Out with the old, in with the new

Regia Silk (Morokko)
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I finished these yesterday during downtime between lessons. They are so soft, comfy (no itchy red rash here, a good sign) and the stripes are so cheery I could feel people smiling at me as they peaked out from under my pant legs as I strolled through the park! If only Regia's other colors weren't so unbearably dull (except Tansania, that one's pretty good.) Where are the aquas, the limes, the pinks, the golden yellows, the violets? If only they were all this bright. *sigh*

I have to admit something. I have been very good with the stashing-along; I've been happily choosing yarn out of my stash, and while I looked at new colors online, nothing really screamed at me (yay!). That all changed on Valentine's, when my mom gifted me with a e-bay certificate. (I love these things, and get them every holiday. Thanks mom!) It started with a little Interlacements... some Sea silk... and my gc was used up, and I was happy with what it bought me. But now I had the new yarn bug again!

I found myself poking around, looking at new colors. I discovered SweetGeorgia was taking a possibly-permanent hiatus, and while her yarns are all wool, all the time, I love her colors. Like, love in a not-friendly way. It's a little weird. Since they're so woolly, I had none in the stash. But this news spurred me to action! So now I am expecting a (smallish) box from Pickup Sticks in Canada. I may have also really liked that YP Merino Tencel I bought earlier, and surfed on over to the Loopy Ewe and seen new colorways. Specifically, a silvery gray called Quicksilver. I have no gray in my stash. None! So into the cart it went, along with new needles I legitimately needed (Crystal Palace size 0 6", you are the only ones for me. So why do your brethren keep leaving me, so that I have 2-3 useless needles?) and heck, I was somewhat close to the $50/free shipping. I had staring at Claudia Handpaints Begonia (also woolly, are you sensing my heartbreak here?). It has pink speckles! Like sprinkles! Speckles on sock yarn is like, my favorite kind of speckles! Anyway, it came with me, but I justified by thinking that a) I now save $4.05 by not paying shipping, and b) I am that much closer to a $25 credit at The Loopy Ewe.

I forgot to tell you that last time. When you spend $250, you get $25 back. $250 seems like a lot, I know, but when you think of the fact that she sells SOAK, Crystal Palace bamboo DPNS, and enough sock yarn to smother a grown man, with more companies and colors added almost daily, it doesn't seem so criminal, now does it?

ANYWAY, I'm not telling you what new things she's expecting soon, out of fear that you will beat me to it. But I know exactly what I want, and it will not be a willy-nilly stuffing-as-much-yarn-as-I-can free for all like I've been dreaming of afraid of. It will be controlled spending.

By the way, isn't a windfall evil? You know you should put it into savings or pay off bills (I did both) but then you have the leftover. And it just freakin' burns a hole in your pocket!

Come back tomorrow for a finished sweater. I hope. (P.S. - I don't work the loopy ewe. I'm just drunk from their good service and all the pretty colors. And the cookie recipes...)