The naked truth is covered in dustballs this winter. WHO wouldn’t rather knit than do, hmmm, HOUSEWORK? But when you see a tumbleweed size d-bunny roll across the floor or you catch your foot in that project next to it just once too often, it’s time to invite Mr. Clean over for a cocktail.

What you see above is my attempt to restore a little order in the studio corner. Piled high are swatches and swatches and swatches in a big bowl; new projects, old projects, fantasy projects. Things that go boom in the night, even.

Scary yarns! and friendly fiber all sittin’ together in a swatch salad.

Seeing it all together like that makes me real frisky!

And, you know, it’s March, time for a little madness. Let’s see what we shall see…

miniHAHA: recent spam email from *ebay powerseller Stefanie4218 (15044)* – “Why dont you answer to my emails!!! If you dont Respond Now I will contact ebay safeharbor and report you ! Lett me know, I am not a fool ! Thank you ! ! “

the adventure in handpaint continues…

An amazing tribute to the Power of Ribbing! Who would think this little anenome-like creature would bloom into

But bloom the little sleeve did, and I am well on my way knitting the yoke of my Ribby Pulli. Now it’s getting interesting – hmmm…

The original Orangecrush Ribby Pulli (knit in 2001) had a funnel-neck, which was what I was going to go for here. I’m looking at it from across the room and thinking a scoop-neck just might be better on this version because I am planning on wearing it over a long-sleeved blouse. It is wool; I wanted the Ribby to have short sleeves to do some temperature control for Indoor Wear.

So maybe, I better listen to the funkay muse and go with a modified scoop neck!

The interesting patterns being formed as this piece grows continues to intrigue. Here is my original swatch for the yarn…

…little angled stripes broken up by sage colored zigzags…

How this translates into the exciting variation that has happened is Weird Science, baby. And I love it!

Although you can knit with two balls to get a non-pooling event, most of the time, I prefer to see what the yarn dyer might have had in mind for a straight through performance. I’m seeing all sorts of wonderful dyeing going on all over knitting blogland – dyers – when you make a colourway, what is the most intriguing thing you’re going for?

  Monday Morning Mirth  

What have we here?
Well, in the miasma that is the culinary world
over here @Chez Chic
it could only be one thing…

the Food Pyramid

That’s right, All Cookies All the Time. NOTHING but nothing gets one through the challenges of life like those little crispy disks. Especially these crispy disks.

They are Girl Scout Cookies. The highest food form of all.

And, as always, it’s the story behind the story that intrigues and confounds.

For these boxes (10 to begin with), all came from the same Scout. And that scout was not a Girl.

THAT Scout was the girl scout’s Dad – a co-worker who I adore and from who I was more than thrilled to buy 10 boxes of Do-si-dos (Peanut Butter Cremes -say it loud say it proud PEANUT BUTTER)!

What happened next was just a Froid of the most magnificent sort.

Now Citizens of Chez Chic love nothing more than a good Cultural Froid. That way, when we’re caught staring at our fellow man, we can take the High Road and claim to be just doing our job, m’amm, just being an anthropologist and recording those human perks for all time’s sake.

No sooner had I bought the cookies from my friend, than I observed Notices going up all over the workplace, advertising cookies from several parties. These handbills varied from type-to-type. Some were just photocopied blah [OOF girl in uniform]; others High Ink Jet Art [full color portrait of girl in First Communion Dress]!

The most amazing thing was that they were all authored by a Dad! The Cookie Sale had become A SPORT! And apparently, that throwdown was a success because as I watched the cookie forms FILL with orders, I just got outta the way [and was secretly glad I got my Do-si-dos before they ran OUT!]