No Time for Losers, Cause We Are the Champions

The Olympics are right around the corner as is the Ravellenic Games 2012.  For those non-knitters and non-spinners, the start of the opening ceremonies for the Olympics marks the start of a fiber project that you pledge to finish before the closing ceremonies.  This year, I have pledged to spin all outstanding dye lots.  Wow.  This is going to be a hefty task.  I have a ton of wool that has been dyed and sits ready to be made into yarn.  Tonight, I got a jump start by finishing the last of three skeins of my art yarn.  Still, there is plenty that is waiting to take shape. 
Most people are watching the actual Olympic games while knitting and spinning.  But, I have never really been into the Olympics.  I always find myself rooting for the wrong reasons.  Everyone is wanting the underdog to win, and I almost want to see the floor exercise gymnast trip on the streamer.  I know it isn't right.  And, this kind of karma can't be good for my knitting projects. 
If you don't have a project for the games, you better figure one out immediately.  You can't just spend the entire time actually watching the Olympics. 

Is There Anything Left to Us But to Organize and Fight?

I have finally climbed out of the fiber that I buried myself in earlier this May.  Of course, I am talking about all the fiber, fleece, and supplies I purchased at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  We went with a wool entourage and Mr. Cutthroat would take time out of his lamb eating schedule to carry our purchases to the car.  Such a trooper!  He was rewarded with kabobs, gyros, and limeade.  

We spent two full days at the festival, touring every spot of the festival two, three times.  After unloading several animals' fiber from the car, I turned my apartment into a full blown sweat shop.  We gave the new-to-me drum carder some TLC, replaced the band (a drama in itself), and started carding.  After using the drum carder for 3 seconds, I was in awe about how in the hell people did this by hand.  I mean, I have done it by hand and now I am angry that it took me so long to buy a damn drum carder! 
Back to the sweat shop.  I had the wool entourage washing, dyeing, and carding fleece all over my apartment.  No coffee breaks!  No unionizing!  There was too much to do.  Sadly, my sweat shop disbanded the next day as they traveled home.  Who says I'm not a good host?  Next year, if they dare to come back, I will have a new project lined up.  But this time, I will lock the doors from the outside. 

Isn't She Lovely?

Why is old stuff so much better than new stuff?  While that isn't the case in every instance, but when you are talking about making yarn, old stuff just has a way of giving an antiquated craft more character.  Last week, Mr. Cutthroat and I made it out of the big, bad city to take a weekend away.  I took Mr. Cutthroat to every antique store in town to find a new old wheel.  In and out, in and out, we saw tons of crap and very few gems.  Each store owner would say, "a wheel??  I haven't seen those in ages!"  But, in the very last store tucked in between two old pieces of furniture was this beauty.  I fell in love and sent Mr. Cutthroat to the ATM to make this wheel a part of my family.  We buckled it into the car seat, much like a baby.  We carefully carried it up the stairs.  I took it apart, oiled it, and dusted each part. 
Then, I flipped it over to check  for a makers mark.  I broke it.  A small piece of wood that connects the wheel to the pedal snapped in two.  Granted, these parts of the wheel are hardly ever original because of their fragility, but I cried as I glued it back together.  I will find a replacement part and it will spin beautiful yarn.  But, sadly not in time for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. 

Back in the Saddle Again

I know, I know.  It's been a while.  I kinda fell off the face of the Earth, as I usually do in the yarn world immediately following Christmas.  This past Christmas totally kicked my ass.  Since then, I have been quietly been working on a batch of wool that I bought in Colonial Williamsburg.  To be honest, it isn't the easiest wool to spin.  Those colonial sheep in their little tricorn hats certainly do not spin like merino.  But, I am hoping to wrap it up in March.  While I haven't been spinning at my usual pace, I haven't slowed the buying portion.  I have been buying llama, alpaca, merino, and angora fleece.  Our house has more animal hair in it than a petting zoo.  And, I did pick up some knitting projects lately, as a yarny alternative.  So, that's something. 
So, I am gradually working on my triumphant return.  And, it can be expected that my addictive personality will leave me spinning and concocting dyes during any and all free time as soon as I get back to normal.  But right now, it is back to that original feeling of spinning as a hobby.  Once everything kicks into high gear, that feeling turns into panic and deadlines and stress.  That's why I have to ease back in.  And, this old timey sheep was a bad choice--five more skeins to go.

