octette

jozelle hasn’t stopped smiling since she got here. quitting her job was really good for her. she’s also gained at least a pound. we’ve spent a lot of time eating and listening to matchbox twenty.

yesterday we went to the yarn shop. there’s this orange malabrigo aquarella super bulky yarn that i’ve been gazing at adoringly since the first time i hit knitorious. (was it the end of november? beginning of december?) every time i go into the shop, i stare and it and touch it, and finally i bought it. super bulky yarn + size 15 needles = bag to be felted.

after the yarn shop, jo and i hit rivendell to watch the fellowship of the ring with chris, and eat takeout. i knitted. i knitted all through the movie and all through a few hours after the movie, and by the time i’d finished knitting up all three cakes of the malabrigo, i had a decent sized bag, and, thanks to the magic touch of tammie, it felted down into the size of a purse. i need to add handles and a snap, and i’ll have a purse!

this is especially ridiculous for the following reasons: the yarn was about $70. who needs a $70 purse? and: the day before, at target, i’d bought a new purse.

in fairness to me, learning to felt and finally using this insane yarn was worth the money to me, and also the purse i bought at target is a very professional-looking black purse that will fit about anything i could think of into it — at least two manuscripts and my computer and my notebook and a novel or two, at least. and yet it’s still kind of a classy purse. whereas an orange felt purse is a little flashy.

(jozelle tried to get me to buy a red purse with gold clasps instead of the black one. when i told her it was “too flashy” and put it back for the black one, she laughed at me, and pointed out that i have a facial piercing, lots of colorful tattoos, and henna’d hair. i am flashy. but i don’t feel flashy; i wear a lot of black and carry a lot of black things and — in general, i don’t feel flash.)

my hair is long enough to be pulled back into a ponytail now. it’s a small ponytail, but it’s a ponytail.

this picture is of jo standing in the living room at rivendell. she generously offered a pair of dirty jeans to throw into the washing machine with the bag, to add friction to help the wool felt up, and tammie generously offered her the use of this dress. the skirt was not all satiny and velvety fabric; it had panels of spiderweb lace, too.

my hands are cramping a little from knitting so much yesterday, and it was imprudent to buy the yarn when i don’t get paid until thursday and i have to pay rent today, but i had such a good time, i think it was worth it.

now: back to knitting clapotis-the-scarf.