you've found that skein of yarn!