Let's just sharpen some tree branches and knit with those.

Lately audio books are my thing. I like to listen to them while I knit, while I'm on public transit, or more frequently while waiting for public transit to arrive.

I'm lucky, because the city library here is fantastic. I'm a bit spoiled, having just graduated from being able to access one of the most extensive libraries in the nation, but the city library does not disappoint. In fact, I find way more cool stuff there than in my alma mater's stuffy library (stuffy, but gorgeous). I managed to check out almost every David Sedaris audio book, two Barbara Walker Stitch Dictionaries, and a bunch of knitting pattern books. The problem with the library, though, is you have to return things.

I got my free yarn in the mail day before yesterday. What a fantastic gal Tamara is for sending me that yarn, now I get to knit a FREE sweater. Well, almost free. Still gotta go buy these ginormous needles called for in the pattern. All the yarn shops near my house laughed when I called asking for size 35 circular needles. I caved and tried Joann's and Michael's, and after about thirty minutes on hold was amazed to find that Michael's did in fact have size 35, 29" circular needles. Armed with my iPod and a newly uploaded recording of Sedaris' "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," I rode two busses through the ghetto to get to Michael's. Wouldn't you know, they didn't actually have size 35 circulars. Ugh.

So, in order to keep myself from going nuts, I bought some yarn. I had a weird flashback to buying my first yarn, a decade ago, at a Michael's in Southern California. How funny, even then--before I knew that lovely LYSes existed-- I got the feeling that this was not how one should buy yarn. Sure, they've got a ton of acrylic and cheap scratchy wool, but is the knowledgeable, knitting-crazy staff? Knitting is such a calming, beautiful, and skilled activity... it just seems that the fluorescent-lit aisle of a super store is not the place to begin your knitting experience.

That being said, I DID buy yarn there. But only because it was cheap, and because I needed to make Sam another hat. Well, Sam needs another hat like he needs a hole in the head, but I need to make him one. I got a skein of what I think is Wool Ease Thick & Quick, but it had the Homespun label on it. I didn't realize this until I was out of the store, thinking to myself, "Gee, that yarn sure was cheap...". Turns out someone had put the wrong label back on an unlabeled skein, and I ended up with a skein of forest green Wool Ease for two bucks! Score.

So I'll churn out a quick beanie today. I need to complete something, and keep myself busy while I wait for the mailman to deliver my size giant needles.