Them Chickens Jackin' My Style

A guest blog by Mr. Cutthroat 6:00 PM Mr. Cutthroat here. I'm live-blogging a "stress relief event", which means people shopping, while Mrs. Cutthroat spins and talks yarn. There are a couple other vendors here: Mary Kay, Jewlery, etc. And there are sandwiches--my favorite part. We just had our first interaction...one card given. Interest is peaked. 2nd interaction down and Cutthroat cards are flying off the table. Still haven't been given leave to grab a sandwich. 6:20 PM Another visitor, another card gone. Mrs Cutthroat is hustling while she spins. A person interested in looms. Here comes a story of me not allowing Mrs. Cutthroat a giant floor loom. I'm such a bad guy! 6:30 PM Still no sandwich... 6:35 PM A person stopped by that is interested in lessons. Mrs. Cutthroat does offer lessons. She's been practicing on her friends--even if they don't want to learn to knit. 6:40 PM Mrs. Cutthroat was just described as "the lady who puts the yarn on the knit." 6:42 PM Another friend of a knitter. There must be a "friends of knitters" meeting next door. are people embarrassed to admit being a knitter? 6:43 PM No sandwich 6:45 PM Black Eyed Peas are playing and the Mary Kay lady is pushing liquid botox. Coincidence, I think not. I'm looking at you Fergie! 6:50 PM Our first knitter! She signed up to receive Cutthroat Yarn's E-newsletter. Have you? Email cutthroatyarn@gmail.com to receive periodic updates and discounts right now! 7:03 PM Ran into one of our brave military men. He was talking about how knitted scarves are important to helping keep our soliders warm and their armor from scratching their neck. Mrs. Cutthroat should become a defense contractor! We will be knitting scarves to send off to our brave soliders. 7:21 PM A husband just found Christmas gifts for his wife from Cutthroat Yarn! 7:28 PM Sandwich acquired. 7:29 PM Sandwich gone. Overall, a positive experience for Cutthroat Yarn and I didn't have to make dinner either! Also, I received some liquid botox from the Mary Kay lady.

He Ain't Seen Me Crazy Yet

This weekend, I have a lot of yarn to make. On top of that, I have Christmas orders to crank out. The Christmas shopping season is heating up a lot quicker than last year. Not only am I a merchant for Black Friday, I am an avid participant in what most of the population would consider a nightmare. Not me! I can get down and wrestle ornaments with the best of the best. I have become an awesome defensive shopper, honing my skills year after year. This year, I don't have any particular items that I will be looking to purchase that will require excessive line waiting. And, I am sad about that. My family has the regular items on their wish lists this year like pajamas, shoes, perfume. No one starts shoving over pajamas! I find myself trying to suggest electronics to them so I will have something to wait in line for at 3:30 AM. No luck. So, I am going to make the best of the situation. My plan is to start a panic in order to get the best pajamas money can buy! I will have to create all the drama in the lingerie section, but I will push and shove innocent bystanders to get into the holiday spirit. Thanksgiving weekend, and in the spirit of Black Friday, www.cutthroatyarn.com will be offering up sales. If you are a knitter, or looking for a Christmas gift, hit up the website for a sizable discount.

I Hear the Mighty Thunder

Who wears a slutty _____ costume to work? 

Today, I found myself asking that a lot.  At times, the blank was filled with witch, cat, bee, and nurse.  Actually, the nurse may have just been going to work, sexily administering an IV or erotically changing a bandage.  Why is that even a sexy option?  Most of what nurses do grosses me out because of blood, urine, vomit, and who knows what else.  I can kind of understand the theory behind sexy witch.  Some guys dig the mean girl vibe.  I just can't get the point of dressing up in white and saying, "May I empty your bedpan?" in a whispery voice.  Anyway, I digress.  Which office has the option to slut it up in lieu of wearing a suit?  Certainly not mine.  I feel uncomfortable wearing a sleeveless shirt.  For Halloween, I always dress up as something totally weird or gross.  I always misplace the memo about looking attractive on October 31st. 

But, I didn't dress up as anything this year!  Mr. Cutthroat and I made no plans and it feels weird.  Also, we live in an area where we get no trick-or-treaters.  A sad double whammy!  If I could take my cat out trick-or-treating, I would.  I love Halloween. 

We did make it to a haunted house this year, against Mr. Cutthroat's wishes.  It was an outdoor trail.  And, I should mention that it was 35 degrees.  The trail was great, although I was a little thrown off by the music selection being played by the waiting area DJ.  At first, we thought the music was decent with a little bit of Jay-Z and Lady Gaga.  Then, as our group was waiting to be scared by teenagers wielding chainsaws, "How Great Thou Art" begun to play.  Wait, was this a Hell House?  By the time I got to the room with the heavy metal and clowns, I knew that it wasn't.  Side-stepped that landmine! 

Next year, I am vowing to dress up.  I am going to take over a friend's house in a well-populated area in order to hand out candy.  And, I am going to find a Hell House.