AnotherPurl :: a knitter's life

[10 Tuesday] My mythical Powerball winnings

I always say that life would be different if we won the Powerball, but that would involve also playing the Powerball. Every time it gets into the 100 million range or higher I think about it, and even then usually never remember to buy a ticket. That said, if I won the Powerball, I would do a lot of things.

1. Get some professional pictures taken. I'm a little skeptical about the need for baby bump pictures, but I'm pretty much skeptical about anything where pictures are concerned.

2. Pay off the mortgage and, if there is a way to do it without slapping friends and family with a huge tax burden, do the same for them. Hey, isn't this on pretty much every home owner's list?

3. Go back to school. I'd love to have my degree sooner rather than later, and I've finally paid enough down to actually apply again. As much as I like Wellesley, I obviously cannot go back there as someone who needs night classes. There are just not enough to fill all of the requirements, so I would have to go somewhere else. And well, I'm obviously meant to be a librarian, so finish up and go to library school, natch.

4. Really research opening my own ice cream store or truck, including getting whatever needs to happen done.

5. Umm, I guess if it were a truck, I'd also have to learn how to drive. Well, it is on the list. That time is sooner rather than later.

6. Buy more yarn. We'll ignore for the moment that I am still selling yarn, and have a large plastic bin full of yarn that I need to photograph and post for more yarn sale (and it includes Madeline Tosh).

7. Put some aside (and donate a lot). Well, most aside. If we've lived comfortably on our two salaries this long, I don't think there is any need to go overboard. Especially if we pay off our mortgage.

8. Buy a fancy cheese to celebrate. It is my husband's favorite food (or at least in the ultra short list), so it would be nice.

9. Go to Japan. It is on my vacation wish list, and I cannot remember the last away vacation we had together (Squam is wonderful, but that is me sans husband). I think the last one was a cruise we went on in 2009, which means it feels like forever ago.

10. Get a lawn service. Our neighbors' lawns look pretty good, but ours has shown our struggles to get it all done over the past few years. I am pretty sure that even a single season of a lawn service would be an excellent idea. But this, like my idea to have a cleaner in, is going to remain a happy fantasy.

What do you want to do with your mythical Powerball winnings?

I know what I like

There is something wonderful about buying from indie designers, local artisans, and small businesses. While I don't know the economics of it, but it makes me feel better. The products aren't necessarily cheaper, but you know the creators, can ask questions and get responses, and you know that you are directly making someone's life better.

Like this sock yarn. Ana of Toil and Trouble dyes yarn, and sells both finished pieces and patterns. This is her merino/nylon sock yarn in the Malificent colorway. I don't really remember if I met Ana during a Pints & Purls at Gather Here or if I first saw her tweets when they were retweeted by another maker I know, Liz. This sock yarn came home to me and has been marinating in my stash for a decent chunk of a year.

These socks are standard 60-stitch socks with a picot hem (my version of a fancy sock) with afterthought heels. You can sort of see the random single row of purply-red yarn marking the heel. With self-striping yarns, I like to knit them so that there is no pooling between of the heel and gusset, so I do afterthoughts and get this interesting circle of matching stripes. Though, these socks will still be fraternal. I'm not careful or picky enough to knit them so they start in exactly the same spot.

Ana is selling yarn this weekend as part of the North Shore Yarn Crawl. Of course, I live south of Boston and am car free, so while I don't get to enjoy the crawl, I do get to enjoy any yarn she doesn't sell when it makes it to Etsy (though I hope it all sells).

Buying yarn or bags (I bought a Pansy Maiden bag last year) is a great experience. When I bought my Pansy Maiden bag (I'm hoping to buy a bigger one later this year), I met the designer when I picked up my bag. Shopping local meant no shipping, which was great. I knew when buying the bag that I was helping put kibble and treats into Clementine's bowl, contributing to rent and additional materials for more bags, and maybe a nice dinner out with friends and family.

If you have a favorite local maker, please let me know. I am always interested in finding new interesting shops.

[10 Tuesday] thank goodness for March

This week's 10 for Tuesday is 10 reasons you are happy it is March. Now thinking about the months always makes me remember a story that I probably read in the Fairy Tale Tree. Google failed me this morning, so the story goes like this. A woman from a village is out near the woods when someone stops her and asks for bread (you know how these things go) and asks her what is the best month. She being nice and happy says all of them and gives a compliment for each month. Upon going home she finds that her bag is full of gems and coin. Her neighbor wanting her neighbor's good fortune for herself fills a bag with bread and goes into the woods. She meets the same person and is asked the same question. Her answer, of course, is far different. She likes none of the months as they each contain their own special misery. He gives her a gift and when she opens it, she is attacked by weasels (or some such). Now I really want to find the book!

So, I won't say that February was bad. It just felt like too short a month for all of the things we wanted to get done in it. It was certainly too short for the socks I finished on Friday, one day too late for making it within the month.

So, here are my top reasons for being happy it is March.

1. The arrival of spring. I know it is a little like beating a dead horse, because that was last week's topic.

2. Our floors are done and our stairs. They look gorgeous, but it made the last few days of February extra exciting.

3. This is the month we get to finish cleaning and packing, so we can put our house on the market.

4. Less doctor's appointments than other months. It seems silly, because they are just appointments for regular things, but it is nice not to have 2 or 3 of them (or more) each month.

5. Getting my kitchen back. It was the room most trashed by having the floors redone. I didn't do hardly any cooking over the weekend, because it was too much of a mess to even get to my island. Last night I was so happy to be back in my kitchen I made this Mediterranean baked feta with tomatoes with the haloumi I bought. It was delicious even with basic grape tomatoes from the grocery store. Tonight I'm making risotto with my pressure cooker.

6. Spring cleaning. We have boxes to put in the basement, stuff to bring to good will, and rooms to paint. It is the time of year to get all of these things done now that the windows don't need to be closed constantly.

7. More walking. Not that Victor has noticed much, but he got more walks this past weekend than he got most of the week before. I just dislike walking in the cold enough that I put him in the backyard to play when it isn't warm. Yesterday the elevator weather (hey, I get a lot of news from the elevator!) listing said it would be a high of 46 today. I'm looking forward to it, and hoping that the wind is low enough that I can give Victor a good walk after work.

8. Ice cream season. While I am happy to eat ice cream year round even if it makes me too cold, it is now ice cream season. I expect that I am going to need to have my ice cream party early this year. It feels weird that I probably won't have it on the 3rd Sunday in July (National Ice Cream Day). Now I'm trying to find another sweet day that can be used.

9. Lysistrata. My friend's show goes up this month and while I was sad not to get in, given how tired I was for most of February when I was in training for the title of Queen of the Weekend Naps it was probably just as well. The show goes up in just over a week!

10. Monkeys. I don't think March is special for monkeys, but hey I didn't have a real #10 and I like monkeys. Helping Hands is one of the charities I like to support, because I love how monkey helpers aid and provide companionship to people. Besides. They are super cute!